Mental Health Services Workforce Lacking In Ethnic, Racial Diversity

Medscape (2/12, Lowry) reports that according to a review published in the February issue of Psychiatric Services, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, “despite recommendations made more than a decade ago by a US Surgeon General report, little progress has been made in developing a more racially diverse workforce to provide mental health services for racial and ethnic minorities.” For the study, researchers examined data from clinical trials and “data on the mental health workforce…from a work group comprising research staff from the American Psychiatric Association…as well as representatives of professional psychiatric nursing and staff from the National Institute of Mental Health,” among others. The review found that “with the exception of Asian-American psychiatrists, minority groups are still poorly represented among mental health professionals, with only very small improvements over time.”

Related Links:

— “Progress in Improving Mental Health Services for Racial-Ethnic Minority Groups: A Ten-Year Perspective, ” Catherine DeCarlo Santiago, Ph.D.; Jeanne Miranda, Ph.D., PsychiatryOnline, February 1, 2014.

Posted in In The News.