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Racial/ethnic matching of clients and therapists in mental health services: A meta-analytic review of preferences, perceptions, and outcomes.
Abstract
Across several decades the effects of matching clients with therapists of the same race/ethnicity have been explored using a variety of approaches. We conducted a meta-analysis of 3 variables frequently used in research on racial/ethnic matching: individuals' preferences for a therapist of their own race/ethnicity, clients' perceptions of therapists across racial/ethnic match, and therapeutic outcomes across racial/ethnic match. Across 52 studies of preferences, the average effect size (Cohen's d) was 0.63, indicating a moderately strong preference for a therapist of one's own race/ethnicity. Across 81 studies of individuals' perceptions of therapists, the average effect size was 0.32, indicating a tendency to perceive therapists of one's own race/ethnicity somewhat more positively than other therapists. Across 53 studies of client outcomes in mental health treatment, the average effect size was 0.09, indicating almost no benefit to treatment outcomes from racial/ethnic matching of clients with therapists. These 3 averaged effect sizes were characterized by substantial heterogeneity: The effects of racial/ethnic matching are highly variable. Studies involving African American participants demonstrated the highest effect sizes across all 3 types of evaluations: preferences, perceptions, and outcomes.
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“For example, adapting psychotherapies to patients’ cultural worldview147, cultural humility (that is, a lack of superiority and openness to patients’ cultural perspectives)148, and matching between patient and provider cultural identities improve treatment outcomes149.”
From A common factors perspective on mindfulness-based interventions (2022) · cites this paper as [148]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Cabral, R. R., & Smith, T. B.
- Affiliations
- Brigham Young University (US)
- ORCID
- Smith, Timothy B.
- Venue
- Journal of Counseling Psychology
- Published
- 2011
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 537-554
- ISSN
- 0022-0167 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-2168
- OpenAlex
- W2082304096
- Cited by
- 651
- References
- 228
- Citations by year
- 2026: 41 · 2025: 51 · 2024: 83 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 50 · 2020: 52 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 40 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 21.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Counseling Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Counseling Practices and Supervision
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- therapist preferences, client perceptions of therapists, treatment outcomes, mental health services, African American clients
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Ethnicity, Health Personnel, Humans, Mental Health Services, Professional-Patient Relations, Psychotherapy, Treatment Outcome, Patient Satisfaction, Racial Groups, Cultural Competency
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