Facilitators and barriers to Latino/a adolescents' help‐seeking behaviors
Discussing mental health needs with parents and engaging in mental health services
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23310346 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Fernanda L Cro (0000-0002-0770-9464, University of Michigan, corresponding author), Joel Lucio (0000-0003-1529-1894, University of Michigan), Amanda Webster (0000-0003-2976-4752, University of Michigan), Zachary Sessa (0009-0008-2299-2203, University of Michigan), Irving Suarez (0009-0006-0302-1378, University of Michigan), K Resnicow (0000-0003-1416-9627, University of Minnesota) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | e70232-e70232 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Research on Adolescence (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1050-8392 • E-ISSN: 1532-7795 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/jora.70232 |
| PMID | 42499139 |
| OpenAlex | W7171060217 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 51 |
Latino/a adolescents report worse mental health than other ethnic–racial groups in the United States, including elevated depressive symptoms and anxiety, yet they remain less likely to access mental health services. Negative perception about mental health within Latino/a communities, shaped by negative beliefs about mental illness and limited knowledge of treatment, poses significant obstacles to care. Low mental health literacy, including poor understanding of depression, anxiety, and the role of therapy and medication, further contributes to negative attitudes about mental health. Prior work shows that Latino/a adolescents often avoid disclosing mental health concerns to parents to prevent burdening them, and this lack of communication impacts their help‐seeking behaviors. To examine these challenges, we conducted six focus groups ( n = 56) with Latino/a parents and adolescents aged 14–17 from Michigan and Texas. Analysis identified negative perceptions about mental health as a central obstacle for both parents and adolescents, limiting open dialogue about mental health. Adolescents reported fears of judgment or symptom minimization, contributing to delayed help‐seeking behaviors. Parents expressed a need for greater mental health knowledge, including symptom recognition, treatments, and strategies for discussing mental health with their adolescent children. Adolescents emphasized the importance of trust, confidentiality, and family acceptance in facilitating disclosure and support. Findings underscore the need for interventions that reduce negative perception about mental health, improve mental health literacy, and strengthen parent–adolescent communication to enhance Latino/a adolescents' access to mental health care. Practitioners can support families by providing tools that support dialogue and reduce negative‐perceptions about mental health.
Help-seeking · Mental health · Mental health law · Mental illness · Middle Eastern Mental Health Issues & Syndromes · Perception · Psychological intervention · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Mental Health Treatment and Access
Research with Hispanic Populations
Fundamentals of Qualitative Research
The stigma of mental disorders
What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies
The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma on Seeking and Participating in Mental Health Care
Barriers and Facilitators for Mental Health Service Use Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Adolescents
Stigma Toward Families With Mental Health Problems in Latino Communities
Adolescents’ Disclosure of Mental Illness to Parents
A practical guide to reflexivity in qualitative research
Correlates of religious, supernatural and psychosocial causal beliefs about depression among Latino immigrants in primary care
Barriers to healthcare access among U.S. adults with mental health challenges
Effectiveness of mental health literacy and stigma interventions for Latino/a adults in the United States
Perceived Mental Illness Stigma Among Youth in Psychiatric Outpatient Treatment
Urban Latinx parents’ attitudes towards mental health
Parent-reported stigma and child anxiety
Mental Illness Stigma, Help Seeking, and Public Health Programs
Racial differences in attitudes toward professional mental health care and in the use of services
Family culture in mental health help-seeking and utilization in a nationally representative sample of Latinos in the United States
Mental illness disclosure decision making
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The disclosure processes model
Rapid and Rigorous Qualitative Data Analysis
Toward a cultural adaptation of pharmacotherapy
The Protective and Risk Effects of Parents and Peers on Substance Use, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Mexican and Mexican American Female and Male Adolescents
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |