Latinos, particularly UIs and their US-born children, for whom such negative health effects may become reality over time. Identifying protective factors to ameliorate the negative health effects of poverty, marginalization and harsh living environments in this population is necessary to develop prevention interventions, reduce healthcare cost, and inform policy. II. BACKGROUND Immigrant health has been a seriously neglected area of research, although this is gradually changing with a recent increase in studies focusing in quality and use of healthcare among at-risk immigrants, including UIs. Unfortunately, research to understand the effects of immigration legal status, particularly undocumented status, on physical and mental health is limited. Given that UIs make up a considerable proportion of the US population and its workforce, facilitating understanding of their wellbeing and mental health challenges is important to decrease inappropriate use of healthcare services, and ensure a healthier workforce and community, as well as to inform the development of interventions and policies. Mental health of undocumented immigrants in the United States According to Healthy People 2020, mental health is 1 of 12 leading health indicators given it is essential to a person’s wellbeing, quality of life, physical functioning, interpersonal relationships, and productivity (US Department of Health and Human Services). The association between mental health and quality of life is widely documented, with better mental health associated to increased wellbeing. In a
Latinos, particularly UIs and their US-born children, for whom such negative health effects may become reality over time. Identifying protective factors to ameliorate the negative health effects of poverty, marginalization and harsh living environments in this population is necessary to develop prevention interventions, reduce healthcare cost, and inform policy. II. BACKGROUND Immigrant health has been a seriously neglected area of research, although this is gradually changing with a recent increase in studies focusing in quality and use of healthcare among at-risk immigrants, including UIs. Unfortunately, research to understand the effects of immigration legal status, particularly undocumented status, on physical and mental health is limited. Given that UIs make up a considerable proportion of the US population and its workforce, facilitating understanding of their wellbeing and mental health challenges is important to decrease inappropriate use of healthcare services, and ensure a healthier workforce and community, as well as to inform the development of interventions and policies. Mental health of undocumented immigrants in the United States According to Healthy People 2020, mental health is 1 of 12 leading health indicators given it is essential to a person’s wellbeing, quality of life, physical functioning, interpersonal relationships, and productivity (US Department of Health and Human Services). The association between mental health and quality of life is widely documented, with better mental health associated to increased wellbeing. In a
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