Mental Health Care

Helping Hispanics Surmount Hurdles in Mental Health Care

Healthcare professionals acknowledge that stigma is a in FCN outreach will endorse Hispanic community primary reason many people cloak their depressive members’ confidence in your teaching and counsel
symptoms, nearly paralyzing anxiety, or other mental health about mental health needs. Engaging faith community illnesses. Among Hispanics, stigma is only one explanation for leaders will also help Hispanics begin to accept
their reluctance toward or avoidance of care for mental health that depression or mental illness is not a spiritual
needs. In a 2019 study, Caplan pointed out that Hispanics use
mental health services half as much as non-Hispanic White condition that is best managed with more prayer or people, and that in addition to possible barriers of language, stronger faith.
legal status, and lack of insurance, Hispanics’ cultural and • Expand your network of mental health professionals
religious values are significant in their mental health care use. who are Hispanic or who at least are bilingual and As a culture, Hispanics often grow up in a family setting culturally competent. Inquire about professionals in
where people with mental illness may be characterized as other Hispanic churches in the area. Clients are more crazy. Mental health symptoms, including those of depres- likely to pursue counseling or treatment with profession and more serious conditions, are often concealed due sionals who share a similar faith background.
to the stigma and ostracism that come with mental illness in • Dig deeply to discover community agencies that offer
their culture. Also common is the belief that mental health services in the Hispanic community; take initiative to problems cannot be cured and the sufferer will always be recommend services your clients need that are not yet afflicted or crazy.
Faith community nurses (FCNs) who recognize how their available.
Hispanic clients and communities view mental health can • Improve mental health literacy by engaging in conversations be proactive in educating and advocating for them informally or with groups about how television, movies, books, social media, and other people’s
• As the family is central in Hispanic culture, discussing the beliefs create misunderstanding and false beliefs about topic of mental health is best done with all the members one’s mental health. Provide accurate information and of the family. Provide education about mental health and examples to counter incorrect ideas.
illness (Caplan & Cordero, 2015). Explain that depression • Integrate spirituality and spiritual care with mental health and other diagnoses are diseases and can be treated, just topics and discussion. Pray with clients as they show
as diabetes and infections are treatable conditions. receptivity. Share Scripture as appropriate. Remember,
• Dispel underlying fear that influences people’s perspective however, not to directly equate the depth of one’s faith, of others by explaining that individuals with a mental ill- fervency in prayer, or spiritual stature with healing or ness are not demonized or crazy. They can be successfully recovery from mental illness.
treated with medication and counseling therapy.
• Anaebere and DeLilly (2012) suggest developing social Faith-based Hispanic people depend heavily on their support and links to support networks where Hispanic churches and faith communities. Nurses who work in the clients can find health education and counseling that is community or in faith community nursing roles have culturally based. excellent platforms from which they can impact the
• Involve lay community health workers—promotoras—to misunderstandings of this cultural population related to
build clients’ trust with FCNs and to share their own or mental health, providing a path to improved health and others’ narratives that illustrate reframing mental health fewer tragic outcomes.
problems and care for positive outcomes.
• Partner with church leaders, both pastoral and lay Anaebere, A. K., & DeLilly, C. R. (2012). Faith community nursing: Support-
ing mental health during life transitions. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 33(5),
people, who are already trusted. Their involvement 337–339. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2011.631164
Caplan, S. (2019). Intersection of cultural and religious beliefs about mental health:
Karen Schmidt, BA, RN, is lead nurse at Safe Harbor Free Clinic
in Stanwood,WA, where she serves many Hispanic clients. She is a contributing editor with the Journal of Christian Nursing.
The author declares no conflict of interest.
Copyright © 2021 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Latinos in the faith-based setting. Hispanic Health Care International, 17(1), 4-10.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1540415319828265
Caplan, S., & Cordero, C. (2015). Development of a faith-based mental health lit- eracy program to improve treatment engagement among Caribbean Latinos in the Northeastern United States of America. International Quarterly of Community Health
DOI:10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000780 Education, 35(3), 199–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272684X15581347