Did you know, according to Mental Health America, African Americans are only 20 percent more likely to report serious psychological distress issues than whites? However, we face the hardest time expressing our emotions with family members and friends. Some African Americans simply don’t believe in depression even though they have to face discrimination, profiling, and negative stereotypes at some point in their lifetime if not all their lives.
Furthermore, a recent study finds, only one-third of people newly diagnosed with depression start treatment quickly, and seniors and minorities are the least likely to get help in a timely fashion.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 240,000 people in the United States who received a new diagnosis of depression from a primary care provider between 2010 and 2013.
Overall, about 36 percent of those patients got antidepressants or counseling within 90 days of their diagnosis. About half of patients with more severe depression started treatment within that time frame.
Race and age seemed to play a part in the findings.
Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics were at least 30 percent less likely to