A rural state of mind: Mental well-being and social isolation among Haitian and Hispanic farmworkers in Florida

IF 5.7 1区社会学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Journal of Rural Studies Pub Date : 2025-08-29 DOI:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103849

Dany Fanfan , Fan Yi , Antonio J. Tovar-Aguilar , Jeanne-Marie R. Stacciarini , Gulcan Onel

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Abstract

Haitian and Hispanic farmworkers face distinct psychosocial and occupational stressors that contribute to poor mental well-being, yet their experiences remain understudied. This study examined (1) the psychosocial and occupational determinants of depression and anxiety among Haitian and Hispanic farmworkers in rural Florida and (2) the role of social isolation as a mediator in these relationships. Using a community-based participatory cross-sectional design, we interviewed 161 farmworkers (80 Hispanic, 81 Haitian) from four rural agricultural communities in Florida. Regression analyses assessed associations between stressors and mental well-being, while mediation analysis using Baron and Kenny's framework with bootstrapping tested whether social isolation mediated these effects, controlling for age, gender, education, and number of dependents. Findings showed that a stressful migration journey strongly predicted Haitian farmworker depression and anxiety, while secondary non-agricultural employment increased anxiety through heightened social isolation. In contrast, migration journey stress was not significantly linked to mental well-being, while holding a secondary job reduced anxiety by lowering social isolation for Hispanic farmworkers. Limited English fluency had no effect on Haitians but significantly increased anxiety among Hispanics through social isolation. Workplace mistreatment based on race/ethnicity and gender strongly predicted depression and anxiety in both groups. Social isolation mediated these effects. These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions that address ethnic differences in risk factors that may improve access to culturally competent mental health services, mitigate workplace mistreatment, and foster social integration. As immigration policies become more restrictive, it is crucial to continue reducing social isolation and addressing mental health disparities among farmworkers.

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乡村心态：佛罗里达州海地和西班牙裔农场工人的心理健康和社会孤立

海地和西班牙的农场工人面临着不同的社会心理和职业压力因素，这些因素导致心理健康状况不佳，但他们的经历仍未得到充分研究。本研究考察了(1)佛罗里达州农村海地和西班牙裔农场工人抑郁和焦虑的社会心理和职业决定因素，以及(2)社会孤立在这些关系中的中介作用。采用基于社区的参与式横断面设计，我们采访了来自佛罗里达州四个农村农业社区的161名农场工人（80名西班牙裔，81名海地人）。回归分析评估了压力源与心理健康之间的联系，而使用Baron和Kenny的自引导框架的中介分析测试了社会隔离是否介导了这些影响，控制了年龄、性别、教育程度和依赖者数量。研究结果表明，紧张的移民之旅强烈预测了海地农场工人的抑郁和焦虑，而次要的非农业就业则通过加剧社会孤立而增加了焦虑。相比之下，移民之旅压力与心理健康没有显着联系，而拥有第二份工作通过降低西班牙裔农场工人的社会孤立程度来减少焦虑。有限的英语流利程度对海地人没有影响，但通过社会孤立显著增加了西班牙裔人的焦虑。基于种族/民族和性别的工作场所虐待强烈预测了两组人的抑郁和焦虑。社会孤立介导了这些影响。这些发现突出表明，需要有针对性的干预措施，解决风险因素中的种族差异，从而改善获得具有文化竞争力的精神卫生服务的机会，减轻工作场所虐待，促进社会融合。随着移民政策变得更加严格，必须继续减少社会孤立，解决农场工人之间的心理健康差异问题。

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来源期刊

Journal of Rural Studies Multiple-

CiteScore

9.80

自引率

9.80%

发文量

286

期刊介绍： The Journal of Rural Studies publishes research articles relating to such rural issues as society, demography, housing, employment, transport, services, land-use, recreation, agriculture and conservation. The focus is on those areas encompassing extensive land-use, with small-scale and diffuse settlement patterns and communities linked into the surrounding landscape and milieux. Particular emphasis will be given to aspects of planning policy and management. The journal is international and interdisciplinary in scope and content.