Overall, the anti-stigma curriculum was more effective than the contact intervention. Earlier research found the intervention effective in reducing stigma among teenagers broadly, but it was unknown whether it could reduce high rates of stigma among Black and Latinx adolescents, particularly boys. Bias mental illness is common among teenagers, with consequences that include worsened mental health and avoidance of treatment for those who need it. Language translation alone will not capture lay health beliefs and practices around mental health and U.S.
The primary outcomes measured were the frequency of suicide attempts, NSSI, and total self-harm episodes, assessed using the Suicide Attempt Self-Injury Interview, Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II to assess personality disorders. The exposure group was receiving DBT, with assessments conducted at baseline and at three, six, nine, and 12 months in a multisite randomized clinical trial study design. The intervention group received Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), while the comparison group received Individual and Group Supportive Therapy (IGST). This quasi-experimental study involved over 2,000 students in high schools across Columbus, Ohio (OH) and Hartford, Connecticut (CT). Latinx adult population, we reviewed the following eight articles because they included non-minor (18+ years of age) late adolescents and young adults in their sample. The five sections were (1) organizational assessment, (2) provider demographics, (3) individual level factors, (4) exposure to suicide, and (5) awareness of suicide prevention resources.
What barriers exist that prevent Hispanic and Latino/a students from finding mental health support?
Many People of Color suffer from mental illness in silence because of the stigma surrounding mental health in the Latinx community. By addressing stigma, dismantling barriers, and expanding culturally responsive services, we can build a future where Latinx individuals and families feel safe, supported, and empowered to heal. We believe mental health care should be accessible, affirming, and inclusive—because every voice and every life matters. When care is tailored to culture, it builds trust, encourages openness, and helps families see mental health support as an act of strength—not weakness. Research shows that culturally adapted interventions increase engagement and improve outcomes in Latinx populations (Huey et al., 2014).
- One element that has been largely implicated in positive health outcomes for Hispanics is familismo (familism).
- As prior Medicaid expansions have shown, we anticipate this will increase utilization of mental health care .
- These studies highlight the importance of family-centered interventions in mitigating suicide risk among Latinx youth.
- Among the studies that did not have gender balance, all of them had more male participants, except for one, which recruited more female participants (Milburn et al., 2012).
- By addressing stigma, dismantling barriers, and expanding culturally responsive services, we can build a future where Latinx individuals and families feel safe, supported, and empowered to heal.
Georgia State University Psychology Clinic Cuneta Conmigo
Undocumented Latinx may not engage with freely available health services for fear of being reported to immigration officials (73, 107). Emerging research suggests that fear of deportation may be related to HIV risk; in one study, undocumented LTW reported staying in relationships with abusive partners owing to the fear of being deported, and abuse often co-occurs with HIV (93). Some evidence has also demonstrated that group-based programs can help increase social cohesion and coping strategies among undocumented immigrant women experiencing depression and anxiety (111).
Her work specifically addresses promoting gender equality, protecting the rights of immigrants and farmworker women in the workplace and fighting sexual violence. She is helping people and communities heal in the process. She is normalizing conversations about this problem through her social media platforms and the creation of her podcast, “Latinx Therapy.” Adriana is also helping create solutions to address this problem. This is a problem that is impacting adults, children and people of all races and backgrounds.
Confronting these mental health concerns involves examining personal, cultural, and institutional aspects relevant to this population in the context of immigration, discrimination, cultural values and practices, and intersections of multidimensional identities and social determinants of health. In order to identify approaches for mental health interventions, we need to investigate the impact of multiple contextual factors to provide targeted and culturally-informed interventions for Latinx youth. This call to action to combat current mental health disparities entails ongoing collaborative efforts that address the plights of this community through community-based research studies. This population faces disparities in the availability, accessibility, and quality of mental health services.
In our initial sample of over 4,739 articles most of the SP approaches and interventions were focused on Latina/x youth, which is important given the suicide disparities between Latina/x youth and other racial-ethnic groups in https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/the-loveland-foundation-therapy/ the United States. Of the evidence-based interventions that are listed in the CDC Suicide Prevention Resource for Action, the evaluation of the school-based intervention, Signs of Suicide, did not show improvement in the Hispanic/Latinx students. Since suicide prevention needs to facilitate integration and reduce overregulation, we need interventions that address the different forms of structural and interpersonal discrimination that Latinx adults face in the United States, too (60). We believe much of this is due to the lack of conceptual and theoretical application to their studies and interventions. Most of the SP interventions discussed here approached the Hispanic/Latinx population as a monolith and only two (35, 39) distinguished between nationalities (e.g., Puerto Ricans, Mexicans), geographies (U.S. Mexican-origin Latinx persons vs. Mexicans residing in Mexico), or immigrant status. Despite the vast types of suicide interventions, very few theories have informed the few existing Latinx-specific SP adult approaches, measures and interventions.