Salud Mental: A CBT Program for migrant and seasonal vineyard workers

Abstract

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) are at an elevated risk for developing mental illness or poor mental health due to their dangerous working conditions, their unique lifestyle, and lack of access to mental health care. As a result, one in five migrant farmworkers will experience one or more episodes of a psychiatric disorder in their lifetime (Grzywacz et al, 2008). Salud Mental aims to improve this problem for MSFWs working in Oregon vineyards by adding a mental health care component to an existing program known as ¡Salud! Services. Salud Mental consists of two main activities: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) weekly group sessions and CBT phone sessions, which have been shown to be effective in the MSFW community (Hovey, Hurtado, & Seligman, 2014; Dwight-Johnson, et al 2011). The program will also be culturally sensitive, because it is community-based and includes community health workers, which have been shown to be culturally appropriate to the MSFW community (Hovey et al, 2014; Añez, Silva, Paris, & Bedregal, 2008). Through these tailored activities, Salud Mental aims to improve the overall well-being and increase the utilization of mental health care services by MSFWs in Oregon.