Latino and Black children and young adults with mental health issues are half as likely as Whites to get mental health care, according to a new study, the Compton Herald reports. The study, which examined more than 108,000 Latino, Black, and White children and young adults, found that racial/ethnic minorities got a lot less psychiatric care. That includes fewer visits to psychiatrists, social workers, and psychologists, despite consistent rates of mental illness across racial/ethnic groups. Latino and Black youth also received less substance abuse and mental health counseling. Study researchers, led by Dr. Lyndonna Marrast of Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine in New York, indicate this could play a role "in why children from these communities end up getting expelled from ...
Many Latinos in Minnesota get “left out,” of the healthcare picture. That’s why HealthFinders Collaborative aims to provider healthcare and services to marginalized families in Rice county, nearly 50 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. But HealthFinders leaders like Charlie Mandile continued to identify gaps in local healthcare. Mandile and his team came up with a solution a few years ago: the Pura Vida Healthy Lifestyles Program, an effort to bring free preventive health and fitness classes to the local rapidly growing Latino population. How has the effort paid off?
Gaps in Latino health in Minnesota
HealthFinders Collaborative, community health centers in Northfield, Minn. (8% Latino population), and Faribault, Minn. (11.74% Latino population) formed to ...
Volunteering is good for mental health, especially among older adults according to a new study from the U.K., PsychCentral reports. For their research investigators surveyed over 60,000 adults between 1991-2008 and found that those that volunteered on a regular basis had signs of positive mental health. “Voluntary action might provide those groups with greater opportunities for beneficial activities and social contacts, which in turn may have protective effects on health status,” Dr. Faiza Tabassum told PsychCentral. “Particularly, with the aging of the population, it is imperative to develop effective health promotion for this last third of life, so that those living longer are ...
There are many myths and misconceptions when it comes to mental health. Join us for our #SaludTues Tweetchat as we discuss what issues and resources for mental health currently impact, affect, and are available for Latinos. Let’s use #SaludTues to tweet ideas and solutions: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Latinos and Mental Health: What Everyone Should Know” DATE: Tuesday, July 26th 2016
TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT)
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOSTS: Cheryl Aguilar (@cheryl_aguilar), The National Alliance on Mental Illness (@NAMICommunicate) & Mental Health America (@MentalHealthAm). Be sure to use the hashtag #SaludTues to follow the conversation on Twitter and share your strategies, stories, and resources ...
By now you’re most likely aware of Pokémon Go, an app that was more popular than Twitter for a time. Pokémon Go is a GPS-based augmented reality gaming app that forces players to go out and explore the outdoors in order to "catch 'em all" (Pokemon creatures). According to mental health experts, this gaming app can help individuals with depression by forcing them to go out of their home and do physical activity and interact with other individuals and friends. "The developers behind Pokémon Go didn't mean to create a mental health gaming app," psychologist John M. Grobol wrote for his site, PsychCentral. "But they've done so, and the effects seem to be largely positive." A 2018 study found that 33% of Pokémon Go players reported changes in social behavior since they ...
Nearly 16% of U.S. Latinos suffer some form of mental illness, yet Latinos are often much less likely to seek out treatment for mental health conditions. Fear of being stigmatized, lack of health insurance, certain cultural beliefs, and practices, or simply a failure to recognize symptoms of a mental illness, are all reasons behind why Latinos are less likely to seek treatment for mental health conditions. During this week’s #SaludTues Tweetchat, we’ll be chatting about ways to raise the bar on promoting mental health awareness among the Latino community. Follow #SaludTues and help us spread the word! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Latinos and Mental Health Awareness” DATE: Tuesday, June 14th 2016
TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT)
WHERE: On Twitter with ...
Teenagers living in food insecure households (1 in 4 Latino children) are twice as likely than their peers to have emotional problems, a new study reveals. "These findings add to our growing understanding of food insecurity and its implications, and demonstrate that food insecurity is an independent risk factor for mental health problems among adolescents," said lead author Dr. Elizabeth Poole-Di Salvo of Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. For the study, researchers used data from kids ages 12-16, and interviewed, in most cases, the teen’s mother who answered several questions such as economic difficulties in meeting food needs over the last 12 months and their child’s emotional symptoms. Researchers found that nearly 29% of teens with food insecurity had mental ...
SaludToday Guest Blogger
Simmons College School of Social Work The changing face of America. Racial disparities in mental health treatment. As the two trends merge, we may see a growing gap in meeting the needs of minority populations in terms of mental health — and an increasing call for professionals in social work who can step up to the plate to create solutions that will help bridge it. By 2042, "racial minority groups” will make up most of the U.S. population, according new U.S. Census Bureau’s predictions. By 2060, Pew Research expects white Americans to make up only 43% of the population, and Latino and black Americans will together make up 45%. Compare this to SocialWork@Simmons's new data on racial disparities in mental health treatment and you’ll see why ...
Goshen College is partnering with Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital for a study on how communities of color access mental health services. As part of a four-year study, Goshen’s Center for Intercultural and International Education (CIIE) will team with the Disparities Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in an attempt to reduce racial/ethnic mental health disparities and to benefit minority communities, especially in the Latino community. “We’ll play a very important role in providing access to people of color to share what works for them in accessing mental health services,” said Gilberto Perez, senior director of intercultural development and educational partnerships at Goshen College. “We’re the bridge-builder between the research ...
