Clinician race, situational attributions, and diagnoses of mood versus schizophrenia disorders.
This research examined clinicians' consideration of situational factors in diagnostic decisions of mood vs. schizophrenia disorders among psychiatric inpatients from a low-income, African American community. Clinicians completed questionnaires describing their diagnostic decisions. Responses reflecting the usage of situational information were investigated. African American clinicians used situational information more than non-African American clinicians. However, this increased attention to situational information was not uniquely associated with a particular diagnostic decision for African American clinicians. In contrast, consideration of situational attributions by non-African American clinicians did increase the probability of a mood diagnosis. Logistic regression analyses suggested differential application of a diagnostic standard among African American and non-African American clinicians. Implications for enhancing the cultural sensitivity of diagnosis practices are discussed.
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, USA. stevtri@umich.edu
Steven J
SJ
Trierweiler
Jordana R
JR
Muroff
James S
JS
Jackson
Harold W
HW
Neighbors
Cheryl
C
Munday
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012931:Social Environment; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*