Rural Hispanic Perceptions of Mental Health: A Qualitative Study

“Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify, organize, and describe common themes found in data (Nowell et al., 2017).”

“We employed a descriptive phenomenological approach (Lopez & Willis, 2004) to understand the experience of mental health of Hispanic immigrants.”

“The descriptive phenomenological approach helps the researcher identify patterns of meaning in the experiences of participants (Sundler et al., 2019).”

“, 2018), and Spanish speakers often prefer bilingual providers rather than communicating through an interpreter (Bischoff et al., 2003; Millard et al., 2009; Ngo-Metzger et al., 2007; Pinedo et al., 2018; Villalobos et al., 2016).”

“In addition, potential trauma experienced in an immigrant’s home country, which may have spurred the desire to migrate, can result in posttraumatic stress disorder (Sangalang et al., 2019).”

“, 2018), and Spanish speakers often prefer bilingual providers rather than communicating through an interpreter (Bischoff et al., 2003; Millard et al., 2009; Ngo-Metzger et al., 2007; Pinedo et al., 2018; Villalobos et al., 2016).”

“…that nurses have with patients can benefit those experiencing negative mental health outcomes, and nurses participate in mental health screenings, support patients in adhering to treatment protocols, and act as emotional support when patients express their concerns (Hartley et al., 2020).”

“Spanish-speaking immigrants can struggle with language and cultural barriers that make it difficult to access help when needed (Salami et al., 2019), particularly in a setting where minimal Spanishlanguage resources exist.”

“Some research suggests that Hispanics and persons of color may fear microaggressions in therapy, contributing to their avoidance (Owen et al., 2014).”

“Mental wellness was described as a positive attitude, which helped participants meet challenges, be optimistic, and control anxiety (Matel-Anderson et al., 2019; Wurm & Benyamini, 2014; Zvolensky et al., 2016).”

“Studies show that Hispanics may underutilize mental health services.”

“Acculturation stress can lead to mental illness as an immigrant learns the new culture and may experience isolation, loneliness, and feelings of loss (Bas-Sarmiento et al., 2017; Torres et al., 2018).”

“Acculturation stress can lead to mental illness as an immigrant learns the new culture and may experience isolation, loneliness, and feelings of loss (Bas-Sarmiento et al., 2017; Torres et al., 2018).”

“The stigma of mental illness in the Hispanic population is well-documented (DeFreitas et al., 2018; F. R. Gonzalez, 2020) and is likely to contribute to underutilization of services.”

“Religious attendance may mitigate some of the negative effects of acculturation stress in Mexican immigrant communities (Moreno & Cardemil, 2018).”

“Familismo is often viewed as a protective factor in studies of mental health in Hispanics (Caplan, 2019; Corona et al., 2017; Piña-Watson et al., 2019).”

“Culturally tailored interventions, such as telenovelas or storytelling narratives designed for health education messages, have been successful in reducing stigma (Benuto et al., 2018; Unger et al., 2013).”

“Relatively few studies address the perceptions of Hispanics related to mental health or the need to seek professional services, and the few that exist use small sample sizes and do not focus on immigrant populations (Breslau et al., 2017).”

“, 2018), and Spanish speakers often prefer bilingual providers rather than communicating through an interpreter (Bischoff et al., 2003; Millard et al., 2009; Ngo-Metzger et al., 2007; Pinedo et al., 2018; Villalobos et al., 2016).”

“The role of stigma, which has been shown to limit a person’s perceived need for services, their willingness to disclose their mental health status, and adherence to medications is a large factor (Benuto et al., 2018; Mendoza et al., 2015; Nadeem et al., 2007).”

“Other studies suggest that fear of potential deportation may influence willingness to seek mental health services (Nichols et al., 2018; Vargas et al., 2019).”

“, 2018), and Spanish speakers often prefer bilingual providers rather than communicating through an interpreter (Bischoff et al., 2003; Millard et al., 2009; Ngo-Metzger et al., 2007; Pinedo et al., 2018; Villalobos et al., 2016).”

“In an analysis of service use published in 2005, researchers found that non-Hispanic Whites were seven times more likely to access outpatient mental health services than Spanish-speaking Hispanics, due to language barriers and stigma of mental illness (Guarnaccia et al., 2005).”

