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Somatic, Anxiety, and Depressive (SAD) Symptoms in Young Adult Latinx Immigrants: Prevalence and Predictors

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Abstract

Certain immigration factors may increase somatic, anxiety, and depressive (SAD) symptoms in Latinx immigrants. Our study examined prevalence of SAD symptoms in Latinx immigrants 18–29 presenting to primary care with correlates of acculturation, immigration, and legal status. SAD symptoms were measured using the PHQ-14, GAD-7 and PHQ-8. Moderate somatization (37%), anxiety (20%), and depression (25%) were common. Multivariable analysis found five immigration factors predicted a higher composite SAD score and the presence of each additional factor increased likelihood of a SAD score ≥ 20 (OR  1.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.5). SAD scores increased in a dose–response fashion (8.3, 10.5, 14.8, 17.1, 21.7, 29.3) with the added presence of each factor. Elevated SAD scores were not associated with gender, marital status, education, income, country of origin, or acculturation. Screening with our five factor immigration distress index may help identify patients at risk for higher SAD scores during a primary care visit.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank LUNA Language Services for their expertise in translating the Spanish language version of the study survey.

Funding

Funded by ASPIRE Program, Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 545 Barnhill, 6940 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN, 46268, USA

    Carrie Leathers & Kurt Kroenke

  2. Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Kurt Kroenke, Mindy Flanagan & Rachel Gruber

  3. Eskenazi Health Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Carrie Leathers & Savina Diaz

  4. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Gloria Tran & Daniel Driver

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  1. Carrie Leathers
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Correspondence to Carrie Leathers.

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This study was approved by the Indiana University IRB.

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Leathers, C., Kroenke, K., Flanagan, M. et al. Somatic, Anxiety, and Depressive (SAD) Symptoms in Young Adult Latinx Immigrants: Prevalence and Predictors. J Immigrant Minority Health 23, 956–964 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01218-3

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