Despite evidence that ethnic minorities may experience higher rates of stressors and exposure to high magnitude stressors and traumatic events, the non-Caucasian population of the U.S is actually less likely to seek treatment than their Caucasian counterparts (Burgess, Ding, Hargreaves, Van Ryn, & Phelan, 2008).
Full Answer
Does race and ethnicity affect client evaluations for minority clients?
The exclusion of race and ethnicity elements was consistently related to lower client evaluations regarding accessibility, quality of care, and satisfaction for ethnic minority clients. Mental health practitioners working with minority clients may want to assess client perspectives and preferences regarding race and ethnicity issues in treatment.
Do population priors favor the treatment of minorities?
In health, where minorities may on average be worse off than whites, application of population priors will tend to favor rates of treatment for minorities.
What is more important in mental health care for ethnic minorities?
In the present study, ethnic minorities rated racial match and provider knowledge of discriminations/prejudices as significantly more important in their mental health care than Whites, consistent with research on the influence of culture on service issues and outcomes for ethnic and racial minorities (Zane et al., 2004).
Does race affect quality of care for minority patients?
In view of these findings, it is not surprising that those minority clients who were with care providers who did not acknowledge and process the reality of living in a racialized society (Jones, 2003) experienced poorer quality of care.
How does ethnicity affect therapy?
Maramba and Hall (2002) conducted a meta-analysis of seven studies and found that clients matched with therapists of the same ethnicity were less likely to drop out of therapy and more likely to attend more sessions; however, the effect was small, indicating that ethnic match alone was a weak predictor.
What ethnic group is most likely to seek therapeutic treatment today?
Most recent research suggests that African Americans are about as likely to seek and eventually receive substance abuse treatment as are White Americans (Hatzenbuehler et al. 2008; Perron et al.
What race goes to therapy the most?
Outpatient mental health service use in the past year was highest for adults reporting two or more races (8.8 percent), white adults (7.8 percent), and American Indian or Alaska Native adults (7.7 percent), followed by black (4.7 percent), Hispanic (3.8 percent), and Asian (2.5 percent) adults.
How do you address racial differences in therapy?
Addressing prejudice: Is it ethical?Consider the client's goals and how prejudice is related to these goals.Assess the client's racial identity.Assess the function these stereotypes and biases serve for the client.Consider how the racist comments relate to cultural racism.More items...•
Why do minorities have less access to healthcare?
Compared with white persons, black persons and other minorities have lower levels of access to medical care in the United States due to their higher rates of unemployment and under-representation in good-paying jobs that include health insurance as part of the benefit package (Blendon et al., 1989; Trevino et al., 1991 ...
How does race affect mental health treatment?
Minorities in the United States are more likely than whites to delay or fail to seek mental health treatment. After entering care, minority patients are less likely than Whites to receive the best available treatments for depression and anxiety.
Which ethnicity has the most mental health issues?
People who identify as being two or more races (24.9%) are most likely to report any mental illness within the past year than any other race/ethnic group, followed by American Indian/Alaska Natives (22.7%), white (19%), and black (16.8%).
How does culture affect Counselling?
Being aware of the social and cultural context will help you form an alliance with the woman or couple you are counselling and will help you decide appropriate ways to communicate in terms of how you ask questions, how you approach sensitive issues, and how you facilitate the process of problem-solving.
Does race matter therapy?
Studies have shown that matching therapists and clients based on race and identity does not always lead to better therapy, she adds.
How do therapists talk about race?
Here are a few ideas:Maintain strong therapeutic relationships. ... Be on the “listen-out.” Psychologists are trained to be excellent listeners, thus, it is imperative that white psychologists be more aware of and open to opportunities for racial discussions when they arise during therapy sessions. ... Notice the feelings.More items...•
What is prejudice in Counselling?
Prejudice is a prejudgment based on inadequate knowledge. Prejudice often relies on stereotypes. For instance, a person meeting a female child for the first time might assume she likes princesses or the color pink. Prejudice can be conscious or unconscious.
