Latino attitudes toward mental health treatment and criminal justice involvement: it’s great for you; it’s just not for us

Abstract

Despite comparable rates of mental illness, Latinos are unlikely to seek mental health treatment, face more barriers, and are more likely to be referred to treatment by the criminal justice system compared to whites. This study examined Latino attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment to ascertain how those attitudes predicted perceptions of the relationship between untreated mental illness and future criminal justice involvement. Although Latinos generally held positive attitudes towards seeking mental health treatment, deeply ingrained cultural attitudes hinder their personal help-seeking behaviors. Results also revealed that those who expressed a willingness to seek treatment, were older, or married were more likely to recognize the link between untreated mental illness and future criminal justice involvement.