Latino Education Disparities and Effects on Latino Child Mental Health

This study examines the current state of Latino education and mental health disparities in public elementary schools and aims to develop a framework which schools can utilize to offer culturally relevant services to students and their families. The framework focuses on the roles of student cultures, identities, and families throughout their academic journey. Methods consisted of six teachers and therapists being asked 5 open-ended questions centered around cultural issues being addressed by schools, programs which could help bridge the gap of underutilized mental health services, and funding issues. The collected data suggests that culture can be used as a primary asset of relating services and curriculum to students, allowing them an opportunity to feel better represented in what is being taught in public schools. Similarly, mental health resources and activities which appeal to student cultures grant families access to services which now can better relate to past experiences and cultural ideals. The study found that a framework that holds culture at the forefront can create an environment which students can relate to, while the entire family is offered mental health services which are relevant to their cultural ideals and life experiences.