How many therapists are white?
Comment: In 2015, 86 percent of psychologists in the U.S. workforce were white, 5 percent were Asian, 5 percent were Hispanic, 4 percent were black/African-American and 1 percent were multiracial or from other racial/ethnic groups.
What are the benefits of racial match?
Some studies have shown racial match to be associated with increased utilization, favorable treatment outcomes (i.e., global assessment scores, substance use reduction), lower treatment dropout, and greater satisfaction (Blank, Tetrick, Brinkley, Smith, & Doheny, 1994; Flaskerud & Liu, 1991; Flicker, Waldron, Turner, Brody, & Hops, 2008; Gamst, Dana, Der-Karabetian, & Kramer, 2001; Gamst et al., 2003; LaVeist & Nuru-Jeter, 2002; O’Sullivan & Lasso, 1992; Sue, Fujino, Hu, Takeuchi, & Zane, 1991).1Maramba and Hall (2002)conducted a meta-analysis of seven studies and found that clients matched with therapists of the same ethnicity were less likely to drop out of therapy and more likely to attend more sessions; however, the effect was small, indicating that ethnic match alone was a weak predictor.
What is multicultural competence?
A variety of terms have been used to refer to the consideration of culture in mental health treatment, including “multicultural competence” “culturally sensitive ,” “culturally competent,” or “culturally responsive.” Although the field continues to struggle toward operationalizing multicultural counseling competence and its component parts (Sue, Zane, Hall, & Berger, 2009), researchers have suggested that counselors’ multicultural counseling competence is critical for effectively working with clients of color, accounting for a significant proportion of the variance in clients’ satisfaction beyond ratings of general therapist competence (e.g., Constantine, 2002).
What is the significance of ethnicity in a MANOVA?
A MANOVA tested for an overall ethnic difference in the importance of cultural elements. A significant effect of ethnicity was found, F(3, 98) = 3.98, p< .05. Univariate analyses were then performed to interpret this finding. Sample means of cultural elements for Whites ranged from 2.03 to 2.11, while means for ethnic minorities ranged from 2.44 to 2.96. These results indicate a generally higher level of importance of cultural elements for ethnic minority clients compared with White clients. There were significant differences between White and ethnic minority clients on two of the three cultural elements. Minorities felt that it was significantly more important for their provider to be racially matched (M= 2.84, SD= 1.16) than Whites (M= 2.11, SD= 1.13), F= 10.19, p< .01, partial n2= .09.
What is racial match?
Racial match, or concordance, has been described as one element of culturally responsive care and a potential factor in reducing mental health disparities for ethnic minorities. Racial/ethnic match occurs when mental health clients and providers share the same race or ethnicity. In a counseling situation, therapist ethnicity may be one of the most important features to which clients first attend. Ward (2005)conducted a qualitative investigation of counseling processes and perceptions of counseling specific to African American clients within a community mental health agency. During the first counseling session, clients reported assessing the race and ethnicity of the counselor above everything else (Ward, 2005). Only after an assessment of racial match did clients assess other counselor variables (e.g., age, gender).
What is consumer satisfaction in mental health?
Mental health consumer satisfaction refers to the extent that services gratify the consumer’s wants, wishes, or desires for treatment (Lebow, 1983). This definition also includes the perceived adequacy of treatment and the surrounding milieu (i.e., cost, continuity, availability, accessibility of care, and the reaction to supporting services). Given the continual emphasis on patient-centered care, it is important to understand what mental health clients expect regarding culturally responsive care.
What is the disparity between African Americans and whites in treatment?
The disparity in treatment completion between African American and White participants was significantly stronger when alcohol was the primary substance (i.e., African Americans 71% as likely to complete treatment) compared to when the primary substance was cocaine (82% as likely), marijuana (78% as likely), and heroin (87% as likely).
Why is there a disparity in treatment completion rates for heroin use disorder?
