Ethnicity and the prescribing of antidepressant pharmacotherapy: 1992-1995.
Little is known about the prescribing pattern for antidepressant pharmacotherapy by ethnicity. The present study was designed to determine the rates of office-based visits documenting the utilization of antidepressant pharmacotherapy, a diagnosis of a depressive disorder, or both, among whites, blacks, and Hispanics age 20-79 years. Data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for 1992-93 and 1994-95 were utilized for this analysis. Comparing these time periods, we observed several trends: (1) The annualized mean rate per 100 US population of office-based visits documenting the use of antidepressant pharmacotherapy for any reason increased from 13.4 to 15.9 among whites (p < or = 0.0001) and from 6.5 to 7.7 among blacks (p < or = 0.0001), but remained unchanged at 7.3 for Hispanics (p > 0.05). (2) Documentation of a diagnosis of a depressive disorder increased for whites (10.9 to 12.0; p < or = 0.0001), for blacks (4.2 to 5.6; p < or = 0.0001), and for Hispanics (4.8 to 5.6; p < or = 0.0001). (3) The recording of a diagnosis of a depressive disorder in concert with the initial prescription or continuation of antidepressant pharmacotherapy also increased for whites (6.5 to 7.7; p < or = 0.0001), for blacks (2.6 to 3.4; p < or = 0.0001), and for Hispanics (3.0 to 3.2; p < or = 0.0001). We conclude that the rate of office-based visits documenting the utilization of antidepressant pharmacotherapy, a diagnosis of a depressive disorder, or both, was comparable among blacks and Hispanics by 1994-95, but was less than half the rate for whites in either time period examined. Further prospective research is required to discern the reasons for observed differences by ethnicity.
Sclar
D A
DA
Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmacoepidemiology Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-6510, USA.
Robison
L M
LM
Skaer
T L
TL
Galin
R S
RS
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000928:Antidepressive Agents