Why We Need to Talk About Latina Youth Mental and Physical Health

By Yuliana Soto, PhD

"Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman because it often results in physical death."

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Latina youth are at the center of a national mental and physical health crisis. As the largest ethnic minority group of girls in the United States, Latinas are experiencing disproportionate rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and physical inactivity.

According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 3 adolescent girls have seriously considered attempting suicide. Among Latina adolescents, this number jumps to nearly half (CDC, 2023). Similarly, national statistics show that Latina youth report higher rates of sadness, hopelessness, and alcohol use than their non-Hispanic White peers (Alegría et al., 2015; Andrzejewski et al., 2022). They are also less likely to meet national guidelines for physical activity than other girls their age (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018).

These disparities are not just numbers on a page — they reflect the real emotional, psychological, and physiological toll of navigating life at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities. First-generation Latina girls often face unique challenges such as language brokering, family separation, acculturative stress, and discrimination (Alegria et al., 2010). Even those born in the U.S. may encounter the pressure of living between two cultures, where cultural values like familismo may both support and strain their mental health.

We cannot talk about physical health without also addressing mental health — the two are deeply intertwined. Girls experiencing high levels of psychological distress are less likely to be physically active, and low physical activity has been linked to poorer mental health outcomes. But while national statistics highlight these alarming trends, they often miss one critical point: the voices, strengths, and resilience of Latina girls themselves.

That’s why our work centers not just on identifying disparities but on co-creating solutions with Latina youth. We ground our research in culturally relevant frameworks, emphasizing community strengths, collective values, and mindfulness. We design physical activity interventions — like RESPIRA+, a yoga and mindfulness program — that are culturally tailored to resonate with the lived realities of Latina teens.

We also believe in dissemination — making sure these findings don’t just live in academic journals but reach families, schools, and communities. Research is most powerful when it’s accessible. When Latina girls see themselves reflected in the work, they’re more likely to engage.

To move toward equity, we must listen to the girls at the heart of this crisis. Not just as participants, but as partners. Because when we center the voices of Latina youth, we don’t just build healthier individuals — we build stronger, more just communities.

Bibliography

2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. (2018). 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.802878.ch1

Alegría, M., Green, J. G., McLaughlin, K. A., & Loder, S. (2015). Disparities in child and adolescent mental health and mental health services in the US. William T. Grant Foundation.

Alegria, M., Vallas, M., & Pumariega, A. (2010). Racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric mental health. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 19(4), 759–774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2010.07.001

Andrzejewski, J., Calzo, J. P., Smith, L. R., Corliss, H. L., & Felner, J. K. (2022). Binge drinking disparities by gender identity, race, and ethnicity in California secondary schools. Journal of LGBT Youth, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2022.2113198

Castellanos, R., Melek, Y. S., Phan, V., Orengo-Aguayo, R., Humphreys, K. L., & Flory, K. (2020). A systematic review and meta-analysis of cultural adaptations of mindfulness-based interventions for Hispanic populations. Mindfulness, 11, 317–332. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01210-x

Ford-Paz, R. E., Reinhard, C., Kuebbeler, A., Contreras, R., & Sánchez, B. (2015). Culturally tailored depression/suicide prevention in Latino youth: Community perspectives. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 42(4), 519–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-013-9368-5

Hudson, D., Gilbert, K., & Goodman, M. (2023). Promoting authentic academic—community engagement to advance health equity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 2874. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042874