By Elizabeth Landau, CNN

Older Latinos living in the U.S. who perceive their neighborhoods as safer and more walkable are less likely to develop severe depressive symptoms, and the effect may be long term, a new study suggests.

Growing up, I had never really encountered anyone with a mental illness. Yes, there were people in the family who were a bit eccentric but no one had ever been diagnosed with anything specific.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people in the United States between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and young women are more likely to attempt suicide compared to young men. Thoughts of suicide are typically linked to depression and other mental health struggles, and research has shown such issues can coincide with criminal behaviors–something a new study of Latino juvenile offenders looks at.

Lilly Lorenzo-Luaces was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30s. As a breast cancer survivor, she describes how meeting other cancer survivors and going out of her comfort zone in a kayak helped her regain her joy for life.