Background: Spanish-speaking Latino populations in the U.S. experience significant disparities in mental health access driven by language barriers, low mental health literacy, and cultural stigma. These factors contribute to the underutilization of services, early treatment dropout, and poor outcomes.
Objective: This quality improvement project aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally and linguistically tailored mental health education intervention designed to increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma among Spanish-speaking Latino adults in a federally qualified health center.
Methods: A total of four group sessions were conducted over an eight-week period. The sessions were delivered in Spanish and included culturally appropriate materials, including National Institute of Mental Health brochures and a PowerPoint presentation. Pre- and post intervention assessments measured changes in mental health knowledge and stigma using a literacy questionnaire and the adapted Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI).
Results: Participants (N=18) showed a statistically significant increase in mental health literacy, with mean scores increasing from 5.28 to 6.67 (p<.001). Mental health stigma decreased significantly, with mean scores dropping from 29.17 to 26.44 (p=.003).
Discussion and Conclusion: This culturally adapted educational intervention effectively improved mental health literacy and decreased stigma in this Spanish-speaking Latino population. These findings support the potential impact of implementing similar interventions in other community health settings to address barriers and disparities in mental health care access for the Latino population.
","abstract_html":"<p>Background: Spanish-speaking Latino populations in the U.S. experience significant disparities in mental health access driven by language barriers, low mental health literacy, and cultural stigma. These factors contribute to the underutilization of services, early treatment dropout, and poor outcomes. </p> <p>Objective: This quality improvement project aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally and linguistically tailored mental health education intervention designed to increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma among Spanish-speaking Latino adults in a federally qualified health center. </p> <p>Methods: A total of four group sessions were conducted over an eight-week period. The sessions were delivered in Spanish and included culturally appropriate materials, including National Institute of Mental Health brochures and a PowerPoint presentation. Pre- and post intervention assessments measured changes in mental health knowledge and stigma using a literacy questionnaire and the adapted Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI). </p> <p>Results: Participants (N=18) showed a statistically significant increase in mental health literacy, with mean scores increasing from 5.28 to 6.67 (p<.001). Mental health stigma decreased significantly, with mean scores dropping from 29.17 to 26.44 (p=.003). </p> <p>Discussion and Conclusion: This culturally adapted educational intervention effectively improved mental health literacy and decreased stigma in this Spanish-speaking Latino population. These findings support the potential impact of implementing similar interventions in other community health settings to address barriers and disparities in mental health care access for the Latino population. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Prado, Kelly Medina"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Yale University School of Nursing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Christine Rodriguez"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:16:14Z","subjects":["Hispanic Mental Health, Immigrant Mental Health, Latino Mental Health, Mental health education, Mental Health Literacy, Mental Health Stigma"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysndt/1200","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Christine Rodriguez"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Prado, Kelly Medina"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Yale University School of Nursing"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Hispanic Mental Health, Immigrant Mental Health, Latino Mental Health, Mental health education, Mental Health Literacy, Mental Health Stigma"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysndt/1200"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Background: Spanish-speaking Latino populations in the U.S. experience significant disparities in mental health access driven by language barriers, low mental health literacy, and cultural stigma. These factors contribute to the underutilization of services, early treatment dropout, and poor outcomes.
Objective: This quality improvement project aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally and linguistically tailored mental health education intervention designed to increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma among Spanish-speaking Latino adults in a federally qualified health center.
Methods: A total of four group sessions were conducted over an eight-week period. The sessions were delivered in Spanish and included culturally appropriate materials, including National Institute of Mental Health brochures and a PowerPoint presentation. Pre- and post intervention assessments measured changes in mental health knowledge and stigma using a literacy questionnaire and the adapted Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI).
Results: Participants (N=18) showed a statistically significant increase in mental health literacy, with mean scores increasing from 5.28 to 6.67 (p<.001). Mental health stigma decreased significantly, with mean scores dropping from 29.17 to 26.44 (p=.003).
Discussion and Conclusion: This culturally adapted educational intervention effectively improved mental health literacy and decreased stigma in this Spanish-speaking Latino population. These findings support the potential impact of implementing similar interventions in other community health settings to address barriers and disparities in mental health care access for the Latino population.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Promoting Mental Health Awareness And Reducing Stigma In Spanish-Speaking Communities Through Educational Interventions"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Christine Rodriguez"],"dc:creator":["Prado, Kelly Medina"],"dc:description.abstract":["Background: Spanish-speaking Latino populations in the U.S. experience significant disparities in mental health access driven by language barriers, low mental health literacy, and cultural stigma. These factors contribute to the underutilization of services, early treatment dropout, and poor outcomes.
Objective: This quality improvement project aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally and linguistically tailored mental health education intervention designed to increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma among Spanish-speaking Latino adults in a federally qualified health center.
Methods: A total of four group sessions were conducted over an eight-week period. The sessions were delivered in Spanish and included culturally appropriate materials, including National Institute of Mental Health brochures and a PowerPoint presentation. Pre- and post intervention assessments measured changes in mental health knowledge and stigma using a literacy questionnaire and the adapted Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI).
Results: Participants (N=18) showed a statistically significant increase in mental health literacy, with mean scores increasing from 5.28 to 6.67 (p<.001). Mental health stigma decreased significantly, with mean scores dropping from 29.17 to 26.44 (p=.003).
Discussion and Conclusion: This culturally adapted educational intervention effectively improved mental health literacy and decreased stigma in this Spanish-speaking Latino population. These findings support the potential impact of implementing similar interventions in other community health settings to address barriers and disparities in mental health care access for the Latino population.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysndt/1200"],"dc:subject":["Hispanic Mental Health, Immigrant Mental Health, Latino Mental Health, Mental health education, Mental Health Literacy, Mental Health Stigma"],"dc:title":["Promoting Mental Health Awareness And Reducing Stigma In Spanish-Speaking Communities Through Educational Interventions"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Yale University School of Nursing"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:16:14Z"}