Geographic Region, Racial/Ethnic Disparities, and Late-Life Depression: Results From a Large US Cohort of Older Adults.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry
; 30(6): 703-716, 2022 06.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34969584
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To determine associations between geographic region and late-life depression (LLD) severity, item-level symptom burden, and treatment; to evaluate whether racial/ethnic disparities in LLD, previously observed in the overall sample, vary by region.METHODS:
We included 25,502 VITAL (Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial) participants and administered the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 for depressive symptoms; participants also reported medication and/or counseling care for depression. Multivariable regression analyses were performed.RESULTS:
Despite overall lower LLD severity and item-level symptom burden in the Midwest versus Northeast, higher LLD severity and item-level burden were observed among minorities, especially Black and Hispanic adults, compared to non-Hispanic whites in this region. Racial/ethnic disparities in item-level symptoms (e.g., anhedonia, sadness, psychomotor changes) varied by region. There were no significant differences in depression care by region; furthermore, regional variation was not observed in racial disparities in care e.g., among those with clinician/physician-diagnosed depression, Blacks versus non-Hispanic whites had greater than 50% lower odds of treatment in all regions.CONCLUSION:
LLD varied by geographic region. Furthermore, magnitudes of racial/ethnic disparities in LLD severity and item-level symptom burden, but not depression care, differed by region.Key words
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Ethnicity
/
Depression
Type of study:
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
Year:
2022
Type:
Article