The racial/ethnic disparity in treatment completion rates for heroin use disorder may reflect differences in other important determinants. The use of medication for the treatment of heroin use disorder has become more widely available. Racial/ethnic differences in the use of medication to treatment of heroin use disorder, however, may exist and be attributable to either patient preferences or discriminatory provider practices.
Why is it important to complete outpatient treatment?
Ensuring that patients complete treatment is critical as it is associated with longer term abstinence, fewer relapses, fewer readmissions, higher levels of employment, less criminal involvement, and better overall health . However, not all racial/ethnic groups are equally as likely to complete outpatient treatment.
Which drug is associated with lower treatment completion?
In this case, heroin (including other opiates), cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamines were hypothesized to be associated with lower treatment completion as compared to alcohol as the primary substance.
Do all racial groups get outpatient treatment?
However, not all racial/ethnic groups are equally as likely to complete outpatient treatment. This is particularly concerning given that some racial/ethnic groups (e.g., African Americans) are over-represented in outpatient treatment. Of additional concern is the knowledge gap that exists at the intersection of race/ethnicity and choice ...
Do African Americans have meth?
African Americans were considerably less likely than Whites to be in treatment for methamphetamine use disorder (1% versus 8% respectively) or alcohol use disorder (32% versus 46% respectively) compared to other substances. If African Americans with an alcohol or methamphetamine use disorder are in a treatment environment where the majority of patients are from a different social, economic, or cultural backgrounds they may find it more difficult to feel connected and identify with other patients and thus feel more psychologically isolated. This could potentially decrease treatment retention.
Is racial disparity dependent on primary substance?
In addition, the degree to which disparities in treatment completion place racial/ethnic minorities at a disadvantage for achieving long term sobriety and recovery (i.e. , 5+ years) is unknown, but would need to be considered in the context of primary substance.
What is the model minority?
The promulgation of the “model minority” myth, thatAsian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the most similar toEuropean Americans, and, thus, are viewed as “models” forand/or “better than” other ethnic minority groups, hascreated many problems for Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders.The result has been (a) a lack of attention to AsianAmerican/Pacific Islander issues in mental health research andclinical practice, (b) the creation of antagonisms with otherminority groups who may view Asian Americans/PacificIslanders as co-conspirators with European Americans, and (c)interference with the development of collaborative effortsand coalition building among racial/ethnic minority groups.
What is culturally competent therapist?
Culturally competent therapists seek out educational,consultative, and multicultural training experiences .Because traditional training of mental healthprofessionals is often limited to knowledge of a Whitemiddle class population, the potential provider mustactively educate himself or herself about a diversepopulation.
Why are clients unable to overcome the condition for which they sought help?
Thus clients may be unable to overcome the condition for which they sought help due to undesirable therapist factors, creating a barrier to treatment . The degree of harm therapists may cause in this way is unknown and likely underestimated.
Which group experiences the most discrimination?
In the U.S., African Americans experience the most discrimination, followed by Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans (Chao et al., 2012), although discrimination against other groups, such as women and sexual minorities is common as well.
Why do therapists make mistakes?
Why do therapists make these mistakes? One of the main reasons is stereotypes. No one is immune from the effects of the myriad of pathological stereotypes that cast disadvantaged groups in a negative light. These are false or incorrect ideas attributed to members of a group, based on illogical reasoning and social status. Stereotypes represent unfair generalizations that do not change in the face of accurate information. When we uncritically accept these social messages, racism follows, even from people who mean well.
Why are racist comments harmful?
Minority clients may find it difficult to respond to racist comments in counseling situations due to self-doubt and power dynamics. These problems contribute to feelings of distance from the therapist, unwillingness to disclose sensitive information, and early termination from treatment. Thus clients may be unable to overcome the condition for which they sought help due to undesirable therapist factors, creating a barrier to treatment. The degree of harm therapists may cause in this way is unknown and likely underestimated.
What does it mean when a therapist finds a client odd or irregular?
