- 1 week ago
When it comes to mental health, Latina teens in the U.S. have disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts compared to their male counterparts and white peers -- which is a big deal considering 1 in 4 Gen Zers in the U.S. are Latino.
VICE goes to Milwaukee to learn about some of the challenges facing this growing young population and delve into the experiences of two first-generation Latina teens as they grapple with their own mental health experiences.
This video was originally published on Vice in July 2020 and is being repurposed now by Refinery29.
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VICE goes to Milwaukee to learn about some of the challenges facing this growing young population and delve into the experiences of two first-generation Latina teens as they grapple with their own mental health experiences.
This video was originally published on Vice in July 2020 and is being repurposed now by Refinery29.
ABOUT REFINERY29
Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/
SUBSCRIBE TO REFINERY29
Subscribe to the Refinery29 channel: http://bit.ly/subscribe-to-r29
Follow Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/
Follow Somos on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29somos/
Follow Unbothered on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29unbothered/
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00I would, like, start shaking, and I was just, like, very nervous.
00:03I would, like, start sweating.
00:04It was scary.
00:05I was confused about, like, what was going on.
00:09Depending on the year,
00:11Latinas have one-third more suicide attempts
00:15than their white counterparts.
00:19And right after you try to take your life,
00:23do you remember feeling angry?
00:24I felt angry because I didn't succeed.
00:29As a parent, you're supposed to protect your child,
00:31and it's so hard to protect them against their own mind.
00:35A lot of younger teens across the country,
00:37not just here in Milwaukee, are feeling very anxious.
00:40They're feeling very depressed.
00:42Why do you think they're scared of talking?
00:43Because in the Mexican culture,
00:45usually people that have mental issues don't really seek help,
00:48and it's not really spoken of.
00:50We have over 40 years of data saying this is a problem.
01:04So there's something that's been happening in front of our eyes,
01:07and we've barely been paying attention.
01:08And that's the fact that young Latinas across this country are suffering.
01:11They've been facing higher rates of depression,
01:13anxiety, and even suicide attempts.
01:15So we came to Wisconsin,
01:16a state that over the years has experienced
01:17an exponential growth in the Latino population
01:19to try and understand what are some of the factors
01:22and the barriers that may be contributing to this crisis.
01:27All right, Jasmine, how are you feeling this week?
01:32Guilty and lonely.
01:33You want to share what's going on?
01:37I cut.
01:38You cut?
01:39When was that?
01:40Wednesday.
01:41On Wednesday, okay.
01:44Walk us through the thoughts you were having.
01:47That I didn't want to be here,
01:49and that's the only way I can get rid of my pain.
01:50So how's your family taking this news of you cutting again?
01:55I haven't really talked to anybody except my dad about it.
01:58He seemed really, really mad.
02:00Remember, we've talked about this before.
02:02Anger.
02:03Secondary emotion, right?
02:04Above the surface, that's the one we show.
02:07Underneath that anger, there's worry.
02:10All right, well, thank you for sharing.
02:14SEEDS is a four-month-long program
02:16at Milwaukee's 16th Street Medical Center
02:18that offers a space for girls ages 13 to 16
02:21to confront issues like anxiety, depression, and suicide.
02:25And since SEEDS was created,
02:28could you paint a sort of a general profile
02:31of the type of girls that come here?
02:33The majority of them are Latina.
02:34In order to participate in the program,
02:37there has to be a mental health diagnosis,
02:40but that can range from something like an adjustment disorder.
02:44So a teenage girl is going through something challenging in their life.
02:49There's family stressors.
02:50There's a lot of immigration issues or deportation issues.
02:55Other girls have depression diagnoses.
02:58Others have anxiety.
03:00A lot of the girls that come into the group
03:02are hesitant because of their anxiety,
03:05but what we've found is their anxiety lowers
03:08the more they participate in this group.
03:11Brenda, how are you feeling this week?
03:13I feel happy, stressed.
03:15Stressed?
03:16Yeah.
03:17Okay, what's stressing you out?
03:18I just had a lot of work done today,
03:21but I was fine.
03:21I finished it.
03:23And happy.
03:23Yeah.
03:24What are you feeling happy about?
