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Health inequities and social determinants of health in refugee and immigrant communities.

Authors :
Rami F
Searight HR
Morrissey MB
Charvonia A
Indart M
Brown LM
Source :
The American psychologist [Am Psychol] 2023 Feb-Mar; Vol. 78 (2), pp. 160-172.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

This article evaluates and elucidates the intersections across social and economic determinants of health and social structures that maintain current inequities and structural violence with a focus on the impact on imMigrants (immigrants and migrants), refugees, and those who remain invisible (e.g., people without immigration status who reside in the United States) from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. Psychology has a history of treating individuals and families without adequately considering how trauma is cyclically and generationally maintained by structural violence, inequitable resources, and access to services. The field has not fully developed collaboration within an interdisciplinary framework or learning from best practices through international/global partnerships. Psychology has also been inattentive to the impact of structural violence prominent in impoverished communities. This structural harm has taken the form of the criminalization of imMigrants and refugees through detention, incarceration, and asylum citizenship processes. Most recently, the simultaneous occurrence of multiple catastrophic events, such as COVID-19, political polarization and unrest, police violence, and acceleration of climate change, has created a hypercomplex emergency for marginalized and vulnerable groups. We advance a framework that psychologists can use to inform, guide, and integrate their work. The foundation of this framework is select United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to address health inequities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1935-990X
Volume :
78
Issue :
2
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
The American psychologist
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
37011167
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001113