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. 2022 May;33(3):346-354.
doi: 10.1177/10436596211070592. Epub 2022 Jan 25.

Rural Hispanic Perceptions of Mental Health: A Qualitative Study

Sally Moyce  1 , Sophia Thompson  1 , Madeline Metcalf  1 , Maria Velazquez  1 , Elizabeth Aghbashian  2 , Nathaniel Sisson  3 , David Claudio  1
Affiliations

Rural Hispanic Perceptions of Mental Health: A Qualitative Study

Sally Moyce et al. J Transcult Nurs. 2022 May.

Abstract

Introduction: In 2020, 18.4% of Hispanics experienced mental illness, yet only about a third received treatment compared with nearly half of non-Hispanic Whites. In Montana, where only 11% of the mental health needs are currently met, service utilization is low. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of the Hispanic immigrant population in a rural state on mental health and professional service utilization.

Methods: Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews in Spanish. Audio recordings were transcribed, translated to English, and analyzed for themes.

Results: We recruited a sample of 14 participants from Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela ranging in age from 33 to 59. We identified five themes: definitions of mental health, maintaining mental health, familismo/socialization, stigma, and acculturation stress.

Discussion: Novel findings point to the need for Spanish-language services focused on reducing stigma around mental illness and incorporating the importance of social connections.

Keywords: Hispanic immigrant; barriers; mental health; stigma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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