Negative stigmas surrounding mental health concerns affect many people and their ability to access health care and some Latinx students are challenging deeply-rooted cultural and familial beliefs in an effort to have important conversations and better access to resources.
Political science junior Ashley Guerrero said it was difficult to talk to her family about heavy topics when she was younger.
“I bottled a lot of my emotions growing up, but I feel like as I matured and got older I was definitely able to communicate that with my family,” Guerrero said. “It takes a lot of communication to get them to understand. It was a lot of unlearning for them. I feel like I had to teach them that I had emotions.”
Common mental health conditions among Latinx individuals include anxiety disorder, major depression, PTSD and substance use.
However, only 20% of Latinx people with mental illnesses talk to a doctor about their symptoms, according to a March, 5 2020 Kaiser Family Foundation study, a nonprofit that researches U.S. health issues.
Child and adolescent development alumna Giselle Arellano agreed with Guerrero and said many Latinx families have a “hard work will pay off” mentality which often ignores someone’s emotions.
“There’s a certain point where hard work should not be all in one’s life because it causes exhaustion,” Arellano said. “Especially among men. Machismo has a lot to do with the way one is able to be the man of the house and show up for the family.”
She said “machismo culture” creates an atmosphere where individuals, especially men, don’t show emotion.
Machismo, or strong masculine pride, is embedded in many Latinx families that it’s both accepted and expected, according to the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Guerrero, who works at the Chicanx/Latinx Student Success Center (Centro), also said unequal distribution of resources creates barriers for minorities, including Latinx people who want professional help.
A 2015 nationwide American Psychological Association survey also found only 5.5% of psychologists said they could provide Spanish services.
Counseling and Psychological Services employee Vi Nguyen said many students of color seek help from CAPS because of identity issues.
Although this period of isolation has taken a mental toll on many marginalized groups, Nguyen said the number of calls CAPS received has “significantly decreased during COVID because students prefer in-person services.”
Language barriers, lack of insurance and misdiagnosis among Latinx individuals are some of the biggest factors contributing to lack of resources for the community, according to a
2020 report by the medical care provider Cardinal Innovations Healthcare.
The same report found some Latinx people may also describe their symptoms physically because of fears and stigma which may lead doctors to misdiagnose.
Arellano said the main issues she’s noticed within her community are related to immigrationn and law enforcement.
She said this is a shared stressor and “if it does not affect one’s self, it affects one’s husband, wife or family.”
Guerrero said many students who visit the Centro attribute a portion of their mental health challenges to being first-generation students.
“I’ve had students that I mentor like myself and they did not have the same resources as other students,” Guerrero said.
She mentors a group of freshmen at the Centro and many have opened up to her about their mental health struggles.
“We talk a lot about our personal identities and how we struggle with identifying ourselves,” Guerrero said.
She also said the main way she has seen Latinx students seek comfort and help aside from counseling is through community building.
“I was able to slowly open up to people and be more comfortable with people and that helped a lot,” Guerrero said.
