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Article: Major Depressive Disorder in the African American Population: Meeting the Challenges of Stigma, Misdiagnosis, and Treatment Disparities
- Article from:
- Journal of the National Medical Association
- Article date:
- November 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright National Medical Association Nov 2009. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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This article examines major depressive disorder (MDD) in the African American population. As prevalence rates and severity of depression in African Americans are investigated, the findings indicate many blacks are underdiagnosed. Further, African Americans seem to have more severe episodes of depression compared to Caucasians. Explanations for this difference are that African Americans with MDD often present with somatic symptoms, leading physicians to miss a MDD diagnosis. Depression is often stigmatized in the African American population, seen as a "personal weakness." Educating the community about depression and educating physicians to make cultural competent diagnoses are necessary. ...