By Grace Harrison
September 15 marked the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which continues until Oct. 15. It starts in the middle of the month to coincide with the independence days of several Latin American countries – Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica on Sept. 15, followed by Mexico on Sept. 16, Chile on Sept. 18 and Belize on Sept. 21.
This year’s theme is: “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together,” celebrating trailblazers in the Latino community across various fields who have helped the next generation create and implement change.
There are numerous celebrities in the Hispanic community who have become staunch advocates for mental health, including Selena Gomez, who has been forthcoming about her own journey with mental health. Her documentary, “My Mind & Me” explores her health, both physical and mental. It shares her battles with anxiety, depression, and a lupus diagnosis. Gomez highlights the importance of mental health awareness and having a strong support system to fall back on.
With her lived experience in mind, she founded Rare Impact Fund, to help support mental health among youth. The organization seeks to mobilize $100 million to increase access to youth mental health services and education globally.
While Gomez was one of the first to openly discuss her mental health and become a fierce advocate for change, other entertainment figures in the Hispanic community have done the same. Global reggaeton star J Balvin created a bilingual creative wellness app, Demi Lovato has advocated on Capitol Hill, and Karol G started an initiative aimed at fostering mental health awareness in Latin American schools.
When prominent Hispanic celebrity advocates create new mental health resources, they contribute to increasing mental health awareness and access in the community. There are many barriers leading to lack of access to care as stated by National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), such as, language barriers, lack of health insurance, language barriers, and stigma. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services office of Minority Health, in 2018 Hispanics were 50% less likely to receive mental health treatment in contrast to non-hispanic whites.
If you, a friend, or a loved one is looking for mental health resources this Hispanic Heritage Month, NAMI California has created a Latino/a/x resource list, which can be found here.