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Journal article
Impacts to mental and brain health on irregular and deported Colombian Migrants: Implications for policy and practice
Neuroscience, v 580, pp 46-53
15 Jun 2025
PMID: 40527432
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
• Pre-departure Colombians report better economic conditions than deported groups.
• Pre-departure, mental health is predicted by food insecurity, age, and gender.
• Deported individuals face greater vulnerabilities.
• Deported individuals experience increased vulnerability in mental health conditions.
• Worse mental and brain health outcomes fall upon women.
• Interventions and policy approaches are needed to prevent structural inequalities.
Latin Americahas experienced one of the most pronounced increases in human mobility globally. Migration is a structural determinant ofhealthfor key vulnerable populations. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between mental health outcomes with structural and individual determinants of health for pre-departure and deported Colombians. We hypothesized that experiences of violence, adverse experiences before migration and less social capital significantly impact perceived mental health and brain health by proxy. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Bogotá to assess the feasibility of a Migrant Health Observatory. This novel study sampled hidden and hard-to-reach populations. We found socioeconomic status, gender and age as determinants of mental health for pre-departure migrants, which induced their decision to migrate irregularly. Deported individuals face greater vulnerabilities given greater prevalence of adverse childhood experiences, more dependents and greater food insecurity. Our results have important implications for policy and practice, indicating the need for tailored mental health and social support interventions that consider women, children and adolescents, and food insecure people as key populations in need of assistance, and at risk of being exposed to irregular migration-associated risks. Our study also points to key targets for intervention and policies to protect mental and brain health in the region. This study shows how brain health can be affected in the growing migratory context of the Americas. Our approach addresses mental health as a proxy of brain health to describe how migration and individual differences impact pre-departure migrants and deported Colombians.
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Details
- Title
- Impacts to mental and brain health on irregular and deported Colombian Migrants: Implications for policy and practice
- Creators
- C. Correa-Salazar - Universidad de Los AndesG. Rangel - El Colegio de la Frontera NorteJ. Blandón - Universidad de Los AndesE.N. Agudelo-Avellaneda - Universidad de Los AndesD.S.Torres Benitez - Universidad de Los AndesN. Quintero-Medina - Universidad de Los AndesV. Saray-Jaimes - Universidad de Los AndesM.L. Restrepo-Mantilla - Universidad de Los AndesE. Chaux-Rettberg - Universidad de Los AndesA. Martínez-Donate - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Neuroscience, v 580, pp 46-53
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- School of Social Sciences Research Fund at Universidad de the Andes: SCO20023GR4552
This research was funded through the Grant No. SCO20023GR4552 of the United States Embassy in Bogota for the Migrant Observatory Pilot: Why Colombians Migrate to the U.S.? and the School of Social Sciences Research Fund at Universidad de the Andes.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001516205500004
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105008354813
- Other Identifier
- 991022059820104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Neurosciences