Introducing New Library Exhibit and Updates to Spanish-Language Resource Website

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today on National Latino Physician Day, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) celebrates the contributions of its Hispanic and Latino membership, past and present, to the field of psychiatry.

On Sept. 18, the APA Foundation’s Melvin Sabshin, M.D., Library and Archives launched “Líderes Audaces: Hispanic Pioneers in American Psychiatry” to highlight Hispanic leadership in advocating for the mental health needs of the Latino community. The exhibit showcases the origins of the 1970 Task Force on Mental Health of Spanish-Speaking People in the U.S., the Committee of Hispanic Psychiatrists, and the establishment of the Simón Bolívar Award in 1975 to raise awareness of the mental health goals and challenges of Hispanic and Latino individuals.

Additionally, LaSaludMental.org, APA’s evidence-based resource website in Spanish, has expanded from its initial offering of information on five of the most common mental disorders to information on 17 mental health conditions. Recent additions include anxiety disorders, the connection between climate change and mental health, and Alzheimer’s and dementia. In the last two years, the site has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, reaching the mental health professionals and Hispanic and Latino communities they were designed to serve.

Just 40% of Latino adults with a mental illness received mental health treatment in 2022, compared to 56% of white adults, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Disparities in healthcare are often caused by structural inequalities, from poverty and lack of insurance to language barriers and historical mistrust of the medical system.

“We applaud our bilingual, bicultural members for their commitment to educating patients and families as well as other physicians with culturally relevant resources,” said APA President Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., Dr.Med.Sc. “And it is equally important to acknowledge the disparity in mental health care for Hispanics and Latinos so that we can continue to increase access to quality care.”

Share APA’s social media toolkit to help spread awareness of mental health challenges faced by the Hispanic/Latino community and promote access to resources and services.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 38,900 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.