Mental Health and Hispanic Children
Mental Health Issues and Hispanic Culture
The stigma about seeking treatment for mental health issues is as much a part of Latino culture as it is for other groups living in the United States. Having a mental illness, such as depression, may be seen as a sign of weakness, particularly for men. They may be experiencing symptoms, but be unwilling to seek treatment for them.
Reluctance to See a Specialist
Going to a see a specialist, such as a psychiatrist, to get help is not encouraged, since it is interpreted as as sign the person is crazy. Instead, Latinos are more likely to ask for help from their primary care physician or to consult with a priest or a minister for guidance.
Financial Issues
Lack of insurance coverage or resources to pay for expert help for mental health issues may also be a barrier to getting appropriate treatment. As a result, people are waiting until the symptoms have been apparent for quite some time before seeking treatment.
Mental Health and Hispanic Children: Barriers to Treatment
Statistically, few children who are identified as needing treatment for mental health conditions actually receive the care that they need. For Hispanic children, the stigma about getting treatment, lack of knowledge about treatment options, and language barriers all may contribute to the lack of services for youngsters.
Even when a parent or teacher recognizes that a child is dealing with a mental health issue, Latino children are not likely to get the help they need. Those who are exhibiting behavior or conduct disorder problems are most likely to get treatment; depressed children are not nearly as likely to get professional help. A gap in those children who get treatment exists as far as gender is concerned as well: adolescent boys are more likely to receive mental health services than adolescent girls and young children of both genders.
Depression and Children
Children who have been diagnosed with depression can and will respond to treatment. Psychotherapy, with or without medication, can help children to feel better about themselves and their lives. For Hispanic children, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been used to help children deal with the negative thoughts that form part of this mental health disorder.
With this type of therapy, the child learns how to recognize when they are feeling hopeless as a result of depression and helps them replace these negative thoughts with more positive ones. For example, if a depressed child makes a mistake on an assignment at school, he may think that there is no point in trying to do his best, since he will mess that up, too. With the help of a therapist, children will learn to evaluate whether that idea is an accurate one and if not to replace it with a more positive one.
If the doctor treating the child recommends medication, he or she will discuss the type of medication and the dosage with the parents. Some studies conducted on Hispanic children have indicated that they do well with lower doses of antidepressant medication, but this is not true in every case. Doctors are very careful when they prescribe these types of medications for children and adolescents, and they will likely start the young person off with a low dose and monitor his or her condition carefully.
Mental Health and Hispanic Children