TY - JOUR
KW - African Americans/psychology
KW - Depressive Disorder, Major/diagnosis/psychology/therapy
KW - European Continental Ancestry Group/psychology
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data
KW - Primary Health Care/methods
KW - Rural Population/statistics & numerical data
KW - Severity of Illness Index
KW - Stereotyping
KW - Urban Population/statistics & numerical data
AU - R. Menke
AU - H. Flynn
A1 - 
AB - Although many depressed patients are treated in primary care, depression in these settings has been underdetected and undertreated, which may be influenced by mental health beliefs such as stigma. This study examined the relationships among depression, mental health stigma, and treatment in African American and white primary care patients. Data were collected at 3 primary care settings from 1103 patients who completed surveys measuring depression, stigma, and treatment use. Overall, African American patients reported greater mental health stigma than whites. African American women reported greater stigma than white women. White patients were found to be more likely to use depression treatment than African American patients. Multivariate analyses showed that greater depression severity fully mediated the relationship between stigma and treatment use, and that patients with the highest depression scores had significantly higher stigma scores as well. These results suggest that greater severity of depressive symptoms may override stigma and other beliefs about mental health in determining treatment use, but may be important to address for patients with more moderate levels of symptomatology.
BT - The Journal of nervous and mental disease
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
CP - 6
CY - United States
DO - 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181a6162e
IS - 6
JF - The Journal of nervous and mental disease
N2 - Although many depressed patients are treated in primary care, depression in these settings has been underdetected and undertreated, which may be influenced by mental health beliefs such as stigma. This study examined the relationships among depression, mental health stigma, and treatment in African American and white primary care patients. Data were collected at 3 primary care settings from 1103 patients who completed surveys measuring depression, stigma, and treatment use. Overall, African American patients reported greater mental health stigma than whites. African American women reported greater stigma than white women. White patients were found to be more likely to use depression treatment than African American patients. Multivariate analyses showed that greater depression severity fully mediated the relationship between stigma and treatment use, and that patients with the highest depression scores had significantly higher stigma scores as well. These results suggest that greater severity of depressive symptoms may override stigma and other beliefs about mental health in determining treatment use, but may be important to address for patients with more moderate levels of symptomatology.
PP - United States
PY - 2009
SN - 1539-736X; 0022-3018
SP - 407
EP - 411
EP - 
T1 - Relationships between stigma, depression, and treatment in white and African American primary care patients
T2 - The Journal of nervous and mental disease
TI - Relationships between stigma, depression, and treatment in white and African American primary care patients
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U2 - 19525740
U3 - 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181a6162e
VL - 197
VO - 1539-736X; 0022-3018
Y1 - 2009
ER -