Mental Health Stigma and Treatment in the Latinx CommunityWritten by Alma Lazaro, MSW, LSWThe Latinx population is rapidly growing in the United States (Valdivieso-Mora et al., 2016). The Latinx population makes up about 16.3% of the total population in the United States (Mendoza et al., 2015). As a fast-growing population, mental health in the Latinx community has been studied more in recent years, and new findings are coming out about what individuals in the Latinx community face. There are many barriers that impact individuals in minority communities when it comes to mental health. From stigma, feelings surrounding treatment, and systemic barriers, it is important to be able to have an understanding of what individuals in the Latinx community face to understand what it is that mental health professionals and individuals can do to help support someone seeking services. This blog post will help break down some common questions that come along with mental health stigma and treatment in the Latinx community. What is mental health stigma? First, it is important to understand what mental health stigma is. Mental health stigma is defined as negative thoughts and beliefs a person has associated with mental health illnesses and treatment (DeFreitas et al., 2018). This impacts individuals because people will find themselves resisting getting help due to biases related to what it means to receive services for mental health. Mental health stigma may increase the risk of navigating a mental health disorder alone or waiting a long time before receiving treatment, which can impact quality of life. How does mental health stigma impact the Latinx Community? Mental health stigma impacts those in the Latinx community because it is estimated that only 1 out of every 11 Latinx American navigating a mental health disorder will seek treatment (Valdivieso-Mora et al., 2016). This is less than 10%! There can be many reasons why an individual in the Latinx community may be impacted by mental health stigma, but there are common feelings associated with mental health stigma. What are some common feelings that someone from the Latinx Community may feel when seeking mental health services? There are common feelings associated with seeking mental health treatment. The following are some of the most common.
What are barriers to treatment in the Latinx Community? When a person in the Latinx community finds themselves breaking away from the barrier of mental health stigma, there may be other barriers that they have to face. One of the biggest barriers present is accessibility with providers and finances.
How can I combat mental health stigma and barriers to treatment?
I am in the Latinx community and am seeking services. Where do I start? You are brave and you are not alone. Many organizations are willing to help. It may help to review the article by Dr. Kat Harris titled “HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT THERAPIST FOR YOU”. Other than this, you can look for Latinx-specific organizations or use a search engine designed to help find providers that meet what you are looking for. Below, you will find a list of Latinx-serving organizations. It is okay to not be okay and reach out for help. If you are interested in counseling, call OakHeart at 630-570-0050 or 779-201-6440 or email us at [email protected]. We have counselors, psychologists, and social workers available to help you at one of our locations in North Aurora, IL, Sycamore, IL, and/or via Telehealth Online Therapy Services serving Kane County, DeKalb County, Dupage County, and beyond. Resources
Latinx Talk Therapy Therapy, Immigration Evaluations 155 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 500 C Chicago, IL 60601 312-620-7551 Latino Treatment Center Substance Use 54 S. Grove Ave. Elgin, IL 60120 847-695-9155 Latinx Therapy: Find a Latinx Therapist near you https://latinxtherapy.com/ References DeFreitas, S. C., Crone, T., DeLeon, M., & Ajayi, A. (2018). Perceived and personal mental health stigma in Latino and African American college students. Frontier Public Health 49(6), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00049 Mendoza, H., Masuda, A., & Swartout, K. M. (2015). Mental health stigma and self-concealment as predictors of help-seeking attitudes among Latina/o college students in the United States. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 37(3), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-015-9237-4 Valdivieso-Mora, E., Peet, C. L., Garnier-Villarreal, M., Salazar-Villanea, M., & Johnson, D. K. (2016). A systematic review of the relationship between familism and mental health outcomes in Latino population. Frontier Psychology, 1632(7), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01632 Comments are closed.
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