03:26I just felt like a man and a niece got closer.
03:28Made a new friend.
03:30Nice.
03:31Yeah.
03:31It's important.
03:32Friends are good.
03:35Okay.
03:36Great.
03:38Brenda's a first-generation teen living in Milwaukee's South Side.
03:41When Brenda was 12,
03:43her father was wrongfully arrested and detained for two years.
03:47Because Brenda's under 18 and her mother's undocumented,
03:50she was unable to see her father during that time.
03:56So do you spend a lot of your time here?
03:58Yeah.
03:58Is this where you do your homework, where you like to?
04:01Yeah, usually, most of the time.
04:03And a lot of these pictures are your family, right?
04:05Yeah.
04:05Tell me a little bit about your family.
04:07My parents are from El Defe, Mexico, which is kind of cool.
04:11Have you ever been to Mexico?
04:12No, I don't want to.
04:14I know that your father went through some very difficult times, right?
04:18Yes.
04:19Can you walk me through that moment?
04:21My dad was telling my sister, like, text my boss and tell him, like,
04:26if I don't come back, it's because I'm in jail.
04:29And I was so confused.
04:30And I was, like, shocked.
04:31And I was, like, why are you going?
04:32And they didn't want to answer me.
04:34Maybe, like, a half hour later, they came.
04:36And I decided to go out to see what was going on.
04:39And I kind of regret seeing it because it traumatized me so much.
04:43What did you see?
04:44My dad asked him if, like, they wanted to handcuff him,
04:47knowing that he was going to get handcuffed.
04:49Like, it was scary.
04:51Do you remember when you came back to the house?
04:53What were you thinking?
04:55It just felt so lonely.
04:56It just felt like something was missing.
04:58And I just tried to stay strong for my mom.
05:01But there was, like, no way because, like, my dad was gone.
05:05There was times, many times where, like, I just had breakdowns.
05:08Or I would have anxiety attacks.
05:11And I didn't know how to control them.
05:13So that's how my mom, like, put me.
05:16And I started realizing that I actually needed, like, help.
05:19Like, professional help.
05:21I love you, too.
05:25Mom.
05:30I would love if I could explain more the drawings.
05:38I would love to see my kids, so that they don't forget me.
05:40Yeah.
05:44Well, I just told you how much I wanted.
05:46Mm-hmm.
05:49It's weird to be able to suffer from my kids.
05:52I would love to see my kids.
05:54I would love to see them a little bit with a drawing.
05:56With a part.
05:58With my precious daughter.
06:00You know that all the time I think about you.
06:04I was facing me for many years in prison.
06:08But thanks to God, I've confirmed my innocence.
06:12And I'm with them.
06:14Do you think they still have to live in the shadows,
06:16although you've already returned?
06:17Yes.
06:18Everything is fine.
06:19When you guys see, like, a nice car, when you see a police car,
06:23when you hear a siren, what does that make you feel?
06:29It's nerve-wracking.
06:30No?
06:30It's, like, really nervous.
06:31Like, it's scary.
06:33I remember when I first moved into this house, like, the third day,
06:37I fell down the stairs.
06:39And they were like, let's call the paramedics.
06:41Let's call them, because I couldn't move.
06:44And I was like, no.
06:45I was in so much pain.
06:47But I was scared that if the police came and asked, I don't know,
06:53like, asked for my parents' identification or something,
06:56they would take them.
06:57But I preferred to be in pain than for them to call the paramedics.
07:01Why did they decide to ask help?
07:04To see them so affected, that they didn't want to talk,
07:09so I started to tell them that they had to talk
07:12and start to release what they felt
07:14so that they could feel a little better with what they were living.
07:20I told them, in fact, if they didn't want to talk with me,
07:24to look for someone where they felt the enough confidence
07:28to express what they felt.
07:30But particularly with Brenda,
07:32since the program of SEEDS program,
07:35have you seen how it has improved?
07:38Yes.
07:38Yes.
07:38Yes?
07:40Because if they don't need the adults
07:43and the children, we need help.
07:45They need help.
07:49Brenda and her family were able to seek help with counseling.
