Many of us have heard about bipolar disorder, but few of us understand what it is and how it affects people. That celebrities like Kanye West, Selena Gómez, and Mariah Carey have it facilitates a public dialogue and helps draw attention to a mental illness that affects a greater proportion of Hispanics born in the United States than those who have emigrated from Latin America. This dialogue is important because a large proportion of Latinos do not seek professional help to deal with this type of mental disorder.
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According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Latinos tend to seek professional help less often for mental illness than non-Latino whites. Also, they are more likely to be misdiagnosed. They are also 30% less likely to receive a prescription to treat the condition. Although these findings were published in 2018, there is nothing to suggest that much has changed, mainly because culturally Latino families don't talk about mental illness outside of their inner circle.
Apart from social and cultural stigmas, many Latinos in the US do not seek help due to language and cultural barriers. In addition, the cost of treatment can be a barrier for many. It is extremely important that we educate ourselves on what bipolar disorder is, what the symptoms are, and how to get help.
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