A multi-level study of the link between fear of deportation and mental health in Latinx young adults: The role of systemic inflammation and related risk and protective factors

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT There is evidence of a growing health disparity in mental health—particularly rising depression and anxiety—in Latinx young adults. Fear of deportation is prevalent in this population, with nearly 39% of Latinxs expressing concern about the possibility of themselves or someone they know being deported. Fear of

deportation has been linked to high levels of anxiety and depression among Latinx populations, yet little is known about the underlying mechanisms driving this relation. While there is a growing number of studies investigating systemic inflammation among Latinx populations, there remains a knowledge gap related to the

associations between inflammation and structural racism. The proposed project aims to expand health disparity and discrimination research among Latinx immigrant young adults by examining how systemic inflammation may mediate the relation between fear of deportation and depression and anxiety. Specifically, the study will recruit 150 Latinx college students with temporary or no legal status and

150 Latinx students with permanent legal status to complete online questionnaires and provide a saliva sample. The first aim of the proposed project is to assess the multi-domain effects of fear of deportation on systemic inflammation (biological domain) and mental health outcomes (behavioral domain). It is hypothesized

that systemic inflammation will mediate the relations of fear of deportation with anxiety and depression. The second aim of the proposed project is to identify multi-level risk factors that moderate the associations between fear of deportation, systemic inflammation, and the mental health outcomes of anxiety and depression. The

study hypothesizes that acculturation (individual level), discrimination (community level), and skin color (individual level) will act as moderators of links between fear of deportation, inflammation, and mental health. Additionally, the third aim of the proposed project is to identify multi-level protective factors that may weaken

these links. It is hypothesized that political activism (individual level), parent-child attachment (interpersonal level), and religiosity (community level) will mitigate the associations between fear of deportation, systemic inflammation, and depression and anxiety. The proposal innovates by considering, for the first time, risk and

protective factors across domains and levels of influence that are operating at the biological level to exacerbate and mitigate the effects of deportation stress on mental health. Additionally, it aims to shed light on the influence of structural racism on health through biological processes. The findings of this study can inform the

development of targeted interventions and policies aimed at reducing a known health disparity and promoting resilience among minoritized populations. As such, this study is aligned with NIMHD's strategic goal of investigating the health determinants that underlie resilience or susceptibility to diseases and conditions

experienced by minority populations. It will also support the training of a first-generation, Latina immigrant who seeks to address health disparities through doctoral study and an independent research career in psychology.