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Study: Black patients more likely to receive chemical restraint in psychiatric hospital settings

Biases can cause also cause a delay in care, says UCI Health expert

IN THE NEWS: A new study found that Black patients experienced a higher rate of chemical restraints in psychiatric hospital settings, compared to Hispanic and white patients.

medpage today in white letters on dark blue backgroundAccording to Dr. Kathryn F. Lunny, a psychiatrist with UCI Health Psychiatry Services, Black patients experience greater disparities in psychiatric treatment.

She spoke with MedPage Today about how clinician’s biases, especially when it comes to women’s care, can lead to delayed treatment.

"Black patients get more injectable medications, they are more likely to be labeled with terms like schizophrenia or agitation compared to their white counterparts, and they appear to have poorer neurological outcomes."

She also discussed the challenges for physicians to understand their own biases.

"Though many institutions provide education and training to help bring awareness to and address implicit bias, longer-lasting interventions are needed."

Lunny specializes in consultation-liaison psychiatry. She is an assistant clinical professor at the UC Irvine School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior.

Mental Health

About UCI Health

UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves nearly 5.7 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).