The Mental Health Needs of Mexican-American Agricultural Workers

Abstract

We used three measurement procedures to produce a comprehensive profile of the mental health needs of Mexican-American farmworkers and to determine what kinds of mental health services were required to meet those needs. These measurement procedures were a field survey, a key informant survey, and a nominal group process. The results of the field survey indicated that rural Mexican Americans are not being served by mental health providers, despite their having higher symptom levels than would be expected in the general population and their substantial use of rural primary health clinics and private physicians. The key informant survey included mental health providers, health providers, and community agency personnel. According to these informants, the mental health sector is unable to provide services for the farmworkers; and the ability of other providers to reach them depends on a number of factors, including the nature of the services offered and the socioeconomic characteristics of the farmworkers themselves. Key informants identified the environmental conditions implicated in the farmworkers' psychosocial problems and recommended types of services, sites, and key personnel. Key informants concurred that general health settings and multiservice agencies were the most appropriate for reaching Mexican Americans, and that mental health services must include bilingual and bicultural staff members. Key informants disagreed, however, about the relative value of certain kinds of mental health services. The nominal group process identified 32 design criteria that could be used to improve mental health services for farmworkers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)