In West Michigan, community leaders are raising awareness of differences this National Minority Health Month.
GRAND RAPID, Mich. — The number of Hispanics seeking mental health care is well below the national average. In West Michigan, community leaders are raising awareness of differences this National Minority Health Month.
While mental illness can affect anyone, certain groups may be disproportionately affected. It is estimated that about 35 percent of Hispanics receive treatment for mental illness each year, which is lower than the national average of more than 46 percent.
Additionally, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Hispanics use mental health services annually at about half the rate of whites, and more than half of Hispanic youth ages 18-25 with serious mental illness may not receive treatment (nano).
“We have very high demand in the community,” said Alexandra Lopez-Diaz, community support manager at the Spanish Center in West Michigan.
The nonprofit works to address the disparities members of the community face when seeking mental health care.
“We see a lot of older people in the community. They’re distanced from their emotions,” Lopez-Diaz said.
She added that there is a generational stigma surrounding mental illness.
“They’re in a survival mode, so it’s working, feeding their kids. Being in that survival mode affects their kids as well. So their kids are also in a survival mode in the way people see the world,” she says.
Multiple barriers exist in seeking treatment, including insurance, technical and language barriers.
“Grand Rapids doesn’t have that many Spanish-speaking vendors,” Lopez-Diaz said.
“One thing we can do is change the primary care environment,” said Dr. Kristyn Gregory, medical director of behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan.
She added that by integrating primary care with behavioral health, and by diversifying providers, can help bridge the gap.
“Promoting diversity and having a physician workforce that understands and embraces different cultures can provide a lot of important information to tailor not only mental health treatment but also physical health treatment for patients,” said Dr. Gregory.
Both Dr. Gregory and Lopez-Diaz highlighted resources available statewide and locally.
At the Hispanic Center in West Michigan, they hold monthly mental health workshops. The center also has a mental health provider on site regularly, as well as three navigators who help connect people with local providers.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan says free or low-cost mental health services are also available through:
- community mental health: The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services oversees community programs in counties across the state.
- Federally Qualified Health Center: These facilities provide health care for people with mild to moderate mental illness.
- Free or Low-Cost Care Locations: This Help with Care directory lists local free or low-cost facilities that provide dental and behavioral services. This is a regional catalog that can be downloaded for free or ordered by mail.
- Safety Net Clinic: Many statewide clinics associated with nonprofits, community organizations, and faith-based groups can provide mental health services or patient referrals. For more information, click here.
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