According to Samuel Sánchez, from MONEDEROsmart, there are various reasons why Latinos might not seek the mental health help them need. One reason might be that they lack insurance and can’t cover the costs.
Other reasons might be that they aren’t aware of mental health problems and the services available to them.Sánchez also believes that cultural stigma and language barriers might also be to blame when it comes to Latinos seeking mental health care.
There should be no reason why a person cannot access mental health care if they need it. After all, you need to look after your mental health as much as your physical health. If you are a Latino struggling with mental health issues then you need to check out these 5 apps.
What’s Up?
This free app utilizes some of the best Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy method to help you cope with depression, anxiety, anger, stress, and many more difficult emotions.
This app is easy to use and provides you with simple to follow methods so you can try and control your emotions and improve your mood.
Ada Health
Ada Health is helping to remove boundaries such as language barriers, so that Latinos can seek the help they need and feel confident that they will be understood and diagnosed correctly.
Common mental health disorders among Latinos are generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, past-traumatic stress disorder, and alcoholism. And Latina high school girls have high rates of suicide attempts.
Ada Health provides a number of questions so Latinos can understand their symptoms (both physical and mental illnesses). It also provides advice and information about mental health.
Daylio
With the Daylio app, you can track and record information about your moods. The free app can be downloaded on iOS and Android phones and is great if you want to understand your mental health a little better.
Daylio works like a private diary on your phone, you can input your mood into a calendar and what you were doing at the time. You can even add notes if you want to record more information. Then you can access monthly mood statistics, which might help you to notice patterns in your mood.
Vent
If you love social media, then there is now an app where you can vent to other users. Vent allows you to get support from other users, so you can talk to people about how you are feeling.
Vent, which is available on iOS and Android, works by you selecting a feeling and then venting about it. Other users, your supporters, will then send you virtual hugs, sympathy, congratulations or other positive support.
7 Cups
Available to download for free on both iOS and Android phones, this app allows you to connect with trained listeners online. There are over 300,000 trained listeners and 180 professional therapists who can help you.
It works as a form of online therapy and the listeners provide support to people who are experiencing emotional distress. Alternatively, this app offers a paid service where you can talk to qualified therapists.
Of course, mental health apps can’t cure you of all your problems, they can only help a little bit. If you are concerned about your mental health, you should always go to see a doctor or speak to a therapist and seek the necessary medical care.
If you are interested in learning more about how technology can help you improve your health, then check out our other articles, such as Apps Are Revolutionizing the Way We Look at Health.