Latino & Hispanic mental health

NAMI explains that people who say Hispanic may be referring to roots in Spain or other Spanish-speaking countries. In a 2025 survey, more than half of Hispanic adults said they prefer this term.

Latino or Latina often refers to ancestry from Central America, South America or the Caribbean. Not everyone who is Latino is Hispanic (for example, many Brazilians), and not everyone who is Hispanic is Latino.

People with South American roots were the one group where a majority preferred Latino over Hispanic.

Spanish is a gendered language. NAMI explains that Latine and Latinx were created so that trans, gender-fluid and nonbinary people are not left out of a male-or-female choice.

These words are not widely used. In 2023, only 4% of Latino adults said they had used Latinx for themselves, and many had never heard of Latine.

In a 2025 survey, about 7 in 10 people of Puerto Rican descent said they most often call themselves Puerto Rican. Immigrants were the most likely to use a country label.

Familismo means a strong connection and duty to family. Mental Health America also describes kinship ties like comadres and compadres, who share childrearing and support even when they aren’t related by blood.

• Confianza: trust and give-and-take in a relationship
• Personalismo: building warm, personal connection
• Respeto: respect for others, especially elders

These values can shape care too. Many people open up once they feel real trust and warmth with a helper.

Mental Health America notes that religious practices can improve wellbeing and reduce distress, and that faith communities offer social connection and cultural pride.

Mental Health America notes that being bilingual supports children’s social and thinking skills, and can make it easier to get health care.

Mental Health America names dichos (traditional sayings), confianza and conciencia (personal awareness) as cultural ideas that strengthen resilience.

Mental Health America explains that adapting to a new culture can be stressful, especially when it comes with discrimination. Older adults and young people are more likely to feel it.

Mental Health America notes identity can be complex for children of immigrants, who may feel they don’t fully belong in either world.

Mental Health America names colonization, political violence and migration-related stress as sources of generational trauma for some Latino and Hispanic families.

Mental Health America notes that talking with someone you trust outside the family can help you learn coping and communication skills that help the whole family.

Mental Health America says therapy can help you see yourself with more compassion, improve relationships and set goals. Going to therapy doesn’t make a person “crazy.”

Being the one everyone leans on is a lot to carry. Asking for help takes strength, and you can share strength with your community and receive it back.

NAMI gives this example: “me duele el corazón” literally means “my heart hurts,” but it often describes emotional distress, not chest pain. A culturally aware provider will ask more instead of assuming the problem is only physical.

NAMI notes that someone might describe “nervios,” tiredness or headaches when they are going through depression. A provider without cultural training may miss this.

Things that can help

• Describe both your body and your feelings
• Use Spanish words if they fit better, and ask for an interpreter if needed
• Say what the problem means to you and your family
• Ask the provider to explain anything that is unclear

Only about 5.5% of U.S. psychologists could provide services in Spanish. Mental Health America notes poor communication can make it harder to get an accurate diagnosis and build trust.

NAMI notes you have the right to language-access services at places that get federal funding, including a trained interpreter and forms in your language. Tell the office your preferred language when you book.

When using an interpreter, your provider should

• Give enough time to finish and ask questions
• Look at you, not just the interpreter
• Use short questions and messages

Mental Health America notes that Hispanic people have had the highest uninsured rate of any U.S. racial or ethnic group. NAMI suggests contacting local health clinics or FindTreatment.gov to see what services you qualify for.

HRSA-funded community health centers serve people with or without insurance, with fees on a sliding scale based on what you can pay.

NAMI notes that fear of deportation can stop people from seeking help, and that many families don’t know which children are eligible for coverage. If you don’t have legal documents, NAMI suggests clinics and organizations that care for all members of the community. Many Latino-led organizations serve people regardless of status.

Mental Health America notes that bilingual family members often translate for others in the family. When that falls to a child, it shows skill and love, but it can put adult worries on young shoulders.

• Ask how they’re doing, and listen without lecturing
• Share a time you struggled and what helped
• Let them know therapy is not a punishment or a shame
• Notice changes in sleep, grades, friends or mood

• Choose a calm time and a private place
• Use familiar words, like “I’ve been feeling very stressed” or “nervios”
• Connect help to family: “I want to be well so I can be there for all of you”
• Bring a trusted relative, godparent or faith leader if that helps

NAMI says community and faith organizations may keep lists of local providers. NAMI also notes faith communities can become a source of distress if they aren’t informed about mental health, so it is okay to look for one that is supportive.

Promotores are community members trained in health promotion. In one California program, promotores led emotional wellness sessions, offered peer support and helped people get legal, social and health services.

The researchers concluded that good mental health support for Latino communities must include both direct mental health care and help with needs like housing, food and money.

Mental Health America describes traditional healers as people who use knowledge passed down through generations. Some people use them alongside therapy.

NAMI’s Compartiendo Esperanza is a three-part video series about mental wellness in Latino communities, covering youth, community leaders and families. Mental Health America also keeps Spanish-language materials and screening tools.

Try this

1. Find a private, calm moment.
2. Say what you’ve noticed: “Te he notado muy cansado últimamente.”
3. Listen without judging or rushing to fix it.
4. Let them know needing help is not weakness or shame.
5. Offer to help find a Spanish-speaking or culturally aware helper.
6. Keep checking in.

• Invite a counselor or promotora to speak to your group
• Share 988’s Spanish options in group chats
• Talk openly about your own care to normalise it
• Watch a Compartiendo Esperanza video together