Developing a Culturally Responsive Mental Health Workforce for Spanish-Speaking and Latina/Latinx Birthing People with Perinatal Depression and Anxiety

Despite the alarming number of Spanish-speaking and Latina/Latinx birthing people suffering from depressive and anxiety symptoms during the perinatal period, there is a significant shortage of perinatal mental health professionals prepared to work with this diverse population. This chapter discusses barriers to mental health-seeking behaviors among Spanish-speaking and Latina/Latinx birthing people in the U.S. It also discusses why current and future mental health professionals must be responsive to the diverse needs of Latina/Latinx perinatal population in the U.S. Therefore, language, cultural diversity, and economic factors are discussed. The importance of training a workforce to engage with transgender and non-binary Latinx people is also addressed. The chapter also describes the role of paraprofessionals in addressing the perinatal mental health needs of the perinatal Latina/Latinx community in the U.S. The chapter also reports on barriers to obtaining much-needed specialty training in reproductive mental health and provides recommendations for addressing them.