Mental Health Among Farmworker Parents

Unauthorized immigrant farmworkers face serious mental health challenges. Fear of deportation, job insecurity, and family separation all contribute to higher rates of depression and anxiety. But in our new research, my coauthors and I found that having US-born children may actually protect unauthorized parents from some of this mental health distress.

We analyzed data from over 3,200 farmworkers, examining depression symptoms among unauthorized immigrants and comparing those in mixed-status families, where at least one parent is unauthorized but children are US-born citizens, to those in non-mixed-status families.

The results were clear. Unauthorized parents in mixed-status families were 13 percentage points less likely to experience elevated depression symptoms than their counterparts in non-mixed-status families. They reported fewer difficulties with sleep, less trouble with motivation, reduced feelings of loneliness, and lower overall depression scores.

Why This Matters

About 45% of US farmworkers are unauthorized immigrants. They're essential to the $1.5 trillion agricultural sector, yet they work under constant stress. In our study, we found that 33% fear being fired and 64% are separated from family members. Within this context, US-born children appear to provide a buffer against some of this distress. They may help families access services through their citizenship status, connect parents to schools and healthcare, and provide emotional support that reduces isolation.

This isn't a simple story. While US-born children may offer protection, they can also introduce new worries. Parents may fear family separation more acutely. However, children in mixed-status families may face mental health distress themselves as they take on adult responsibilities too early, becoming translators and navigators of complex systems.

My Takeaway

As immigration enforcement intensifies and policy uncertainty grows, unauthorized farmworker families face mounting stress. Our findings point to the need for family-centered mental health support. Interventions that reduce isolation and strengthen family connections could make a real difference.

Family matters for mental health, even under the most challenging circumstances. As we debate immigration policy, we should remember that these aren't abstract discussions. They're about real families trying to stay together while doing essential work.

Lindsay H., Rubalcaba J., and Lidsky S. "Farmwork and family: How mixed-status families influence the mental health of foreign born farmworkers." SSM - Mental Health