Latina/o American Health and Mental Health: Practices and Challenges

While Latina/o Americans originate from more than 25 countries, most health or mental health texts largely focus on Mexican Americans and often fail to address other Latina/o groups, such as South Americans, Central Americans, Puerto Ricans, and others. Moreover, most works address either health or mental health, but not both together. In contrast, Latina/o American Health and Mental Health addresses both the health and mental health of diverse Latina/o heritage groups. An interdisciplinary approach enables readers to identify both similar and divergent areas that affect the health and mental health of Latina/o Americans. Strengths-based and social justice perspectives, rather than a deficit perspective, guide the work in its assessment of disparities among treatment for different groups.This text is ideal for graduate students, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers in public health, community health, family studies, psychology, counseling, social work, and Latina/o studies who are interested in understanding Latina/o health and mental health in the United States and providing culturally responsive services.

About the Author

Leticia Arellano-Morales , PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of La Verne, La Verne, CA. She is coeditor of The Handbook of Chicana/o Psychology and Mental Health and Mexican Psychology: Indigenous, Colonial, and Post-Modern Contributions .

Erica T. Sosa , PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Nutrition at the University of Texas at San Antonio.