Skip to main content

Psychology of Latino American Older Adults: Strengths and Challenges to Mental Health in a Shifting Society

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Race and Development in Mental Health

Abstract

This chapter presents information on mental health issues in Latino American older adults, focusing on communication difficulties, acculturative stress, and service utilization as major challenges to the maintenance of mental health in this group; family, cultural values, and religion as strengths contributing to resilience in this group; and several issues relevant to bringing the cultural strengths of this group more effectively into the service of increasing their overall mental health.

An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0424-8_20

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abramson, T. A., Trejo, L., & Lai, D. W. L. (2002). Culture and mental health: Providing appropriate services for a diverse older population. Generations, 26(1), 21–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Administration on Aging. (2001). Cultural competency. www.aoa.gov/may2001/factsheets/Cultural-Competency.html. Accessed February 1, 2002.

  • Applewhite, S. L. (1995). Curanderismo: Demystifying the health beliefs and practices of elderly Mexican Ameircans. Health and Social Work, 20(4), 247–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Applewhite, S.L., & Torres, C. (2003). Rural Latino Elders. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 41(1/2), 151–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.), Text Revision. Washington: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2003, July). Mental health care and older adults: Facts and policy recommendations. http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/oldermhfact03.html. Zugegriffen: 21. April 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angel, J. L., Angel, R. J., McClellan, J. L., & Markides, K. S. (1996). Nativity, declining health, and preferences in living arrangements among elderly Mexican-Americans: Implications for long-term care. Gerontologist, 36(4), 464–473.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Antshel, K. M. (2002). Intergrating culture as a means of improving treatment adherence in the Latino population. Psychology Health & Medicine, 7(4), 437–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arean, P. A., Gum, A., McCulloch, C. E., Bostrom, A., Gallagher-Thompson, D., & Thompson, L., et al. (2005). Treatment of depression in low-income older adults. Psychology & Aging, 20(4), 601–609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arredondo, P., Toporek, R., Brown, S. P., Jones, J., Locke, D., Sanchez, J. (1996). Operationalization of the multicultural counseling competencies. Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development, 24(1), 42–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barron, F., Hunter, A., Mayo, R., Willoughby, D. (2004). Accultration and adherence: Issues for health care providers working with clients of Mexican origin. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 15(4), 331–337.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bartels, S. J., Coakley, E. H., & Zubritsky, C. (2004). Improving access to geriatric mental health services: A randomized trial comparing treatment engagement with integrated versus enhanced referral care for depression, anxiety, and at-risk alcohol use. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(8), 1455–1462.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. W., & Kim, U. (1988). Acculturation and mental health. In P. Dasen, J. W. Berry, & N. Satorius (Eds.), Health and cross-cultural psychology: Towards application (pp. 207–236). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, S. A., Goodwin, J. S., Markides, K. S. (1998). The association between chronic diseases and depressive symptomatology in older Mexican-Americans. Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 53A(3), M188–M194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, M., Vega, M., Garcia, I., Abad, A., Friedman, M. B. (2005). Meeting the mental health needs of elderly Latinos affected by depression: Implications for outreach and service provision. Care Management Journals, 6(2), 98–106.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Callahan, C. M., Kroenke, K., Counsell, S. R., Hendrie, H. C., Perkins, A. J., Katon, et al. (2005). Treatment of depression improves physical functioning in older adults. Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 53(3), 367–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carrillo, E. (2001). Assessment and treatment of the Latino patient. In A. G. Lopez & E. Carrillo (Eds.), The Latino psychiatric patient: Assessment and treatment. Washington: American Psychiatric Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2004). The state of aging and health in America. www.cdc.gov/aging. Accessed June 15, 2007.

