Asian-American women in the mental health system: An examination of ethnic and gender match between therapist and client

Abstract

The present study investigated the simultaneous effects of ethnic and gender therapist-client match on mental health services. The sample consisted of over 1,000 Asian-American women who received mental health services at Los Angeles County facilities in the mid-1980s. Regression analyses were employed to determine the effects of match on client satisfaction (i.e., premature termination, length of treatment), therapists' assessment of client functioning (i.e., diagnosis and general functioning ratings at admission), and treatment outcome (i.e., general functioning at discharge after controlling for initial functioning). The findings indicated that ethnic and/or gender match conditions were significantly associated with reduced premature termination, increased treatment duration, and the assignment of higher functioning at admission in comparison to the no-match condition. Neither ethnic nor gender match was a significant predictor of initial diagnoses or client functioning at discharge. Moreover, ethnic and gender match was found to be more important for Asian-American women than for Asian-American men, White-American women, or White-American men. Implications for treatment are discussed.