Disparity in Antidepressant Prescription between African American and Caucasian Elderly Veterans: A Retrospective Descriptive Study

Abstract

The relationship between race and major depressive disorder (MDD) is complex. Large epidemiologic surveys have shown that African Americans have lower lifetime rates of MDD compared with Caucasians, and equivalent or lower rates of 12-month MDD, however once diagnosed they are more likely to be persistently ill. The rate of depression in veterans is almost twice the prevalence of MDD in the overall population of United States. Also, socioeconomic factors like being elderly, being male, unmarried and of African American race are associated with lower likelihood of receiving treatment with antidepressants.