  • Choi, N. G., & Gonzalez, J. M. (2005a). Barriers and contributors to minority older adults’ access to mental health treatment: Perceptions of geriatric mental health clinicians. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 44(3/4), 115–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, N. G., & Gonzalez, J. M. (2005b). Geriatric mental health clinician’s perceptions of barriers and contributors to retention of older minorities in treatment: An exploratory study. Clinical Gerontologist, 28(3), 3–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chrisman, N. J. (1977). The health seeking process: An approach to the natural history of illness. Culture Medicine & Psychiatry, 1, 351–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, C. (1992). Multicultural competencies in early intervention: training professionals in a pluralistic society. Infants & Young Children, 4(3), 49–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, K. S., Hughes, D. L., Doty, M. M., Ives, B. L., Edwards, J. N., Tenney, K., et al. (2002). Diverse communities, common concerns: Assessing health care quality for minority Americans. Findings from the Commonwealth Fund 2001 Health Care Quality Survey. New York: Commonwealth Fund.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, L. A., Gonzales, J. J., Gallo, J. J., Rost, K. M., Meredith, L. S., Rubenstein, L., et al. (2003). The acceptability of treatment for depression among African-American, Hispanic, and White primary care patients. Medical Care, 41, 479–489.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crystal, S., Sambamoorthi, U., Walkup, J. T., Akincigil, A. (2003). Diagnosis and treatment of depression in the elderly medicare population: Predictors, disparities, and trends. Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 51, 1718–1728.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delgado, P. L., Alegria, M. Canive, J. M., Diaz, E., Escobar, J. I., Kopelowicz, A., et al. (2006). Depression and access to treatment among U.S. Hispanics: Review of literature and recommendations for policy and research. Focus: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry, IV(1), 38–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delgado, M. (2007). Social work with Latinos: A cultural assets paradigm. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derose, K. P., & Baker, D. W. (2000). Limited English proficiency and Latinos’ use of physician services. Medical Care Research & Review, 57(1), 76–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunlop. D. D., Song, J., Lyons, J. S., Manheim, L. M., Rowland, R. W. (2003). Racial/ethnic differences in rates of depression among preretirement adults. American Journal of Public Health, 93, 1945–1952.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Falcon, L. M., & Tucker, K. L. (2000). Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms among Hispanic elders in Massachusetts. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 55B(2), S108–S116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flores, G., Abreu, M., Schwartz, I., & Hill, M. (2000). The importance of language and culture in pediatric care: Case studies from the Latino community. Journal of Pediatrics, 137(6), 842–848.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, M. (1997). Risk and resilience in childhood. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freimen, M. P., & Cunningham, P. J. (1997). Use of health care for the treatment of mental problems among racial/ethnic subpopulations. Medical Care Research & Review, 54, 80–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez, J. (2006). Older Latinos and mental health services: Understanding access barriers. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 14(1/2), 73–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez, H. M., Haan, M. N., & Hinton, L. (2001). Acculturation and the prevalence of depression in older Mexican-Americans: Baseline results of the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. Journal of American Geriatrics, 49(7), 948–953.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant, B. F., Stinson, F. S., Hasin, D. S., Dawson, D. A., Chou, S. P., & Anderson, K. (2004). Immigration and lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders among Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic Whites in the United States: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 1226–1233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greene, R. R. (2001). Resiliency: An integrated approach to practice, policy, and research. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guarnaccia, P. J., & Farias, P. (1988). The social meanings of nervios: A case study of a central American woman. Social Science and Medicine, 26, 1223–1231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hargraves, J. L., & Hadley, J. (2003). The contribution of insurance coverage and community resources to reducing racial/ethnic disparities in access to care. Health Services Research, 38(3), 809–829.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, H. L. (1998). Ethnic minority elders: Issues and interventions. Educational Gerontology, 24(4), 309–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes-Bautista, D. E., Hsu, P. Perez, A., & Gamboa, C. (2002, Fall). The ‘browning’ of the graying of America: Diversity in the elderly population and policy implications. Generations, 26(3), 15–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Health Care Financing Administration. (2000). Office for civil rights’ policy guidance on limited English proficient persons. http://www.hcfa.gov/medicaid/smd83100.htm. Accessed October 2, 2003.

  • Henry, J., Kaiser Family Foundation. (1999). The faces of Medicare. http://www.kff.org/medicare/1481-index.cfm. Accessed January 24, 2006.

  • Hovey, J. D. (2000). Acculturative stress, depression, and suicidal ideation in Mexican Immigrants. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 6(2), 134–151. http://www.kff.org/medicare/1481-index.cfm. Accessed January 24, 2002.

  • Jenkins, J. H. (1988). Ethnopsychiatric interpretations of schizophrenic illness: The problem of nervios within Mexican-American families. Culture, Medicine, & Psychiatry, 12, 301–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, C. L., & Laditka, S. B. (1998). Double jeopardy: The challenge of providing mental health services to older persons. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 26(1), 65–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Juarbe, T. (1995). Access to health care for Hispanic women: A primary health care perspective. Nursing Outlook, 43(1), 23–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katon, W., Von Korff, M, & Lin, E. (1997) Collaborative management to achieve depression treatment guidelines. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 58(1), 20–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenyon, G. M., & Randall, W. (2001). Narrative gerontology: An overview. In G. Kenyon, P. Clark, & B. de Vries (Eds.), Narrative gerontology. (pp. 3–18). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirmayer, L. J. (1984). Culture, affect, and somatization, part I. Transcultural Psychiatric Research Review, 21, 159–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleinman, A. (1988). The illness narratives: Suffering, healing, and the human condition. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1999). Stress and emotion: A new synthesis. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke, D. C. (1992). Increasing multicultural understanding: a comprehensive world. Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lopez, S. R. (2002). Mental health care for Latinos: A research agenda to improve the accessibility and quality of mental health care for Latinos. Psychiatric Services, 53, 1569–1573.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luthar, S., & Ziegler, E. (1991). Vulnerability and competence: A review of research on resilience in childhood. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61(1), 7–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magilvy, J. K., Congdon, J. G., Martinez, R. J., Davis, R., & Averill, J. (2000). Caring for our own: Health care experiences of rural Hispanic elders. Journal of Aging Studies, 14(2), 171–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malgady, R. G., & Zayas, L. H. (2001). Cultural and linguistic considerations in psychodiagnosis with Hispanics: The need for an empirically informed process model. Social Work, 46(1), 39–49.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marin, H., Escobar, J. L., & Vega, W. A. (2006). Mental illness in Hispanics: A review of the literature. Focus: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry, IV(1), 23–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, M. R. (1991). Mental health services and the Hispanic elderly. In M. Sotomayor (Ed.), Empowering Hispanic families: A critical issue for the 90s. Milwaukee: Family Service America.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, J., & Cooper, L. A. (2004). Disparities in care for depression among primary care patients. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 19, 120–126.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, A. O., & Matheny, K. B. (2000). Socio-psychological predictors of acculturative stress among Latino adults. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 22(4), 306–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, J., Azocar, F., Organista, K. C., Dwyer, E., & Areane, P. (2003). Treatment of depression among impoverished primary care patients from ethnic minority groups. Psychiatric Services, 54(2), 219–225.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morales, L. S., Cunningham, W. E., Brown, J. A., Lui, H., Hays, & R. D. (1999). Are Latinos less satisfied with communication by health care providers? Journal of General Internal Medicine, 14, 409–417.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Institute of Health Office of Minority Health 1998

