Mental Health Services for Children in Puerto Rico: Efforts to Combat Stigma and Increase Early Intervention

• In Event: Culture and Mental Health Stigma: Communication as Barrier and Bridge Across Generations

Abstract

In Puerto Rico, families often do not receive services for their children until they are in crisis. This may be due to lack of information, lack of access to services, and also cultural stigma. One of the ways to address this challenge is to educate parents, teachers, as well as children about mental illness, mental health and the importance of receiving services when needed. Through our Initiative for Children and Adolescents, we engage entire families to increase awareness of the importance of good mental health, and address the cultural stigma that surrounds mental illness. One of the most successful approaches to reducing stigma was a summer camp, which included participation by parents, where children of different ages and different regions of the island openly discussed their culture and their perceptions of mental health. Parents and children reported that this was the first time they openly discussed these issues. This presentation will describe the stigma reduction activities used in the program and the children and parents’ evaluation of them.

Author

• Gretchen Ortiz Perez, Initiative for Children and Families ASSMCA