Chapter 5 - Gender Race Class

Not all diagnoses are given equally to all races, sexes, and social classes. Schizophrenia is more likely to be diagnosed in African Americans; histrionic and borderline personality disorders are more likely to be diagnosed in women, and antisocial personality disorder is more likely to be diagnosed in men. Gender, race, and class have complex effects on mental health treatment.  It is important to consider the context of gender, race, and class when providing diagnosis and treatment. This is especially true in terms of medication, which can have different effects in different races and genders. There is mixed evidence in many areas of research on the impact of gender, race, and class on psychopathology. For example, it is unclear whether having a therapist with similar characteristics as the client is always beneficial or has no (or a detrimental) effect on treatment.