What to know: Colombian Reggaeton superstar J Balvin is opening up about his struggles with anxiety and depression. Penning a personal essay, Balvin explained how working with doctors, taking medication and regular meditation has improved his mental health, along with how meditation has become his go-to coping skill.
J Balvin also highlighted that it’s important for him to be open about his struggles with anxiety and depression because many still suffer in silence. This is especially true among Latinx populations. He wrote:
Because I am Latino — I know there can be a certain stigma in my community when it comes to mental well-being. Many Latino men will not want to talk about depression, because they fear it is not a manly thing, or that they will then be known as loco. But I don’t hesitate to say that I have been depressed.
La meditación me salvó la vida. Tu mente es algo que debe ser cuidado. Así que únete a mí y a @chopraofficial durante 21 días de meditación guiada gratuita con @DeepakChopra, en español e inglés. Legoo: https://bit.ly/meditatewithjbalvin… #21daymeditation #choprapartner
The Frontlines: As J Balvin pointed out, it’s important to advocate for culturally competent mental health providers in order to deliver adequate care.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 35% of Latinx people described their mental health as “not good” at least one day during the 30-day polling period
As of 2015, 86% of licensed psychologists in the U.S. were white, and only 5% identified as Hispanic
Research suggests finding a trusted mental health professional who speaks your native language fluently and understands your cultural background can have a big impact on your quality of care.
From: The Mighty
