Background Statistics on Hispanic/Latino Mental Health:
The Hispanic/Latino American community includes approximately 35.3 million people. Mexican Americans comprise almost two-thirds of Hispanic Americans, with the remainder being of Puerto Rican, Cuban, South American, Central American, Dominican, and Spanish origin.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) - health disparities can mean decreased quality of life, loss of economic opportunities, and perceptions of injustice.
For society, these disparities translate into less than optimal productivity, higher health-care costs, and social inequity.
By 2050, an estimated 102 million Hispanics will reside in the United States, nearly 24.5 percent of the total U.S. population. If Hispanics experience poorer health status, this expected demographic change will magnify the adverse economic, social, and health impact of such disparities in the United States.
Access to Mental Health Services
Nationally, 37 percent of Hispanics are uninsured, compared to 16 percent for all Americans. This high number is driven mostly by Hispanics' lack of employer-based coverage – only 43 percent compared to 73 percent for non-Hispanic whites. Medicaid and other public coverage reaches 18 percent of Hispanics.
Use of Mental Health Services
Among Hispanic Americans with a mental disorder, fewer than 1 in 11 contact mental health specialists, while fewer than 1 in 5 contact general health care providers. Among Hispanic immigrants with mental disorders, fewer than 1 in 20 use services from mental health specialists, while fewer than 1 in 10 use services from general health care providers.
Precise estimates of the use of complementary therapies by Hispanic Americans do not exist. One study found that only four percent of its Mexican American sample consulted a curandero, herbalista, or other folk medicine practitioner within the past year, while percentages from other studies have ranged from 7 to 44 percent. The use of folk remedies is more common than consultation with a folk healer, and these remedies are generally used to complement mainstream care.
Source: Center for Disease Control and Department of Health and Human Services
Stigma
Minority groups tend to view mental illness as another label added to their already stigmatized cultures. For the Hispanic/Latino community mental health problems can be seen as a spiritual problem, and the tendency is to turn to clergy as alternative sources of health rather than to traditional healers. Many belief systems place importance on clergy and shun other sources of help.
According to a 2005 American Psychiatric Association survey:
- Almost two in three adults (64 percent) are likely to turn to a minister, priest, rabbi, or other spiritual adviser.
- Just more than half are likely to seek help from a mental health professional: 57 percent are likely to turn to a psychiatrist, and 53 percent are likely to turn to a psychologist.
It is important to let your family know that professional mental health help can co-exist with those seeking spiritual support.
One way to get rid of the stigma is to educate and involve families in mental health treatments because it helps them better understand the care their family member is receiving and how they may be able to help in the course of treatment.
Suicide and Hispanic Children
Among Hispanics the highest rate of suicidal ideation was more frequent in patients younger than 18 years old. Twenty five percent of all teens report suicidal ideation. The lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation was higher among Hispanics. One survey reported 17.9 percent of Hispanic high school students seriously consider attempting suicide in the last year, comparing with 12.2 percent African American, and 16.9 percent Caucasian. In this group the percentage of high school students with a suicidal plan was 14.5% for Hispanics, 9.6 percent for African American, 12.5 percent for Caucasians. The percentage that actually attempted suicide was 11.3 percent in Hispanics, 7.4 percent in African Americans, 7.3 percent in Caucasians. When the suicide attempt resulted in an injury, poisoning or an overdose that he patient had to be treated by a doctor Hispanics continue to have the higher rates 3.2 percent, African American 2 percent, Caucasians 2.1 percent.
Among different Hispanic groups, Puerto Ricans have the highest incidence of Suicidal ideation.
Suicide is preventable; effectively treating depression will decrease the prevalence of suicidal ideation among depressed Hispanic adolescents.
Depression
Depression is a common problem in children and adolescents. Up to 25 percent of adolescents will experience a depressive episode by the end of high school, In one survey assessing risk behavior in high school students, the percentage who felt sad or hopeless was 28.5 percent, and when divided by ethnicity was 25.8 percent Caucasian, 28.4 percent African American, 36.2 percent Hispanics.
Controversies around the prevalence of depression among African American, Caucasian and Latino adolescents are frequent, while some studies have found no different prevalence among different ethnicities, other have found increased symptoms of depression among African American and Latino population.
Tics
Eye blinking and shoulder jerking are examples of simple motor tics whereas throat clearing, coughing or yelling represent simple vocal tics. Complex motor and vocal tics may involve more elaborate movements such as flapping one’s arms, spitting, or repeating words or phrases. Tics usually last a few seconds or less, but they tend to occur in bouts. The severity can range from barely noticeable to severely impairing. However, tics tend to be absent during sleep. Usually the frequency of tics is intensified by stress and may be worsened by some medications.
One out of every five children under the age 10 experience tics. Motor tics are more common and males tend to be more affected than females. Childhood tics are typically transient and most often do not require treatment. However, when simple or complex tics last longer than 1 year, they are considered a chronic disorder. Tourette’s disorder is one example of chronic tics that presents prior to age 18. It is characterized by multiple motor tics that can progress from simple to complex and includes at least one vocal tic.
What are some available treatment options?
Psychiatrists and primary care physicians generally treat tics when there is evidence of impairment of a child’s peer relationships or school performance. Although tics may not cause impairment in some cases, medication and psychotherapy may still be useful in treating comorbid conditions that tend to co-occur with tic disorders. These medications may have potential side effects associated to them.
What available resources are there in the community for patients who have tic disorders?
Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.
42-40 Bell Boulevard
New York, NY 11361-2874
Telephone: 800-237-0717
Tourette Syndrome “Plus” The focus of this website is information concerning those who have TS and one or more comorbid disorders, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
http://www.tourettesyndrome.net
Life’s a Twitch! This site is based on the work of B. Duncan McKinlay, Ph.D. in psychology. Dr. McKinlay, who has Tourette’s Syndrome (TS), has devoted his life to improving the lives of others with TS and other disorders.
http://www.lifesatwitch.com
Schwab Learning
A parent’s guide to helping children with learning difficulties.
http://www.schwablearning.org
LD On-line
Resource area on learning disorders, ADHD, dysgraphia and more!
www.ldonline.org
University of Florida Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Program
Information on OCD and associated conditions such as Tourette’s Syndrome.
http://www/ufocd.org
NIMH Web site on OCD
Comprehensive information on OCD is found on this website of the National Institute of Mental Health.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/pcd/htm
Worldwide Education and Awareness for Movement Disorders [WE MOVE]
Information on Tourette’s Syndrome as well as other movement disorders.
http://www.wemove.org
References
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of
mental disorders. 4th edition TR. Washington, D.C.: American
Psychiatric Association, 2000. Bagheri MM, Kerbeshian J, Burd L. Recognition and Management of
Tourette’s Syndrome and Tic Disorders. American Family Physician
April 15th, 1999. |
Andres J. Pumariega, M.D.
Daniel Castellanos, M.D., discusses concerns about 
Tatiana Falcone, M.D. discusses concerns about 
Carlos Rodriguez, M.D., discusses concerns about tics and illnesses associated with 
Leonardo Rodriguez, M.D., discusses addiction awareness in the 
