Gender and Racial Disparity among Addiction Psychiatry Fellows in the United States

Abstract

The United States (US) has a culturally diverse population. However, the percentage of underrepresented minorities (URMs) and women in healthcare does not fully reflect their current and future demographics. Our objective was to explore and forecast the gender and racial trends in the US addiction psychiatry fellowship programs. A retrospective analysis was performed using data from Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Resource Books which encompassed US addiction psychiatry fellows from 2007 to 2020. Simple linear and multiple regression were used to predict the 2030 addiction psychiatry workforce. White (Non-Hispanic) and Asian/Pacific Islander had a relative change of -2.8% and -26.1% from 2011 to 2020, respectively. Black (non-Hispanic) had a relative change of + 5.2%. Hispanic and Native American/Alaskan had no relative change during this time. From 2007 to 2020, women's representation relatively decreased by 10.9%. Statistically, these dynamic trends of the addiction psychiatry workforce will continue to exist in 2030. Women and URM addiction psychiatrists play an effective role in addressing substance use disorders (SUD). Unfortunately, the current gender and racial disparities in addiction psychiatry will exist in the future. Understanding the continued gender and racial bias in addiction psychiatry fellowships and devising appropriate recommendations can help mitigate the existing disparities.

Keywords: Addiction; Fellows; Gender; Psychiatry; Racial disparity.