Mental Health Stigma in the Latino Community
Written By Gina Pardino
Recently I attended therapy for the first time. It took me a long time to decide to speak with a mental health professional. This is due to my background, I come from a Hispanic family. I hate to admit this, but growing up I learned that going to therapy meant that someone was "crazy". This is wrong and not the case. Now, as an adult, I realized that therapy serves an opportunity to share experiences and traumas to a professional that can help to offer support.
So, what made me pursue therapy in the first place? I was struggling with identity and purpose. I was going three years into my profession. I had started a new position in hopes of finding passion in my career. Unfortunately, the job ended up becoming a toxic workplace. Lack of communication, sense of undervalue, broken promises from management, no support system, poor team effort. It led me to question my abilities and worth as an individual. Because of this, I developed compassion fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Everyday felt like a gray cloud was hovering over me. This led me to eventually seek medical advice from a counselor. For a while it was hard for me to accept that I needed help because even though I supported mental health, I was afraid of what my family would say to me. Once I started therapy, I shared it to the people I felt were less to judge. Later I shared it with my parents, and they were very supportive.
Identity and Culture
Culture, or a shared set of beliefs and practices from a given group, can inform a person’s actions and mindsets around many things, not least of which is mental health and mental healthcare. According to the CDC, characteristics of Latino and Hispanic culture that can impact attitudes towards mental healthcare include:
Collectivistic attitude- Latinos often prioritize group care and accountability and prioritize group activities
Patriarchal emphasis - Family structure is important and patriarchal structure is the norm
“Machismo” can translate to avoiding care until absolutely necessary
Seeking alternatives to mainstream medicine - due to cost or distrust, home remedies are often preferred
Sadly, there is often mental health stigma in the Latino community.
Barriers to Mental Healthcare
Not all cultures support mental health awareness. I decided to investigate myths and reasons on why the stigma of therapy is still an issue within Hispanic families. Here are a few reasons that I found:
1. A sign of weakness
A common, and terrible stigma of mental health is considering someone who goes to therapy to be "crazy". Hispanic families may bring up their children to think this way which is a reason why people struggle to seek therapy in the first place. In a Hispanic background, we like to be considered tough, hard-working, and brave. Hispanic cultures fear being labeled “loco” if they express mental anxiety or concerns, and do not want to be viewed as weak or mentally unfit. It is more acceptable to have a neurological or physical condition so many describe their mental health symptoms in physical terms rather than emotional.
2. Denial of Trauma
In an earlier blog focusing on generational trauma, it's common for families to refuse to talk about the trauma that occurs. Families repress the memory rather than accept that it happened. In turn, families are obligated to figure out how to heal on our own. In my family we refuse to discuss what happened in the past because it's easier to pretend like it did not happen. Also, if the trauma occurred during childhood, families might assume that one can't remember because they were young. This is incorrect. Denial and minimization of the trauma are unhealthy coping mechanisms. They can mislead and ultimately trigger our emotions to an unbalanced emotional state in the future. While families may deny, it's important to accept that trauma happened and the next step would be to seek counseling.
3. Mental health can be cured with home remedies
Hispanic families often seek natural remedies and spirituality. My parents were first skeptical about seeing a doctor for a while. They grew up caring for their illnesses at home with remedies. Those that are Hispanic know that their first aid would always be vapor rub for everything. Now, as a healthcare professional myself, I still include home remedies that I learned at home on my own. Yet, when it comes to emotional stability, my mom used to tell me that I needed to pray more and seek God. In fact, when I told her I was going to therapy, she supported me by talking to a counselor. But she requested for me not to be prescribed any psychiatric medications as she thought they do more harm than good. "Home remedies and spiritual practices are powerful healing tools when dealing with mental health. But it’s important for Latinx communities to also understand the availability of traditional therapy and medication, which are valuable resources for those who need it."
4. Language Barriers to Mental Healthcare
It can sometimes be extremely difficult to find a therapist or counselor that speaks Spanish. Given that many Latinos might have greater comfort speaking Spanish rather than English, this can serve as a tough barrier to mental healthcare.
