‘I’m not crazy’: Why California Latinos carry more worries in pandemic and why many don’t get help

California Latinos have good reason to worry in the coronavirus outbreak.

They’re becoming infected at higher rates than other populations. They also disproportionately work in the kind of jobs that cannot be done at home, which puts them at great risk of contracting the virus.

But the pandemic isn’t the only worry weighing on the state’s largest ethnic community.

For Latino immigrants who moved to the U.S., common stressors include low wages, discrimination, pressure to assimilate and insecurity of their immigration status.

The outbreak and the insecurity it creates exacerbates those worries, according to Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, founding director of the UC Davis’ Center for Reducing Health Disparities.

“All of these things are related,” he said. “They co-occur at the same time.”

Getting help isn’t easy, either. Spanish-speaking psychiatrists are under-represented, narrowing options for some Latinos.

“There aren’t many psychologists who speak Spanish,” said Melida Carillo, of Fairfield, who has made a point to seek therapy to manage anxiety. “There isn’t much help available compared to the resources English speakers have. For my community, it’s hard to find help.”

Carillo, a Mexico native, said therapy and support groups have helped her cope in the past in moments of high stress. Those resources, as well as meditation, painting and gardening, have prepared her to deal with the stress brought on by the pandemic, she said.

Each person has unique stressors, but here’s a look at common ones for Latino Californians and some of the ways they’re finding new ways to get help.

Latinos are worried

Recently, infection rates among Latinos in California hit a grim milestone: The tally of Latinos who have tested positive for COVID-19 has surpassed 100,000.

Latinos who make up 39 percent of the state population now account for more than half of the state’s COVID-19 cases — 54.7 percent —compared to whites who make up 37 percent of the population and 17.5 percent of cases, according to data from the state’s public health department.

Those numbers are hard to ignore.

A citywide survey conducted in June on the impacts of the pandemic on Sacramento residents found Latinos were more likely to report concern about anxiety and lack of access to technology than other racial groups.

Sacramento Latinos rated social isolation, unemployment and providing financial, emotional or other support for extended family not living at home as an extremely or very serious problem.

Latinos, 75 percent, were also more worried than whites, 56 percent, about when the pandemic would end. Forty percent of Latinos rated feeling nervous, anxious or on edge during the pandemic as an extremely or very serious problem compared to 23 percent of whites.

They’re also less likely to get help and to continue care if they begin it, according to academic studies.

Culture and language play an important role for Latinos seeking health care, according to Aguilar-Gaxiola. Though, bilingual health specialists are scarce.

While Latinos make up 18.5 percent of the U.S. population, only 5.5 percent of U.S. psychologists, according to a 2016 American Psychological Association survey, said they can provide services in Spanish.

“Prior to COVID-19, our mental health system and access to mental health providers that were culturally, linguistically representative of Latino communities were nonexistent” said Jeff Reynoso, executive director for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “Add on to that, a global pandemic, it’s only going to heighten the need for mental health primary care services.”

Work an obstacle to care

A 2018 study published in the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, found that Hispanic men earned 15 percent less in hourly wages than non-Hispanic white men. Hispanic women made 33 percent less in hourly wages than non-Hispanic white men.

Latinos are not a monolithic group, but they generally encounter a series of social, economic and environmental factors that contribute to developing or exacerbating mental disorders, Aguilar-Gaxiola said. The most common mental disorders he observes among Latinos are depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

For some working-class Latinos, taking time off work to visit the doctor’s office could mean losing out on a day’s wage, as traditional doctor’s office hours are situated Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., which don’t align with work schedules.

Latinos are less likely to have health insurance coverage than other Californians, according to a UCLA Center for Health Policy Research brief. An estimated 13.7 percent of California Latinos remain uninsured.

But one of the biggest obstacles Aguilar-Gaxiola sees is overcoming the stigma of having a mental illness. Throughout his career, he’s heard community members say, “I’m not crazy,” or “I’m going to get well by myself,” when talking about their mental health.

There’s also the lingering fear of deportation among undocumented Latinos.

“Immigrants, certainly the undocumented, the DACA students, for example, are with constant fear about their migration status,” Aguilar-Gaxiola said, referring to the program to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that shields immigrants brought to the country as children from deportation.

While the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted every aspect of life, it hasn’t stopped ICE.

Between Feb. 3 and April 24 there have been 232 likely U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement Air deportation flights to Latin American and Caribbean countries, according to an analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research. From March 15 to April 24, ICE Air likely made 21 deportation flights to Guatemala, 18 to Honduras and 12 to El Salvador

How some are trying

Research shows that a patient knowing where to find a provider can significantly increase their likelihood of utilizing mental health services, according to the Latino mental health disparities report.

For individuals who do seek help — life can improve, Aguilar-Gaxiol said.

“Many people think that those problems are going to go away, But it doesn’t happen that way,” Aguilar-Gaxiola said. “What happens is that the suffering is prolonged.”

Younger adults, he said, are more likely to seek mental health help than their parents, because they are more attuned to social media and aware of the existence of mental disorders.

For Carillo, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico more than two decades ago, it was difficult to find help at first. Her search eventually led her to Al-Anon, a support group for family members and friends of alcoholics.

“A lot of members of our community don’t have previous experiences with finding care to treat their mental health, so it’s harder for them to find help,” she said.

Some organizations are making a special effort to break down barriers to care for Latinos during the pandemic.

The Mexican Consulate in Sacramento is organizing weekly Facebook Live events led by a psychologist from Mexico to address community member’s mental health concerns.

Oftentimes, “they do not talk about the anxiety and concerns, the fears of COVID-19,” Liliana Ferrer, Consul General of Mexico in Sacramento, said in Spanish.

The Mexican Consulate has also offered a free mental health program called Vida Sana, Mente Sana, through a partnership with the Health Education Council. The program focuses on prevention, early detection and treatment of mental disorders.

In the spring, Seciah Aquino, deputy director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, said virtual monthly community events called Platicas, which translates to “Talks” in English began. One focused on mental health.

“I think that Platica also helped us push the envelope forward to have those conversations,” Aquino said. “Mental health is important ... we as a community need to have this conversation.”

This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.