Hispanic and Latino Americans

• In the United States, 18.9% of the population (62.9 million people) identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino in 2021. Thirteen states had a population of one million or more Hispanic residents— Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington
• People of Mexican origin made up almost 62% of the country's overall Hispanic population, followed by people of Puerto Rican origin
• The poverty rate of Hispanic and Latino Americans is nearly two times higher (17%) than non-Hispanic White Americans (9.5%)
• Nearly 18% of Hispanic or Latino Americans were not covered by health insurance in 2021, compared with about 6% of non-Hispanic White Americans

Behavioral Health Concerns

According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH):

• Nearly 22% of Hispanic and Latino Americans reported having a mental illness, compared to 23.9% of non-Hispanic Whites
• Only 36% of Hispanic and Latino Americans received mental health services compared to non-Hispanic Whites (52%)
• Past year substance use disorder among Hispanic and Latino Americans was 15.7%, reported rates of illicit drug use was 19.4%, and unmet treatment needs 15%

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Hispanic and Latino Americans 10 to 24 years old, and men 25-34.

Hispanic and Latino Americans experience barriers to behavioral health services and care including:

• Experiences of racism and discrimination stemming from structural and systemic factors
• Mental Health stigma which hinders Hispanic and Latino Americans from seeking help
• Language access issues, and negative encounters with care providers
• Provider shortage due to the lack of providers from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds
• Lack of culturally competent resources and providers to meet cultural, social, and language-related needs