5. Financial Barriers to Mental Healthcare
Seeking any kind of healthcare in the United States can be expensive and, according to the CDC’s Latino mental health statistics, the Latino/Hispanic population is one of the most underinsured in the United States. As such it can be very difficult to afford mental healthcare.
These are some factors on why individuals within the Hispanic community struggle to seek counseling.
How to Seek Care
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, seeking care can be a confusing or alienating process. Once you decide to seek care, here are some steps on how to access mental healthcare:
Assess Your Needs
Mental healthcare generally has three components: forms of counseling and therapy, medication, and structured programs. Counseling and therapy are typically outpatient treatments that involve speaking to a therapist or counselor about your struggles and receiving counseling to resolve them. There are many forms of therapy and counseling, but some of the most popular include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and psychodynamic therapy.
Medication for mental health tend to be of two types: taken regularly, or taken as needed. Popular types of medication include SSRIs for depression, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety medications like Xanax.
Structured programs are designed to be a higher level of mental healthcare and can be either inpatient or outpatient programs. Besides the well-known inpatient stay at a psychiatric facility where round-the-clock care is deemed necessary, there are less intrusive programs known as Intensive Outpatient Programs, or IOPs, that meet regularly but do not require inpatient care. They often target a specific mental health struggle, like anxiety, depression, or substance use. While they require much more time, they can be highly effective in addressing mental health struggles.
2. Consider your financial and insurance situation
If you have health insurance, look up its coverage of mental health services and what copay, if any, you will have to consider. If you don’t have health insurance or it doesn’t cover mental healthcare, assess what is and is not possible to pay. If you don’t feel you can pay for healthcare– that’s ok. There are many clinics nationwide that offer free counseling– including &Rise!
3. Find a Clinic or Therapist
There are many ways you can find mental healthcare. If you have friends already receiving healthcare who are satisfied with their care, ask them for recommendations. Barring that, sites like Psychology Today or ZocDoc have listings for many therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists. To help you find a better fit, look for bilingual or Spanish-speaking counselors as well as those who list ‘cultural competence’ or explicitly name that they serve or specialize in latino mental health treatment and care.
Many urban areas also offer free-of-charge mental health clinics open to anyone in the area, regardless of insurance. While these are occasionally under-resourced, these clinics ensure that mental healthcare is available to anyone who wants it. Checking a website like SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)’s FindTreatment.gov will show all mental healthcare providers and centers as well as options for substance abuse treatment.
4. Listen to your gut
Not every counselor is a good therapeutic fit. Not every clinic will be well-equipped to help you with your specific issues. If you feel discomfort or a sense of unease, better to find a different counselor that feels better and that you’re comfortable with– it’s hard enough to be vulnerable.
5. Support Groups
Support groups are a form of communal care where people with similar struggles can come together and support each other in the process. One of the most famous support groups is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), but there are many support groups addressing a variety of struggles, ranging from survivors of domestic abuse to loved ones of those with substance use disorders. Support groups are routinely free of cost and a great way to seek mental healthcare without committing to a therapist or counselor
It's important for younger generations, as well as health providers to educate families on the awareness of mental health. "An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older, about 1 in 4 adults, suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year." The statistics will continue to rise and it's crucial in teaching that mental illnesses are imperative for healing just as any other part of the human body.
Resources
Here is a short list of some ways to find mental healthcare near you and some national organizations that advocate for mental health and specifically Latino mental health.
Finding a Therapist
National Organizations
National Alliance for Hispanic Health
At &Rise we offer free counseling, free support groups, and coaching programs to help individuals reach the ultimate versions of themselves. This is regardless of immigration status, income, or insurance. We encourage women to seek support from our organization today at www.womenrisechicago.org.
Sources
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1. 5 Myths That Uphold Mental Health Stigma in Latinx Communities (thebodyisnotanapology.com)
2. Understanding Culture | Mental Illness in the Hispanic Community (legacycommunityhealth.org)
3.“Mental Health Disorder Statistics.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 19 Nov. 2019, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics.
