Mental health needs of Spanish-speaking Latinos in Southern California

To better understand current mental health needs of Spanish-speaking people in Southern California, 268 Latinos completed questionnaires that surveyed their perceived mental health needs. In addition, 43 therapists, self-identified as serving Spanish-speaking clients, completed a survey regarding their approaches in providing counseling to this population. Low-skilled, working-poor, primarily monolingual Hispanics were compared with Hispanic college students to explore differences and similarities between these groups. Both groups preferred counseling approaches in which the counselor gives a lot of advice, asks a lot of questions, and focuses on current problems, especially family issues. They preferred a relationship that was professional and personal and preferred counseling more than medication to deal with emotional problems. These preferences corresponded with the therapists who stated that they develop a friendly but professional relationship. The therapists also stated that the treatment models most often used were cognitive behavioral, family systems, psychoeducational, and referrals to other agencies.