Racial and ethnic disparities in time to first antidepressant medication or psychotherapy

• Published in: Psychiatry research 2023-08, Vol.326, p.115324-115324, Article 115324
• Main Authors: Enslow, Meghan R., Galfalvy, Hanga C., Sajid, Sumra, Pember, Rachael S., Mann, J. John, Grunebaum, Michael F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidepressant; Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Black or African American; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - drug therapy; Healthcare Disparities; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Psychotherapy; Racial disparity; Racial Groups; Time-to-Treatment; United States
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115324

•Race-ethnicity groups did not differ in age, sex, income, or depressive episode number.•Longer delays from first major depressive episode to antidepressant medication for non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic (any race) participants.•Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic (any race) participants have lower rates of lifetime depression treatment. Time from first DSM4 major depressive episode (MDE) until treatment in the community was compared across racial/ethnic groups. This secondary analysis used structured baseline data from a depression research clinic (N = 260). Chi-square and survival analyses compared rates and delays to antidepressant medication and psychotherapy. Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic (any race) participants had lower rates of both antidepressant medication and psychotherapy and longer delays to antidepressant medication compared with non-Hispanic White participants. The results underscore the need to reduce these disparities.