Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Services in the Latino/a Community: A Qualitative Analysis

Latinos underutilize mental health services (MHS) in the U.S. due to a number of socio-economic and cultural barriers that decrease their access to these services. This study explored how Latino community members view MHS, their perceived barriers for receiving MHS, as well as their recommendations to improve utilization with a specific focus on the needs of Latinos in the Midwest. Participants included a non-clinical Latino population in a large metropolitan area in the Midwest in contrast to previous studies that utilized samples from the West Coast of the U.S. Eighteen participants who self-identified as Latino were interviewed via five focus groups and one individual interview. Data were analyzed using the method of constant comparison. Results match past findings and also indicate that the Latino community in the Midwest has a great need for family/child therapists who are bilingual. Important barriers that impact utilization were stigma associated with MHS, fear about legal issues, and concerns regarding racism and/or cultural miscommunication. Participants believed that they would benefit from greater awareness about mental health conditions, as these would impact the attitude of the community as a whole. These results have implications for clinical practice, advocacy, policy, and training in MHS. The specific implications of these results for the Latino community in the Midwest are also discussed.