Why should we be concerned about the mental health of Hispanic/Latino in the United States?
A number of smaller studies have indicated that Latinos have a higher risk of significant mental health problems. These include depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, and even disruptive behavior disorders such as ADHD.

There are multiple stressors that aggravate any biological vulnerability that Latinos may have to mental health problems. For immigrants, traumas in their home nations prior to immigration (war, terrorism, disasters, poverty, famine, etc.) and traumas in the process of immigration (risky journeys, witnessing death, victimization by smugglers, undocumented status, separation from extended family) all contribute significant stresses. For all Latinos, immigrant or U.S.-born, added stressors include poverty, discrimination, domestic or community violence. In Latino youth, parents and extended family are often not available to supervise and monitor behaviors as a result of long work hours and to help them with the difficult task of acculturation, resulting in increased risk for disruptive behavioral problems.

How do the stresses of acculturation increase the risk of mental health problems in Latinos?
The process of acculturation presents unique challenges and stressors for Latino children and youth and their families. Latino youth do learn the language, customs, and values of mainstream American culture faster than their parents, especially de to their exposure to popular peer culture and education. However, they often are torn between these new values and customs and the more traditional ones of their parents and elders. Parents and elders often feel left behind and threatened by their children's rapid acculturation and fear losing them to American culture. Such tensions often lead to inter-generational acculturation conflicts that, lead to an increased risk for substance abuse and disruptive behavioral disorders. Increased acculturation to mainstream culture also contributes to the loss of natural protective values, which include taboos against suicide, familismo (strong orientation towards both the nuclear and extended family as opposed to orientation to individualism), spirituality, and a more traditional body image orientation. The loss of these traditional cultural values and beliefs have been associated with increased levels of mental health problems such as suicidal, substance abuse, disruptive behavioral problems, and eating disorders.

What are the best ways to address the mental health needs of Latinos?
A major problem in addressing the mental health needs of Latinos is their lack of access to and utilization of any mental health services. Lack of insurance coverage, economic disadvantage, and the stigma over the use of mental health services in Latino populations are other contributing barriers to access. Additionally, available mental health services often lack sufficient cultural competence to effectively serve the needs of Latinos, including the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Many programs also lack interpreter services to effectively communicate with Latino families with limited English proficiency.

The Esperanza Program addresses the multi-facetted and complex mental health needs of our Latino community through a continuum of five linguistically and culturally competent core services. The five services of the Esperanza program encompass: Support Services, Prevention and Education Groups, Community Services, Help for families, and information and referral services.

Children and adults of the Latino community can access services, which are conducted in English and Spanish.

For more information please visit the following websites:

Ohio Department of Mental Health  
www.mh.state.oh.us

NAMI of Greater Toledo
www.namitoledo.org

Lucas County Mental Health and Recovery Service Board
www.co.lucas.oh.us/MHRSB