Racial healthcare disparities: A social psychological analysis |
| |
Authors: | Louis A Penner Nao Hagiwara Susan Eggly Samuel L Gaertner Terrance L Albrecht John F Dovidio |
| |
Institution: | 1. Department of Oncology, Population Studies and Disparities Research Program, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USApennerl@karmanos.org;3. Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA;4. Department of Oncology, Population Studies and Disparities Research Program, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA;5. Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA;6. Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Around the world, members of racial/ethnic minority groups typically experience poorer health than members of racial/ethnic majority groups. The core premise of this chapter is that thoughts, feelings, and behaviours related to race and ethnicity play a critical role in healthcare disparities. Social psychological theories of the origins and consequences of these thoughts, feelings, and behaviours offer critical insights into the processes responsible for these disparities and suggest interventions to address them. We present a multilevel model that explains how societal, intrapersonal, and interpersonal factors can influence ethnic/racial health disparities. We focus our literature review, including our own research, and conceptual analysis at the intrapersonal (the race-related thoughts and feelings of minority patients and non-minority physicians) and interpersonal levels (intergroup processes that affect medical interactions between minority patients and non-minority physicians). At both levels of analysis, we use theories of social categorisation, social identity, contemporary forms of racial bias, stereotype activation, stigma, and other social psychological processes to identify and understand potential causes and processes of health and healthcare disparities. In the final section, we identify theory-based interventions that might reduce ethnic/racial disparities in health and healthcare. |
| |
Keywords: | Ethnicity/race Health and healthcare Disparities Explicit and implicit bias Intergroup processes |
|
|