07:52But for many Latina teens around the U.S.,
07:55access to mental health resources is just one of many barriers
07:58facing a demographic that has historically had elevated rates
08:01of anxiety and depression.
08:04According to the 2017 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Report,
08:0810.5% of Latina high school students in the U.S. attempted suicide,
08:13compared to 7.3% of white females, 5.8% of Latino males,
08:17and 4.6% of white male teens.
08:23Dr. Carolina Hausmann Stabile is a professor of social work at Bryn Mawr College,
08:28who has dedicated her studies to analyzing what might be driving these numbers.
08:33Some of the girls we talk to are first-generation Latinas, right?
08:36They're carrying a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.
08:38Some of them come from parents that are undocumented.
08:42Others are going to school for the first time.
08:44Is there something about this particular community
08:46that makes them more susceptible to mental health illnesses?
08:49I would say that makes them more susceptible to anxiety in this very moment.
08:53Yes.
08:54We know that first-gen, and especially first-gen in mixed immigration status families,
09:01meaning families whose parents might not be documented in the United States,
09:05and children are, is putting a lot of pressure on this group
09:10and is increasing the number of anxiety to unseen levels.
09:15More than 50% of them report anxiety symptoms.
09:17Is it fair to say young Latinas are going through a crisis?
09:21I would say that there is a crisis among young Latinas
09:24in this context accelerated by the political factors.
09:28And then themselves, because of the normal adolescent development,
09:32are facing a lot of stress.
09:34In a cultural context that also blames Latinos
09:38and stigmatizes being Latina,
09:41and in the context of a lot of violence,
09:45we cannot expect that that will not result in negative health outcomes.
09:49Think of it. Adolescents are demographically the healthiest group in any society.
09:55Suicidal behaviors indicate that the world is upside down.
10:03Anais is a teenager raised in a mixed immigration status household outside of Milwaukee.
10:08In 2019, her mother Brenda found her in the bathroom of their home after Anais had attempted suicide.
10:14So I haven't finished it yet, but these are just some things that I kind of want envisioned for my
10:21quince.
10:21So this is for your quince, right? This is what you envision for your quince.
10:24So like this, it's a white dress with the gold top for the damas with boots.
10:31And then right here is like the invitations.
10:35Very pretty.
10:36Those are really pretty. I like those.
10:38What do the quince's mean to you?
10:40It's symbolizing a young Latina growing up.
10:44You've made it through 15 years.
10:46So you're celebrating. You've been alive for 15 years.
10:51I know your mom mentioned that last summer when she found you in the bathroom that that suicide attempt was
11:00triggered by Snapchat.
11:01Mm-hmm. It had just been stuff piling up.
11:04Right.
11:05And then just me and her arguing.
11:08And I just gave up.
11:11I got a lot of rude comments on Snapchat.
11:14If I told someone something that they didn't like, they would be like, oh, go kill yourself.
11:18I felt hopeless. Like, I couldn't keep going.
11:22Yeah.
11:23There was no point anymore.
11:25Right.
11:25I had been trying for so long and it just didn't seem to get better.
11:32Sí, a calentar el arroz, las tortillas.
11:35¿Entre ustedes hablan siempre en español?
11:38Siempre.
11:39Sí.
11:40Espanol, Inglés, de todo.
11:42Él casi no habla Inglés.
11:44Sí sabe, pero no quiere.
11:48You obviously, why are the scissors on the couch?
11:52When you see something like scissors, elements that could hurt, no?
11:57Does that trigger you?
11:58It scares me, yeah.
12:00And with her it was pencil sharpeners.
12:03The knife, the blade that goes with them.
12:05A pencil sharpener blade.
12:07Mm-hmm.
12:08But I'm like, what am I supposed to do?
12:10Am I supposed to bubble wrap this house?
12:11Like, take out the plastic, all the windows, cover them in plastic?
12:14I'm like, even then, she's going to find a way.
12:18I just hope that she doesn't do it again.
12:22All right, go faster.
12:23Let's play a race.
12:25Let's see who can run faster.
12:26You or Nani.
12:30You went through a very difficult situation, and I know, Brenda, that you walked into the bathroom where you had
12:38tried to take your life.
12:40What, Brenda, was going on in your mind when you walked into that situation?
