Inclusion, Diversity, Equity in Action (IDEA): The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Results From the 2016 and 2023 Surveys.

OBJECTIVES

To describe demographic and professional characteristics of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) membership based on the 2016 and 2023 surveys.

METHODS

Surveys for 2016 and 2023 were created by the AAGP Diversity Caucus and the AAGP Inclusion, Diversity, Equity in Action (IDEA) committee, respectively, and administered to the AAGP membership. The 2023 survey also queried about attitudes towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

RESULTS

118 of 1,453 AAGP members responded to the 2016 survey, representing an 8.1% response rate. 195 of 1,232 members responded to the 2023 survey, for a response rate of 15.8%. The majority of survey respondents were comprised of academic psychiatrists who hold teaching and administrative roles alongside clinical work and who were predominantly Caucasian, heterosexual, and middle-aged. A comparison of survey responses in 2016 and 2023 revealed slight shifts towards greater diversity, with an increase in the proportion of nonpsychiatry professionals, racialized minorities in Black and Asian groups, and a higher proportion of female respondents. The number of respondents aged 65 and older nearly doubled between 2016 and 2023. Although the majority of respondents favored an increase in focus on DEI at the annual meeting and within the AAGP, 58 of 195 respondents (30%) did not. Respondents below the age of 55 years and who were female were disproportionately in favor of increasing a focus on DEI.

CONCLUSION

A limitation of the current findings is the low response rate. Future surveys should implement strategies to increase response rates and longitudinal tracking of survey respondents to identify DEI-related needs of the AAGP's membership. Periodic surveying of the demographic and professional diversity of the AAGP membership is an essential tool that will allow monitoring of DEI efforts in the organization.