MAGA in the Clinic: The Quiet Violence of Biased Healthcare

Mental Health Care in a Country That Votes to Erase You

When we seek mental health help — whether this be a therapist or a psychiatric provider for medication — we assume we find a person who is committed to our healing journey.

But what happens when the clinic door and that person puts on their red hat?

Can you truly be healed by a person who states they are “not political” during their workday, validates you and then votes to erase your existence or remove your rights? They vote to erase your history or perhaps vote to ensure you and your family can no longer receive health insurance or food stamps?

We have to remember that we are not treated by AI. We are treated with humans. And while our education teaches us to be “unbiased” in our work and put our own feelings aside, at the end of the day, we are still people voting for your mental health. We are voting whether or not you should be able to marry the love of your life, adopt children, make choices about your body, have special education services for your children, have the history of your people be in public curriculum or just exist.

And all of those things affect you.

How can you walk into an office discussing your recent anxiety of your family being taken by ICE and have your provider nod as though they understand.. and then have your provider lock up, put on their MAGA hat and privately cheer on deportations of your family?

How can they put aside science in order to cheer on RFK blatantly disregarding science or discussing creating an autism registry?

On the provider side, we see this. I am in enough professional facebook groups to see the division that occurs. Providers post how destructive policies can be to our patients, and others reply with how Trump is doing great, why would we talk about politics, this is about psychiatry, etc. I saw the rise of “all lives matter” in these groups during the first administration.

There is no warning label on their websites that they may be giving you biased care if you are someone affected by the administration.

And we know biased care exists.

People of color are more likely to be misdiagnosed. Black people are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than white people — and this is even when symptoms are similar. They are also more likely to be subjected to involuntary hospitalization compared to white people.

Providers who are not familiar with the cultural behaviors, expressions, speech patterns, belief systems or affect variations that exist in the human spectrum (outside of just treating white people) are prone to misinterpretations, misdiagnosing and therefore prescribing inappropriate medications.

Providers who believe that implicit biases is a “woke” concept that doesn’t apply to them are the most dangerous. Their empathy, ability to listen, ability to believe patients and analyze situations is compromised without the ability to internally reflect on potential biases. There is a reason that Black providers have lower maternal death rates for Black women than white providers. White providers even rate Black patients to have lower pain thresholds which affect pain management techniques. There is a reason that health disparities exist — and it is not genetics.

What are some signs to be aware of that might indicate your provider is not the right fit for you?

• Do they list Oppositional Defiance (ODD) as a specialty area? If you are a person of color with a child, be aware that many will misdiagnose children of color with this useless diagnose instead of finding the root concern whether that be autism, sensory issues, ADHD, depression, anxiety or a mood disorder.

• Some of us post trans or LGBTQ flags to note that we are safe. If that isn’t listed as a specialty or a flag isn’t on their website, are they automatically unsafe? Or are they just attempting to appear to be “neutral”?

• No inclusive language, pronouns, or welcoming statements for LGBTQ patients.

• American flags or specialty for police or veterans (although there are also a lot of great progressive providers who specialize or offer rates for veterans).

• Cowboy hats.

• Take note of any hobbies or religiosity mentioned in their 'About' section that might suggest alignment with more traditional or conservative interests.

• Endorsements from political or advocacy groups linked to MAGA or right-wing causes.

• Endorsing other providers who are clearly MAGA.

• If you’re unsure — request documentation of your visit and scan for anything that might indicate underlying bias.

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