Cultural, religious, political factors play into the increase in mental illness in young Hispanic immigrants
Between religious and cultural stigma and ever-changing political climates, the Hispanic immigrant community encounters constant roadblocks in their journey to improving their mental health.
According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the young adult Latinx/Hispanic community is experiencing an increase in serious mental illness (SMI) from 4% in 2008 to 6.4% in 2018.
In 2013, Hispanics were the second lowest race group to seek mental health treatment, with only 27.3% compared to 46.3% of the white population.
Between a 2.4% increase in SMI and a low percentage of the age group seeking treatment, Hispanic young adults are in particular danger.
Machismo is the male gender norm, which dictates that men should be strong, not show any emotion and in some cases be violent or aggressive. Marianismo is the gender norm for women, which dictates that women should be caretakers, emotional and submissive.
A study, by Linda Castillo and others, has shown that traditional aspects of machismo, like emotional restrictiveness, have a direct association to anxiety; and aspects of marianismo, like being the pillar of the household, highly contribute to higher psychological burdens and are associated with increased negative cognitions and emotions.
Carmen Patiño Urdaneta, a 22-year-old Venezuelan immigrant who moved to the U.S. at the age of 12, has experienced this first hand.
“I don’t know if this is a Hispanic culture thing or if it’s just my family, but I know that in my family there’s a costumbre (custom) to keep the bad things to yourself and not share that with people,” said Patiño Urdaneta.
This phenomenon of sweeping negative emotions under the rug is quite common in Hispanic tradition as there is a great stigma surrounding mental illness.
Daniela González Zorrilla, a 20-year-old Mexican immigrant who moved at 19 years old, finds that the different approaches to treat mental illness in the U.S. and in Mexico has unfortunately affected how they are viewed in each culture.
“There’s a stronger stigma surrounding mental health in Hispanic cultures, or at least in Mexican culture. Mental health is very medicalized in the U.S.- people often take antipsychotics as the first form of treatment, whereas in Mexico we opt for behavioral therapy as the main treatment, and we use medication as the last resort,” González Zorrilla said. “That medicalization of mental health is what also reduced the stigma here in the U.S.”
However, cultural stigma is not the only factor that affects the mental health of Hispanic immigrants. Politics can often weigh heavy on the minds of immigrants.
“There’s so much racism in this country, said González Zorrilla. “Texas is also a very republican state and I feel like a fish out of the water in some situations. However, I’m lucky to go to a very liberal and politically open-minded university, so I’m surrounded by educated and tolerant people that respect me and my culture.”
In addition to cultural stigma and ever-changing political climates, many Hispanic immigrants experience difficulty adapting to their new environments, which can result in anxiety related to culture shock and language barriers.
“I did struggle adapting to my new environment because I didn’t know English,” said Patiño Urdaneta. “I struggled to do well in school because I couldn’t get a grasp on the language.”
Similarly, González Zorrilla recalls that leaving the warm and welcoming Mexican culture was hard at first as she was forced to adapt to the American customs.
“The main thing that took a while to get used to is the ‘coldness’ of American society,” González Zorrilla said. “I’m so used to hugging and kissing new people I meet, but that’s not how it is here, and I had to adapt to shaking hands or not doing anything at all.”
Some find that adapting is a good way to reduce the possibility of mental illness and the effects of culture shock.
Alfredo Enrique Bastart, a 22-year-old Cuban immigrant who moved to the U.S. at 9 years old, believes that embracing the new environment and culture is the best way to purge the stigma around mental illness in the Hispanic community.
“I believe the Hispanic community can get rid of the stigma around seeking help for mental health issues by just trying to adapt more,” said Bastart. “You left your birth country for a reason, and hopefully it was to better your life, so if they tried to adapt to the culture in the U.S. then, I think, mental health would improve in the Hispanic community.”
Others like González Zorrilla believe that the separation of religion and mental health is the first step at reducing the stigma.
“It’s still common for Hispanic communities to mention sin or other forms of breaking rules when someone feels depressed or isn’t feeling themselves, said González Zorrilla. “This judgement is what leads to the stigma.”
Advances in the study of mental illness in Hispanic countries could also help reduce the stigma and better allow Spanish speakers to voice their emotions.
“I think something important to consider is how language plays a role in mental health. Maybe it can be easier for people who speak English to express themselves with regards to mental health because so much research has been conducted in English-speaking countries that there are more terms to describe feelings and disorders.
“If more resources were invested in conducting research in psychology and showing how mental health is just a normal part of everyday life, then we could slowly start to break down the stigma and prejudice,” said González Zorrilla.
Although Hispanic cultures are usually traditional and set in their ways, Patiño Urdaneta believes that there is hope for younger generations to purge this stigma and finally allow for mental health practices to enter the conversation in Hispanic households.
“Members of the Hispanic community are really stubborn, more for the older generation, when it comes to new trends, said Patiño Urdaneta. “I honestly believe that all hope lies with the newer generation that they will be able to pass on this acceptance of mental health and new practices onto their children and be able to improve it for the years and generations to come.”