Science/Medicine : Study of Women Psychiatrists

Women psychiatrists tend to have more female patients than male patients, and they tend to see all of their patients more frequently than do their male counterparts.

The American Psychiatric Assn. reported nearly one-fifth of all psychiatrists are women, and their ranks are growing at a steady pace that is expected to continue into the next generation.

According to a study, nearly two-thirds of the patients seen by female psychiatrists are women, while male psychiatrists are more likely to have a 50-50 split between the two sexes.

Past studies have shown that women patients are as much as three times more likely to prefer a female physician in areas such as obstetrics, according to the association, and that may explain why women patients tend to gravitate toward female therapists as well.