By Amanda Venta, PhD
Waves of Latinx immigration to the United States have changed in recent decades, and our scientific literature is only beginning to catch up. Regional violence and unrest in the Northern Triangle of Central America (i.e., El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala) have pushed families to seek asylum in the U.S. Simultaneously, we have seen growth in children traveling without a guardian (i.e., unaccompanied immigrant minors) from the same region. Health care professionals now find large numbers of Latinx immigrant youth and families in their waiting rooms, yet relatively little published research on their mental health experiences and clinical needs exist. Latinxs, in general, are underrepresented in published research.
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