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One of the many factors that contributes to the disparities within mental health in the Latino community is lack of culturally accurate and relevant resources.
With this need in mind, Mental Health America (MHA) has launched a Spanish Mental Health Resource Center complete with Spanish-language resources and tools.
Let’s examine what these resources have to offer and why materials like these are important for Latinos.
Spanish Mental Health Resource Center
Fostering mental health awareness and support for all is crucial.
“Language barriers can make communicating with providers difficult, or even impossible, particularly when a person is seeking counseling for sensitive or uniquely personal issues,” according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “These topics can be difficult for anyone to put into words, but it is especially difficult for those who may not speak the same language as a potential provider.”
Through MHA’s Spanish Mental Health Resource Center, Spanish speakers are able to access a multitude of educational tools and information like terms to know, risk factors of mental illness, and symptoms among other guidance.
The resource hub also includes sections dedicated to ways to get help including where to go, how to recognize when you need mental health help, and even mental health tests.
Other sections are dedicated to mental health problems and resources specifically for parents and young people.
Users are now able to access tools like the Back-to-School 2023 Toolkit and the BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit 2023.
MHA highlights various mental health resources for Latinos including:
Visit MHA’s website to for more information and mental health tools.
Latinos and Mental Health Barriers
“The Latinx/Hispanic community faces unique institutional and systemic barriers that may impede access to mental health services, resulting in reduced help-seeking behaviors,” according to MHA. 
Barriers to mental health treatment are evident with only 35.1% of Latino adults with mental illness receiving treatment each year compared to the U.S. average of 46.2%.
Similarly, around 17.7% of Latinos suffer from depression during their lifetimes. Only 7.2% of Latinos are diagnosed with depression compared to white Americans.
Young Latinos experiencing mental health issues also experience many barriers to care.
Factors such as cultural stigma, immigration status, and lack of health insurance or inadequate insurance are just a few of the challenges that can stand in the way of young Latinos getting the treatment and help they need.
“A provider who understands a patient’s culture and needs will know culturally specific information,” according to NAMI.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, help is available in both English and Spanish. A chat option is also available through 988lifeline.org.
Examining the Health of Your Community
Taking care of one’s mental health is important, no matter the age, race, ethnicity, or background and contributes to your overall health.
But what about where you live? Where can you look to find out more about the health of a community?
Look to the Salud America! Health Equity Report Card.
With this report card, you can explore local, Latino-focused information on what your county looks like in relation to several health-related issues including mental health, housing, transportation, and more.
See how your county compares to other counties across the state and the nation.
Use the data you find to educate others and share it with local leaders and groups to advocate for change in your area
By The Numbers
142
Percent
Expected rise in Latino cancer cases in coming years
I know this is a two year old article, but Bias is another reason why some Hispanic people think about or attempt suicide. I’m actually part Filipino, German and English and I ended up looking stereotypically Hispanic and my surname is Spanish due to my Filipino side since the Spanish colonized the Philippines. I’m a woman though and I’ve thought about it for a number of reasons involving my health from a rare disorder that caused learning issues and also I have obvious cancer symptoms Ive tried getting help with. I’ve also been treated poorly and sometimes in very scary situations because of obvious Bias and Prejudice due to my appearance. I’m just saying Bias against people who are Hispanic and “look Hispanic” is a real thing. I apologize if it was in this article but I didn’t notice it, But I do apologize if its in there. I just think it needs to be addressed more. Thank You