Implementing the Institute of Medicine definition of disparities: an application to mental health care.

This paper applies the Institute of Medicine’s definition of health service disparity—a difference between 2 groups in treatment or access not justified by differences in health or preference—to outpatient mental health treatment.  Findings indicate disparities between whites and blacks and between whites and Latinos which are greater than observed in other studies.  The authors point to the importance of monitoring disparities to gauge access to mental health care.  

McGuire, T. G., Alegria, M., Cook, B. L., Wells, K. B., & Zaslavsky, A. M. (2006). Implementing the Institute of Medicine definition of disparities: an application to mental health care. Health Services Research, 41(5), 1979-2005. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4149/is_5_41/ai_n16818876