Mental health is one of the health problems that has worsened the most in recent years. It is a global issue, but in the United States, one group in particular expresses it clearly. The percentage of Hispanic adults in the United States who have considered suicide has doubled from 2008 (2.5%) to 2022 (5.2%), according to a recent study published by Statista. It is a worrying percentage and increase, which adds more urgency than ever to a topic that is difficult to confront and that in many cases remains taboo. The causes come from a compendium of emotions and experiences. Immigration and its difficulties can be the source of anxieties, disappointment, despair, depression, loss of identity or social isolation.
The reality of Hispanics in the United States is complex. Among the most difficult cases are those of people who emigrated with the hope of being able to work and send money to their families, but who suffered serious accidents along the way. There are those who lost a leg on The Beast’s train or those who suffer total or partial paralysis due to falls after jumping the border wall. Situations that not only limit their chances of finding work, but also threaten their survival in the hostile ecosystems of large American cities. Furthermore, many have the aggravating circumstance of being undocumented, which makes it extremely difficult for them to access treatment or psychological support.
The current immigration crisis has worsened the conditions of the Hispanic population in the United States. The asylum policy towards the population from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti provides accommodation and legality to these new immigrants within a period of 151 days. A measure that, despite its humanitarian value, impacts other undocumented immigrants who, after decades settled in the United States, are losing their jobs due to the increase in labor. “There is a serious political problem of the distribution of immigrants. There is space for everyone, but not in the same place, and by concentrating the immigrant population in a few places, cities and resources are collapsing,” says Magdalena Mariño Campos, a psychotherapist with more than 17 years of experience caring for Hispanic patients in USA.
On some days in recent years, as many as 60 busloads of migrants have arrived in New York City. “Currently, work is not being distributed between the American population and the immigrant population, but between the immigrants themselves, who are taking jobs away from each other,” says Mariño, whose work is not limited to caring for the mental health of his patients, but also to help them find resources and opportunities to rebuild their lives. Many of the immigrants who had been in the cities for decades suffer when they realize that they have no options to regularize their stay, a desperation and helplessness that increases as they age and their ability to work is limited.
The most vulnerable population are children and adolescents. The most alarming figures are those of suicide attempts among adolescents between 13 and 18 years old. Although each case is different, experts tend to point out the feeling of responsibility of some children in complex family environments, where, for example, they are the only ones who speak English and feel obliged to constantly act as interpreters. This adds to the stress produced by their status as immigrants, living, in some cases, without money to cover basic needs, without the opportunity for their parents to have a decent job or forced to share their home with other families.
The lack of resources makes it impossible to adequately monitor the behavior and mood of both children and young people, as well as adults. At the 2023 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), one of the panelists was Dr. Ruby Castilla-Puentes, neuroscientist and psychiatrist, founder of WARMI mental health (a network of professionals focused on the mental health of Latinas). She pointed out that one of the reasons why suicidal thoughts skyrocket among the Latino population is the stigmatization of mental illness. “During the pre-diagnosis stage, cultural beliefs, such as faith and fatalism, appear to foster a resigned and hopeless mindset. That attitude seems to play a role in preventing patients from seeking help, as they would rather live and cope than face public shaming or labeling.”
Currently, the shortage of bilingual mental health providers makes the situation even worse. The Roberto Clemente/Sylvia del Villard public health center opened its doors in 1980 precisely to help solve this situation by offering mental health services for Hispanic residents of New York who, mainly because of the language barrier, did not have any alternative. to treat yourself. It is one of the very few centers in the country where absolutely all employees speak Spanish. They currently offer therapy to an average of 600 patients, mostly immigrants from all over Latin America. They accept public insurance (Medicare, Medicaid) and private insurance, also serving any undocumented person who needs it without asking for any type of information and in exchange for a minimal or no amount.
In the last two years they have seen the needs of Hondurans, Ecuadorians and Venezuelans grow, as well as in general they have perceived the increase in serious or high-risk crises. “The social dislocation that exists after Covid has contributed a lot to this increase. People adapted to social measures of captivity and life in society is like a sport when you stop practicing,” explains its director and founder, Jaime Inclán. “There was great hope that when the pandemic passed, we would resume our networks, connections and spaces that were interrupted during the pandemic. But that didn’t happen. When the curtain opened for the second act everyone started from scratch. Even if you were surrounded by the same people in the same places. The reality was different and the imbalance causes many escape attempts, whether suicide or otherwise.”
Magdalena Mariño also finds a direct link with the increase in suicidal thinking because many devices to treat substance abuse were closed during the pandemic. “Covid affected the Latino and African American population the most, and families with adolescents have been more overwhelmed. There is a much higher level of stress,” she says.
The most vulnerable population is between 11 and 17 years old and the Ser Familia center is especially dedicated to their attention, founded in 2001 by Belisa Urbina and her husband. In 2023, the organization opened its doors to 1,571 patients, offering them individual or group mental health programs. It is located in Georgia, a state that currently has 1.1 million Hispanics, but very few resources in Spanish. “Our immigration system needs a complete transformation. The United States is a country of immigrants who come to work, to contribute, but unfortunately there are many Hispanic children who were born here and do not feel that this is their country because they believe that they are not accepted or welcomed,” says Urbina. And this is precisely one of the challenges of mental health: integration.
If you need help, you can call the 988 Suicide Prevention and Crisis Line toll-free by calling or texting “988.”