A 2021 national survey showed only 36% of Hispanic and Latino Americans received mental health treatment. Compare that to 52% of non-Hispanic whites. In Utah, Latina women are less likely to report poor mental health or get diagnosed. That’s from a 2022 Utah Women and Leadership Project report.
One barrier to getting help is finding a place where people feel understood – not just in language, but also culturally.
Latino Behavioral Health Services, a nonprofit in Salt Lake City, isn’t your usual mental health clinic. The waiting area has a kitchen, couches and a big dining table. Bright maps of Spanish-speaking countries line the walls.
Latino Behavioral Health wants to raise awareness so people will know where to turn for help. Martinez said they try “to find spaces where Latino communities are and be there with a table.” They have clinics around the state, and now go once a month to rural areas like Moab and Price where mental health stigmas are even greater.
Read more at KUER.org.
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