Rural Hispanic Perceptions of Mental Health: A Qualitative Study.
Sally Moyce, Sophia Thompson, Madeline Metcalf and 4 others
PMID 35075920WHAT IT FOUND
Hispanic immigrants in rural Montana said mental health was linked to managing stress, family, faith, and social connection.
They said stigma, cost, and language barriers kept people from services, and interpreters made emotional disclosure harder.
Key findings
01Participants described mental health as either the absence of stress or the ability to cope with it.
02Participants said people who may need professional mental health care rarely seek it because of stigma and fear of being judged as crazy.
03The language barrier was the most commonly identified problem, and interpreters were described as making emotional disclosure harder.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is qualitative and not meant to generalize to all Hispanic immigrants. The sample was small and came from one rural county, with interviews stopping after 14 participants reached saturation. Participants were sampled from a faith community, which may overstate the role of faith and prayer. The sample was mostly Mexican and did not equally represent all Latin American countries, so immigration and acculturation experiences may differ. The researchers acknowledged potential bias because they were integrated into the dominant culture.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication. The article is listed as NIH and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that family, faith, or bilingual care improves mental health. The study describes perceptions from 14 participants in one rural county and does not test any intervention.