Elsevier

Women's Health Issues

Volume 19, Issue 4, July–August 2009, Pages 243-252
Women's Health Issues

Prevalence and Correlates of Current Depressive Symptomatology and Lifetime Diagnosis of Depression in Black Women

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2009.04.003Get rights and content

Background

There is a paucity of research on depressive symptoms and their correlates among Black women, which may contribute to underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, and inappropriate treatment.

Methods

Data were analyzed from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing, state-based, random-digit–dialed telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S. population aged ≥18 years. A total of 10,783 Black women aged 18 to 64 years were interviewed from 38 states, 2 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia (DC). There were 8,412 (78.0%) women who provided complete responses to questions regarding demographic characteristics, psychosocial variables, current depressive symptomatology, and a lifetime diagnosis of a depressive disorder. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence limits of current depressive symptomatology and self-reported lifetime diagnosis of depression were derived. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association of each correlate with the depression outcomes.

Results

Overall, 13.8% of Black women reported current depressive symptoms, and 14.9% reported a lifetime diagnosis of a depressive disorder by a health care provider. Significant correlates of both outcomes included rarely/never receiving social support, being unable to work, having physical health problems for 14 or more days in the past month, and dissatisfaction with life.

Conclusions

This study indicates that a substantial number of Black women suffer from significant symptoms of depression and report that they have been diagnosed with depressive disorders in their lifetime. Health care providers should assess Black women with poor physical health and life dissatisfaction for depressive disorders and not dismiss somatic complaints as solely physically based.

Section snippets

Background and Introduction

Major depression is a common mental illness that significantly impairs the social, physical, and emotional functioning of its sufferers (Hasin, Goodwin, Stinson, & Grant, 2005; Kessler et al., 2003; Strine et al., 2008; Williams et al., 2007). It impacts more than 13 million American adults annually and an estimated 16.2% of U.S. adults experience major depressive disorder in their lifetimes (Kessler et al., 2003). Results from numerous studies indicate that women are nearly twice as likely to

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

The BRFSS is an ongoing, state-based, random-digit–dialed telephone survey of noninstitutionalized persons aged 18 years or older in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The BRFSS collects self-reported information on many of the behaviors and conditions that increase the risk of chronic disease among adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998). The median cooperation rate for the BRFSS, or percentage of eligible respondents who completed the survey in

Prevalence of Current Depressive Symptomatology

Overall, the prevalence of reported significant current depressive symptomatology was 13.8% (95% CL, 12.5–15.1). The prevalence was highest among women who were unable to work (36.2%), had less than a high school education (33.0%), reported adequate social/emotional support rarely/never (35.1%), were dissatisfied with life (58.1%), and had physical health problems for 14 or more days in the past month (44.2%; Table 2).

Significant Correlates of Current Depressive Symptomatology

The AOR for significant current depressive symptomatology are presented in

Discussion

This is the first known study of the prevalence and selected correlates of current depression and lifetime diagnosis of a depressive disorder that focuses on Black women using state-based data from the 2006 BRFSS. It adds to the scant literature examining depression among U.S. Black women, a population that disproportionately shares the distribution of risk factors for this and other mental and physical illnesses. The estimate of current depression in Black women in this study (13.8%) was

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the fact that depression is common among Black women and that there is a need for greater focus on this population, particularly women reporting long-standing physical health problems and life dissatisfaction. Many of the results in this study reiterate the findings in the rather scant body of literature focusing on depression in Black women; the examination of life satisfaction and physical health problems in this study suggests the consideration of different models. One

Acknowledgments

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The authors acknowledge the following for their contributions to this manuscript: State BRFSS Coordinators, BRFSS respondents, and Dr. Stephanie Curenton, Research Fellow, NIEER, Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy, for her review of this manuscript.

Lela McKnight-Eily had full access to all the data in the study

Lela McKnight-Eily, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and mental illness epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She received her PhD from the University of Virginia. Her research and clinical interests include mental illness in disparate populations, depression in women, anxiety disorders, mental illness prevention/mental health promotion, psychopathology in children and adolescents, and sleep.

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    Lela McKnight-Eily, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and mental illness epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She received her PhD from the University of Virginia. Her research and clinical interests include mental illness in disparate populations, depression in women, anxiety disorders, mental illness prevention/mental health promotion, psychopathology in children and adolescents, and sleep.

    Letitia Presley-Cantrell, PhD, is a Behavioral Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She received her PhD from Clark Atlanta University. Her research interests include African-American women's health and culture.

    Laurie D. Elam-Evans, PhD, MPH, is the Deputy Associate Director for Science in the Division of Adult and Community Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests include mental health, women's health, and reproductive health.

    Daniel P. Chapman, PhD, is a psychiatric epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications and presentations, Dr. Chapman's research interests include psychopharmacology and mixed anxiety and depressive disorders.

    Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, is a Professor and Chief Psychologist, Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Her research interests include assessment and treatment suicide and family violence in the African American community and psychology, family psychology, and education and training in psychology.

    Geraldine S. Perry, DrPH, RD, is a Lead Health Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She received her Doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley. Her research interests include obesity and its relationship to depression, sleep, and other health stressors. She is also interested in the impact of racism on major health risks.

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