Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Representation in Academic Psychiatry Chairs, 2012 to 2022

This study examines trends in gender and racial/ethnic representation in academic psychiatry department chairs compared to faculty in the United States (U.S.).

Using data from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Faculty Roster (2012-2022), a total of 1722 psychiatric department chairs and 125,333 psychiatric faculty at U.S. academic medical centers were included. Trends in leadership representation by gender, race, and ethnicity were examined using the Leadership Parity Index (LPI). Individuals were categorized by self-identified race/ethnicity (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/Spanish origin, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White) and gender (female or male). An LPI of 1 suggests parity of department chair representation relative to a group's faculty representation, LPI > 1 suggests overrepresentation, and LPI < 1 suggests underrepresentation.

White individuals (LPI range over 10-year period = 1.1 to 1.19), particularly white men (LPI range = 1.79 to 1.96), were consistently overrepresented as psychiatry department chairs. Women across all races/ethnicities were underrepresented as psychiatry department chairs (LPI range = 0.24 to 0.58). Men were overrepresented (LPI range = 1.54 to 1.70) in every racial/ethnic group, except Asian men. Of all racial/ethnic groups studied, Asian men and women were the most underrepresented (LPI range = 0.42 to 1.07 and 0.12 to 0.30, respectively).

Academic psychiatry department chairs continue to be disproportionately overrepresented by white men. The persistent underrepresentation of women in all racial/ethnic groups and Asians as department chairs highlights the continued need to promote parity in academic psychiatry leadership.