Prevalence and comorbidity of major depressive disorder in young black and white women.
OBJECTIVE
This study reports the prevalence and comorbidity of depression in two large samples of black and white young adult women.


METHODS
Clinical interviews of participants in a follow-up study of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study (NGHS-Wave II; N=378) were contrasted with a subsample of the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS; N=3749) to examine the rates and comorbidity of lifetime major depressive disorder in black and white women using methodology described by . The sequencing of disorders was also examined to determine which disorder was primary. Comorbidity and sequencing were examined for alcohol and drug use disorder, panic disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder.


RESULTS
Prevalence estimates for depression, alcohol use disorder, and drug use disorder were higher for white women than for black women in both NGHS-Wave II and NCS. Over half of depressed participants in both samples had at least one comorbid disorder and depression was associated with an increased probability of all the investigated disorders. Only one ethnic difference was found in comorbidity, indicating that black women were more likely to have comorbid panic disorder than white women were. Depression was primary to alcohol and substance use disorders, whereas it was secondary to specific phobia and PTSD.


CONCLUSIONS
High rates of comorbidity were found for both black and white women, though few ethnic differences in comorbidity were found. Preventive and treatment interventions are needed to address multiple disorders in young adult women.
Franko
Debra L
DL
Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology, Northeastern University, 203 Lake Hall Boston, MA 02115-5000, USA. d.franko@neu.edu
Thompson
Douglas
D
Barton
Bruce A
BA
Dohm
Faith-Anne
FA
Kraemer
Helena C
HC
Iachan
Ronaldo
R
Crawford
Patricia B
PB
Schreiber
George B
GB
Daniels
Stephen R
SR
Striegel-Moore
Ruth H
RH
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data