Latine and Hispanic mental health: Challenges, strengths, and heroes
Challenges
Generational trauma is the idea that traumatic events can harm both the immediate victims and generations that follow. Often, this places the burden of healing onto the most recent generation. The effects of colonization can impact the mental health of Latine and Hispanic communities today. Political violence and migration-related stressors can also cause generational trauma for these communities.
Acculturative stress refers to the mental and emotional challenges that come with adapting to a new culture. For communities of Latine and Hispanic descent, this stress can be caused by discrimination due in part to many people’s negative views on immigration in the U.S. Older adults and youth are more likely to experience acculturative stress.
There is a shortage of Spanish-speaking mental health professionals. Poor communication with health care providers can make it difficult to receive an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. It can also make it more difficult for providers to develop trust with patients and address stigma they may carry.
Latine and Hispanic people are under-treated more often than white people. Hispanic people also have the highest uninsured rates (17.7%) of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Lack of health insurance and work permits can cause stress for undocumented individuals. Fear of deportation can also increase anxiety. These factors can make health care inaccessible.
Idioms of distress are ways of expressing distress from a cultural perspective. For example, communities of Latine and Hispanic descent may focus on sharing physical symptoms rather than psychiatric ones. This is often misunderstood by the Western medical system.
Strength and resiliency factors
Familismo is a core cultural value in Latine and Hispanic communities. This value emphasizes loyalty to family. These strong family ties support positive development. Also, 31.7% of Latine households are multigenerational. These intergenerational living communities can create strong networks of support.
Being bilingual promotes children’s social and cognitive development. Latine and Hispanic individuals who speak English and Spanish can also better access health care. Bilingual individuals can provide translation support for other family members.
Many Latine and Hispanic communities place a strong emphasis on faith. Religious practices can improve well-being and reduce distress. Religious and spiritual rituals also reinforce cultural pride. These faith communities can provide Latine and Hispanic individuals with social connection and educational resources.
Cultural beliefs, such as personalismo (emphasis on interpersonal relationships) can decrease the stress that comes with adapting to a new culture. Other cultural ideas that strengthen resilience include dichos (oral folklore), confianza (the importance of trust), and conciencia (cultivating personal awareness).
Mental health heroes
Dr. Bernal, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, was the first Latina to receive a doctorate degree in psychology in the United States. She earned her doctoral degree in 1962 at Indiana University. When she began applying for faculty positions, she was met with rejections from many schools who simply said, “We do not hire women.” Despite these rejections, she went on to pursue a U.S. Public Health Service Postdoctoral Fellowship and completed research training at the University of California, Los Angeles, Health Sciences Center. Dr. Bernal focused her work on supporting multicultural psychology. This included ensuring that psychologists were appropriately trained to work with multicultural populations. In 1979, Dr. Bernal received a National Research Service Award from the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) for this work. That same year, she helped establish the National Hispanic Psychological Association and served as its second president. Dr. Bernal became a professor at Arizona State University in 1986. In 2001, Dr. Bernal was awarded the 2001 Contributions to Psychology Award by the American Psychological Association.
Becerra is the 25th Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He is the first Latino to hold this position in the history of the United States. Early in his career, he served as a legal advocate representing people living with mental health conditions. He went on to serve for more than two decades in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he advocated for affordable health care. He later became the Attorney General of California before he took the helm at HHS. In 2022, Becerra began the National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health, where he traveled across the U.S. in order to learn more about the mental health challenges Americans were facing after the COVID-19 pandemic. His goal was also to connect with local officials to help them strengthen the mental health and crisis care systems in their communities. In 2022, the U.S. transitioned from a 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Line to “988,” making it easier for people to access crisis support. Becerra played a large role in this transition, stating, “988 is more than a number, it is a message: We’re there for you.”
Take a Mental Health Test
If you are struggling with your mental health, take an anonymous, free, and private mental health test. It only takes a few minutes, and after you are finished you will be given information about the next steps you can take based on the results.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting HELLO to 741741.