Social congruence and empathy in paraprofessional and professional mental health workers

Abstract

The use of indigenous nonprofessionals as mental health workers has become an increasingly widespread practice. A frequently cited rationale for such useage is that nonwhite, nonmiddle-class clients, frequently a majority in community clinics, are likely to relate more readily to helpers of similar socioeconomic or cultural background. This study examines the empirical basis for this rationale by interviewing 102 community mental health center clients. Three attitude measures (perceived social congruence, perceived understanding, and perceived helpfulness) are utilized to assess Ss'perception of both paraprofessional and professional mental health personnel. Although Ss' were accurate in their judgments of social congruence, the expected correlations of social congruence with perceived empathy and helpfulness did not occur.