Culture, Diversity Issues in Mental Health Major Focus of IPS Program

Culture counts. These words capture the overall theme of the landmark publication “Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity: A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General” issued by former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., in 2001. In the years since, considering culture and addressing cultural competence remained challenges in the field of psychiatry.

Psychiatrists and mental health clinicians from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are still grossly underrepresented in the field. Although most members of minority populations in the United States do not have a disproportionate prevalence of mental illness, they often have poorer access to services and greater disease severity and chronicity. When minority populations do seek mental health treatment, they often receive poorer quality of care than their white counterparts.

Although these facts paint a bleak picture, sessions at the APA Institute on Psychiatric Services (IPS) in San Francisco October 30 to November 2 will not shy away from these complicated issues and topics. First, the keynote address at this year’s meeting will be delivered by Satcher. His speech will spotlight the importance of culture in mental health and will challenge providers to take action to improve clinical outcomes for diverse and vulnerable populations.

Several workshops, lectures, forums, seminars, and symposia will also examine issues of culture and mental health among diverse populations. An entire track is devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender mental health issues, with each session designed to help increase clinicians’ cultural competence in this area.

Several sessions highlight mental health issues among African Americans, including the Solomon Carter Fuller Award Lecture, being given this year by William Lawson, M.D., Ph.D., an expert in disparities and mental health issues affecting African Americans. Also, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, APA President Paul Summergrad, M.D., and former American Psychiatric Foundation President Altha Stewart, M.D., will present a forum on the civil rights movement and African-American mental health concerns. These presentations (and others) will help provide a cultural framework for addressing mental health in the African-American population.

Increasing diversity in the psychiatric workforce remains a major priority in the United States and internationally. A forum titled “Training Experiences of Minority Individuals in Psychiatry: Then, Now, and How to Create the Best Future” will highlight the importance of a culturally diverse workforce.

Also, culture and the mental health of American-Indian populations will be addressed, and Russell Lim, M.D., editor of the Clinical Manual of Cultural Psychiatry, will lead a seminar on clinical applications of the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview.

These are just a sample of the many IPS sessions that will focus on culture and psychiatry.

There also are numerous informal networking events that help increase individuals’ understanding of culture in psychiatry. And the Caucus of Black Psychiatrists will also be meeting at the IPS.

Finally, the venue for this year’s IPS meeting also affords a great opportunity to experience a wealth of cultural diversity. The streets of San Francisco are teeming with cultural experiences, from an international lineup of cuisine choices to distinct architecture to unique musical and art experiences. Consider a visit to Chinatown, catch a show at the Fillmore, or take a walk down Lombard Street. There are endless opportunities to discover and embrace culture in all its many forms. ■