A longitudinal, mixed methods study of cascading disasters and mental health among Puerto Rican families after hurricane María
Embargo Date
2027-08-19
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Over 130,000 Puerto Ricans have migrated to the US since Hurricane María in 2017. They comprise a growing population of individuals and families who migrate due to threats on their life, safety, or health (henceforth referred to as crisis migrants). The number of crisis migrants being displaced by cascading disasters—the accumulation of damage and crises without the capacity to recover from the previous one—is increasing due to climate change. Studies on the mental health of crisis migrants have identified many challenges faced by displaced individuals, including but not limited to, language barriers, healthcare disruptions, unemployment, food insecurity, and residential instability. However, research on crisis migrant mental health has focused primarily on the time immediately following resettlement, with little known about longer-term outcomes. There is also evidence that the effects of cascading disasters on child mental health are strongly influenced by the response of adult caregivers, underscoring the need for longitudinal research on crisis migration within family units. In the context of crisis migration to the US, very little is known about relationships between basic needs insecurity, mental health, and family dynamics over time. The long-term goal of this research is to inform policy priorities to improve the mental health and address basic needs of crisis migrant families.
Puerto Rican crisis migrants have experienced a series of cascading disasters in a short period of time, including Hurricanes Irma and María followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This dissertation represents the first known research to examine the relationships between residential instability, neighborhood cohesion and safety, COVID-19, mental health, and family functioning of Spanish-speaking crisis migrants in the US. This research used mixed methods, as well as both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from Puerto Rican crisis migrants. The findings will guide the creation of evidence-based interventions and policies aimed at reducing mental health disparities and strengthening system-level supports for the increasing number of crisis migrant families facing cascading disasters. Given the anticipated rise in climate-related migration, this work is both timely and highly relevant.
Description
2025