On October 11, 2022, APA member Alfonso Mercado, PhD, spoke at a virtual meeting on mental health and immigration, hosted by Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA). The congresswoman leads a mental health consortium in her district, which is comprised of a dedicated group of local mental health professionals and advocates who advise her on public health policy and related issues.
Mercado, an associate professor in the Department of Psychological Science and Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, discussed the mental health impact he has seen on the immigrant families he works with. In his presentation, Mercado explained how his research has shown high rates of trauma in immigrant populations. He also emphasized that family separations create high rates of trauma.
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