The effects of working alliance and consumer-provider ethnic match on recovery status in community-based rehabilitative programs

Abstract

This present study extended previous working alliance and ethnic match research by incorporating two important but little studied aspects. First, this study examined the mediating effects of the working alliance of clients and clinicians on the relation between ethnic match and recovery status, unlike previous ethnic match research in which the association had been implicitly and simply assumed. Second, this study examined a sample of individuals who have severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) who participated in community-based treatment programs in multicultural communities. The multicultural contexts allowed a broader exploration of the associations among working alliance, ethnic match, and recovery status. This study yielded four main results: (1) consumers in the ethnic matched group reported significantly higher overall working alliance with their treatment providers compared with the non-matched group while, at the same time not reporting a significantly higher level of personal bond with their providers; (2) consumers who reported a higher level of working alliance with their providers also reported better recovery status, namely, higher self-efficacy in coping with their mental illness and better SUbjective quality of life; (3) the effect of working alliance positively and significantly mediated the relation between ethnic match and recovery status; however, (4) ethnic match did not have a significant overall effect on consumers' recovery status after accounting for the mediating effect of working alliance. Results suggest that identifying strategies to promote working alliance may be an important factor for consideration in treatment programs for people who have SPMI. Further research is needed to identify the specific factors involved in ethnic matching that appear to facilitate the collaborative process and building of strong working alliance.