Am J Psychiatry 1987; 144:358-361
Copyright © 1987 by American Psychiatric Association
Male and female psychiatrists and their patients
WS Fenton, CB Robinowitz and PJ Leaf
Data from a national survey were used to explore whether the patients of
male and female psychiatrists differed substantially in demographic or
clinical characteristics and whether there were any differences in
psychiatrists' treatment of same-gender versus opposite-gender patients.
Women constituted about two-thirds of the female but only one- half of the
male psychiatrists' patient loads. Female psychiatrists tended to see all
of their patients more frequently, but few other differences were found.
Better educated patients of both genders tended to have same-gender
therapists; patients experiencing marital disruption tended to be seen by
therapists of the opposite gender. Implications of these differences for
training and manpower development are discussed.
