Depression Screening Among African American Adults in the Primary Care Setting

Although depression is treatable with medication and psychotherapy, it is often left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in African American communities. African American patients may experience poor outcomes when medical problems coexist with undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues, such as depression. This is a concern because depression can inhibit compliance with providers' treatment plans. A major factor in treatment of depression is assessment and recognition of the condition itself so that a proper diagnosis and treatment plan can be determined. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a depression screening tool on depression diagnoses and treatment initiation in African American patients in a primary care setting. In 200 patients prior to screening implementaion, none were screened or diagnosed with depression. After routine implementation of a depression screening tool, 75 of 182 patients were diagnosed with depression. Using a routine screening tool resulted in a 41% increase in diagnoses of depression. The integration of routine depression screening in the primary care setting may improve overall health outcomes and competence in implementation of care.