Am J Psychiatry 1982; 139:461-465
Copyright © 1982 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychiatric training issues: the Puerto Rican perspective
AA Arce
A critical aspect of the problem of mental health service delivery to
Hispanics is the inadequacy of manpower resources, especially the lack of
professional workers with a knowledge of the Hispanic culture and language.
Two factors--underrepresentation of Hispanics at professional levels and
curriculum deficits in training programs--account for the persistence of
inadequate manpower. The author discusses both themes from the Puerto Rican
perspective, emphasizing the development of didactic and practical learning
experiences for both Puerto Rican and non-Hispanic trainees and their
implications for diagnosis and treatment. Training models are discussed.
