The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that just over one-fifth of Hispanic adults reported having a mental illness, defined in the report as a diagnosed mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that may have interfered with their lives. That’s slightly less than white Americans (24.6%) but more than Black Americans (19.7%) and Asian Americans (16.8%).
The same survey showed Hispanic adults were less likely to receive treatment than multiracial adults and white adults. Mental health experts, community clinics and politicians are increasingly calling attention to barriers Latinos might face in seeking treatment — like the lack of mental health professionals who are Latino and speak Spanish or other languages — and working to create new programs to address access issues.
SOMOS Community Care in New York City started doing mental health screenings for all patients regardless of the reason for the appointment, said Riquelmy Lamour, the director of behavioral health and social work.
Many of the patients live in heavily Latino neighborhoods in upper Manhattan and the South Bronx, and Lamour said that it can be easier for someone to lower their guard when a doctor who’s been treating the family for generations sets them up with a mental health professional. The organization also conducts screenings at street fairs, providing an immediate connection to a provider and resources to find other appropriate services.
An American Psychological Association interactive tool shows about 8% of psychologists identified as Latino in 2021, the most recent data available. Dr. Julia Macedo, a psychiatrist in Pittsburgh and a fellow with the National Hispanic Medical Association, said patients are less likely to seek help if they don’t have someone who can understand their experiences, such as the anxiety and fear of having a family member deported.
The Department of Mental Health in Los Angeles County, California, started expanding mental health care services for the county’s 4.8 million Latinos during the pandemic. That included the creation of the speaker’s bureau, where licensed clinicians provided reliable information on COVID-19 and now give “clinically, culturally and linguistically” appropriate information about mental health and other topics, said Sandra Chang, who is the program manager for the county’s mental health clinical program.
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