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Stress and Distress: Mental Health Among Latinx Farmworkers in the Eastern United States

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Latinx Farmworkers in the Eastern United States

Abstract

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers experience substantial stress resulting from their difficult work, low income, separation from family, experiences of discrimination, and poor housing. This chapter is centered on a stress/distress model. This model posits that stressors are both structural and situational. Stress levels can be countered by positive or negative coping behaviors. Distress results from chronic, unmitigated stress and may contribute to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and alcohol use disorders. The chapter summarizes the current sparse literature on mental health research among farmworkers in the eastern United States. Symptom levels for anxiety and depression are highly variable, with studies reporting 0–23% prevalence for anxiety and 7–52% for depression. Alcohol use disorders are common, particularly among men, with most studies reporting more than 30% prevalence. Although variable, the evidence suggests that farmworkers in the eastern US have a substantial burden of mental distress that is untreated. Future directions for research, practice, and policy are suggested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    Katherine F. Furgurson

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    Sara A. Quandt

Authors
  1. Katherine F. Furgurson
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  2. Sara A. Quandt
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA

    Thomas A. Arcury

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA

    Sara A. Quandt

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Furgurson, K.F., Quandt, S.A. (2020). Stress and Distress: Mental Health Among Latinx Farmworkers in the Eastern United States. In: Arcury, T., Quandt, S. (eds) Latinx Farmworkers in the Eastern United States. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36643-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36643-8_4

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