Use of inpatient mental health services by members of ethnic minority groups

• Published in: The American psychologist Vol. 45; no. 3; p. 347
• Main Authors: Snowden, L R, Cheung, F K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.03.1990
• Subjects: Diagnosis, Differential; Ethnic Groups; Female; Health Services Misuse; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Length of Stay; Male; Mental Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Minority Groups; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Referral and Consultation; Socioeconomic Factors; United States
• ISSN: 0003-066X
• DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.45.3.347

National data on psychiatric hospitalization point to marked ethnic-related differences. Blacks and Native Americans are considerably more likely than Whites to be hospitalized; Blacks are more likely than Whites to be admitted as schizophrenic and less likely to be diagnosed as having an affective disorder; Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders are less likely than Whites to be admitted, but remain for a lengthier stay, at least in state and county mental hospitals. These differences are clear-cut, but they ignore a major source of care: psychiatric hospitalization in placements other than psychiatric units and hospitals. Explanations for observed minority-White differences in hospitalization can be evaluated only partially or not at all: Such explanations include ethnic-related differences in socioeconomic standing and in the prevalence of major psychopathology; differential stigma, or capacity to tolerate or support a dysfunctional significant other; access and use of alternative services; and bias in the behavior of gatekeepers, especially practitioners assigning diagnostic labels and making involuntary commitment decisions. More research is needed to help explain these striking differences in utilization.