According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), nearly eight million (18.4 percent) Hispanic/Latino adults reported having a mental illness. Among those with a mental illness, 1.9 million (24.4 percent) had a serious mental illness or a mental illness that impacted their ability to function (SAMHSA, nd).

Hispanic / Latino communities show similar vulnerability to mental illness as the general population, but they face disparities in both access to and quality of treatment.

More than half of Hispanic young adults ages 18-25 with serious mental illness may not receive treatment. This inequality puts these communities at a higher risk for more severe and persistent forms of mental health conditions, because without treatment, mental health conditions often worsen.