Cultural Competency, Culturally Tailored Care, and the Primary Care Setting: Possible Solutions to Reduce Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care

Abstract

Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are less likely to receive treatment for psychiatric disorders than are White Americans. For two decades, clinicians and researchers have worked to reduce health and health care disparities, with at best minimal success. In 2001 the Surgeon General issued a seminal report that described the magnitude of the problem (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Nevertheless, the vexing problem of unequal treatment persists. This review provides preliminary evidence for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in mental health treatment in primary care settings by giving priority to culturally competent practices and cultural tailoring in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.