Talking about mental health needs can be hard and, for Latinos, it's a subject that has long been taboo. But there are efforts to change that and get people the help they need here in the Valley.
Suzette Rodriguez is one of the hottest voices on the radio today. She hosts KISS FM in the afternoons.
Her meteoric rise on the radio started in Tucson and it brought her to Phoenix as part of the Johnjay and Rich show. She recently was given her own show.
She had everything she'd been dreaming of — but something was missing.
Rodriguez said, “I started to feel very unhappy when things in my life were really good. So, I was questioning a lot like, 'what, why am I feeling this way?'"
She went to doctors thinking something may be physically wrong, but there wasn’t. They ended up pointing her to a clinical therapist.
Rodriguez explained that the therapist, "explained what mental health was to me. And I was like, 'what is this?' Because my family never talked to me about this. I've never heard of this."
And according to research, she's not alone.
Information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website shows that 40.3% of Hispanic people experienced symptoms of depression, compared to 25.3% of white people.
But the conversation has been taboo, especially among Hispanic men.
Doctor Martha Muñoz is a Valley psychologist who's been working to destigmatize mental health needs in the Latino community for years.
“Getting a man here in therapy, for me is a challenge. You know, it's a challenge," she said. And she’s seen what can happen when people don’t address their emotional well-being.
Dr. Muñoz explained, "they self-medicate with, you know, drugs or alcohol. So, it's a lot of addictive behaviors a lot because they don't address the main problem."
And when they do, the resources are often hard to get to. Rodriguez saw that happen with her own family.
"They would tell me every, every single place that they'd go to, and that they would be like, 'this is too expensive,' or 'we can't help you here.' And I was just like, wow, it's really hard for people to just go find a therapist somewhere or just, you know, have a session with a psychiatrist,” Rodriguez recalled.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Latinos face many barriers including language, lack of health insurance, and immigration status, just to name a few.
In October 2021, a Spanish-language text crisis line was created to meet the growing demand for help. By texting the word AYUDA to 741741 or 442-AYUDAME on WhatsApp, callers and messengers will be connected to a Spanish-speaking crisis counselor.
Rodriguez ended up creating a clothing line, where 10% of the proceeds go to help connect people with the help they need. It’s called BE RAW clothing. They have one item for preorder on the website, and she says more is coming this year. Visit Be Raw Clothing by Suzette Rodriguez for more information.
Meanwhile, Dr. Muñoz is hosting free Spanish-language online workshops for anyone to attend, all in hopes of breaking the stigma and working toward a better mental health outlook in the community. Those interested can go to her Facebook page for more information.
If you or someone you know is in need of mental health resources right away, visit MentalHealth.gov or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.