“While not all immigrants experience acculturation stress, it has been associated with poor mental health, overeating, substance abuse, and other negative health outcomes (Alamilla et al., 2020; Simmons & Limbers, 2019; Sirin et al., 2019).”

“While not all immigrants experience acculturation stress, it has been associated with poor mental health, overeating, substance abuse, and other negative health outcomes (Alamilla et al., 2020; Simmons & Limbers, 2019; Sirin et al., 2019).”

“Other studies suggest that fear of potential deportation may influence willingness to seek mental health services (Nichols et al., 2018; Vargas et al., 2019).”

“Mental wellness was described as a positive attitude, which helped participants meet challenges, be optimistic, and control anxiety (Matel-Anderson et al., 2019; Wurm & Benyamini, 2014; Zvolensky et al., 2016).”

“Other research has identified the holistic view of health in the body, mind, and spirit in Hispanic persons (Greder & Reina, 2019; Jurkowski et al., 2010).”

“Faith can be a protective factor against mental distress (Curtin et al., 2019; Haney & Rollock, 2020).”

“Including families in appointments, with the patient’s consent, may increase the comfort level in the provider’s office (O’Mahony & Clark, 2018).”

“Familismo is often viewed as a protective factor in studies of mental health in Hispanics (Caplan, 2019; Corona et al., 2017; Piña-Watson et al., 2019).”

“Part of this may be explained by the immigration process itself, which can be traumatic and involve dangerous travel (Breslau et al., 2017; Crocker, 2015).”

“Improvement in providers’ cultural sensitivity may also increase service utilization, including the involvement of natural healers or curanderas in mental health treatment (Marquez & Ramírez García, 2013).”

“Mental wellness was described as a positive attitude, which helped participants meet challenges, be optimistic, and control anxiety (Matel-Anderson et al., 2019; Wurm & Benyamini, 2014; Zvolensky et al., 2016).”

“In a culture where family ties (familismo) are central, the loss of or weakened familial support system may make the stress of immigration particularly acute (Jimenez et al., 2020).”

“mental health, Hispanic immigrant, stigma, barriers Castañeda, 2019; Olcoń & Gulbas, 2018).”

“The lack of Spanish-language services is a large barrier to care (Cancel-Tirado et al., 2018), and Spanish speakers often prefer bilingual providers rather than communicating through an interpreter (Bischoff et al.”

“The role of peer support in behavioral health has promising outcomes, particularly when members of the community are trained in providing behavioral health services (A. Gonzalez et al., 2021; Moon, 2021; Sternberg et al., 2019).”

“Faith can be a protective factor against mental distress (Curtin et al., 2019; Haney & Rollock, 2020).”

“The role of peer support in behavioral health has promising outcomes, particularly when members of the community are trained in providing behavioral health services (A. Gonzalez et al., 2021; Moon, 2021; Sternberg et al., 2019).”

“The role of peer support in behavioral health has promising outcomes, particularly when members of the community are trained in providing behavioral health services (A. Gonzalez et al., 2021; Moon, 2021; Sternberg et al., 2019).”

“We recruited participants initially during a community health event (Moyce et al., 2021) and asked participants to sign up if they were interested in further involvement with the research group.”

“Familismo, a cultural value that emphasizes the role of the family, may provide an emotional support network that can extend beyond blood relatives and into other social connections (Flores et al., 2021).”

“Within Latino cultures, the value of familismo is central to maintaining strong family ties, and there is an expectation that the family will serve as the primary source of instrumental and emotional support (Moyce et al., 2022).”

“…individuals, burdens of poor mental health outcomes may be exacerbated by a lower quality of life, and that despite similar prevalences of mental illness [91–94], only about one-third of Hispanic or Latino persons receive mental health treatment compared to nearly one-half of White persons [95].”

“In Hispanic/Latino populations, mental health issues and conditions are negatively stigmatized (Moyce et al., 2022; Washburn et al., 2021).”

“…Latine immigrant populations have a lower mental health service utilization rate compared to non-Hispanic individuals, suggesting this rate is low due to limited culturally sensitive approaches to therapeutic care, fear of microaggressions in therapy, and fear of potential deportation [2].”

“Stigma impacts demand for mental health services, and stigma in the LEP Latino population [5] may be a limitation that will affect study participation.”

“The lack of Spanish-language services for mental health in a rural area may prevent many from seeking care and require innovative solutions to addressing current need [13, 42].”