The Role of Discrimination on Latinxs’ Use of Mental Health Services: A LatCrit and Life-Course Perspective

Epidemiological studies have found that 30–40% of Latinxs will have a diagnosable mental health disorder during their lifetime—a percentage that is comparable to or higher than other racialized groups with some segments of the Latinx population having disproportionally higher rates of poor mental health than other Latinxs. For instance, compared to overall rates for Latinxs, there is an increased rate of psychiatric disorders among Latinxs who are U.S.-born, those who are third generation, and those who are proficient in English (Alegria et al., 2007). One study found that as time in the United States increased, the risk of having a psychiatric disorder also increased among Latinx immigrants (Cook, Alegria, Lin, & Guo, 2009), and another found increases in discrimination to be associated with increases in the risk of alcohol and substance abuse disorders among U.S.-born Latinxs and Mexicans (Verissimo et al., 2014).