Expert: Hispanic adults at higher risk for holiday blues

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Entering the holiday season raises the chances of developing seasonal depression, and Hispanic adults are more likely to be affected, according to a local mental health expert.

Melissa Rivera, a psychiatric expert with Suvida Healthcare said the holiday season can be difficult for individuals 65 years and older.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is among the most common diagnoses in patients with mental health struggles during the holiday season, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

"As they have aged and their families begin having children of their own, they get to see them a lot less often. While everyone else is coming together, it can be a very noticeable difference that they are not as involved in activities like they used to be," Rivera said.

Rivera said specifically Hispanic individuals living away from their country of origin or communities can feel extra lonely or isolated.

"Older Latino adults are cohort more likely to suffer from depression than their white counterparts, and rates can range up to 35%," Rivera said.

Unfortunately, among the Hispanic or Latino population, mental health has somewhat of a negative stigma around it, making this population steer away from useful resources.

"This population accesses mental health services less frequently than their Anglo or Caucasian counterparts. Now that can be due to, not trusting the healthcare system and not being able to access services in their language of origin, Spanish and then also just the stigma around mental health services," Rivera said.

While many Americans are busy working full-time jobs and caring for their children or loved ones, it can be difficult to find time to manage their mental health. Rivera said there are plenty of things you can do at home to help improve your mental space.

"You can do something as simple as walking around your neighborhood, making sure that you try and practice a good sleep hygiene. Going to bed at a certain time, staying off your phones," said Rivera.

Another important thing to remember is that diets make an impact on your mental health. "The things that we eat and drink can really impact the way that we feel. If you eat very heavy pastas or a lot of tamales, you might feel really heavy, sluggish, slow," said Rivera.

For Spanish speakers or those with Spanish-speaking loved ones, find a list of all the resources Suvida Healthcare provides for the Latino communities of Central Texas.