There is a documented concept labeled “healthcare stereotype threat,” and researchers from the University of Southern California determined that people who encountered the threat of being judged by negative stereotypes in healthcare settings reported experiencing adverse health effects. The stereotypes include race, weight, age, gender, or social class. These individuals were more likely to exhibit these characteristics:

• hypertension
• depression
• report their health to be poor
• distrustful of their doctors
• dissatisfied with their care
• less likely to use highly accessible preventive care

Regarding race, some patients felt that negative stereotypes exist about associated unhealthy lifestyle choices and inferior intelligence within their race. These stereotypes among others may keep them from making regular visits to the doctor. This situation produces a disruptive psychological state that some racial minority patients experience when they feel at risk for confirming these negative stereotypes associated with their social identity. Patients may look for social cues that confirm health care professionals are viewing them through the lens of stereotypes. If patients sense a bias they feel devalued and become dissatisfied with the care they receive. This threat can produce negative physiological and psychological effects that can contribute to ill health. Due to feeling a sense of social discomfort, the patient’s communication and interaction may be negatively impacted compromising the provider’s ability to gather necessary information needed for a diagnosis and treatment plan. Patients may also reveal less information about their history to avoid confirming stereotypes. In some cases, patients will change or conflate their self-descriptions to project a self-image that refutes the stereotypes. This behavior can lead to a misdiagnosis or a treatment plan that does not address the core health problems of the patient.