Peer-reviewed article
Stressors, Legal Vulnerability and Bangladeshi Parent and Child Well-Being in New York City
Rita Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez, Keng‐Yen Huang, Sharmin Hoque, Farzana Karim, Abushale Shakir et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how legal vulnerability affects the well-being of Bangladeshi immigrant families in New York City. Researchers surveyed 73 families and found that parents with greater legal vulnerability reported more immigration-related stress and worse health outcomes for themselves and their children. Immigration stressors significantly explained depression, tension, sleep problems in parents and mental health issues in children, beyond other sources of stress.
Key points
- Parents with greater legal vulnerability reported significantly greater immigration-related stressors
- Legal vulnerability was associated with poorer perceived health outcomes for both parents and children
- Immigration stressors explained significant variance in parent depression, tension, and sleep problems
- Immigration stressors significantly predicted child mental health indicators
- The effects of immigration stressors remained significant after accounting for acculturation stress and financial stress
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot establish causality or determine the direction of effects. The sample is limited to 73 Bangladeshi families in New York City, which may not represent other immigrant populations or geographic contexts.
Abstract
A growing body of research is documenting the impact of parental legal status on familial and child well-being in the U.S. This study adds to the literature by examining the relation of legal vulnerability with the health and mental health of Bangladeshi immigrant parents and their children. A cross-sectional study with 73 immigrant Bangladeshi families was conducted in New York City. Parents reported on legal status indicators, perceived stressors, health, and child mental health indicators. Parents with greater legal vulnerability reported significantly greater immigration-related stressors and poorer perceived health outcomes for themselves and their children in comparison with parents having less legal vulnerability. Immigration stressors explained a significant amount of variance in parent symptoms of depression, tension, and sleep problems and child mental health indicators, beyond the variance explained by acculturation stress and financial stress. Practitioners should be aware that legal vulnerability and associated immigration stressors are adversely associated with Bangladeshi health and mental health.