ACCESO: A Culturally Responsive Digital Hub
University of Pittsburgh researchers are developing ACCESO: A culturally responsive digital hub, designed to be an interactive multimedia platform to deliver anti-oppressive (e.g., anti-racist, anti-xenophobic) and culturally responsive training and education to healthcare providers. Additionally, ACCESO will provide a directory of medical and mental health care access resources to Latinx clients across the Pittsburgh area.Overall, ACCESO should improve health access in the Latinx community, addressing current health inequalities, reducing medical bias, increasing service engagement and ultimately improving medical and mental health outcomes in Latinx patients.
Description
While limited information is currently available, there is an increased understanding of the role that race may play in Latinx psychological distress. Data suggest Latinx people experience similar rates of psychological distress to that found in the general population, but only around one third will receive mental health treatment compared with around one half of non-Latinx people. Latinx people are not a monolith, e.g., the needs of Puerto Ricans may vary greatly from Mexicans, and there is a great need to tailor interventions in a culturally appropriate manner. ACCESO aims to train clinicians and other service providers to deliver culturally appropriate and responsive care to overcome mental health disparities and access to care in the Latinx community.Applications
• Improving access to mental health services• Reduction in health inequality and medical bias
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion training
Advantages
The mental health of immigrants can be complicated by trauma, living conditions in their new country, poor language skills, and their experience of racism and discrimination. Latinx denotes ethnicity and not race, and recent research has suggested Black-Latinx populations (mainly Dominicans and Puerto Ricans) experience higher rates of psychological distress compared to White-Latinx populations. The lack of access to medical and mental health services for Latinx populations may be overcome by tailoring approaches in a culturally responsive manner.ACCESO will be the first of its kind, interactive, and focused on Latinx populations in Pittsburgh. This digital hub will enable clinicians to understand the range of needs within the Latinx community and to tailor care in a culturally appropriate and supportive manner. Continuous research in Latinx health and the racial and ethnic heterogeneity of this population will inform future content.