Lydia Garrett-Metz Grant Story

Lydia Garrett-Metz Grant Story

Conference Presentation: Wall After Wall, Mental Health Care for Undocumented Latina Migrants

I am a senior in the Honors Program at Tulane University, studying Public Health, Sociology, and Homeland Security. I am also enrolled in the 4+1 Masters in Public Health program, so I will remain at Tulane for the 2023-2024 academic year to complete my Master's Degree in Public Health with a concentration in Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences. I received funding from Newcomb-Tulane College in order to attend the 2023 Latinx Latin American Studies Symposium at Rollins College in Orlando, Florida to present my Honors Thesis research. This funding assisted me in covering the costs of lodging for the conference, which I was initially invited to attend by distinguished members of Tulane faculty.

My thesis, Wall After Wall: Mental Health Care for Undocumented Latina Migrants, is based upon the fundamental contradiction between the United States’ narrative as a nation of immigrants and the way that immigrants are cared for in this country – with much being written about the undocumented population and the intractable debate over immigration policies. My thesis focuses on a less examined problem: access to mental healthcare among undocumented Latina migrants. My research challenges conventional anti-immigrant rhetoric and policy and investigates why current systems do not address the needs of this population, ultimately culminating in policy recommendations to increase access to comprehensive and culturally competent care.

Underscoring the goals of the study are four primary research questions:

1.    What are the behavioral health needs of undocumented Latina migrants and why are these conditions or needs present? 
2.    What behavioral health services are available to undocumented Latina migrants in the greater New Orleans area? 
3.    What are the perceived impediments to accessing care – from both the perspectives of the migrants and the providers? 
4.    What policy reform and advocacy work can be done to better the system and improve access for vulnerable individuals,
       specifically undocumented Latina migrants?

This study uses a cross-sectional qualitative research design that includes a literature review and key informant interviews with migrant women and service providers. The literature review establishes the fundamental problems and challenges faced by undocumented Latina migrants, as well as by healthcare providers. It investigates methodologies and clinical practices currently used and generates answers to the key research questions. In addition, much of the study is built upon primary sources: first-hand case studies illustrate the personal experiences of undocumented women dealing with mental illness, as well as the experiences of providers in the healthcare system. These two perspectives give depth and breadth to the issue, complementing and contrasting, and ultimately illuminating how individuals reach the point of needing care, the modalities and approaches in use by providers, and the obstacles to getting effective treatment from both perspectives.

Through the opportunity to present my research at the 2023 Latinx Latin American Studies Symposium, I was able to reach an audience that I likely never would have had access to without being a part of this conference. I was also surrounded by peers and industry scholars throughout the symposium; hearing their wisdom and discussing our work and passions was an incredible opportunity in and of itself. Throughout my research process, I have always aimed to inspire social change by educating myself and my community about the disparities in mental health care for undocumented Latina women – a group that is so frequently discriminated against, marginalized, and ignored by American systems.

With the support of Newcomb-Tulane College, I believe that I have presented my research in a way that teaches, questions, and strives to solve the problems I address throughout my work. My ultimate goal is to advocate for the betterment of the mental healthcare system for marginalized individuals and further, my seemingly eclectic but truly relevant area of study as I continue my graduate education. I can think of few better ways to explore this than by presenting my research at the 2023 Latinx Latin American Studies Symposium, and I am so grateful that I was able to do so. I would not have been able to attend this conference had it not been for this grant; this opportunity was truly a one-of-a-kind to culminate and celebrate my research experience at Tulane.