Catarino Cos Castro holds up a blanket created for him by a local funeral home with the image of his deceased wife, Jeronima Quinilla Castro de Cos. Castro de Cos' emotional health was impacted significantly by the aftermath of his detention, and died by suicide on July 22.
Photo by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News
Silent Detention
Families impacted by immigration detentions face an unprecedented mental health crisis.
Spouses with trauma are left to manage what were formerly two-income households, and must bear the strain of finding legal help and childcare. Their mental health becomes a tertiary priority. Children endure long-lasting grief and anxiety. And for the detained, behavioral healthcare is hard to come by.
Some mental health supports exist in the community, but they’re siloed, and often plagued by the parallel challenge of health insurance complexities.
This series explores the challenges immigrants touched by detention face in getting behavioral healthcare, existing supports and potential solutions to the deficit in trauma services.
Immigrant families are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis due to detention, and the barriers to getting help are both structural and cultural.
