Documentation Status and Psychological Distress Among New York City Community College Students

This research study examined how psychological distress, self-esteem, and academic perfor-mance differ across at-risk, temporary, and stable immigration statuses and whether fear of one’s owndeportation and that of family members is associated with psychological distress. Method: We surveyed150 community college students (51% female; M age22.7, SDage2.4) with 3 types of immigrationstatuses: stable (citizen), temporary (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA] and visa), andat-risk of deportation (undocumented). One-way analyses of covariance examined whether fear of deportation, psychological distress, self-esteem, and academic performance varied across immigrationstatuses. Regression analyses examined the associations among fear of deportation for self and for familymembers, depression, and isolation and alienation. Results: Participants with at risk and temporarystatuses reported higher fear of deportation for self, fear of family members being deported, psycholog-ical distress, and higher self-esteem than those with stable status. Academic performance did not differacross immigration statuses. Within the temporary status, DACA students experienced higher anxiety,isolation, and alienation than other temporary status students. Fear of deportation for self and familymembers predicted depression and isolation and alienation. Both regression analyses controlled for age,sex, region of origin, hours of work, hours of sleep, and socializing per day. Conclusion: The studyprovides ne