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The associations between socio-economic status and major depressive disorder among Blacks, Latinos, Asians and non-Hispanic Whites: findings from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2009

A. R. Gavin ,
E. Walton ,
D. H. Chae ,
M. Alegria ,
J. S. Jackson  and
D. Takeuchi
A. R. Gavin*
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
E. Walton
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
D. H. Chae
Affiliation:
Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
M. Alegria
Affiliation:
Center for Multicultural Mental Health Research, Cambridge Health Alliance, Somerville, MA, USA
J. S. Jackson
Affiliation:
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
D. Takeuchi
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr A. R. Gavin, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 4101 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA98105-6299, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

This study examined whether there were associations between individual measures of socio-economic status (SES) and the 12-month prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in representative samples of Blacks, Latinos, Asians and Whites in the USA.

Method

The data used were from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies (CPES).

Results

There was an association between household income and MDD among Whites. However, the association was not statistically significant. Statistically significant associations were present between educational attainment and MDD among Whites. Among both Whites and Latinos, being out of the labor force was significantly associated with MDD. In analyses by nativity, being out of the labor force was significantly associated with MDD among US-born and foreign-born Latinos.

Conclusions

Significant associations between various measures of SES and MDD were consistently observed among White and, in some cases, Latino populations. Future studies should continue to examine sociopsychological factors related to SES that increase the risk of MDD among people from racial-ethnic communities.

Keywords

Major depressionracial-ethnic statussocio-economic status
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , January 2010 , pp. 51 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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