Interactive: Mental Health Workforce Shortage More Critical in Minority Communities

Texas is already short on mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed counselors, nurses and social workers. But another issue compounds the problem: a disparity in diagnosing and treating the state's rapidly growing minority communities.

Among the state's current cadre of licensed psychiatrists, cultural and ethnic diversity are lacking. As of 2009, 64 percent of all psychiatrists were white, 3.5 percent were African-American, and 12.4 percent were Hispanic, according to statistics in the latest Texas State Health Plan for 2011-2016.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, in a 2010 report, found that people of color experience worse access than whites to both health care and mental health treatment. And even when patients do seek treatment, they are often unable to find providers who are sensitive to their cultural and language differences.

Staff at the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at the University of Texas at Austin argue that "without cultural competency in treatment, recovery and wellness can remain unreachable for many people with mental illness." The problem is apparent in Hispanic communities along the border, where residents juggle two languages and cultures. It's also prevalent in urban areas like Houston and Dallas, where there are significant Asian immigrant and black populations.

In recent years, the state has done little to increase funding for psychiatric training programs. And if Texas continues to ignore the lack of cultural understanding among mental health providers — especially as the state's minority populations continue growing — experts warn the consequences will include higher crime rates and increased health costs.


Percentages by Race of Clients Served by DSHS-Funded Community Mental Health Service Centers (2005-2011)
Scroll over the map and click on a county to see a race breakdown of the number of mental health clients since 2005. Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
White Percentage of Mental Health Clients Served by DSHS-Funded Community Mental Health Service Centers - 2011
None
0 to 25%
25% to 50%
50% to 75%
75% to 100%

Comment Policy

The Texas Tribune is pleased to provide the opportunity for you to share your observations about this story. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask that you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or wandering away from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of the Tribune, and your real name will be displayed. Thanks for taking time to offer your thoughts.

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login | Sign-Up