Cultural Diversity in Psychiatry

This purpose of this review is to provide general guidelines to practicing psychiatrists and psychologists on cultural diversity in the discipline. Diversity and mental health is a complex topic in a complex discipline, and our goal is to contribute to an understanding of how cultural identity affects our work. This review does not explicitly state how to treat any one cultural group. Rather, it is a tool for psychiatrists and other mental health providers to begin a sensitive and helpful conversation with patients of all backgrounds and a way to explore their own cultural identities. As our nation becomes increasingly diverse, providers are expected to understand how a patient’s cultural identity impacts the presenting problem and, ultimately, treatment. In addition, an ever-present opportunity remains for mental health professionals to explore their own cultural identity and how it may be involved in conscious and unconscious biases, which, in turn, also impact how they interpret, treat, and manage care. We explore key aspects of diversity with the goal of cultivating a deeper level of insight and awareness among psychiatrists in training and those currently in practice when cari