Antidepressant use in a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling US Latinos with and without depressive and anxiety disorders.
BACKGROUND
Antidepressant drugs are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States; however, little is known about their use among major ethnic minority groups.


METHODS
Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES) data were analyzed to calculate nationally representative estimates of Latino and non-Latino White adults antidepressant use.


METHODS
The 48 coterminous United States was the setting.


METHODS
Household residents aged 18 years and older (N=9,250).


RESULTS
Past year antidepressant use.


RESULTS
Compared to non-Latino Whites, few Latinos, primarily Mexican Americans, with 12-month depressive and/or anxiety disorders reported past year antidepressant use. Mexican Americans (OR=0.48; 95%CI=0.30-0.77) had significantly lower odds of use compared to non-Latino Whites, which were largely unaffected by factors associated with access to care. Over half of antidepressant use was by respondents not meeting 12-month criteria for depressive or anxiety disorders. Lifetime depressive and anxiety disorders explained another 21% of past year antidepressant use, leaving another 31% of drug use unexplained.


CONCLUSIONS
We found a disparity in antidepressant use for Mexican Americans compared to non-Latino Whites that was not accounted for by differences in need and factors associated with access to care. About one third of antidepressant use was by respondents not meeting criteria for depressive or anxiety disorders. Our findings underscore the importance of disaggregating Latino ethnic groups. Additional work is needed to understand the medical and economic value of antidepressant use beyond their primary clinical targets.
González
Hector M
HM
Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA. hmgonzalez@med.wayne.edu
Tarraf
Wassim
W
West
Brady T
BT
Croghan
Thomas W
TW
Bowen
Mary E
ME
Cao
Zhun
Z
Alegría
Margarita
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000928:Antidepressive Agents