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Treatment-seeking for depression by black and white Americans

Author

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  • Sussman, Linda K.
  • Robins, Lee N.
  • Earls, Felton

Abstract

This paper examines data from a psychiatric epidemiologic survey of 3004 households in St Louis to determine whether there are distinctions between black and white Americans in their propensities to seek treatment for episodes of depression and to discover those groups least likely to seek care. The process initiated by the experiencing of unusual or distressing signs or symptoms and completed by seeking treatment for those complaints is a complex one, involving several steps. Numerous factors may affect decisions regarding treatment-seeking including characteristics of the individuals themselves, characteristics of the symptoms, and attitudes and beliefs about the causes and proper treatment of psychiatric problems or mood. We, therefore, also examine the available epidemiologic data for some clues concerning those factors which may have contributed to the observed patterns of treatment-seeking. Significantly fewer blacks meeting psychiatric criteria for a diagnosis of depression had sought professional care. Moreover, severity of the problem was significantly related to treatment-seeking among blacks and it was among those with the last severe problems that the greatest differences were found. Whites did not significantly exceed blacks in seeking care when depressive episodes were long lasting, severe or frequent. Although there was some indication that blacks may be more tolerant of depressive symptoms, a considerable proportion of blacks who felt they had a troublesome problem had never sought professional care. There was little evidence to suggest that a fear of being stigmatized prevented blacks from seeking care. However, blacks were more likely to report that fear of treatment and of being hospitalized had prevented them from seeking care. A number of hypotheses generated by the epidemiologic data are presented. Once large-scale surveys such as this have delineated the patterns of health care utilization and identified those groups at high risk of not receiving care, anthropological concepts and problem-oriented field research may be extremely useful in testing hypotheses concerning those factors underlying the observed behavioral patterns.

Suggested Citation

  • Sussman, Linda K. & Robins, Lee N. & Earls, Felton, 1987. "Treatment-seeking for depression by black and white Americans," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 187-196, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:24:y:1987:i:3:p:187-196
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    Cited by:

    1. Gross, Christiane & Schübel, Thomas & Hoffmann, Rasmus, 2015. "Picking up the pieces—Applying the DISEASE FILTER to health data," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(4), pages 549-557.
    2. Bauer, Amy M. & Chen, Chih-Nan & Alegría, Margarita, 2012. "Associations of physical symptoms with perceived need for and use of mental health services among Latino and Asian Americans," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(6), pages 1128-1133.
    3. Thomas L. Chiu, 1994. "The Unique Challenges Faced By Psychiatrists and Other Mental Health Professionals Working in a Multicultural Setting," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 40(1), pages 61-74, March.
    4. Keith Lloyd, 1993. "Depression and Anxiety Among Afro-Caribbean General Practice Attenders in Britain," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 39(1), pages 1-9, March.
    5. Karasz, Alison, 2005. "Cultural differences in conceptual models of depression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(7), pages 1625-1635, April.
    6. Johnson, Blair T. & Acabchuk, Rebecca L., 2018. "What are the keys to a longer, happier life? Answers from five decades of health psychology research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 218-226.

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