LatinX Youth 👧🏻👦🏽

Our LatinX youth have some of the highest mental, emotional, and behavioral health issues in the country (Pineros-Leano et al., 2023; Gomez & Gudino, 2023). They face unique obstacles that shape their challenging experiences. For example, living in a multi-generational home can be difficult and contribute to their rising rates of depression and anxiety (Pineros-Leano et al., 2023; Gomez & Gudino, 2023). This can lead to the households having differing views, experiences, and mental health outcomes. Acculturation is another contributing factor to the rising rates of depression and anxiety in LatinX youth (Castro-Olivo, 2014). To learn more about acculturation stress please watch the acculturative stress video under the education page. 

In addition to acculturative stress, experiencing bullying and discrimination can also contribute to a LatinX youth’s depression or anxiety (Alvis et al., 2023). LatinX youth are susceptible to bullying and discrimination, especially if they are adjusting to the American culture (Castro-Olivo, 2014; Alvis et al., 2023). When LatinX youth experience depression and anxiety, they might experience the typical symptoms as well as a strong sense of irritability, difficulty getting along with peers and adults, loss of interest in their usual activities, intense fear about the future, and excessive isolation (Shevlin et al., 2021).

If you believe your child is experiencing depression or anxiety, click on the insurance plans tab to learn how to navigate your health insurance and connect with mental health services.

Supporting LatinX Youth

There are also technical things that the family can do to help the youth. This includes ensuring the family is connected to healthcare services (Gomez & Gudino, 2023; Pineros-Leano, 2023). Assisting the youth in connecting to a culturally competent provider who understands their culture and assimilation process can also prove helpful (Hispanic Research Center, n.d.). LatinX youth are the future of the Latinx population, and as a community, we should strive to support and empower their mental health.

As a community, we must work hard to connect our youth to services and advocate for effective interventions. Research has shown effective interventions for LatinX youth include treating the family unit (Pineros-Leano et al., 2023). When youth receive services, it is also essential to provide everyone in the home with services. Additionally, enhancing the family’s communication is one of the most effective techniques in treating LatinX youth (Pineros-Leano et al., 2023).