The DOI matches its Crossref record; 225 of the 228 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
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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“Individuals from marginalized racial and ethnic groups often prefer to receive care from providers of similar identities who inherently understand and empathize with their similar lived experiences (Cabral & Smith 2011).”
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“Evidence suggests that treatment provided by same-ethnicity patients and therapists in mental health services is preferred by some patients, improves adherence, therapeutic relationships, and patient satisfaction however has minimal impact on treatment outcomes [57, 58].”
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“…have found that racially and ethnically diverse providers are more effective in providing culturally informed care and treatment due to their general understanding of cultural values, norms, and historical experiences (Cabral & Smith, 2011; Goode Cross & Grim, 2016; Goode Cross & Speight, 2014).”
Hussain, F. Z., Borntrager, L. J., Lindsey, M., Karimi-Dehkordi, D., Matha, S., Hughes, T. P., Karver, M. S., & Gryglewicz, K. (2025) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-025-02571-x
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“Research indicates that culturally adapted interventions are more effective than non-adapted ones for BIPOC populations (Cabral & Smith, 2011; Smith & Trimble, 2016; Smith et al., 2011).”
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“While most studies indicate minimal difference in therapy outcomes by therapist-patient race/ethnicity matching, 42,43 some research shows some Black/African American college students prefer a therapist of their own ethnicity, 44 which may contribute to the observed effect.”
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“However, scholars emphasize that racial similarity is not required for positive therapeutic outcomes, nor is racial dissimilarity inherently harmful (Cabral & Smith, 2011; Steinfeldt et al., 2020).”
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“This reflects long-standing calls for a more diverse mental health workforce and aligns with evidence that provider-patient racial concordance improves communication, trust, and perceived quality [140–142].”
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“…do not re fl ect their cultural or linguistic backgrounds (Brown et al., 2010; Hankerson & Weissman, 2012; Kugelmass, 2016), as data suggest that People of Color prefer to have a cultural and/or racial match with their therapist (Cabral & Smith, 2011; Kim & Kang, 2018; Smith & Trimble, 2016).”
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“The personal nature of mental healthcare may also make concordance relevant for Black heterosexual patients by fostering a sense of cultural alignment, which might be particularly important for the therapeutic alliance with Black patients receiving mental healthcare (Cabral and Smith, 2011).”
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“…which enables them to relate to the sociodemographic factors that influenced their experience with SCD. Similar adaptations, such as matching a client and behavioral therapist based on race, have shown variable efficacy, with the greatest effect sizes observed for African American patients (73).”
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BackgroundLord, K. (2014) · Staffordshire Online Repository (Staffordshire University)
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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