The Reality of the Latino Population’s Mental Health
Diana Moscoso, LCMHCA, NCC
“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” Exodus 22:21
In the eyes of many, including mine, North America is the land of Milk and Honey. Many of us migrated to this wonderful land in search of better opportunities to improve our quality of life, as well as our families’. Latinos, in particular, offer diversity, color, love, energy, and warmth to the American culture. Our culture, as well as many other ethnic groups, helped build and shape this country into the unique, rich, and diverse environment that it is today. These cultural traits come from decades of personal experiences of loss, violence, terror, and oppression. Our own experiences have touched our souls and those of generations before us so intensely that sometimes we conform with less than we deserve. The United States of America has changed our lives in many ways. On one hand, many feel enormous appreciation, gratitude, respect, and admiration we have for this amazing country but, on the other hand, there are undeniable deficiencies in the systems that have directly impacted the Latino community’s mental and physical health.
In the next paragraphs, I will highlight some general issues that Latinos have been encountering especially in the time of COVID-19 where the conditions for minorities have been exacerbated exponentially with little or no hope to improve, if a dramatic change is not in place in the near future.
First, it is a common misconception to think that everyone is going through the same level of concern and hardship during these pandemic times. For example, for the Latino and other non-white groups, COVID-19 has brought disproportionate rates in terms of deaths, job loss, social and health service inadequacies, as well as a negative impact in the mental health area. COVID-19 has forced social isolation, job losses, fear of illness, and resource scarceness, which are crucial elements for balanced physical health and optimal mental health wellness. Second, in terms of support, these cultures had to stay away from their family members, which are sources of assistance and comfort, and cannot congregate socially or religiously, which also are foundational points of cultural identification in these groups. For some immigrants and refugees, the situation was complicated in pre-pandemic times; now, it is almost unbearable.
More than ever, mental health issues are showing up in minority groups with problems ranging from anxiety, stress, depression, and PTSD. Historically, these groups have been at constant disadvantage with social injustice, immigration, nutritional imparities, intolerance, quality of and access to education, discrimination, and inappropriate cultural-linguistic health care issues. Now more than ever, the family, personal, professional, and social structures are caving in, greatly influencing individual and generational trauma.
For years, research has shown that minorities have limited access to health care. In our ethnic group, mental health continues to be the least discussed topic of the health care structure. In many instances, it is not covered by all insurance plans, still presents many restrictions, and there are not many qualified providers who are fluent in languages other than English. For some communities, mental health is still a taboo topic and getting proper treatment is stigmatized. Even though, Latinos/ Hispanics are more likely to have mental health issues, this topic is not accessed comfortably, and people tend to avoid it.
Finally, social change is not going to come fast or easy, but with correct representation, legal/immigration reforms, and respect for our differences, we can achieve a balanced quality of life that will include access to mental health and perhaps, the end to social inequalities for all.
Reference
McCormack, J. (2020). Salud America. https://salud-america.org/mental-health-covid-19-and-their impacts-on-latinos
