Race, Antidepressants and the Elderly
Suggested lead: Racial bias appears to exist in the prescription of antidepressants to the elderly and could signal under-diagnosis or under-treatment of depression in African-Americans. Tom Britt has more.
Friday, January 26, 2001
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Durham, N.C. -- A Duke University Medical Center study
of more than 4,000 elderly adults shows doctors are three times
more likely to prescribe antidepressants to elderly Caucasians than
to elderly African-Americans, even though the rates of major
depression among the two groups are about equal. Psychiatrist Dr.
Dan Blazer says the difference became especially pronounced with
the arrival of a new generation of antidepressants, most notably
Prozac. The study shows doctors are seven times more likely to
prescribe this new generation of medications to elderly white
patients.
"There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that antidepressants of this new generation are more effective for whites than for African-Americans, so there's no real data to suggest that they should be used more."
Blazer says the ten-year study shows that the physician's race does not seem to matter: African-American doctors are still less likely to prescribe antidepressants to African-American patients. Blazer says such unequal treatment demands more study. I'm Tom Britt.
Blazer says unequal treatment appears even when factors such as income and health insurance are taken into consideration.
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