Rural Hispanic Perceptions of Mental Health: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: In 2020, 18.4% of Hispanics experienced mental illness, yet only about a third received treatment compared with nearly half of non-Hispanic Whites. In Montana, where only 11% of the mental health needs are currently met, service utilization is low. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of the Hispanic immigrant population in a rural state on mental health and professional service utilization. Methods: Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews in Spanish. Audio recordings were transcribed, translated to English, and analyzed for themes. Results: We recruited a sample of 14 participants from Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela ranging in age from 33 to 59. We identified five themes: definitions of mental health, maintaining mental health, familismo/socialization, stigma, and acculturation stress. Discussion: Novel findings point to the need for Spanish-language services focused on reducing stigma around mental illness and incorporating the importance of social connections.

A Markov Chain Model for Mental Health Interventions

“…Different stages of the potential actions of a person with AMI were mapped through a community-based participatory research process [ 4 , 19 , 20 ]. Members of a community advisory board seeking to reduce poor mental health outcomes created a flowchart to illustrate various stages in the experience of a person with AMI.…”

“…According to the same report, one person dies every 40 s by suicide [ 1 ]. The situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

Using thePDCAcycle to uncover sources of mental health disparities for Hispanics

“…This countermeasure was designed to provide mental health screening, medical and vision screenings, dental exams and preventive treatment, vaccinations, and community information tables. The free clinic expanded healthcare access to address the systemic limitations of accessing care while creating a community event designed to decrease isolation and offer information about social services in the area (Moyce et al 2021).…”

“…Nursing and Engineering are disciplines well-suited to collaboration in the identification of systematic approaches to health care, bringing together both the clinical perspective and expertise in systems thinking (Bhandari et al 2021;Demirel 2019;Sharma et al 2021). In addition, research that involves the community as an active partner seeks to ensure action-oriented responses to the community's needs and to empower the community's voice in the identification or concerns and the creation of possible interventions (Cacari-Stone et al 2014;Ezeonwu & Berkowitz 2014;Moyce et al 2021). Our team recruited a community advisory board (CAB) comprised of Hispanics from Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.…”

Mental health among rural Latino immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Further, a structural vulnerability lens highlights how inequities shaped by legal status and rural location likely reproduced themselves in the pandemic context to exacerbate Latino immigrants' access to mental health services ( Cook et al, 2017 ; Thomeer et al, 2022 ; Yang et al, 2020 ). For example, although there was an expansion in the availability of tele-mental health services during the pandemic that could have theoretically helped to address the demand for mental health services, rural Latino populations’ disproportionate lack of health insurance due to long-standing legal status exclusions, inconsistent broadband and computer access that have resulted from a history of underinvestment in rural communities, and language barriers and distrust of medical systems may have hindered their ability to benefit from the expansion ( Curtis et al, 2022 ; Harkness et al, 2020 ; Moyce et al, 2022 ).…”