Evaluating Treatment Outcomes for African American and White Clients Receiving Treatment at a Community Mental Health Agency in the Rural South

Abstract

The present study examines the relationship between race and treatment outcomes among clients receiving services at a community mental health agency in the rural southeastern United States. A nonprobabilistic sample of clients completed the BASIS-32, a self-report summated rating scale, at an initial assessment and a series of three follow-up assessments conducted at 3-month intervals. The data were analyzed using a hierarchical linear model (HLM) consisting of an individual growth model and a between-client model examining possible differences in growth trajectories attributable to race, diagnosis, socioeconomic status, and gender. Clients’ symptomatology remained stable or decreased during the study period. Of the demographic variables examined, only diagnosis was significantly related to variation in treatment outcomes. No racial differences in treatment outcomes emerged. Although the findings must be considered preliminary, they do suggest that community mental health agencies can effectively respond to various ethnic, cultural, and racial groups by providing appropriate and individualized services.