Race and the clinical diagnosis of depression in new primary care patients.
Signs and symptoms of depression may be expressed differently based on the patient’s race or culture, and therefore be at risk for mis- or under-diagnosis. In this study of more than 168,000 ambulatory care visits, White patients were more likely to be diagnosed with depression at new and return visits compared with Black patients. Recommendations for improving diagnosis of depression among Black patients include improving the cultural competency of providers.