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

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.

Automated summary

This study compared the time from the first DSM4 major depressive episode (MDE) until treatment in the community across different racial/ethnic groups. The results showed that non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic (any race) participants had lower rates of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy, and longer delays to antidepressant medication compared to non-Hispanic White participants. These findings underscore the importance of reducing these disparities.