Estimating the Impact of Limited English Language Proficiency on Mental Health Services for Spanish Speakers in the United States

Abstract

The United States Latine/x population is now over 62 million and comprises nearly 19% of the population [1]. Over 42 million speak Spanish and comprise the second-largest language group in the United States [2]. As the largest non- English language group, Spanish speakers pose the greatest need for language-concordant mental health services. Providing language-concordant and culturally responsive services is critical to ensure meaningful access and improve treatment outcomes [3]. The current authors use the pan-ethnic terms Latine or Latinx as encompassing the terms Hispanic (derived from Spain plus the entire Spanish colonized empire), Latino/a (gendered, for those with ties to Latin America specifically), and Chicano/a (a racist slur reclaimed as a symbol of pride for Mexican Americans specifically) [4]. Latine/x includes widely varied acculturation, language, and immigration statuses, all of which impact an individual’s ability and willingness to enter the United States mental health system and seek services [5,6]. Indigenous individuals from Latin America likely do not align with this term, and may or may not speak Spanish, however, are likely placed in the above monolithic categories in the databases referenced herein.