Patient requests: correlates and therapeutic implications for Hispanic, black, and Caucasian patients

A patient's reason for coming to a psychiatric outpatient clinic (his/her request for service) should be the focal point as a therapist develops an appropriate therapeutic plan for that patient. Data have been collected on 173 Hispanic, Black and Caucasian patients with regard to their reasons for coming to the clinic and selected demographic and process/outcome variables. A factor analysis of the patient request data generated three conceptual factors, which account for 13 reasons for coming to the clinic. The relationship of these factors with selected demographic and therapy outcome variables was tested statistically, and implications for therapy with low income and minority patients are discussed.