Depression in African Americans: Breaking barriers to detection and treatment
The Journal of Family Practice. 2006 January;55(1):30-39
January 1, 2006|The Journal of Family Practice
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Community-based studies tend to ignore high-risk groups of African Americans.
TABLE 2
Recommendations for addressing barriers to the detection and treatment of depression in the African American patient
| IMPROVING DIAGNOSIS |
| Assess stigma toward mental health problems for patients suspected to have depression |
| Inquire about patient’s experience of somatic symptoms and their relationship to depression, life stressors, and social conflicts |
| Maintain a respectful, open stance in understanding patient’s style of coping with depressive symptoms, including use of spirituality |
| Evaluate the presence of comorbid mental health problems, such as alcohol abuse, that require different treatment approaches |
| PROVIDING EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT |
| Determine the patient’s preferences for psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, and provide treatment referrals for counseling if appropriate and as resources permit |
| Educate patients about antidepressant medications, their onset of action, and side effects |
| At each visit after initiation of depression management, check for regular adherence to pharmacotherapy or to referred psychotherapy |
| Assist patients who cannot maintain regular visits for depression care to find strategies that can overcome social or financial barriers |
Acknowledgments
This review was funded by the Columbia Center for the Health of Urban Minorities (NCMHHD MD000206-019006) (Drs. Olfson and Weissman), an unrestricted grant from Eli Lilly & Company (Dr. Weissman) and a NIMH National Service Research Award Institutional Research Training Grant 5T32MH015144 (Dr. Das).
CORRESPONDENCE
Myrna M. Weissman, Ph.D. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032. E-mail: mmw3@columbia.edu
