CDC: Depression rates are soaring in the US, and no one is harder hit than Latinx Americans
- A new study by the CDC found high rates of depression and suicidal ideation among all Americans.
- Latinx people reported the highest rates of depression of any racial or ethnic group.
- Experts say cultural competency is needed to better support Latinx communities experiencing a wave of grief.
Rates of depression and suicidal ideations have soared during the pandemic - and may be higher than previously reported, according to a new study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The online national survey tracked rates of depression, suicidal ideations, and substance use in April and May of 2020 using a questionnaire.
Across the board, they found higher rates of mental illness than recorded in other studies.
In the early months of the pandemic, 29% of adults reported depressive symptoms, a jump up from the 23.5% previously reported. They found 8% reported suicidal thoughts, up from 4.8% in a previous national survey, and 18% reported increased substance use, up from the 13.3% estimated by an earlier CDC report.
But none were hit harder than Latinx Americans. The report found 40.3% of Latinx adults reported depressive symptoms compared to 25.3% white and 27.7% of Black adults. Latinx Americans, defined as "Hispanic" in the report, also reported high rates of suicidal ideation (22.9%, compared to 5.3% of white and 5.2% of Black Americans) and increased substance abuse (36.9%, compared to around 15% among Americans of other groups).
The findings underscore concerns mental health experts have had since the pandemic began in March 2020, fearing a possible "wave of suicides" caused by the collective trauma of the pandemic, especially for Black and Latinx communities that have the highest risks of being exposed to COVID-19 and suffering severe cases of the disease.
Latinx people are being hit the hardest by COVID-19, joblessness, and food insecurity, possibly causing depression rates to soar
Dr. Annette Nunez, psychotherapist and founder of Not Your Standard Doctor, told Insider the high rates of mental illness among Latinx Americans could be attributed to the pandemic hitting their communities across the US especially hard.
According to the CDC, Latinx people are four times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 and 2.8 times more likely to die from COVID-19 related complications than non-Hispanic white people.
Latinx communities have also been slammed with disproportionate rates of unemployment, housing insecurity, and food uncertainty according to the CDC's newest study. Without employment, Nunez said, many Latinx families have been left without insurance to pay for any medical treatments if any family members get sick.
Aside from the financial and physical stress of the pandemic, the importance of family and simultaneous inability to see community elders could also be driving up rates of depression in Latinx communities, which are commonly multigenerational according to Nunez.
"Culturally Latinx communities place a lot of importance on family and being around family members. Maintaining 'social distancing' from family members, especially elders in the family leads to feelings of loneliness and depression," Nunez said.
Depression may look different in some Latinx communities, so cultural competency is needed to address the wave of grief
Nunez said it's important to recognize that depression can manifest differently across cultures, and that requires a different perspective from healthcare providers and community support.
"In many Latinx communities, there are negative perceptions and a stigma associated with mental health," Nunez said.
"Many individuals do not talk about their feelings of sadness and anxiety because of the shame that is associated around it. Rather than talking about it, they will often internalize their stress and anxiety."
Nunez said officials and healthcareworkers should make it a priority to consider factors like language barriers, the importance of spiritual healers, and the emphasis on religion in certain communities when they are developing support programs and offering advice.