Depression In Mexican Culture

I. Depression among cultures and ethnicities can differ not only on its triggers but also on its treatment preferences; several factors are being analyzed to compare how this mental disorder is affecting Hispanic communities, particularly those of Mexican origin, in the US.
A. Key Points
1. Lack of education regarding depressive disorders and their treatment options.
2. Access to health care
3. Social barriers including stigmas, embarrassment, and taboos regarding mental illnesses.
II.
A. Depression in Mexican culture is perceived as fictional or transitory.
i. Depression is not acknowledged as a mental illness but a temporary sense of despair. The idea that neural activity and lack of serotonin production can be a propel for depression,

In order to receive medical opinion, individuals from Mexican origin must first agree to visiting a physician; and this is often just as problematic.
B. Depression oversight, counseling and treatment can turn out to be expensive, it is not uncommon for individuals without insurance to avoid primary care.
i. Payment options can discourage many amongst Hispanic culture in dealing with their depression, this is due to a large amount of them having no access to healthcare; either because of poverty level, residence, or immigration status.
1. According to Potochnick & Perreira (2010) there is higher likelihood of anxiety and depression on Hispanic/Latinos when immigration and psychosocial worries are present. With the large majority of foreign-born population in the U.S. originating from Mexican land [I], this is an important matter to consider.
2. Lack of medical care may not be the ultimate factor in the low number of treatment for depressive disorders in this culture, a social-cultural script may also be of substantial significance in this matter.
C. Accepting a Depression diagnosis can be challenging when our patient doesn’t have the social support from family and

And if all the previous hiccups were not of enough influence, adding shame and social unacceptance may just entirely put depression treatment at a halt.
IV. Mental illnesses can be belittled or simply overlooked in most societies but when additional factors such as the ones mentioned above are present, the effects are culturally significant. Even though Education regarding mental health is increasing among Hispanic population, the vast unawareness is still a health concern in our society.
V. Online Journal Articles

Alegría, M., Mulvaney-Day, N., Torres, M., Polo, A., Cao, Z., & Canino, G. (2007). Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Across Latino Subgroups in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 97(1), 68-75. doi:10.2105/ajph.2006.087205

González, H. M., Tarraf, W., West, B. T., Croghan, T. W., Bowen, M. E., Cao, Z., & Alegría, M. (2009). Antidepressant use in a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling US Latinos with and without depressive and anxiety disorders. Depression and Anxiety, 26(7), 674-681. doi:10.1002/da.20561

Potochnick, S. R., & Perreira, K. M. (2010). Depression and Anxiety Among First-Generation Immigrant Latino Youth. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 198(7), 470-477.