This was published recently

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...6/160601082301.

A new study published by the American Sociological Association in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior found, based on randomised testing of 320 psychotherapists in the New York area, that psychotherapists are significantly less likely to offer therapy appointments to black middle-class patients than to white ones (17% of black middle-class callers were offered appointments, compared with 28% of white-middle class callers).

Working-class callers of both races were worse off still (8% were offered an appointment) – even though all callers said they had the same health insurance and only contacted in-network practitioners.

I'm shocked. Is discrimination your experience?

[ruh roh]

That link doesn't work for me.

[awkwardlyyours]

There have been enough and more experiments / audit studies showing discrimination in all sorts of markets (even those where there's a seemingly incredibly strong economic incentive to not discriminate).

So, I'm not sure why therapy would be any different -- therapists are drawn from the general population after all.

I haven't looked at the specific link posted in the OP but I read the article a while ago -- it follows the same methodology as other similar studies attempting to identify discrimination in various markets (for another recent famous one, there's the study looking at discrimination in Airbnb that was talked about in the NYT).

So, am not exactly surprised.

Try this one, it links to the newspaper it was mentioned in
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...discrimination

[ruh roh]

Thanks. I find the figures for everyone--regardless of race--shocking. How is it that so few people get appointments? Is that a UK issue? Here, I have only had one person say they were not accepting new clients.

Anyway, the disparity in race and income is definitely disturbing. wtf

[divine1966]

I made an initial appointment over the phone so they couldn't see my race or know my income or social status


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[88Butterfly88]

I'm shocked too. I haven't been discriminated against due to my race or working status, but once I was denied the privilege to attend an anxiety group because the leader found out I have high functioning autism. She just assumed, without even meeting me, that I would have bad social skills. But I really don't and would have liked the chance to meet her and show her that. I realize now I could really call them out on discrimination but I don't feel like going to a group where I am not wanted. It makes me question the group's other practices.

[The_little_didgee]

I have experienced discrimination, but it wasn't based on my race and social status. It was based on a misdiagnosis. I was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder, before I found out I had ASD. No psychiatrist or therapist wanted to deal with me after that.

[Ididitmyway]

I've read about this study in AlterNet, I think. It is shocking and unacceptable and needs to be addressed as yet another systemic issue.

I read about this study on CNN. It's really sad. People subject to housing discrimination have a system to file complaints, why not for therapy.

Therapists I've called have consistently asked me where I work and what I do for work before setting up the appointment, so this rings true for me in a sense.

I wonder if there are other studies that show those with the most serious disorders are most likely to get turned down for therapy. Reading here, it often seems those who need help the most are those least likely to find help.

This issue should be addressed at professional conferences and through organizations within the profession.