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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Julia F. Hastings, School of Social Work/ Poverty Research and Training Center, University of Michigan, 540 E. Liberty, Suite 202, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2210, (734) 998-8511, jhasting@umich.edu
Depression is a major public health problem that disproportionately affects the poor. Many studies of depression suggest that low socioeconomic status directly increases vulnerability to this mental disorder. However, research also shows that although African Americans and Latinos are overrepresented among the poor, they often report a high number of symptoms (Coyne & Downey, 1991) that do not meet diagnostic criteria for major depression. The present study investigates the distribution of depression symptoms among African Americans, Latinos, and whites by level of poverty and whether the number of symptoms increases with level of poverty. Findings from an analysis of 38,410 persons in a sample generated from combined cross-sectional National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) datasets in years 1994, 1995, and 1996 are reported. Depression symptomatology is generated from the modified Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Zero-inflated Poisson regression analysis revealed higher counts of major depressive symptoms among the severely poor and poor or near poor, ethnic minorities, and among those who completed at least a college degree. The results highlight the need for public health social workers to appreciate the significance of depression symptoms in ethnic persons even if they do not meet diagnostic criteria, particularly among African Americans. Public health social workers serving ethnic populations will be able to: 1) describe the national prevalence and correlates of depression symptoms; 2) discuss implications for professional practice, including outreach, screening, and intervention for underserved ethnic populations; and 3) identify directions for future research.
Learning Objectives: Public health social workers serving ethnic populations will be able to
Keywords: Depression, Ethnic Minorities
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.