How psychologists can help refugees

A 12-year-old girl fleeing gangs in El Salvador arrives in Texas alone because her mother died during the journey. A Chinese family settles in the Midwest and enrolls their young children in school. Now, the world is responding to a new influx of refugees fleeing violence and oppression after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

The United States is home to more than 44 million immigrants— from almost every country in the world—each with a diverse set of needs and experiences. Despite facing significant psychological challenges, including racism, acculturation, and trauma, immigrants access mental health care services at lower rates than people born in the United States (Derr, A. S., Psychiatric Services, Vol. 67, No. 3, 2016). This is partly due to structural barriers, such as cost and insurance coverage, but also because of a dearth of providers versed in the linguistic, cultural, and policy hurdles these populations face.

Psychologists do not need to match their patients’ nationality or experiences in order to help. They do, however, need to understand the geopolitical, cultural, and legal realities these communities are navigating.

“The most important thing that any clinician who’s working with immigrants can do is listen to the stories of individuals,” said psychologist Laura Minero, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient.

Developing expertise in cultural competence, ­trauma-informed care, narrative therapy, and other strategies can position practitioners for success in working with the largest immigrant population in the world.