Addiction & Mental Health Support
The United States population consists of 18.3% Hispanic people. and 16% of the Hispanic population reported struggling with a mental illness in the past year. Though these numbers are striking, there is an unwillingness to seek professional treatment. And unfortunately, untreated mental health issues are one of the leading causes of substance abuse. Cultural and religious beliefs have caused a negative attitude when it comes to mental health in the Latinx community. Because of this, many people choose suffering over professional help. Not to mention there is a lack of mental health services available in many Hispanic communities.
The rate for drug use disorder within the last year among Latinx people stands at 6.6%. This may be lower than the total population average of 7.4%. However, there are distinct differences when it comes to treatment provided to members of the Latinx community. Studies show these communities have less access to treatment, and poorer outcomes of program success. The latter can be attributed in large part to a lack of accessibility to culturally competent care. Though more importance is being placed on individual cultures within the mental health community, there is still much more that needs to be done with regards to access to care and improved treatment conditions.
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