The Trump Administration’s policy of separating immigrant children from their families as they cross the U.S. border is generating constant news coverage. Kathleen Roche, MSW, PhD, an Associate Professor of Prevention and Community Health at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University, is available to comment on the health impacts and psychological trauma on children and families, not just those at the border crossings but in communities all over the United States.
Roche authored a report, published in March by the Journal of Adolescent Health, which found the recent changes in U.S. immigration policy have triggered serious psychological distress for many Latino parents, including those living in the United States legally. Parents who frequently experienced worries or changes in behavior due to immigration news and policies had at least a 300 percent increase in the odds of high psychological distress, including symptoms of clinical anxiety and depression, Roche said.
Trained in fields of public health and social work, Roche's research examines parenting influences on the health and well-being of adolescents facing challenges tied to immigration status, neighborhood disadvantage, acculturation to the United States, and discrimination.
Find out more about Roche's research on how U.S. immigration policies have affected Latino families here. Read her full bio here.
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