Effect of sex of patient and clinician on mental status descriptions of attractiveness.

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which clinicians mentioned patients' physical attractiveness in intake mental status evaluations. Mental status reports were examined for 50 male and 50 female randomly chosen patients admitted to an urban community mental health center (CMHC) during the same year. Analysis was done to examine the effect of sex of patient, sex of clinician, and their interaction on mention of attractiveness and other related variables. The attractiveness of female patients was mentioned significantly more than that of male patients. Female clinicians were significantly more likely than male clinicians to mention patients' attractiveness and interpersonal style, and female clinicians used more descriptive adjectives overall. No interaction between patients' gender and clinicians' gender was found. Additional findings were that clinicians used more adjectives overall to describe better-educated patients and that they described more fully the physical appearance of better-educated patients. Implications of possible gender and class bias are noted and their clinical relevance is discussed.

Defining Normal: Constructions of Race and Gender in the DSM-IV Casebook

“…Apparently, attractiveness is a more relevant descriptor for women, regardless of their symptom presentation, whereas for men attractiveness is relevant only in the context of symptomatology. This is consistent with the findings of Jarett and Everhart (1983), who found that clinicians were more likely to refer to attractiveness when describing female clients than when describing male clients.…”

Impact of logo wear on provider perception of patient

“…(based on age, race, ethnicity, gender and education level). 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 In all these studies patients viewed as less attractive or desirable were more likely to receive lower quality and service. Street described how physician's perception of the patient affects the patient/physician interaction and communication, and suggests how it might affect service and quality experience.…”