Mental and Behavioral Health - Hispanics

  • The death rate from suicide for Hispanic males was 4.4 times the rate for Hispanic women in 2020.1
  • In 2020, the suicide death rate for Hispanics was less than half the rate for non-Hispanic whites.1
  • In 2023, Hispanic adults were 60% less likely to have received mental health treatment than non-Hispanic white adults.2

Mental Health Status

Serious psychological distress in the past year among adults age 18 years and over, percentage, 2023
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
13.814.21.0
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2024. Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. Table 6.86B. For the definition of “serious psychological distress,” see Appendix A.
Serious psychological distress in the past 30 days among adults age 18 and over, percentage of poverty level, 2015–2016
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Below 100 percent6.812.10.6
100 Percent to less than 200 Percent4.17.60.5
200 Percent to less than 400 Percent2.63.10.8
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2019. Health United States, 2017. Table 46. For the definition of “serious psychological distress,” see Appendix.
Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, or that everything is an effort, all or most of the time, among persons age 18 and over, 2018
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Sadness3.92.71.4
Hopelessness3.22.21.5
Worthlessness2.42.31.0
Everything is an effort7.36.51.1
Source: CDC, 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-7c.
Serious psychological distress among persons age 18 and over, percentage, 2018
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Male3.52.71.3
Female5.44.71.1
Total4.43.71.2
Source: CDC, 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-8c. For the definition of “serious psychological distress,” see footnote 1 to Table A-8c.
Major depressive episode in the past year among persons age 18 and over, percentage, 2023
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
8.39.10.9
Source: SAMHSA, 2024. Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. Table 6.39B. For the definition of “major depressive episode,” see Appendix A.
Any mental illness in the past year among persons age 18 and over, percentage, 2023
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
20.624.00.9
Source: SAMHSA, 2024. Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. Table 6.7B. For the definition of “any mental illness,” see Appendix A.

Death Rates

Age-adjusted death rates for suicide by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2020
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Male12.327.20.5
Female2.86.90.4
Total7.516.90.4
Source: CDC, 2023. Deaths: Final Data for 2020. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 72, No. 10. Table 10.
Suicide rates by age, race, and Hispanic origin, 2019: Males
Hispanic MalesNon-Hispanic White MalesHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
15–24 years16.625.60.6
25–44 years16.136.00.4
45–64 years12.938.30.3
65 years and over12.337.60.3
All ages, age adjusted11.628.00.4
Source: CDC, 2023. Health, United States, 2020–2021. Table SuicMort.
Suicide rates by age, race, and Hispanic origin, 2019: Females
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
15–24 years4.46.10.7
25–44 years4.09.80.4
45–64 years4.212.60.3
65 years and over1.06.20.2
All ages, age adjusted3.07.70.4
Source: CDC, 2023. Health, United States, 2020–2021. Table SuicMort.

Adolescents

Death rates for suicide: ages 15–19, 2021
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Male11.617.70.7
Female4.15.00.8
Both Sexes7.911.60.7
Source: CDC. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). National Violent Death Reporting System. Violent Deaths Report.
Students in grades 9–12 who seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months, percentage, 2021
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
22.022.71.0
Source: CDC, 2021. High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline
Students in grades 9–12 who attempted suicide in the past 12 months, percentage, 2021
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
10.79.01.2
Source: CDC, 2021. High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline

Access To Healthcare

Adults age 18 and over who received mental health treatment in the past year, percentage, 2023
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
17.027.00.6
Source: SAMHSA, 2024. Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. Table 6.21B.
Adults age 18 and over who received mental health treatment through prescription medication, percentage, 2023
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
10.320.60.5
Source: SAMHSA, 2024. Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. Table 6.25B.
Adults age 18 and over with a major depressive episode in the past year who received treatment for depression, percentage, 2022 
HispanicNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
52.268.40.8
Source: SAMHSA, 2023. Results from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. Table 6.41B.

1 CDC, 2023. Deaths: Final Data for 2020. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 72, No. 10. Table 10. (back)

2 SAMHSA, 2024. Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. Table 6.21B. (back)


Last Edited: 10/29/2024