Sonoma State To Target Cultural Stigma Of Mental Health Issues Among Latinos
The university received a $1.18 million grant from the state to fund the four-year project. Meanwhile, news outlets cover other issues related to the mental health of female vets and California kids.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma State University Has $1 Million Grant To Improve Latino Mental Health
For many Latinos, the thought of seeking help for depression or other mental health issues is often plagued by cultural stigma that can lead to more isolation. One way of bridging that cultural gap may be found in the culture itself, according to a Sonoma State University professor spearheading a $1.18 million grant project aimed at identifying cultural practices that lead to improved mental and behavioral health. These practices could include the traditional healing arts of curanderismo, Aztec dancing, mural painting and the tamaliza, the highly social and familial practice of making tamales... (Espinoza, 8/21)
The Press-Enterprise:
Women Veterans Have Elevated Suicide Rates, Sexual Assault Major Factor
Results of a massive study issued Aug. 4 by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show that the rate of suicide among female veterans is several times higher than that of women in the general population. ... “Military sexual trauma plays a big part,” she said, when it comes to reasons female veterans report for considering or attempting suicide. “We’re talking rape. It’s so close to 100 percent.” Often, she said, it is coupled with sexual trauma experienced before entering the military. In her own case, she said, she was sexually abused as a child and a teenager. (Muckenfuss, 8/20)
California Healthline:
Race, Ethnicity Affect Kids’ Access To Mental Health Care, Study Finds
One in five Americans is estimated to have a mental health condition at any given time. But getting treatment remains difficult — and it’s worse for children, especially those who identify as black or Hispanic. That’s the major finding in research published last week in the International Journal of Health Services. The study examines how often young adults and children were able to get needed mental health services, based on whether they were black, Hispanic or white. Using a nationally representative sample of federally collected survey data compiled between 2006 and 2012, researchers sought to determine how often people reported poor mental health and either saw a specialist or had a general practitioner bill for mental health services. (Luthra, 8/22)