The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire world in unprecedented ways. However, populations that have had a history of marginalization have experienced a more profound impact. One such group is Latinx families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the Unites States. In this study, we used a mixed methods approach to explore the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of Latinx caregivers of children with IDD. Specifically, we (1) identified which social determinants of health are correlated with maternal caregivers perceived general health, mental health, and well-being; (2) explored the impact of the pandemic on families’ overall eating and physical activity routines; and (3) identified emergent themes from caregivers’ experiences during the pandemic. Thirty-seven Latinx caregivers participated in three interviews in which several validated instruments were administered. The results indicated that perceived social support, annual family income, food security, and receipt of financial benefits were correlated with fewer depressive symptoms. Annual family income was also significantly correlated with perceived general health. Most caregivers reported that the pandemic had placed a strain on their economic situation; increased their isolation; and disrupted their child’s therapeutic supports, online education, eating routines, and engagement in physical activity. Meanwhile, some caregivers reported positive changes as a result of the pandemic. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Purpose: Individuals who lack proficiency in the dominant language of their region experience difficulty accessing healthcare and exhibit poorer health outcomes. Utilization of professional interpreters can improve health services and outcomes for this population. Most existing studies focus on medical settings, with very little research about language barriers in rehabilitation services such as occupational and physical therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of English-speaking rehabilitation clinicians working with limited English proficient (LEP) patients, as well as LEP patients receiving rehabilitation services. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted involving four focus groups with seven Spanish-speaking patients and 13 primarily English-speaking occupational and physical therapy clinicians. Transcripts and field notes were analyzed using directed content analysis. Results: Time and resource constraints, session demands, environmental factors, previous experiences, and patient characteristics influenced clinicians’ decisions about whether to use professional interpretation, rely on untrained interpreters, or go without interpretation. Clinicians discussed both challenges and joys of working across language barriers. Patients reported minimal experiences with, and expectations of professional interpretation in rehabilitation, instead describing clinicians’ attempts to “get by” with limited non-English language skills. Conclusions: Findings highlight unique considerations for language access in rehabilitation compared with other settings. These findings inform structural, process, and outcomes recommendations and changes in practice guidelines to improve language access in rehabilitation services.

The population of immigrant children in the United States has increased dramatically. Little is known about how immigrant children, especially those with disabilities, fare on outcomes relevant to occupational therapy such as participation in home, school, and community activities. Using secondary data from the Making Connections survey, we compared social participation outcomes and predictors for children with/without disabilities from underserved immigrant and nonimmigrant households in a sample of 2,295 children aged 3 to 17 years. We found that social participation rates differed significantly for children based on their disability and immigrant status and were lowest for immigrant children with disabilities. Several contextual factors were found to be associated with social participation of immigrant children, such as health insurance coverage, household education, household connectedness with the neighborhood, and access to computers and the Internet. Implications of these findings for occupational therapy practice and research are discussed.

Global migration has contributed to greater language diversity in many parts of the world. Many migrants experience language barriers in their adopted countries. Language barriers hinder access to healthcare, including mental health. There exists little research on the extent of communication difficulties during language discordant mental health services. A cross-sectional observational study design was used to examine prevalence of communication challenges, use of communication best practices, and training needs among mental health providers and interpreters working with immigrants with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in the United States. Using snowball sampling methods, 38 providers and 34 interpreters were recruited to complete online surveys. Challenges reported by interpreters pertained to technicalities of communication, while those reported by providers pertained to content of communication. Communication best practices such as pre-session briefings and post-session debriefings were used infrequently by providers in the sample. Providers with higher education levels were more likely to endorse some best practices. Fifty-four percent of the providers and 84% of the interpreters were interested in additional training in working with patients with LEP. Findings suggest the need for customized trainings for providers and interpreters to improve the quality of mental healthcare for patients with LEP.