Discrimination in a Mental Health Care Market: A Correspondence Audit Study

• In Event: 266 - Section on Sociology of Mental Health Paper Session. Social Inequalities and Mental Health

Abstract

Evidence is lacking about the extent to which mental health care providers discriminate against black or lower class help-seekers. This paper presents results from two correspondence audit studies, together comprising more than 900 providers of outpatient mental health care in the private sector. The subjects of this audit are American mental health care providers who actively seek clients by posting professional profiles on a website that enables help-seekers to search for and contact providers. Results reveal that mental health care providers do not discriminate against help-seekers on the basis of race when social class indicators are absent. However, cues of low social class induce a large racial disparity, with white lower class help-seekers considerably more likely to receive an appointment offer in response to an email inquiry than black lower class help-seekers. These results persist even after controlling for socio-demographic and financial characteristics of the mental health care providers.

Author

• Heather Kugelmass, Princeton University