Role of Informal Support Networks in Immigrant Young Adults’ Navigation of Mental Healthcare Services

Qual Health Res. 2025 May 15:10497323251330219. doi: 10.1177/10497323251330219. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Prior studies reveal that both structural (e.g., legal status, lack of health insurance, and cost) and sociocultural (e.g., religious beliefs and stigma) barriers prevent immigrants from utilizing formal healthcare services. This problem is exacerbated for immigrants with temporary legal statuses. Less is known about how they navigate barriers to receiving care for mental health needs and how they cope with these barriers. One form of temporary status, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, offers limited benefits to eligible undocumented young adults-providing increased access to healthcare services and insurance opportunities for some through college or work. However, these opportunities are conditional, predicated on the continuance of a program constantly at risk of termination. While DACA is generally considered a form of stability and privilege within the context of irregular legal statuses, it comes with its own stressors including additional responsibilities and the instability of the program. Drawing on the concept of liminal legality, we illustrate how 51 young adults with DACA navigate barriers to accessing and receiving mental healthcare services using reflexive thematic analysis. Our findings offer insight into the pivotal role of support networks in healthcare-seeking behaviors and highlight the importance of communication support among close others. Findings offer suggestions for future research exploring the mental healthcare-seeking behaviors of temporary migrants in the United States and implications for policy changes.

PMID:40371882 | DOI:10.1177/10497323251330219