title: I Didn't Ask to Come to this Country…I was a Child: The Mental Health Implications of Growing Up Undocumented.
abstract: Growing up as an undocumented immigrant and transitioning to "illegal" adulthood can expose the person to adverse social determinants, which can detrimentally affect mental health by acting as chronic stressors. Although there have been several attempts to reform immigration, none have been entirely successful. Recently, the Dream Act and the path toward citizenship may be important steps for reducing mental health disparities among the undocumented, immigrant population. This case report will describe the experiences of one Latino "dreamer", reveal the effects of an undocumented status on mental health, and posit future directions for mental health promotion in this vulnerable population.
authors: Department of Health Care Environments and Systems, College of Nursing, University of Florida, 101 S. Newel Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA, jeannems@ufl.edu.
authors: Jeanne-Marie R
authors: JM
authors: Stacciarini
authors: Rebekah Felicia
authors: RF
authors: Smith
authors: Brenda
authors: B
authors: Wiens
authors: Awilda
authors: A
authors: Pérez
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Locke
authors: Melody
authors: M
authors: LaFlam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology; D000069756:Undocumented Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*