Racial Disparities Seem to Persist in Depression Diagnosis

December 28th, 2011

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

TUESDAY, Dec. 27 (HealthDay News) — Racial and cultural factors still
affect the diagnosis and treatment of depression in elderly Americans,
despite improvements to diagnostic tools and therapies in recent decades,
according to a new study.

Researchers found that elderly blacks are less likely to be
diagnosed — and therefore treated — than whites or Hispanics.

About 6.6 percent of elderly people in the United States have an
episode of major depression each year, making it a significant public
health issue for older Americans, the Rutgers University researchers
pointed out in a university news release.

If it’s left untreated or undertreated, depression can have a major
negative impact on quality of life and can also complicate medical
conditions that are common in elderly people, including congestive heart
failure, arthritis and diabetes, Ayse Akincigil, an assistant professor in
Rutgers’ School of Social Work, and colleagues explained.

The investigators analyzed data collected from nearly 34,000 Medicare
beneficiaries between 2001 and 2005, and found that rates of depression
diagnosis were 6.4 percent for whites, 4.2 percent for blacks, 7.2 percent
for Hispanics, and 3.8 percent for other groups.

“Efforts are needed to reduce the burden of undetected and untreated
depression and to identify the barriers that generate disparities in
detection and treatment,” the researchers concluded.

“Promising approaches include providing universal depression screening
and ensuring access to care in low-income and minority neighborhoods,”
they added. “An increase in the reimbursement of case management services
for the treatment of depression also may be effective.”

The study was released online in advance of publication in an upcoming
print issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about older adults and depression.