Abstract
Despite the alarming number of Spanish-speaking and Latina/Latinx birthing people suffering from depressive and anxiety symptoms during the perinatal period, there is a significant shortage of perinatal mental health professionals prepared to work with this diverse population. This chapter discusses barriers to mental health-seeking behaviors among Spanish-speaking and Latina/Latinx birthing people in the U.S. It also discusses why current and future mental health professionals must be responsive to the diverse needs of Latina/Latinx perinatal population in the U.S. Therefore, language, cultural diversity, and economic factors are discussed. The importance of training a workforce to engage with transgender and non-binary Latinx people is also addressed. The chapter also describes the role of paraprofessionals in addressing the perinatal mental health needs of the perinatal Latina/Latinx community in the U.S. The chapter also reports on barriers to obtaining much-needed specialty training in reproductive mental health and provides recommendations for addressing them.
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Lara-Cinisomo, S., Lopez, G.M., Flores-Carter, K. (2024). Develo** a Culturally Responsive Mental Health Workforce for Spanish-Speaking and Latina/Latinx Birthing People with Perinatal Depression and Anxiety. In: Lara-Cinisomo, S. (eds) An Integrated Approach to Perinatal Depression and Anxiety in Spanish-Speaking and Latina Women. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-57824-3_12
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