Over the past fifty-seven years, Latinas have been more prone to depression and suicidal thoughts and actions compared to any other ethnic and gender group, most commonly due to cultural stress and gender roles, according to the book, Preventing Adolescent Depression and Suicide Among Latinas.  Eaton et al. (2011) noted that Latina adolescents are twice as likely to engage in suicidal behavior than their White or Black peers.  U.S. born Hispanics and young immigrants have higher rates of suicide than first generation Hispanics.  Hispanic children tend to distance themselves from their cultural origins at a young age and let the more dominant American culture take over. An important factor to the developing depression of Latina adolescents may be the constant lack of communication between daughters and their parents.  Children identify at a much faster pace than their parents do thus the cultural gap between children and their parents can cause stress within families, creating conflicts and additional stressors for Latina adolescents. 

Gender roles are urged in many traditional Hispanic households, giving daughters the obligation to stay home and tend to domestic work and giving more freedom to Latino males adolescents thus explaining why they are not as prone to mental illnesses as Latina adolescents; Latina adolescents who identify with American culture may see this as an oppressive act on their parents behalf.  In many Hispanic communities, there’s often a stigma around mental illnesses discouraging adolescents to reach out and discuss their mental health.  When adolescents can discuss mental health with their parents, they are able to obtain knowledge and skills to reach out and help themselves.  More media focus on this problem is needed if we ever hope to find a solution.