Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118913

Kirby Randolph, PhD, History of Philosophy of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, 2025 Robinson, Mail Stop 1025, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160, (913) 588-0076, krandolph@kumc.edu

Trust and confidence in one's caregiver enhances disclosure, perhaps more in mental health care than in other fields. Disclosure leads to more information on which a sound clinical decision may be based. Likewise optimism and hope influence recovery and compliance. African Americans' resistance to seeking out mental health services is in part a legitimate reaction to a history of substandard care. Historically doctors may have claimed to treat their patients equally but have had racially segregated waiting rooms and hospitals, longer waits for Black patients, different payment structures, different treatment modalities, and entirely different bedside manner. To what extent has the overwhelming historical evidence of incompetent mental health care for African Americans influenced clinical practice or therapeutic interventions? In other words, when we accept or reject evidence based medicine, are we privileging randomized clinical trials over historical facts?

Learning Objectives:

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Keywords: History, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.