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Perceived Discrimination and Religiosity as Potential Mediating Factors Between Migration and Depressive Symptoms: A Transnational Study of an Indigenous Mayan Population

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Abstract

Evidence suggests that in the US perceived discrimination among migrants of Mexican origin is associated with depressive symptoms. Factors that confer resilience, such as religiosity, could serve as a mediating factor in the context of migration stressors. We hypothesized that migration is associated with higher depressive symptoms and that discrimination and religiosity would mediate this relationship in a binational (US and Mexican) sample of indigenous Mexican migrants. We applied path analysis modeling to test our hypotheses with a sample of 650 individuals (n = 583 in Mexico; n = 67 in US). Results indicated that migration experience and current US residence were associated with perceived discrimination, which in turn were associated with a higher risk for depressive symptoms. Among women not living in the US, religiosity was associated with lower perceived discrimination. Discrimination is pervasive among male and female transnational and domestic migrants and religiosity may serve as a protective factor against discrimination for some women.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the community of Tunkás and Tunkaseños in Mexico and the US for their trust, sincerity, and guidance in making this work possible. This research was supported by the Research Program on Migration and Health (Programa de Investigación en Migración y Salud, PIMSA Cycle 2011–2012), the Health Initiative of the Americas, the University of California, the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at the University of California, San Diego, and the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, México.

Conflict of interest

The authors state no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health (Global Health), San Diego State/University of California, San Diego, Hardy Tower 119, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA, 92182-4162, USA

    Hugo Salgado & Eastern Kang

  2. Mexican Migration Field Research Program, University of California, San Diego, Mail Code 0548, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0548, USA

    Isa Haviland, Marcella Hernandez, Diana Lozano & Ruby Osoria

  3. Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, Mail Code 0532, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0532, USA

    David Keyes

  4. School of Social Work, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4119, USA

    María Luisa Zúñiga

Authors
  1. Hugo Salgado
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  2. Isa Haviland
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  3. Marcella Hernandez
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  4. Diana Lozano
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  5. Ruby Osoria
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  6. David Keyes
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  7. Eastern Kang
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  8. María Luisa Zúñiga
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to María Luisa Zúñiga.

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Salgado, H., Haviland, I., Hernandez, M. et al. Perceived Discrimination and Religiosity as Potential Mediating Factors Between Migration and Depressive Symptoms: A Transnational Study of an Indigenous Mayan Population. J Immigrant Minority Health 16, 340–347 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9944-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9944-z

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