¿Dónde está mi mamá? Clinical Implications of Family Separations

Immigrant children and youth from the Northern Triangle region of Central America report considerable trauma and arrive to the United States with pressing mental health concerns. Furthermore, recent U.S. migration policies, such as the Zero Tolerance policy, exacerbate risks for mental health problems in immigrant minors by adding new sources of trauma. Among the negative psychological outcomes that these children and youth may face are a heightened risk for anxiety, depression, externalizing symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attachment disorders. These symptoms may persist into adulthood. Working with this group can present many challenges, particularly to psychologists with limited experience with this population. In this article, we discuss considerations and recommendations to cultivate best practices in the psychological assessment of newly arrived immigrant children and youth.