Reconsideration of the training of psychiatrists and mental health professionals: helping to make soup.
For many years, we have known of deficits in our system of training mental health professionals, particularly in recognizing and integrating diversity. Recently, we have begun to understand that our literature must more authentically reflect the experiences of all people that we serve. The current paper suggests that a comprehensive biopsychosocial conceptualization of normal and abnormal behavior for all individuals is necessary to truly begin to reduce mental health disparities. The authors argue that factors such as racial, ethnic and cultural differences must be integrated into research before the literature will begin to change in a fashion that is beneficial to the mental health training process.
Edwards
Christopher L
CL
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Medical Psychology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA. christopher.edwards@duke.edu
Primm
Annelle
A
Johnson
Stephanie
S
Feliu
Miriam
M
O'Garo
Keisha
K
Bennett
Gary G
GG
Robinson
Elwood
E
McDougald
Camela
C
Byrd
Goldie
G
Harrison
Ojinga
O
Whitfield
Keith
K
Killough
Alvin L
AL
D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D011584:Psychology