Today, a campaign to eliminate the stigma against those with mental illnesses came to Love Park in Philadelphia. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) held a day-long event in partnership with local organizations to provide information to those with mental illnesses, and to foster a culture of support through the #IWillListen social media campaign. The day was the first of its kind in Philadelphia, and could lead to similar events across the country.

The event included a tent where any passerby could participate in NAMI's video campaign by telling a personal story, or citing the statistic that 1 in 4 in the U.S. are affected by diagnosable mental illness, followed by the speaker's name and their promise — "I will listen."

Latinos and Mental Illness

According to NAMI, Latino and particularly Latina individuals are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and substance abuse than white individuals.

NAMI cited a 1997 survey found that Latina and Asian American young women were more likely to suffer from depression than Black or white young women. One in three Latina high school students said that they had seriously considered suicide.

A mental health issue that disproportionately affects young Black and Latino men is prison incarceration, where it is estimated that 50 to 70 percent of all juvenile offenders have untreated or under-treated mental health problems.

Even though many Latinos experience mental illness, fewer than one in 11 contact mental health care specialists. NAMI found that Latinos were twice as likely to reach out to general health providers rather than specialists, but still, just one in five reached out at all.

For immigrants, the number of those suffering from untreated mental disorders are even worse — just one in 20 Latino immigrants take advantage of mental health services. One of the barriers to treatment is the absence of Spanish-language resources and providers. One American Psychological Association survey found that out of hundreds of practices, just 1 percent could provide services in Spanish.

For more information on how to access resources on mental illness, visit NAMI in English or Spanish.

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