PROPOSED PROJECT ABSTRACT Immigration can be a traumatic experience, and it is well documented that exposure to trauma negatively impacts the mental health and well-being of Latinx immigrants. Specifically, exposure to immigration-related exposures such as violence and detention during immigration, can result in post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. Studies show that exposure to immigration-related trauma as well as high levels of acculturative stress are associated with psychological distress and PTSD. Specifically, 1st generation Mexican immigrants often experience psychological distress, as evident in suicide behaviors and depression and stress related to undocumented status. Second generation Mexican immigrants also experience discrimination and financial stressors. All these stressors make it imperative to have equitable access to mental health services for this population. While valuable research is available at national level to indicate that both 1st and 2nd generation Mexican immigrants experience mental health challenges and are less likely than white Americans to seek treatment due to related stigma and lack of health insurance, one shortcoming of this literature is lack of state- specific data. This is important because Latinx’s immigration settlement patterns across the US have varied, with North Carolina (NC) seeing a significant increase to more than a million in the past decade, of which 54% identify of Mexican decent. The overall objective of this supplemental application is to collect data from the participants in the parent award to better understand the challenges and barriers that 1st and 2nd Mexican immigrants living in NC experience when needing and seeking mental health services. This supplement will also support the candidate’s training goals regarding conducting qualitative interviews, quantitative data collection, and data dissemination (manuscripts and conference presentations). The candidate will achieve this by analyzing data from questionnaires regarding mental health access, needs and challenges, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This data will enable us to address the following specific aims: (1) Assess and compare the type of mental health care services sought and utilized, as well as challenges and barriers to obtaining those services among 1st and 2nd generation Mexican immigrants (N=200), and (2) Delineate the barriers, challenges, and needs associated with seeking and utilizing mental health care as well as the factors contributing to successes with help seeking among 1st and 2nd generation Mexican immigrants (N=45).The proposed work is expected to have a positive impact because it will bridge the gap in the literature for region- specific data on the mental health needs and barriers experienced by 1st and 2nd generation Mexican immigrants.