California Latinos have good reason to worry in the coronavirus outbreak. They’re becoming infected at higher rates than other populations. They also disproportionately work in the kind of jobs that cannot be done at home, which puts them at great risk of contracting the virus. But the pandemic isn’t the only worry weighing on the state’s largest ethnic community.
“Prior to COVID-19, our mental health system and access to mental health providers that were culturally, linguistically representative of Latino communities were nonexistent” said Jeff Reynoso, executive director for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “Add on to that, a global pandemic, it’s only going to heighten the need for mental health primary care services.”
