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Mental health status of the population in South-Central Latin America

Broadcast United News Desk
Mental health status of the population in South-Central Latin America

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By Adriana Elizabeth Ibarra Loya

Edited by José Guadalupe Gasca Aguirre

We are hearing more and more about the overall decline in mental health conditions. The number of people suffering from mental health problems has increased, and the consequences of not treating them in time have become more serious. For those who come to treatment on time, their mental health has recovered and their personal, family, economic and social conditions have improved.

For 8 years, as a clinical therapist and as part of the Alliance Health Services team at Church Health, I cared for hundreds of low-income men, women, and families who did not have Social Security numbers or insurance.

In recent years, the impact on the mental health of the Latino community has worsened. More and more people are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical illness, which directly affects the economy, stability, and well-being of their families.

For 8 years, as a clinical therapist and as part of the Alliance Health Services team at Church Health, I cared for hundreds of low-income men, women, and families who did not have Social Security numbers or insurance.

Factors that influence populations with these characteristics are related to the reasons why they decide to leave their place of origin, the conditions and situations they experience on their way there, and how they settle in the country.

For many of them, returning home is not an option due to political, economic and social conditions, which is why they have a psychological-emotional feeling that everything is lost and that return is impossible.

In addition, in this country, there are difficulties in communicating in English, generating income, obtaining services provided by organizations, among other difficulties; Multicultural coexistence; Ignorance of laws, regulations and unwritten social norms that regulate the behavior of citizens. In terms of mental health, immigrants also experience stress and pain due to cruel treatment, humiliation, social oppression, labor abuse, school harassment, police persecution, and discrimination based on skin color and language. Pay attention to the government’s immigration policy.

At the community level, greater social divisions, isolation, apathy and little political, social and cultural participation can be seen. This is the result of a society that alienates them, rejects and devalues ​​their language, culture, faith, religious beliefs, traditions, beliefs, rituals and celebrations by a society that values ​​material development over human development.

Improvements in people’s mental health are due to their personal commitment to treatment, the support of their families and their inclusion in community life.

In light of the deteriorating state of mental health, families and communities must generate momentum to strengthen the dignity of each person, restore their dreams, and prioritize social cohesion, cultural and linguistic inclusion in public spaces, and social development. To achieve this, tools such as empathy, compassion, active listening, and understanding people’s histories are needed.

At the therapeutic level, it is important to guide care strategies that: avoid pathologizing the populations served, promote systemic changes that cause harm to populations, and expand standards and perspectives with more compassion to treat historically and currently violated groups.

English:

We are hearing more and more about the general decline in mental health. The number of people suffering from the disease is increasing, and the consequences of not seeking medical treatment are getting worse. People who seek medical treatment in time can restore their mental health, thereby improving their personal, family, economic and social situations.

For eight years, as a clinical therapist, I have provided treatment to hundreds of low-income, uninsured men, women, and families as part of the Alliance Health Services team at Church Health.

In recent years, the mental health of the Latino community has deteriorated. The number of people experiencing symptoms such as depression, anxiety, pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder has continued to increase, which can lead to physical illness and directly affect economic stability and family well-being.

For eight years, as a clinical therapist, I have provided treatment to hundreds of low-income, uninsured men, women, and families as part of the Alliance Health Services team at Church Health.

Factors that influence populations with these characteristics are related to the reasons why they decide to leave their place of origin, the conditions and situations they encounter on their way to their place of origin, and how they settle in the country.

For many of them, returning home is not an option due to political, economic and social conditions, so they feel psychologically and emotionally that everything is lost and there is no possibility of return.

Moreover, in this country, among other difficulties, there are difficulties in communicating in English, in earning an income, in accessing services provided by organizations; multicultural coexistence; ignorance of the laws, regulations and unwritten social norms that govern the behavior of citizens. In terms of mental health, immigrants have problems due to cruelty, humiliation, social oppression, labor abuse, harassment in schools, police persecution and discrimination based on skin color and language, as well as stress and pain caused by government immigration policies. At the community level, we can see greater social division, isolation, indifference, and reduced political, social and cultural participation. This is due to the society alienating them, rejecting them, valuing material development over human development, and devaluing their language, culture, beliefs, religious beliefs, traditions, faith, rituals and celebrations.

Improvements in people’s mental health are the result of personal commitment to treatment, family support, and integration into community life.

In light of the deterioration of mental health, it is important that families and communities generate momentum to strengthen the dignity of each person, restore their dreams, prioritize social cohesion, cultural and linguistic inclusion in public spaces, and social development. To achieve this, tools such as empathy, compassion, active listening, and understanding people’s histories are needed. At the therapeutic level, it is important to guide care strategies: avoid pathologizing clients, promote systemic changes that are harmful to the population, expand standards, and look more compassionately at groups that have been violated historically and currently.

Photo: GoodRx

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