Ensuring the Mental Well-Being of Latino Children: The Importance of School-Based Mental Health Services and Parent Intervention 

The Latino population represents the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States. Data suggests that schools in the United States now enroll more than twice as many Latino students as they did in 1995, and it that by the end of 2030, Latino students will make up roughly 30% of all public-school enrollment. However, there is compelling evidence that the rapidly growing Latino population is at a greater risk for child mental health disorders. For this reason, ensuring the mental well-being of children is crucial to their overall development and future success. For Latino children particularly, it becomes that much more important given that they are at higher risk than non-white Latino children for serious emotional problems, higher rates of youth violence, teenage pregnancy, school dropout, and suicide attempts among adolescents. Research has shown that implementing school-based mental health services and family-based intervention methods can positively impact the mental health of Latino children. There is an increasing need for school-based mental health services as well as family collaboration methods to ensure that Latino children and their families receive the necessary services to address mental health challenges and create an environment where they can be successful.  

A study examining Latino adolescents’ and parents’ perspectives on mental health stressors found that Latinos continue to be disproportionately at risk for poverty and lack of health insurance. This study gathered over 50 Latino participants in an attempt to obtain their perspectives regarding mental health stressors as a basis for future intervention methods. The participants’ responses identified three primary mental health categories that negatively impacted Latinos’ mental health. These stressors included discrimination, immigration, and familial disconnection. These stressors, coupled with the lack of access to culturally responsive mental health services worsen these issues, leading to emotional distress, academic struggles, and even behavioral problems. Latino youth are the least likely of adolescents to receive mental health services. For this reason, implementing school-based mental health services as a solution provides a vital platform for reaching Latino children in a more familiar and accessible environment. These services would aim to break down the barriers to mental health care and address the specific needs of Latino students.  

Research highlights the positive impact of culturally responsive interventions on low-income immigrant Latino parents and their children’s behaviors. Such interventions consider the cultural values, beliefs, and traditions of Latino families, creating a more empathetic and effective approach to addressing mental health concerns. An article published on the need to respond to the mental health needs of Latino children and their families emphasized the importance of implementing school-based services as a solution to the Latino population’s limited access to mental health care and their cultural based reluctance to seek such services. Researchers placed special emphasis on the immigrant experience amongst the Latino population, of both the child and their family, and the difficulties that they experienced in the acculturation process.  

Although many Latino parents immigrate to the United States with the hopes of a better future and higher education level for their children, many of them are unable to help their children with school-related work and activities due to a lack of English proficiency. Taking into account the strong family orientation of Latino culture, school-based mental health programs that focus on the family as the primary support system and preferred point of intervention are becoming increasingly recognized for the unique opportunities, they offer in addressing the mental health needs of Latino children and youth. Involving Latino parents in the intervention process fosters trust and ensures that the support provided at school aligns with the family’s values and preferences. With financial support from targeted state education grants and private foundations, school-based mental health services could become a national movement that would enhance the delivery of mental health services in schools, offering a compelling alternative to traditional and costly clinical settings. This could improve Latino students’ educational attainment and their overall home and school environments.  

Promoting the mental well-being of Latino children is a collective responsibility that involves schools, families, and communities. By implementing school-based mental health services and intervention methods, we can create a supportive and inclusive environment for these children to thrive in. As we invest in the mental well-being of Latino children, we empower them to achieve their full potential and contribute positively to society.