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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Feb:125:107080.
doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107080. Epub 2023 Jan 5.

A parish-based multilevel cluster randomized controlled trial to reduce stigma and mental health treatment disparities among Latino communities

Eunice C Wong  1 , Vanessa N Torres  2 , Mario O Martinez  3 , Bing Han  4 , Melen Vue  5 , Kathryn P Derose  6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A parish-based multilevel cluster randomized controlled trial to reduce stigma and mental health treatment disparities among Latino communities

Eunice C Wong et al. Contemp Clin Trials. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Latino communities within the U.S. are disproportionately affected by persistent, high levels of untreated mental illness. Limited mental health literacy, stigma, and cultural factors are major contributors to Latino mental health treatment disparities. Although Latino individuals may be reluctant to seek out mental health professionals, they often rely on religious congregations when confronted with mental illness. However, religious congregations report major obstacles to collaborating with the mental health sector including the lack of mental health training, staffing, and resources. Strategic partnerships between religious congregations and community-based organizations can be leveraged to target sources of Latino mental health treatment disparities. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization, has developed a host of programs tailored to the different needs and segments of the community affected by mental illness, including programs designed to address culturally diverse and faith-based communities. This cluster-randomized controlled trial leverages the collective resources of NAMI and the Diocese of San Bernardino to deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-level, parish-based, intervention to decrease stigma, increase mental health literacy, and improve access to mental health services among Latino parishioners. This study will enroll 1400 participants from 14 parishes that will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention immediately or a wait-list control condition. The intervention could enrich awareness of mental health issues, shape norms about mental illness, facilitate treatment access, and add support from religious congregations to target Latino mental health disparities using culturally and faith-based tailored approaches.

Keywords: Disparities; Faith-based; Latino; Mental health; Mental health literacy; Stigma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mental Health Services Disparities and Stigma Conceptual Framework *Remove Discrimination
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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