Mental Health Diagnoses Differ By Race

Most minorities are less likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than white patients and less likely to receive specific treatments if they actually have an affliction, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente.

The study analyzed the electronic medical records of 7.5 million patients who were part of 11 separate healthcare systems, including Kaiser, the Group Health Cooperative, the Henry Ford Health System and Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. The base year for the study was 2011.

According to the study's findings, Asian patients were 64% less likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than whites, and Latinos were 28% less likely to receive such a diagnosis. 

By contrast, Native Americans, a tiny minority compared to the other ethnic groups, were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than any other patient cohort. They received such a diagnosis more than 20% of the time.

According to the study, 15.6% of the patients in the study had received some form of mental illness diagnosis.

“We studied mental health diagnoses and treatment using electronic health records rather than self-reported survey data from patients and physicians,” said Karen J. Coleman, the study's lead author, based with Kaiser Permanente Southern California's department of research and evaluation. “Our study confirmed previous findings and adds to the growing body of evidence examining diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.” 

Among those who were diagnosed with a serious mental illness, the treatments they received sometimes varied by race. African-Americans diagnosed with schizophrenia were 35% less likely to receive medication to treat their condition, which can often be completely debilitating. However, they were more than 2.5 times more likely than whites to receive formal psychotherapy to treat their illness.

Of those patients who were diagnosed with a mental illness, 73% received a psychotropic medication to treat their condition. But among whites, that figure increased to nearly 78%.

But despite the schism between blacks and other races regarding seeking psychotherapy, only 34% of those who received a diagnosis received any kind of talk therapy, according to the study.

“While further studies are needed to determine the cause for differences in diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions based on racial or ethnic background, this study is important in showcasing that disparities exist and provides useful information for health care professionals who treat patients with mental health conditions,” Coleman said.

The study was published in the journal Psychiatric Services.