A qualitative study of mental health challenges and coping mechanisms among Venezuelan migrants residing in Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to examine the mental health needs and challenges faced by Venezuelan migrants in Colombia through the lens of Venezuelan migrant caregivers and service providers who work closely with them. Using the Lazarus Stress Theory, the study examines how migrants' perceptions of threat and coping potential interact with stressors, shaping their mental health over time. METHOD: A convenience sampling approach was used to conduct semistructured interviews with 21 service providers who predominantly work with Venezuelan migrants and 29 Venezuelan caregivers residing in Colombia. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Two major themes were identified: (a) constant financial instability and uncertainty affecting Venezuelan migrant caregivers' well-being and family dynamics and (b) the role of healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms in shaping the mental health of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to a growing body of research on the intersection of economic hardship, migration, and mental health among Latin American populations, highlighting the unique stressors experienced by Venezuelan families in transnational contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).