Latino students on why it's hard to talk about mental health 

Health has such a non universal definition. The definition for health alters depending what culture you ask. Health as defined by google is “the state of being free from illness or injury”.Mental health is considered to be an illness it talks about depression, anxiety and being bipolar. These are just a few of many mental disorders. However many adults don’t consider it to be an illness.Many cultures don’t believe in mental health being real or important. So growing up in different cultures creates different understandings of being healthy. Especially in Latin America, where being healthy often means having sufficient food and water to survive. Hispanic parents don’t understand much about mental disorders because of their definition of being healthy. They lack knowledge within the mental health aspect. Within the video we see Maria say that after she was diagnosed with general anxiety and depression she was given medication. When she got home her dad threw them away and told her to be stronger. That she didn’t need anything, she was healthy. Her parents among many other Hispanic parents don’t have an idea of the importance of mental health. They refuse to receive professional help, often turning to rituals or healers hoping that the child will get over it. This is because cultural attitudes affect how medical conditions are perceived and how individuals with health problems will be seen by the community. Mental health issues are almost non-existent in Latin America so when teens with Latin parents decide to ask for help their parents refuse to receive help. They didn’t receive help and they turned out alright so why should their child receive help. Many hispanic parents think with the survival of the fittest theory. The strongest will survive and be healthy. So their children need to stop looking for attention and forget about their mental health. They need to adapt to the changes that make them depressed or give them anxiety. They have food, water and a home so they are in fact healthy. All because of how much the health definition alters between cultures. This issue with giving little to no importance is not just in Latin America. It happens all over the world. The definition for health needs to be universal, so that people can receive the correct medication and help.