Thread: Illegals and Mental Illness

Give me a break. Post traumatic stress syndrome from children crossing the border, going days without food and border patrol to deal with. Maybe the parents should be charged with endangering the child life. If an American mom didn't feed her children for a few days she would loose custody of her children.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... 7876.story

Center helps Hispanics shed stigma of mental health ills

By Tal Abbady | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
September 3, 2007
She went from graphic designer to maid. She struggled to learn English and skirted the law as an undocumented immigrant.

Overcome by anxiety, Patricia, who asked to be identified by her first name because of her undocumented status, continued to tell her parents back in Colombia that her newfangled life in the United States was going well. Then a health crisis that required uterine surgery threw her into a depression.

Doctors treating Patricia's health problems referred her to a new mental health program at the Caridad Center, west of Boynton Beach. She is now among 40 mostly Spanish-speaking immigrant patients receiving treatment, even though in her own country, she said, "when you say the word 'psychologist,' people think you're crazy."

Undocumented and uninsured, immigrants like Patricia have few options when depression, anxiety or other emotional problems strike, mental health advocates say. After wrestling with cultural stigmas surrounding mental illness, many who do seek treatment ultimately give up because they can't find Spanish-language counselors or have no insurance and can't afford treatment.

Research shows treatment options are scarce for all Hispanics, both native-born and immigrants. Hispanics have a 13 to 16 percent lifetime risk of suffering from depression, which is similar to that for blacks and whites, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. But a 2001 report from the U.S. Surgeon General shows only 24 percent of Hispanics with depression receive appropriate care, compared to 34 percent of whites, because of insurance problems, language and cultural barriers.

Fewer than one in 11 Hispanics suffering from mental health problems will contact a specialist. For immigrants, the number is fewer than one in 20, according to the same report.

Depression rates are higher among Hispanic youth than other groups. More than 11 percent of Hispanic high school students have attempted suicide, compared to roughly 7.5 percent of blacks and whites, according to a 2006 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As many as one-third of Hispanics nationally are uninsured and not-for-profit health centers such as Caridad often devote their resources to basic health care needs, without addressing mental health disorders.

The lack of bicultural therapists is another barrier to treatment. According to a 1999 Common Wealth Fund Survey, there were 29 Hispanic mental health professionals for every 100,000 Hispanics in the United States.

Little information about mental disorders exists in the Hispanic community, according to Majose Carrasco, director of the Multicultural Action Center at the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

"Many Latinos see mental health disorders as a weakness or a character flaw," Carrasco said.

Often, those suffering from depression or other disorders will go to general physicians complaining of physical ailments, making it difficult for doctors to diagnose the problem.

"Latinos tend to be very psychosomatic. They'd probably complain about a headache or an ataque de nervios [panic attack], which are acceptable. But having psychological problems is associated with being crazy," said Enny Almonte-Nuñez, a social worker and the only paid staff member at Caridad's program.

To address the problem, the National Alliance on Mental Illness designed a curriculum to help general practitioners identify the symptoms of mental illness in Hispanic patients. Doctors will begin using the curriculum in Los Angeles, St. Louis and throughout Louisiana in a pilot program in October. It will launch nationally next year.

In March, Caridad started its mental health program with Almonte-Nuñez and two volunteers. The program is funded by Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service. Staff members thought it would take time to promote the service, but within days, more than 40 patients flocked to the small, brightly lit office of Almonte-Nuñez.

Almonte-Nuñez says depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome are common among her patients. They include children who crossed the Mexican border with their parents, going days without food in the desert and being chased by border patrol guards. Some patients saw family members die during the crossing.

Most are struggling to make a life here and mourning the loss of countries and families left behind

In Broward County, services are not keeping up with the growing foreign-born population, according to Monica Pedemonte, a clinical psychologist and the only bilingual staff member at the Behavioral Health Institute in Coral Springs. She also volunteers at Light of the World Clinic in Oakland Park.

Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Instead of spending taxpayer money on the mental health of illegals, buy them a ticket home. Then they won't have the problems they have sneaking around in the U.S.

OK...I am a citizen....I work full time.....I have insurance that I pay for myself....I am depressed...I can't afford to go to a phychiatrist...
What is wrong with this picture....???????????????????

Go home and then you won't be so depressed...and I will be happy

Uhhhhhh Don't they think about what will happen if they cross the border and try to live here? Like HELLO!!!!! They're asking for their "mental issues".

Why does everyone feel sorry for these illegals anyways? I'm sick of everyone helping them, but when it comes to help legal people here forget it. Is there some un-written law I haven't herd about that gives it the OK for hispanics to break laws and that we have to feel sorry for them? Like what the....?!?!?!?!?

Great this chick has to have the same name as me..... I think I'll be going by my nickname once again.

Swatchick wrote-
Post traumatic stress syndrome from children crossing the border, going days without food and border patrol to deal with. Maybe the parents should be charged with endangering the child life.

One would think it would be the parent of said child to -rightly- place the blame on but, as best as I can tell from the msm and raza groups it is again the fault of the US and its legal citizens.
I am tired of hearing how the US is to blame for everything.These people are professional victims,nothing is ever their fault and so they should never be held accountable for their own actions.They are pathetic parasites.




Head 'em up,move 'em out Rawhide!

Sob story alert.

Originally Posted by Rawhide

Swatchick wrote-
Maybe the parents should be charged with endangering the child life.
!

I agree with you all the way. The bleeding hearts should tell us why we need more child abusers in this country. What's more, I bet many bring young children ... only to claim they were born in the US. And, I am certain there is no shortage of democrats or priests willing to say they witnessed the birth.

Populist,you are right again.




Head 'em up,move 'em out Rawhide!

ControlledImmigration,we must have posted at the same time.
I never thought about that before-the children being brought here and then fraudulently claiming they are born here.This probably happens ALOT.
How can the people who are perpetrating this look at themselves?




Head 'em up, move 'em out Rawhide!

Rawhide,
I wonder how Rowdy Yates and Trail Boss Gil would feel about all of this...

Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin' ....