A Newsletter of the Office of Minority Health

Mental Health and Minorities
September 1997

Each of us will experience ups and downs in our lives. But for some people, the down times last longer than the up times, and are severe in nature--beyond the point of what's considered healthy.

"In the United States, more than 17 million adults, or 10 percent of the population, suffer from depression each year," according to Denise Juliano-Bult, director of program and community development for the National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) DEPRESSION Awareness, Recognition and Treatment (D/ART) Campaign.

"Clinical depression, which affects mood, mind, body, and behavior, affects all ages, socioeconomic groups, and races," Ms. Juliano-Bult said. Depressive symptoms include sleep disturbances, sad or empty feelings, and fatigue. While the rates of depression between African Americans and Whites are similar, African Americans may have a higher rate of depressive symptoms than Whites.

Depression can be caused by genetic and biochemical factors, as well as environmental stressors and other psychosocial factors. The syndrome includes a combination of physiological, affective, and cognitive manifestations.

NIMH recognized the widespread problem of depression over 10 years ago and has been addressing it since then through the D/ART Program. The program is a national public and professional education effort that is based on 50 years of medical research and aims to reduce the personal and economic cost of depression through early recognition and treatment.

The three major components of the program are the Public Education Campaign, the Professional Training Program, and the National Worksite Program.

The Public Education Campaign uses media activities, print materials, and joint activities with D/ART Community Partners and other organizations to educate the public about depression and improve help-seeking behavior.

The Professional Training Program provides mental health providers and other professionals with up-to-date information on the diagnosis and treatment of depression. To carry out this mission, the program administers grants to universities and medical schools, and collaborates with professional associations.

The National Worksite Program educates corporate executives, managers, health professionals, other employees, and families about depression. This component of the D/ART program is implemented in partnership with private employers and the Washington Business Group on Health. Through its three programs, "the D/ART program targets mental health professionals; gatekeepers--those who identify people with depression and make referrals such as high school counselors and pastors; primary care physicians, substance abuse counselors, older adults, and minority populations," said Ms. Juliano-Bult.

"While there are no methods of treatment specific to minorities, the D/ART program advocates that mental health professionals be sensitive to the cultural factors relevant to their client population(s)," Ms. Juliano-Bult said.

It is also important, she added, that people recognize how depression can relate to other illnesses. The rate of major depression among those with medical illness is significant. In primary care, depression rates range from five to 10 percent, and among medical inpatients, the rate is 10 to 14 percent.

Research has shown that depressive illness occurs in 40 to 65 percent of patients who have suffered a heart attack. And the depressed patients may have a shorter life span than those patients without depression. Additionally, about 25 percent of cancer patients and 10-27 percent of post-stroke patients suffer from depression. Evidence has shown that when depression is treated along with the medical illness, the medical problem is likely to improve sooner.

For free brochures on depression in English and Spanish, call the D/ART program, 1-800-421-4211.

-Jean Oxendine