Study Finds Links between Race, Quality of Mental Health Treatment
December 10th, 2009
Many factors may be involved in the quality of care with which mental health clients are served, but a principle aim within the mental health community is that race should not be a determinant. Unfortunately, race has been connected to the quality of care in a recent study performed at George Mason University. The researchers found that Caucasian populations were more likely to travel longer distances to receive better mental health treatment, while African-American and Hispanic community members tended to travel less and receive a poorer standard of care. The study points to a need to develop greater treatment options in neighborhoods predominantly populated by minorities.
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As the report said, “The results suggested that clients living in higher income White neighborhoods are more likely to travel longer distances for mental health treatment.” What’s key is not so much race as disposable income. Travel isn’t cheap and the lower income you have the less likely your insurance coverage, if you have any, will fund such travel if you pay a low premium.
Hmm… ethnic minorities not being able to recieve an equally good mental health care has nothing to do with prejudice or anything racist but then it is because of a substantially lower income in those groups.
Affluent people are more Caucasian (86%) and older than the general population, with a third 55 or older, according to strategicmarketsegmentation.com. Anyone under retirement age also has a job to consider as well as the costs. You can’t just up and leave your work to travel for an extended period of time, especially a lower paid one, or it won’t be there for you to come back to. Poorer families can’t take that risk.
Affluent people are more Caucasian (86%) and older than the general population, with a third 55 or older. I read that at
Strategic Market Segmentation.
Anyone under retirement age also has a job to consider as well as the costs. You can’t just up and leave your work to travel for an extended period of time, especially a lower paid one, or it won’t be there for you to come back to. Poorer families can’t take that risk.
I just left a therapist’s office that was no where near my neighborhood. I do not have a car and his office is in a cute, white part of the city accessible by only one bus. In fact, I rarely go to that neighborhood because of the difficulty of getting there and back. However, I wanted to try this therapist because he seemed to be better than the ones covered by my old insurance (from when I had a better job).
He made rather snide remarks that let me know he had no idea how difficult it is to get there by public transportation he thinks his office is a 5 minute walk from the nearest train stop. It is 15 minutes from the nearest train stop — the train does not run through my neighborhood. It is also 45 to 50 minute, 2-bus ride, provided both buses are on time. I am really sick of privileged therapists!!
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