Salir Adelante: Promoting Latino Mental Health Through a Fotonovela

Data suggests that one in five Latinos is likely to experience major depression in their lifetimes. But, because of stigma, language barriers and other challenges, fewer than one in 11 of these Latinos is likely to seek treatment from a mental health specialist. So, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency engaged Metropolitan Group to develop, design, publish, distribute and evaluate a fotonovela to educate Latinos on the subject of mental health, and to provide guidance on how to seek treatment. Commonly used with Latino audiences, fotonovelas feature photographs of real people and dialogue to tell a story that communicates a powerful health promotion message in an engaging, entertaining and informative way. In the course of the project, Metropolitan Group conducted focus groups with the general public and engaged a steering committee with local mental health experts and Latino mental health consumers. The workshop will examine the unique challenge of promoting mental health among Latinos, and describe how engagement with the priority audience was integral throughout the project, from development of strategy to creative design. The workshop will also explore how a unique distribution plan maximized reach into the Latino community.