12:45My world collapsed.
12:51It's scary to see your child underwater and unconscious.
12:59I yelled to my 10-year-old to call 911.
13:01And here comes a five-year-old right behind me, so they obviously saw it, too.
13:07And what I thought was just to bring her head out of the water.
13:12The water started to drain, and I started to see the cuts.
13:14The cuts all over her legs, her arms.
13:18And she started to come back to consciousness as I'm, like, screaming at her.
13:23And I just kept asking her, why?
13:25Like, why?
13:26What took you there?
13:27And she just said that she didn't want to live.
13:30And it's of every parent's worst fear to find your child in that situation, and you can't help them.
13:37I would say, oh, I'm fine.
13:39So I wasn't ready to tell myself I need the help.
13:43Was mental health ever something you grew up talking about?
13:48No.
13:49It's a taboo.
13:50Being obviously from Mexico, they think that it's, like, a choice, an emotion you can turn on and off.
13:57It wasn't like, oh, she suffers from depression.
13:59It was like, está loca.
14:00Or, you know, she's crazy.
14:03Hold on to here or you're going to fall.
14:06Now, looking back from your perspective as a mom, and after everything you've gone through,
14:10what do you think are some of the elements that led to Anais' suicide attempt?
14:18Being a teenager, hormones, peers.
14:23Not only that, you're a Hispanic teenager trying to fit into a different culture also,
14:31but trying to accept who you are growing up.
14:34Just, it's difficult.
14:36I'm thinking that it's kind of crazy that you have to drive an hour to find a space to talk
14:43about these issues, right?
14:44We don't have anything locally, so which is why I'm also willing to travel every Monday.
14:49I am willing to do whatever it takes to get the help.
14:53With her having these conversations in a group setting with other girls her age,
14:57she sees that it's nothing to be ashamed of.
14:59We all talk to each other about it, and we all support each other.
15:03So, I look forward into going to SEEDS, and I feel like I get excited when I'm on the way
15:11there.
15:13We're going to invite Paola in, and then if possible, maybe in the last two minutes, we'll still do our
15:18typical checkout.
15:19When I tell you all this fact that Ladina teenagers are more likely to face depression and anxiety,
15:27is that surprising to you all?
15:29No.
15:30Why not?
15:31They just have to bottle up their feelings.
15:33Yeah, that, and they have like a lot of culture-roll stress from their parents and a lot of other
15:40things.
15:41And then people talk about your race, telling you to go back to where you were from and stuff like
15:46that.
15:46So, raise your hand if you've ever felt discriminated against.
15:55All of you have felt discriminated against.
15:57Why is it worth it to be in this space?
15:59Because before this group, I thought no one ever felt how I did.
16:05It's helped me and my mom grow, like our bond.
16:09It's helped me grow.
16:11Because at first I thought like no one else went through the same thing.
16:14I thought it was just me.
16:16And just being in this group has helped me a lot.
16:20Because hearing other people's emotions and feelings to a problem can like also reflect on me.
16:28Because if they went through it, I could be like, oh, they went through it.
16:31I could go through it too.
16:33What happens after SEEDS?
16:35When this program ends next year, it's almost about to end.
16:39What's next for you guys?
16:40I'm going to cry.
16:42You're going to cry?
16:43No, I'm good.
16:44Crying and stuff?
16:44We're going to have a big slumber party.
16:46Yeah!
16:47All right, you guys.
16:48Thank you all.
16:51Congratulations.
16:52You guys are awesome.
16:54If we had one in five children reporting the flu, wouldn't it be as a nation trying to address this
17:03issue?
17:03Well, why is that the suicidal behaviors of younger girls are not a public health priority in our country?
17:15For the kids that are going through very similar things that you are, what's your advice to them?
17:20I would just tell them to like, even though like some families think it's crazy, try to get hope because
17:26I know it's hard.
17:28Don't give up.
17:29I know at some points of your life, you didn't really value yourself, right?
17:34And you didn't really see the beauty in yourself.
17:37Are you able to see yourself now?
17:38I feel like I value myself more.
17:42You feel stronger?
17:44Yeah.
17:57Do you look forward to a new reality play.
18:01Come toimerkahana.
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