Male and female psychiatrists and their patients

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.