Perceived Discrimination and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Venezuelan Migrants in Colombia and the United States: The Moderating Effect of Gender

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to examine the association between perceived discrimination and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outcomes among recently arrived Venezuelan parents in Florida and Colombia. The secondary aim was to determine whether, given the existence of an association between perceived discrimination and PTSD, this association may have been moderated by gender or by country of relocation. This is the first study to examine perceived discrimination and PTSD in Venezuelan migrants. Method: In October 2017, 647 Venezuelan migrant parents (62% female, average age 33) participated in an online survey in the United States (primarily Florida) and Colombia (Bogota). The survey was cross-sectional and assessed mental health outcomes, perceived discrimination, and participant demographics. Results: There was a significant positive association between discrimination and PTSD outcomes when controlling for age, college completion, marital status, and recency of arrival (beta = .25, p < .001). Further, this relationship was moderated by gender, with the relationships of discrimination with PTSD symptom severity (beta = .26, p < .001) and likelihood of a positive PTSD screen (OR = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [1.04, 1.09], p < .001) both reaching significance for women but not for men. Conclusions: Perceived discrimination is an important factor when considering mental health outcomes among Venezuelans in the United States and in Colombia. Further, our findings suggest the presence of gender differences in the relationship between discrimination and PTSD. Clinical Impact Statement Venezuela has become a major sending country for emigrants to the United States and to other Latin American countries. The findings from the present study suggest that Venezuelan immigrant women are more vulnerable to the effects of ethnic discrimination than are Venezuelan men. Practitioners working with Venezuelan immigrant women should ask about experiences of discrimination when assessing posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Automated summary

This study examined the association between perceived discrimination and PTSD outcomes among recently arrived Venezuelan parents in Florida and Colombia. The results showed a significant positive association between discrimination and PTSD, with the relationship being moderated by gender. The findings suggest the importance of considering perceived discrimination when addressing the mental health of Venezuelan immigrants.