Abstract
Purpose. This study investigated the effects of consumer ethnicity and consumer-modal provider ethnic match on treatment outcomes of adult chronically mentally ill consumers of a community mental health agency. Method. Participants of this archival study included adult consumers (61% female, mean age 43 years) who utilized Tri-City Mental Health Center (TCMHC) outpatient services between July 1999 and July 2002. The total sample of 3,774 included 23% African American, 35% Latino American and 37% White American consumers. Independent variables included consumer ethnicity and consumer-provider ethnic match. Dependent variables included Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) difference, consumers' subjective well-being and consumers' objective well-being. Three covariates were used in the present study to adjust the dependent variables. These were consumer-provider gender match, referral source and diagnosis. Statistical analyses included three two-way between subjects analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) using several combinations of independent and dependent variables. Findings. The results indicate that high levels of clinical outcomes regardless of consumer-provider ethnic match are achieved when treating Latino American consumers with chronic mental illness. Neither ethnicity nor consumer-provider ethnic match appeared to play a role in consumers' quality of life comprised of subjective and objective well-being measures. The study contributes to the wealth of knowledge already present about ethnicity, consumer-provider ethnic match and clinical outcomes in chronically mentally ill population.