Mental Health Among Latino Communities Essay

The Latino community, from immigrating to United States born Latinos are often known to be depressed. Depression is a medical illness that causes a constant feeling of sadness and lack of interest, it affects how the person feels, behaves and thinks. Many Latinos rely on their extended family, community, traditional healers, or churches for help during a health crisis. As a result, many Latinos with mental illnesses often go without professional mental treatment. But why is it that Latinos are so reluctant to receiving help? Sheila Dichoso states that, “there are only 29 Latino mental-health professionals for every 100,000 Latinos in the United States, compared to 173 non-Hispanic white providers

Due to a clinicians’ lack of understanding of Hispanic culture, feelings of alienation can result from the patient. Family and social structures are different in Hispanic culture, whereas “professional help may not be sought due to Hispanics considering substance abuse a family problem” (Reif, Horgan & Ritter, 2008). In Hispanic culture it is perceived that family issues remain in the family, thus outside help is frowned upon. When treating clients from this population, clinicians need to include the whole family in the treatment plan and to respect family

Knowledge about Hispanic youth and anxiety disorders is disturbingly limited (Ginsburg & Silverman, 1996). Most recently, there is an increasing trend in the prevalence of anxiety disorders and Hispanic youth (McLaughlin, Hilt, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007). The top four diagnoses

According to the popular media report issued by CNN, latinos in general, have been struggling to find help for mental health issues amongst their ever growing population (Rodriguez, 2013). Even though Obamacare ensures affordable healthcare for 6 million latinos, it’s still not enough for the hispanic community who are suffering from mental illness to seek help (Rodriguez, 2013). The major fear in the latino community is the fact of being stigmatized when obtaining help from mental institutions and services (Rodriguez, 2013). Therefore, many community members refuse to seek help and the mental illnesses go unnoticed. And even when the mental illness are acknowledged, latinos are known for asking extended family members, the community, church leaders, and spiritual healers for help and treatment instead of admitting themselves at hospitals (Rodriguez, 2013). Many latinos feel apprehensive towards mental illnesses and therefore, searching for help seems like such a taboo in the community. Moreover, according to the National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health, Hispanics are a high-risk group for depression, substance abuse and anxiety. About 1 in every 7 Latinos has attempted suicide (Rodriguez, 2013). Therefore, this puts them more at risk because of the lack of efficient treatment and care for people suffering with mental illnesses in their community especially in this generation. Furthemore, many elderly Latinos in the population find this acculturation overwhelming

According to Shattell et al. (2008), there is a notable discrepancy between Latinos’ that are in need of services and the actual utilization of services. This week’s readings provided much insight as to why Latinos underutilize mental health services. On an individual level one must consider how a person’s belief system will affect treatment. According to Shattell et al. (2008), Latinos often view mental illness as being caused by a curse and other evil spirits. They do not see their symptoms as signs of a mental illness, so in turn they would not seek services. Shattell et al. (2008) further explains that Latinos are often suspicious and guarded about disclosing their symptoms to practitioners. This can prevent a practitioner from providing

Similarly, in community-based studies of diagnosed psychiatric disorders, low-acculturated migrant Mexican farmworkers, when compared with native-born Mexican Americans and with non-Hispanic White Americans, exhibited the lowest rates of psychiatric disorder (Alderete, Vega, Kolody, & AguilarGaxiola, 2000). Some investigators have argued that methodological flaws produce these paradoxical effects (Palloni & Morenoff, 2001; Smith & Bradshaw, 2006), whereas others have argued that observed confounds do not obviate these paradoxical effects (Morales, Mara, Kington, Valdez, & Excarce, 2002). The recent assertion by Smith and Bradshaw (2006) that the Hispanic paradox does not exist is based on a study that uses a Spanish surname as a proxy measure for Hispanic ethnicity and also defines health advantage narrowly by using mortality as their major health outcome. Unfortunately, several of these studies have not examined deeper aspects of culture, such as traditional beliefs and

