Primary care attributes and care for depression among low-income African American women.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the association between attributes of primary care providers and care for depression, from a patients' perspective, among a sample of predominantly low-income African American women.


METHODS
Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted among a population-based sample of 1202 women residing in Washington, DC.


RESULTS
Respondents whose primary care physicians provided more comprehensive medical services were more likely to be asked about and treated for depressive symptoms than women whose providers were less medically comprehensive. Women who rated their providers as having more respect for them also were more likely to be asked about and treated for depression.


CONCLUSIONS
More comprehensive primary care delivery and a physician-patient relationship focused on mutual respect are associated with greater rates of physician inquiry about and treatment for depression among vulnerable women.
O'Malley
Ann S
AS
Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. omalleya@georgetown.edu
Forrest
Christopher B
CB
Miranda
Jeanne
J
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D004219:District of Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000592:standards; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000592:standards*