It tells the client that the therapist finds the client odd or irregular in some way, due to their Blackness . It is as if something is wrong with being a person of color and the therapist is going above and beyond the call of duty to politely ignore inconvenient differences.
Is colorblind ideology a form of racism?
However, colorblind ideology is actually a form of racism (Terwilliger et al., 2013), as it provides an excuse for therapists to remain ignorant of the cultures and customs of their non-white fellow human beings.
Is racism a part of counseling?
Even among therapists who have received multicultural training, racism often inserts itself unwittingly into the counseling process. Here are a few examples of actual statements made by therapists to African American clients. I explain why a person of color might find each of these remarks offensive.
Why are non-Caucasian people less likely to seek treatment than Caucasian people?
Despite evidence that ethnic minorities may experience higher rates of stressors and exposure to high magnitude stressors and traumatic events , the non-Caucasian population of the U.S is actually less likely to seek treatment than their Caucasian counterparts (Burgess, Ding, Hargreaves, Van Ryn, & Phelan, 2008). Research has suggested that this may be the product of a social stigma against seeking services in many cultures, the fear of exposure of personal information to outsiders, the experience of misuse of information by authorities, and lower likelihood of access to culture-friendly explanations of available treatments (Corrigan, 2004; Carter, 2007; Gary, 2005).
How many African American clients were selected for the San Diego Countertransference Study?
In a recent study at the Trauma Research Institute, located at Alliant International University, San Diego, CA, Work, Estrellado, Rosenberg, Cropper, and Dalenberg (2014) selected 35 African American and 15 Hispanic clients who had completed at least three months of individual psychotherapy related to trauma with a Caucasian therapist. The clients were selected from a larger number of participants ( N =360) who took part in the San Diego Countertransference Study (Dalenberg, 2000) and constituted all Caucasian-Hispanic or Caucasian-African American pairings. All of these clients took part in an extensive interview addressing their positive and negative views of their therapy experiences.
What is multicultural competency?
While multicultural competency largely aims to educate clinicians on how populations are different and on the possible stereotypes that may arise, a therapist will not be aware of all the stereotypes that occur. However, while in therapy, the clinician should aim to provide a safe environment to explore these stereotypes at the client’s pace. The focus here should be less on having the discussion of shared knowledge of stereotypes, and more on showing the client the therapist’s awareness that such stereotypes exist and may impact the client’s life.
Why should a therapist promote a safe environment?
Rather than concentrating their energy exclusively on becoming an expert in a particular client’s culture, therapists should aim to promote a safe environment to openly acknowledge disparities and address mutual discomfort regarding racial differences.
Can a therapist discuss race issues?
Many clinicians are reluctant to bring up racial issues in psychotherapy. However, therapists who discuss and demonstrate a competency for race-related issues can provide an experience for ethnic minority clients may be quite liberating (Wade, 2005). Facilitation of an open conversation early in therapy about the client’s expectations and goals will help to inform the therapist, provide an opportunity to address any potential resistance or concerns, and minimize the power differential. We would recommend that this conversation specifically address the possible benefits and obstacles created by a cross-racial pairing of therapist and client, and the need to bring race into the therapeutic discussion when it feels relevant. Opening the topic with an acknowledgment of the inevitable lack of expertise of each member of the dyad on living in the culture of the other also provides a safer path for client correction of therapist or suggestion of alternative interpretations of behaviors.
Is a Caucasian therapist an expert?
Our point here however, is slightly different. Our position is that the problem is not as simple as noting that the typical Caucasian therapist is not an expert in the minority client’s culture and should become one, but instead that neither the therapist nor client may be comfortable acknowledging the impact of the therapist’s inevitable lack of expertise in some cultures. We know that most of the ethnic minorities that do seek treatment are being paired with a provider who is of a different ethnic or racial background.
Do Caucasian therapists work with African American clients?
There is a tendency for Caucasian therapists working with African American or Latino clients to either disengage from the topic of race or demonstrate excessive interest in cultural differences during trauma psychotherapy.