In the video below, Kat Lazo explores the ways Latinos talk about mental health and how this shapes Latinos likelihood of accessing mental health care. She speaks about cultural stigma, distrust of medical treatment, lack of representation in the field of therapy, and lower access to healthcare. She also shares about how these areas impact what treatment for mental health care members of the Latino community receive and how improvements can be made.
A note about language: This is Hispanic Heritage Month, and Kat Lazo refers to Latinos in her video. There are many other terms used by people from the racial and ethnic backgrounds that are part of Hispanics and Latino. Some examples are: Latinx, Chicano, Mexican American (or the country of origin for the person, followed by “American”), and Latine. People may identify by one or more of these words. In this article, we chose “Latinos” because that is how Kat Lanzo titled her video about a group of people with heritage from Latin America. For other individuals and groups, you can ask them directly how they identify.
If you would like to take steps to find a counselor or to try meeting with a therapist, please contact the EAP at 512-471-3366 or eap@austin.utexas.edu to schedule a session.