Convincing Mamí My Depression Is Not About Her

When Ashley turned to therapy and medication for her depression she worried her Puerto Rican mom would feel guilty.  And MarySue Heilemann, a nurse and researcher who studies transmedia and the mental well-being of Latinas, busts myths around mental health treatments and offers tips for getting our parents to accept our choices.

Featured Expert: 

Dr. MarySue Heilemann, PhD, RN, FAAN is a professor at the UCLA School of Nursing and an Associate Director of the UCLA National Clinicial Scholars Program. Dr. Heilemann integrates issues of motivation, resilience, intergenerational cultural expectations, social justice, and gender issues in her work. Her area of expertise is three-fold: media-based interventions, methodologically-driven qualitative research, and mental health. Her focus has been on symptom management, motivation to seek help and engage in mental health care, and the enhancement of resilience among Latinas in the U.S. Dr. Heilemann has pioneered the use of transmedia in health interventions related to mental health and was a delegate to speak on the topic to the United Nations-Commission on the Status of Women in 2018. (Transmedia involves the use of storytelling over multiple digital platforms accessible on smart phones, tablets, or computers via the Internet). Her current work involves Hollywood-quality, data-informed, story-based, character-driven transmedia interventions to reduce symptoms and increase help seeking among Latinas struggling with depression and/or anxiety. She has mentored graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and young faculty in qualitative research at UCLA and internationally and is also devoted to scholarship to improve the accuracy of portrayals of nurses in film and television. Learn more about her work and research on transmedia storytelling and mental health intervention here.

MarySue recommends this cool multilingual resource to help you and loved ones understand mental health. 

If you liked this show listen to Telling Mamí She Needs Mental Health and Explaining She's Isolated, Depressed, and Caring for a Newborn.

We’d love to hear your stories of triumph and frustration so send us a detailed voice memo to virginia@lwcstudios.com. You might be on a future episode! Let’s connect on Twitter and Instagram at @TalkToMamiPapi and email us at hello@talktomamipapi.com. And follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.