Treatment Characteristics and Illness Burden Among European Americans, African Americans, and Latinos in the First 2,000 Patients of the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder

Patients with bipolar disorder who are members of ethnic/racial minority groups continue to receive less intensive specialized mental health treatment than do European American patients. These findings may be related to provider, patient, or provider-patient relationship variables. Despite treatment differences and greater comorbidity and sympomatology, there were no differences among the three groups in overall functioning, suggesting additional outcome measurement is warranted.