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, D. G. (1976). Working with minority populations: The dual perspective. In B. Ross, & S. K. Khinduka (Eds.), Social work practice (pp. 134–141). New York: NASW Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Padgett, D. K., Patrick, C., Burns, B. J., & Schlesinger, H. J. (1994). Ethnicity and the use of outpatient mental health services in a national insured population. American Journal of Public Health, 84(2), 222–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. (2003). Achieving the promise: Transforming mental health care in America: Final report. (DHHS Pub. No. SMA-03–3832). Rockville: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramirez, R. R. (2004, December). We the people: Hispanics in the United States – U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Special Reports, CENSR-18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivadeneyra, R., Elderkin-Thompson, V., Silver, R. C., & Waitzkin, H. (2000). Patient centeredness in medical encounters requiring an interpreter. American Journal of Medicine, 108(6), 470–474.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salgado de Snyder, V. N., de Jesus Diaz-Perez, M. J., & Ojeda, V. D. (2000). The prevalence of nervios and associated symptomatology among inhabitants of Mexican rural communities. Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 24, 453–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smart, J. F., & Smart, D. W. (1995). Acculturative stress: The experience of the Hispanic immigrant. Counseling Psychologist, 23, 25–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Timmins, C. L. (2002). The impact of language barriers on the health care of Latinos in the United States: A review of the literature and guidelines for practice. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 47(2), 80–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torrez, D. J. (1998). Health and social service utilization patterns of Mexican-American older adults. Journal of Aging Studies, 12(1), 82–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, F., Moyer, M., Valdez, R., & Stroup-Benham, C. (1991). Health insurance coverage and utilization of health services by Mexican-Americans, mainland Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans. Journal of the American Medical Association, 265(2), 233–237.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2000). The Hispanic population: Census 2000 Brief. http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-3.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2005.

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2004). 2004 American Community Survey: Population 65 years and over. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=ACS_2004_EST_G00_S0103&-ds_name=ACS_2004_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_caller=geoselect&-state=st&-format=. Accessed June 29, 2007.

  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS). (1999). Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. Rockville: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Healthy People 2010: Understanding and improving health (2nd ed.). Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Mental health: Culture, race, ethnicity- A Supplement to mental health: A report of the surgeon general. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS). (2003). A statistical profile of Hispanic older Americans aged 65+. Administration on aging. http://www.aoa.gov/press/fact/pdf/ss_hispanic_elderly.pdf. Accessed July 5, 2007.

  • Vasquez, C. I., & Clavijo, A. M. (1995). The special needs of minorities: A profile of Hispanics. In B. G. Knight, L. T. Wohlford, & J. Santos (Eds.), Mental health services for older adults: Implications for training and practice in geropsychology (pp. 93–99). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Vega, W. A., Kolody, B., & Aguilar-Gaxiola, S. (2001). Help seeking for mental health problems among Mexican-Americans. Journal of Immigrant Health, 3(3), 133–140.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vega, W. A., Kolody, B., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alderate, E., Catalano, R., & Carveo-Anduaga, J. (1998). Lifetime prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders among urban and rural Mexican-Americans in California. Archives of General Psychiatry, 55, 771–778.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vega, W. A., Kolody, B., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Catalano, R. (1999). Gaps in service utilization by Mexican-Americans with mental health problems. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156(6), 928–934.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Warda, M. (2000). Mexican-Americans’ perceptionsof culturally competent care. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 22(2), 203–224.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wells, K., Sherbourne, C., Schoenbaum, M., Ettner, S., Duan, N., Miranda, J., et al. (2004). Five-year impact of quality improvement for depression results of a group-level randomized controlled trial. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 378–386.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, C. L., & Berry, J. W. (1991). Primary prevention of acculturative stress among refugees: Application of psychological theory and practice. American Psychologist, 46, 632–641.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven R. Applewhite .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Applewhite, S.R., Gonzales, J.M. (2012). Psychology of Latino American Older Adults: Strengths and Challenges to Mental Health in a Shifting Society. In: Chang, E., Downey, C. (eds) Handbook of Race and Development in Mental Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0424-8_17

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics