Psychiatric Diagnoses and Racial Bias: An Empirical Investigation

Using data from a random sample of 313 severely mentally ill individuals, we assessed the relation between race and schizophrenic diagnoses among those hospitalized at four Chicago metropolitan state mental hospitals. After we controlled for psychiatric diagnosis with an independent SADS diagnosis and other relevant variables, the logistic regression analysis reveals that being Black is predictive of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. These results suggest that significant problems may exist with regard to the treatment and diagnosis of minority groups within the mental health system and the need for culturally appropriate services for minorities, especially within large urban areas.