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Latine and Hispanic mental health: Quick facts

Demographics

According to the United States Census Bureau:

  • There are 63.7 million Hispanic and Latine individuals in the U.S., making up 19.1% of the U.S. population.
  • In 2022, there were 13 states with 1 million or more Hispanic residents: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
  • The median age of the Hispanic population in the U.S. in 2022 was 30.7 years.This was up from 30.4 years in 2021.
  • Mexicans make up the largest number of individuals within this population in the U.S. (36.5 million), followed by Puerto Ricans (5.7 million), Cubans (2.3 million), Salvadorans (2.3 million), and Dominicans (2.04 million).

According to Statista:

  • Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the United States other than English. In 2022, it was estimated that over 42 million people spoke Spanish at home.

According to the Pew Research Center:

  • The U.S. population grew by 24.5 million between 2010 and 2022. People of Hispanic descent accounted for 53% of this increase - a greater share than any other racial or ethnic group.
  • North and South Dakota’s Hispanic populations have grown the fastest since 2010.
  • More than 27 million people in the Latine population identified with more than one race in 2022. This is up from 3 million in 2010.
  • In 2022, 43% of the Latine population in the U.S. identified as Catholic. This was down from 67% in 2010.
  • As of 2022, 81% of the Latine population are U.S. citizens.
  • About 45% of U.S. Hispanic adults ages 25 and older had at least some college experience in 2022. This was up from 36% in 2010. The percentage of U.S. Hispanic adults with a bachelor's degree or higher also increased from 13% in 2010 to 20% in 2022.

Prevalence

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the percent of Latine and Hispanic:

21.4%

of adults had a mental health condition within the past year

5.3%

of adults experienced a serious mental illness within the past year

8.2%

of adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder in addition to a mental health condition

14.6%

of adults received mental health treatment within the past year

8.8%

of adults experienced a major depressive episode within the past year

4.6%

of adults had serious thoughts of suicide within the past year

1.4%

of adults made plans for suicide within the past year

Binge drinking, smoking (cigarettes and marijuana), illicit drug use, and prescription pain reliever misuse are more frequent among Latine and Hispanic adults with mental health conditions than their white counterparts. 

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.

Take a screen

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.

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