Resources After Reunification: Latinx Immigrant Adolescents and Parents Describe Their Needs After Migration-Related Separation

Many migrant families seek refuge in the United States as a haven away from disaster and violence in their home country. Therefore, migrant and asylum-seeking families often carry trauma, putting them at an increased risk for mental health problems, which may be exacerbated by parental separation. Some efforts have sought to increase mental health service access and effectiveness for migrant families. However, there is limited understanding of which resources are most desired by migrant families from their own perspectives, as much of the existing research on needs features the perspectives of academics and clinicians.Objective We endeavored to summarize resources perceived to be most beneficial from the voices of migrant youth and their mothers on the topic of parent-child separation and reunion.Method Data from this secondary analysis were drawn from interviews with Mexican and Central American mother-child dyads (n = 16 mothers and n = 15 adolescents) who experienced migratory separation and were subsequently reunited in the United States. Thematic analysis was leveraged to analyze responses to one interview question.Results Three needs emerged across reports, including (a) tangible support (basic resources and legal services), (b) social support aligned with values, and (c) mental health interventions.Conclusions These findings support the need for ongoing adaptations of mental health services and needs for tangible resources (e.g. food, employment), legal resources, and broader sources of social support.