EXPRESS: People Like Us: Heightened Preference for Ingroup Providers in Mental Healthcare

Although mental health conditions have worsened globally, many consumers remain insufficiently engaged in mental healthcare. Intuitively, practitioners can address this challenge by applying strategies that research has shown to promote physical healthcare. However, this approach might not be optimal because the decision-making process for seeking mental healthcare differs significantly from that for seeking physical healthcare. This research examines how consumers’ relative preference for ingroup (i.e., consumers’ own groups) versus outgroup healthcare providers varies when seeking healthcare for mental versus physical illness. Using a large-scale dataset comprising approximately 25 million medical consultations and 11 randomized controlled experiments, we consistently found that when seeking healthcare for mental (vs. physical) illness, consumers placed greater importance on healthcare provider empathy. This resulted in a stronger preference for ingroup over outgroup healthcare providers. The effect of illness type on healthcare provider preference was reduced when consumers were presented with ratings that demonstrated healthcare provider empathy; the main effect was attenuated among consumers with higher global identity. This research contributes to the literature on mental health, healthcare decision-making, empathy, and accessible healthcare. It offers practical implications for marketers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers for promoting mental healthcare and mitigating health disparities.