bones, give some medicines, but there was nothing… We didn’t know about mental illness… But what we are learning, we’re passing on.” –Promotor ILLNESS As discussed, there is a considerable gap between what can be written off as and the kinds of “nervios,” psychotic behaviors most associate with As a consequence, people whose behavior falls in that gap “loco.” – those who are struggling to function at work and at home - are often labeled as weak, lazy, irresponsible or otherwise somehow to blame. are some people who think maybe the person has been cursed for some reason… “There that [they asked for it] somehow.” –Promotor Promotores from Stanislaus County said the lack of understanding regarding the genesis of mental illness contributes to stigma. are people who [believe] if you’re from a certain town or of certain social standing, “…there that’s why you are mentally ill.“ –Promotor If a child is facing mental health challenges, key informants and Promotores said family and friends tend to blame the parents for one reason or another. members) will tell them, can’t get your kid to listen to you!’ “(Family ‘You which just puts more blame and shame on (the parents).” Informant –Key A husband can say his wife is de la mente’ (mentally weak) and “… ‘débil say this is why their child is autistic.” –Promotor Cultural Differences between Spanish Dominant and Indigenous Latinos of Mexican Origin According to Promotores who work with the Mixtec and Zapotec populations in Ventura County, indigenous peoples are even more reticent than the average Spanish dominant Latino when it comes to discussing emotional problems they may be experiencing. Many do not consider it appropriate to discuss personal problems even with those close to them. There is concern they will look weak if they talk about how they feel. (indigenous “… …For peoples), talking about mental health is not just difficult. It’s taboo.” –Promotor THE PRESENCE The majority of key informants and Promotores said they believe that while the stigma surrounding mental health issues has not gotten worse, it has not improved either. However, several think that while there is a long way to go, things have improved. This is attributed to two factors:
bones, give some medicines, but there was nothing… We didn’t know about mental illness… But what we are learning, we’re passing on.” –Promotor As discussed, there is a considerable gap between what can be written off as “nervios,” and the kinds of psychotic behaviors most associate with “loco.” As a consequence, people whose behavior falls in that gap – those who are struggling to function at work and at home - are often labeled as weak, lazy, irresponsible or otherwise somehow to blame. “There are some people who think maybe the person has been cursed for some reason… that [they asked for it] somehow.” –Promotor Promotores from Stanislaus County said the lack of understanding regarding the genesis of mental illness contributes to stigma. “…there are people who [believe] if you’re from a certain town or of certain social standing, that’s why you are mentally ill.“ –Promotor If a child is facing mental health challenges, key informants and Promotores said family and friends tend to blame the parents for one reason or another. “(Family members) will tell them, ‘You can’t get your kid to listen to you!’ which just puts more blame and shame on (the parents).” –Key Informant “… A husband can say his wife is ‘débil de la mente’ (mentally weak) and say this is why their child is autistic.” –Promotor Cultural Differences between Spanish Dominant and Indigenous Latinos of Mexican Origin According to Promotores who work with the Mixtec and Zapotec populations in Ventura County, indigenous peoples are even more reticent than the average Spanish dominant Latino when it comes to discussing emotional problems they may be experiencing. Many do not consider it appropriate to discuss personal problems even with those close to them. “… There is concern they will look weak if they talk about how they feel. …For (indigenous peoples), talking about mental health is not just difficult. It’s taboo.” –Promotor THE PRESENCE The majority of key informants and Promotores said they believe that while the stigma surrounding mental health issues has not gotten worse, it has not improved either. However, several think that while there is a long way to go, things have improved. This is attributed to two factors: ILLNESS
SanaMenteReport.docx