Toward the Early Recognition of Psychosis Among Spanish-Speaking Adults on Both Sides of the U.S.–Mexico Border

Lack of knowledge about psychosis, a condition oftentimes associated with serious mental illness, may contribute to disparities in mental health service use. Psychoeducational interventions aimed at improving psychosis literacy have attracted significant attention recently, but few have focused on the growing numbers of ethnic and linguistic minorities in countries with large immigrant populations, such as the United States. This paper reports on 2 studies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a DVD version of La CLAve, a psychoeducational program that aims to increase psychosis literacy among Spanish- speaking Latinos. Study 1 is a randomized control study to test directly the efficacy of a DVD version of La CLAve for Spanish speakers across a range of educational backgrounds. Fifty-seven medical students and 68 community residents from Mexico were randomly assigned to view either La CLAve or a psychoeducational program of similar length regarding caregiving. Study 2 employed a single-subjects design to evaluate the effectiveness of the DVD presentation when administered by a community mental health educator. Ninety-three Spanish-speakers from San Diego, California completed assessments both before and after receiving the DVD training. Results from these 2 studies indicate that the DVD version of La CLAve is capable of producing a range of psychosis literacy gains for Spanish-speakers in both the United States and Mexico, even when administered by a community worker. Thus, it has potential for widespread dissemination and use among underserved communities of Spanish-speaking Latinos and for minimizing disparities in mental health service use, particularly as it relates to insufficient knowledge of psychosis.