Working Under Conditions of Social Vulnerability: Depression Among Latina/o Immigrant Horse Workers

Objectives: The American agricultural industry is heavily reliant on Latina/o workers, yet there is scant understanding regarding the mental health of this population. This gap in the literature is glaring as Latina/o farmworkers are a highly vulnerable group who experience high rates of occupational risks and health hazards. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to examine individual, social and work-related correlates of depression among Latina/o horse workers. Method: A community survey (N = 225) administered by lay health workers was implemented with Latina/o horse workers who were employed in thoroughbred horse farms in Kentucky. Study participants were on average 35 years old (9.6), largely male (85.8%), married (67.6%), dominant Spanish speakers (95.1%), born in Mexico (84.4%), made a modal average hourly wage of $10.24, and had spent an average of 14.5 years in the United States. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between (a) individual and social factors and (b) work factors with depression. Results: Women (β = .13, p < .04), and those who reported higher job insecurity (β = .23, p < .001) and number of days missed due to injury (β = .20, p < .05) were more likely to report higher depressive symptoms. Work discrimination due to race/ethnicity (β = .26, p < .001) was distinctly associated to depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Work-related discrimination was uniquely associated with depressive symptoms independent of the effects of occupational risks and stressors. This may be particularly salient in a rising anti-immigrant national context.