Instead of seeking mental health services for emotional or psychological concern, Latinos tend to seek medical care services from a physician. Both (Gelman, 2005; Bedoya, 2014; Organista, 1995) portray Latinos favoring mental health services through primary care than a mental health care setting. Many Latinos misinterpret physical symptoms as a medical illness when, in fact, it may be due to psychological condition. It is not uncommon for Latinos to mainly present mental issues as physical complaints (González-Prendes, Hindo, & Pardo, 2011, p. 380). Similarly Kanter et al. (2008) states, “Depression in Latino immigrants with low acculturation often is characterized somatic complaints with less awareness and identification of psychological symptoms”

3. Corona, R., Gonzalez, T., Cohen, et al. “Richmond Latino Needs Assessment: A Community-University Partnership to Identify Health Concerns and Service Needs for Latino Youth”. J Community Health. 34.(2009): 195-201.

Latino’s are non-affluent people with better health than the most affluent people, which was a question to America, thence the “Latino Paradox” was established in 1960. The Paradox shows that the U.S has very high levels of depression, and new Immigrants has very low levels of depression. The theory of the Latino Paradox was Mexican families stick together under hard circumstances, conditions and helped each other solve their problems (reason being they have such good health).

The United States has had tremendous growth in population over the past two decades, and the demographic landscape has completely shifted because of this. Latinos account for the largest ethnic minority group in the country today, and this has caused tremendous negative backlash against them including increased discrimination and an overall negative impact on their mental health. A previous meta-analysis reported that Latinos experience high levels of depressive symptoms when compared with non-Latino whites (Torres, 2015). Depression is a terrible condition which takes over your ability to control your emotions and ultimately brings you down to the point where the daily activities that you take part in are no longer of interest to you. Not

The design of this study is experimental and will compare two different types of treatment methods for Latino individuals who are currently in the bereavement process. The groups that are selected will be randomly assigned to either the CBT or NST groups. This random selection helps to prevent any altering the results in order to help prove the hypothesis and validity of the study. Weekly sessions will be held involving multiple types of data collection.

There are eight philosophical concepts that have a huge influence on the Latinos perspective of medical beliefs. One of these eight philosophical concepts deals with the concept that “The mind and body are inseparable,” which is one of the major causes of illness and death. The Latinos belief that, any kind of illness associated with the physical and emotional being, is the result of having experienced strong emotional state because of rage (rabia) and retaliation fantasies associated with rage, and one suffers from bilis.(Maudro) Other illnesses cause includes fear, envy, rage and painful loss, which causes physical symptoms. Another of the philosophical concepts includes the “Balance and Harmony Are Important.”

There are many people in the United States who are experiencing mental health problems, yet, according to research, most of these people are not seeking help. Since it is expected that about 40 percent of adolescents living in the Unites States will be Latin-American by 2060 (qtd. In Kapke), this has made researchers want to help provide effective, accessible, and appropriate services for Latin-American families. In the article “Latino Early Adolescent Mental Health: Examining the Impact of Family Functioning, Familism, and Global Self-Worth” by Theresa Kapke, she explains that Latin American children are at risk of mental health problems due to discrimination, immigration, and serious cases of poverty that is forced upon them. Also in the

Approaches that focus on increasing knowledge about various groups, typically through a list of common health beliefs, behaviors, and key "dos" and "don'ts," provide a starting point for health pro-fessionals to learn more about the health practices of a particular group. This approach may lead to stereotyping and may ignore variation within a group, however. For example, the assumption that all Latino patients share similar health beliefs and behaviors ignores im-portant differences between and within groups. Latinos could include first-generation immigrants from Guatemala and sixth-generation Mexican Americans in Texas. Even among Mexican Americans, differences such as generation, level of acculturation, citizenship or refugee status, circumstances of immigration, and the proportion of his or her life spent in the U.S. are important to recognize.

As I began the arduous task of finding a proper diagnosis for my child, I encountered the unique challenges of being a migrant raising a child with special needs in this country. The cultural differences between the therapists and I hindered the process of obtaining a proper diagnosis. Being born in a foreign country with distinct values, culture, and language allowed me to see the great need for Latino therapists in this country, especially in cities such as San Diego with large Latino populations. As a client, I yearned for a therapist who I