Dignity Health Central Coast has announced it recently awarded over $230,000 to five nonprofit organizations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County. The funds will help aid in the critical health and human services they provide area residents, including the large Latino population. Among the agencies receiving the awards is the Latino Mental Health Enhancement Project. The group addresses the disparities in Latino mental health care “by expanding access to culturally and linguistically appropriate psychotherapy and reducing barriers to treatment.” Some of its activities include mobilized, peer-based advocacy and support services. The program will provide mental health services for 500 low-income Latino residents. It will also provide peer advocacy, support, referrals, ...
SaludToday Guest Blogger
Brietta Mengel While it’s common knowledge that certain foods influence your weight, it’s not as widely known that food can also affect your mental health.
Here we take a look at what foods can make mental illness worse, and which can help promote a healthy mind.
More than 16% of Latinos experienced a mental illness in the previous year. Depression is the No. 1 cause of disability in the world, and $193 billion is the cost of mental illness in lost earnings per year. More than half of people with mental illness do not even seek help, especially Latinos.
Foods that work for your health include: fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can boost dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. ...
Most New Year's resolutions involve losing weight, or changing some aspect of physical appearance, but what about improving one’s mental health? In the Latino community mental health issues are often taboo, but here are four things you can do to improve your mental health in 2016. Meditate:
Taking at least five minutes a day to focus on yourself can have tremendous benefits to your health and wellness. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice found that meditation helps heal physical and mental issues such as anxiety and depression. Be Thankful:
Numerous studies have shown that people who are thankful for what they have and the people around them tend to live a better quality of life—mentally and physically. Be Generous:
When you give yourself to help ...
Latinos can struggle with mental health issues and substance use disorder, studies show. What can be done? Individuals and community groups can get help raise awareness about mental health issues and substance use disorder, take action and promote healthy lifestyles during National Prevention Week 2015 from May 17-23, 2015. You can: Plan a community event. Find resources in English or Spanish. Take a "Prevention Pledge" on Facebook. Click “Sign the Pledge" to add your brick to the wall, share a personal or community prevention story that will appear on your brick, and see how you can can make a positive difference in the lives of others. Take a photo of yourself for the “Yo elijo”/“I Choose” Project. To participate in the “Yo elijo” (“I Choose”) ...
Older Latinos who perceive their neighborhoods as safer and more walkable are less likely to develop severe depressive symptoms, according to a new study, Healio reports. The study, published in the Journal of Aging and Health, examined 570 Latinos in Los Angeles and found that 27.7% of the 570 Latinos in the study had elevated depressive symptoms. After adjustments, those with lower perceived crime and greater walkability had a 0.9 times lower likelihood of elevated depressive symptoms. Older adults may be "especially sensitive to neighborhood climate issues because their limited mobility and physical frailty exacerbate feelings of vulnerability to negative forces in their environments," said study author Dr. Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work at the University of ...
More than 16% of Latino adults experienced a mental illness during the previous year, and communities of color are more likely to lack access to care to meet their behavioral health needs. This makes mental health awareness important in Latino communities. Let’s tweet about the education and access Latinos have to mental health and wellness, as well as what cultural barriers Latinos face with addressing mental health issues: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Mental Health and Latinos”
DATE: Tuesday, October 28, 2014
TIME: Noon CT (1:00 PM ET)
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOSTS: @APApsychiatric @SAMHSAgov We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: Why mental health is important for Latinos
Cultural ...
Hispanic and African American cancer patients suffered more mental health distress than non-Hispanic white patients, according to a new study, VoxxiNews reports. The study, led by Héctor E Alcalá of UCLA, linked increased mental health stress to household income, as a cancer diagnosis is known to "erode finances." The VoxxiNews report cites two older studies with similar findings:
In 2008, data indicated economic stress for low-income women with cancer significantly impacted quality of life; functional, emotional, physical, social-family well-being, depression and anxiety scores were all worse for women who had economic stress while dealing with their cancer burden. The women in the 2008 study were primarily Hispanic, though ethnicity was not a factor in that particular study. A ...
More than 16% of Hispanic adults experienced a mental illness during the previous year, and communities of color are more likely to lack access to care to meet their behavioral health needs, according to federal data. This makes mental health awareness important in Hispanic communities. That's why the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health offer new Spanish-language resources: The website MentalHealth.gov en Español offers access to resources and information about prevention, treatment, and recovery from mental health conditions.
The Toolkit for Community Conversations About Mental Health (Diálogos comunitarios acerca de la salud mental) helps communities start vital ...
Texas' severe shortage of mental health professionals is compounded by a disparity in diagnosing and treating the state's rapidly growing Latino and other minority communities, the Texas Tribune reports. The report indicates that 64% of all psychiatrists were white, 3.5% were black, and 12.4% were Hispanic in 2009. Watch this captivating video to see more about this ...
