Length of stay, admission types, psychiatric diagnoses, and the implications of stigma in African Americans in the nationwide inpatient sample.
African Americans purportedly have a higher prevalence of mental illnesses but are often misdiagnosed and less likely to seek treatment. Delayed treatment has been associated with the stigma related to these disorders. The demographic characteristics, length of stay, most prevalent psychiatric diagnoses, and hospital admissions of African Americans were compared to other U.S. populations using a nationwide sample (N = 4,474,732). African American participants were younger, had significantly longer lengths of stay, and were admitted more often through the emergency room than the other groups in this sample. Psychosis, alcohol/drug dependence, and depressive neurosis were the most prevalent psychiatric diagnoses reported for African American participants. Research is needed to explain these results so that strategies can be instituted to improve the poor mental health outcomes often observed in African American populations.
Bolden
Lois
L
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. lbolden@utmem.edu
Wicks
Mona Newsome
MN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D013240:Stereotyping; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data