Socio-cultural Determinants of Mental Health Care Seeking in Hispanic Communities

• Jordan Aguilar, Psychology, University of Delaware

• Sara Driskell, Psychology, University of Delaware

A commonly expressed sentiment in Hispanic communities, “la ropa sucia se lava en casa” (dirty laundry is washed at home), or as expressed in english “don’t air your dirty laundry in public”, refers to the belief that personal problems, including mental health concerns, shouldn’t be discussed with those outside the family. This reluctance to express concerns or adequately seek treatment, clinical or not, results in a large percentage of Hispanic Americans remaining untreated; however, we don’t know precisely why. Significantly less research is conducted on underrepresented communities, meaning that despite Hispanic Americans more often expressing concerns about stigma for seeking out and receiving mental health care, the underlying social causes of said stigma that contribute to these negative attitudes are left unexplored. Data is being collected through a mixed methods correlational online survey assessing participants’ perceived social barriers, community influences on mental health, and preferred kind of provider and method of treatment. We believe Hispanic Americans may avoid professional mental health care due to severe cultural stigma and fear of religious ostracization for seeking outside help, citing traditional masculine attitudes that push communities towards solitude rather than expression. A lack of faith-based support from culturally and ethnically dissimilar clinical providers may also influence the decision to seek out care, especially when a provider’s perception of a mental health concern, and solution to said concern, doesn’t align with the patient’s own. This study is expected to contribute to our understanding of cultural perceptions of mental health treatment and, by examining these communities’ barriers to seeking mental health care and preferences for care, influence culturally responsive interventions which inevitably improve mental health treatment within Hispanic communities.