Mental health is not addressed very openly in Latin America. This is due largely to the values in the Latin American culture. In “Stigma toward mental illness in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review,” the authors explain that familismo and machismo are central to the culture. Both of these actually impair the Latin American culture’s ability to accept mental health issues and the need for treatment. 

Familismo is the emphasis on family. Family is placed above all. Families are also expected to be cohesive and functional. This becomes a challenge. One big issue with acknowledging that you have a mental health issue is that it will become a burden on the family. A person with mental health issues will not be able to meet their familial obligations, Furthermore, having a mental health issue also challenges the image of a perfect tight knit family. These issues make it harder for a person to come out and be open about mental health. Likewise, people are less likely to accept mental health issues as they understand the burden that it will cause on the family. 

Machismo brings out similar issues with gender roles. This value system emphasizes the man as the bread earner and the woman as the keeper of the family. Both of these roles can be compromised by mental illness. If a person suffers from mental illness then they will not be able to fulfill their gender roles. Furthermore, the rest of the family will also have problem ascribing to their gender roles if they are trying to look after the mental health of another person. All of this also stands in the way of taking care of others with mental illness since it is difficult to take care of others while also conforming to all of these gender norms. As a result of this, people are reluctant to open up with mental health issues and Latin American families are more likely to sweep these under the rug rather than dealing with them appropriately.

Since people in Latin America are less likely to come forward and be open about mental health issues, there is still a very large stigma which is reflected in treatment and resources. In “Mental Health and Mental Health Care in Latin America,” it is explained that although mental illness is expected to occur in rates similar to those in other cultures, it goes unreported and as a result resources are very scarce. Alarcon writes, “the estimated figures of 1.6 psychiatrists, 2.7 psychiatric nurses, 2.8 psychologists, and 1.9 social workers per 100,000 are far below those of Europe or the US. The greater concentration of these professionals in metropolitan areas leave unattended at least 45% of the total population in need. On the other hand, patients are seen first by non-professionals, second by non-psychiatric professionals, and only last by mental health professionals. Needless to say, insurance coverage is minimal, and mental health professionals are among the lowest paid in most countries.”

It is clear from a universal perspective that mental health is a very large societal issue however, the Latin American culture does not appear to see it as so. Mental health issues challenge the values of Latin America and as a result, they go unreported and untreated thus causing an even larger burden to society.

Alarcón, Renato D. “Mental health and mental health care in Latin America.” World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)vol. 2,1 (2003): 54-6.

Mascayano, Franco, Tapia, Thamara, Schilling, Sara, Alvarado, Rubén, Tapia, Eric, Lips, Walter, & Yang, Lawrence H. “Stigma toward mental illness in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review.” Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry vol 38,1 (2016): 73-85.

Mental health has historically been taboo. Only recently are people opening up about mental health and the way that it is perceived and addressed varies from culture to culture. This blog will explore how different cultures see mental health and how this affects the way that members of that society are treated.

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