Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Date of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

College

College of Science and Health

First Advisor

Shelly Rauvola

Abstract

Research on immigrant populations covers a wide range of topics including immigrationpatterns, demographics, working conditions, and occupational health. Nevertheless, studies specifically on immigrant workers within occupational health psychology (OHP) are scattered. To address this inconsistency, this systematic review analyzed OHP research focusing on immigrant workers, highlighting key immigrant characteristics and the psychological theories and frameworks used to explain why and how immigrant workers face high occupational health and safety risks. Peer-reviewed empirical articles were retrieved from APA PsycINFO, APA PsycArticles, and Academic Search Complete using a predefined set of search terms. Qualitative analysis of the included studies (N = 44), guided by four research questions, uncovered a fragmented OHP literature landscape regarding immigrant worker health and well-being. The studies used various immigrant characteristics, psychological approaches, and OHP theories inconsistently to examine multiple OHP outcomes. The review found that the “immigrant” aspect is often overlooked or sidelined rather than integrated with relevant OHP concepts, with inconsistent reporting and usage of characteristics and theories. It concludes with a proposed integrative, comprehensive immigrant-OHP framework and urges further study to combine immigrant and OHP frameworks to better understand immigrant worker health and well-being.

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