A special issue of APA’s Translational Issues in Psychological Scienceopens in new window (Vol. 5, No. 1, 2019) features articles about the psychology of migration, displacement, resettlement and adaptation for immigrants in the United States and international settings. The journal’s editors hope the special issue will inform practices and policies that affect millions of people who have been forcibly displaced worldwide. Key findings from the articles include:
- Parents who were concerned about their documentation status were less likely to be physically present in schools, especially those parents with lower levels of education.
- Once unaccompanied minors enter the United States, they often lack the legal representation needed to successfully navigate immigration proceedings. They also frequently live in areas with higher rates of poverty and community violence. To serve this population, providers should consider offering support for navigating the legal system and providing family-based and trauma-focused interventions.
- For young Latinas, higher levels of stress from adapting to a new culture were directly associated with factors such as weak social ties, more time in the United States, lower levels of immersion into American society and higher levels of commitment to one’s ethnic identity.
- In the United States, language barriers, differing cultural values and lower literacy and education levels can create barriers between health-care providers and Spanish-speaking patients when it comes to communicating about neuropsychological report results. The authors offer recommendations to improve such communication.
