Differences in patterns of symptom attribution in diagnosing schizophrenia between African American and non-African American clinicians.
The authors examined clinician race differences in symptom attribution patterns in diagnosing psychiatric inpatients from a low-income, African American community. Different decision models were applied to patients based on clinician race. African American clinicians diagnosed schizophrenia with higher odds than non-African American clinicians when they believed hallucinations were present and avoided that diagnosis with lower odds when they considered substance abuse issues. Non-African American clinicians usually related the attribution of negative symptoms to the diagnosis of schizophrenia while African American clinicians did not make this linkage. The study highlights the need for more detailed examination of cultural influences on diagnostic judgments.
Trierweiler
Steven J
SJ
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48106, USA. stevtri@umich.edu
Neighbors
Harold W
HW
Munday
Cheryl
C
Thompson
Estina E
EE
Jackson
James S
JS
Binion
Victoria J
VJ
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003469:Culture; D003657:Decision Making; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology