The combined weight of systemic oppression, racial and discriminatory trauma, and the mental health crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us just how urgent access to mental health care is. Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders among Latinx youth, increasing the risk of suicide attempts. Despite rising depression, anxiety, and suicide rates in Latinx communities, access to culturally sensitive therapy remains limited by stigma, systemic barriers, and political fears. Racism, discrimination, and the current political climate exacerbate these concerns, leaving many mental health services inaccessible.14
Latinx Mental Health & Social Justice Institute
COVID-19 has also exacerbated disparities in mental health care access and utilization among Latinx communities, a disparity well-documented in the US even before the onset of the pandemic (12–16). They offer the ability to search for Hispanic/Latino therapists, listen to podcasts from Latino mental health experts, find support groups and access wellness apps or informational resources in English or Spanish. Training mental health clinicians in cultural competency is important in the fight toward equity and social justice.” “There are not enough bilingual and bicultural mental health clinicians to meet Latinx community needs.” The authors would like to thank Laura Mutis, the Founder and Executive Director of ESOL Achievers Inc., for her unequivocal support and collaboration with the preparation of this article and Dr Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini for her guidance on mental health equity and social justice efforts for underserved communities.
Latinx Americans
Our results show that most interventions for Latinx families were effective in preventing or reducing MEB health issues, namely substance use, alcohol and tobacco use, risky sexual behaviors, conduct disorder, and internalizing symptoms, among Latinx youths. The study also found that the intervention was more effective in reducing alcohol dependence among youths whose parents had low levels of social support and in reducing past 90-day illicit drug use among youths whose parents had high levels of parental stress. They found that the effectiveness of the intervention varied based on the level of ecodevelopmental family risk (Prado et al., 2013). The study by Prado et al. (2013) investigated whether the degree of family risk influenced intervention effectiveness. Most studies used a manualized treatment, except for the https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/the-loveland-foundation-therapy/ interventions by Hogue et al. (2015) and Liddle et al. (2018), where there was no set limit on the number of sessions the family could attend. We included studies where the primary outcome of the family intervention was to improve MEB health among Latinx youths.
The authors also recommended ongoing, multimodal interventions that address stigmatized beliefs and attitudes about mental health help-seeking within both youth and their broader social networks. Unlike the Almeida and colleagues’ intervention (15), Waitzkin et al. (18) did assess patients’ outcomes in their clinician-based intervention with promotoras (bilingual, bicultural community health workers), who are known to improve health behaviors, outcomes, and quality of care. Reyes-Portillo and colleagues’ (17) study examined the effectiveness of integrating clinical decision support tools, like electronic health record (EHR) alerts, into the clinical care of youth at-risk for suicide. Mattheiu et al. (16) provided a framework for outreach to public and private service providers who have access to the U.S. veteran population and who could serve as a gateway to needed Veterans Affairs and community-based suicide prevention services. A 2019 study indicates that Hispanic people access mental health services at about half the rate as non-Hispanic whites.
According to a 2021 report from the CDC, however, all of these issues have increased more dramatically in the Latinx/Hispanic community. Rates of depression, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse have risen among the entire population. This study shows that among Latino children, the migration experience leads to heightened anxiety, stress, and depression. They also have the highest rates of suicidal behavior and suicide attempts. Especially concerning is the fact that the prevalence of serious mental illness among Latinx/Hispanic people is on the rise.
- We describe how these determinants can have either health-harming or health-promoting effects on undocumented Latinx individuals.
- Inclusive Therapists offers the ability to “find a therapist that celebrates your identity.” It allows for searching based on a therapist’s cultural identity or cultural knowledge, (Latinx/Latin American cultures and others), and on a variety of other features such as spiritual/religious knowledge, therapeutic approach, language, and more.
- With the help of Antonia Rivera, the mental health coordinator at Casa San Jose, my advocacy group has initiated breaking the stigma by presenting virtual monthly psychoeducational workshops to Hispanic youths.
- Evidence also suggests these groups may seek to avoid the additional stigmatized label of mental illness to avoid even more marginalization,” says Dupont-Reyes.
The study utilized a cross-sectional survey design that compared students with recent suicidal ideation (in the last 12 months) to those without recent suicidal ideation. These programs provided a multidimensional assessment and referral system post-crisis, as opposed to involuntary medical withdrawal strategies that may not provide the same level of support or opportunity for recovery and reintegration into the university. This was a case study design evaluating the implementation and outcomes of the CARE Net program for referred students. The magnet was intended to be kept in a visible location (e.g., on a refrigerator) as a constant reminder of the signs of suicide and available resources.