Cultural and Linguistic Considerations in Psychodiagnosis with Hispanics: The Need for an Empirically Informed Process Model

It is estimated that in the next century nearly half of the clientele seeking mental health services will be members of ethnic minority groups. Hispanics are the most rapidly growing population in the United States, and epidemiological evidence suggests that they present higher levels of psychiatric symptomatology and prevalence rates of disorder compared with other ethnic groups. Despite the unprecedented recognition of cultural considerations found in DSM-IV for rendering a psychiatric diagnosis, there is still surprisingly little empirical research examining cultural and linguistic factors influencing the diagnostic process. This article critically reviews this research and considers process variables that can inform social workers' culturally sensitive diagnosis of Hispanics.