Mental Health Issues

1
Mental Health Issues The Latino Migrant Farm
Worker
Presenter
Martha Olaya-Crowley, M.Ed., LCSW Wake County
Human Services
2
Human Health Well Being
3
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

• Deficiency Needs
• Physiological hunger, thirst, bodily comfort etc
• Safety/Security out of danger
• Belongingness and Love affiliate with others,
• be accepted.
• Esteem to achieve , be competent, gain approval
• and recognition

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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

• Growth Needs
• Cognitive to know, understand and
• explore
• Aesthetic symmetry order and beauty
• Self-actualization to find self-fulfillment
• and realize ones potential

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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Latino Migrant Farm
Worker conditions

• Physiological Needs
• Latino Migrant Farm Workers live in
• poverty,
• substandard, unsanitary housing,
• lack of toilets,
• lack of hand washing facilities in the fields,
• exposure to toxic agricultural chemicals,
• hunger and thirst,
• heat exposure and stroke

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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Latino Migrant Farm
Worker conditions

• Safety/security needs out of danger
• exploitation,
• discrimination and abuse,
• sporadic work, hard/demanding work,
• financial concerns and instability,
• illness,
• community violence.

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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Latino Migrant Farm
Worker conditions

• Belonging Love needs affiliate with others,
• be accepted
• transient lifestyle,
• frequent moves
• isolation,
• fragmented or discontinued contact with family,
• lack of friendships,
• lack of health care,
• lack of educational resources
• lack of familiarity w/ social services systems
• lack of contact with the broader Latino
  community.

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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Latino Migrant Farm
Worker conditions

• Esteem Needs
• be competent, gain approval and recognition
• language barriers,
• isolation,
• discrimination,
• mistreatment,
• poorly paid,
• demanding work,
• losses due to migration.

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Migration A Process of Uprooting

• Migration involves at least three forms of
• uprooting
• Physical
• Social
• Cultural
•  

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Migration A Process of Uprooting
Physical uprooting.. ..is living without the
familiarity of peoples faces, the sound of
their voices, the feel of the streets, the
comfort of the houses, the odors of the foods,
the cold and heat of the air, the myriad of
smells, sounds, and sights including the
configuration of stars in the sky at night, and
the landscape that has been internal and
external The Latino Families in Therapy
(Falicov, 1998)


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Migration A Process of Uprooting
Social uprooting.. ..is living without
family, friends, church, working environment,
resources, like transportation, medical, and
financial. Social uprooting causes social
marginality and social isolation leading to
decreasing self-esteem and depression. Latino
Families in Therapy ( Falicov.1998)
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Migration A Process of Uprooting

• Cultural uprooting.
• The disruption of lifelong attachments and
• stabilities.
• Meanings are uprooted internally and
• externally.
• The uprooting of established ways of thinking and
  
• doing, and the massive, abrupt exposure to a
  new
• language, and a new way of life, precipitate
• psychological distress most commonly referred
  as
• culture shock.
• Latino Families in Therapy (Falicov.1998) 

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Migration A Process of Uprooting

• Culture Shock
• Culture shock is a reactive process that
  results
• from the coexistence of two factors
• The disconcerting, stressful, anxiety provoking
  
• encounter with the new culture, paired with
  the
• Painful mourning for the loss of the physical,
• social and cultural aspects of the old
  culture.
• Tha Latino Families in Therapy.( Falicov,1998)

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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Flashbacks
• Recurrent dreams and nightmares
• Fear and Anxiety
• Inability to concentrate
• Sleep disturbances
• Helplessness
• Hyper-vigilance
• Ongoing maltreatment causesOn going
• Traumatic Stress

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Coping With Uprooting

• Loneliness Anxiety
• Not feeling safe Alcohol
  use/abuse
• Palpitations Domestic
  Violence
• Difficulty breathing Panic Attacks
• Agoraphobia Dizziness
• Phobias
  Paranoia
• Depression Insomnia
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Feelings of inferiority
• Gastrointestinal Problems

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Remedies To Assist Migrant Farm workers Cope
With Migration

•  
• Promote, advocate and support the provision
  of decent,
  
• adequate and appropriate living conditions
•    Support and validate the farm workers
  efforts to
• retain and celebrate the physical, social
  and cultural
• aspects of their culture.
•  
•    Promote and support social interactions with
  each
• others in the community. Build new
  friendships.
•    Facilitate involvement and participation in
  church.
•  

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Remedies To Assist Migrant Farm workers Cope
With Migration

• Support and facilitate access to books,
  magazines,
• newspaper in Spanish.
• Promote, support and facilitate supportive
• interactions through discussion groups, and
  social
• gatherings.
• Provide and facilitate transportation to reach
  out
• and interact with the community.

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Remedies To Assist Migrant Farm workers Cope
With Migration

• Promote, support and facilitate English classes
  and literacy classes.
• Promote Support and organize leisure activities,
  movies, games, TV, sports, soccer games etc.