Mental Health Issues Within Latinx Populations: Evaluating the State of the Field

Despite chronic exposure to social stressors that are known to undermine health, the Latinx population within the USA is healthier than the non-Latinx White population on most indicators of mental health. However, Latinx children and youth who were born and/or raised in the USA amid a culture of anti-immigrant sentiment, racial/ethnic discrimination, and socioeconomic disadvantage are in a context that increases the risk for depression and maladaptive behaviors. In this chapter, we examine mental health within the Latinx population by summarizing extant epidemiologic data and highlighting theoretical models that are applied to the study of Latinx mental health. We also explore how culture shapes mental health outcomes and mental health disparities related to national origin and immigrant status. We conclude with a discussion of a key mental health issue, adolescent depression, through a systems dynamics approach to illustrate potential future directions.