Physician-patient interaction and depression among African-American women: a national study

To examine the relationship between physician-patient interaction and depression among African-American women.

Cross-sectional survey.

1,411 African-American women completed a mailed 46-item survey on psychological well-being.

The independent variables included demographics and depressive symptomatology as measured by the CES-D. The dependent variable was the mean score on an 8-item measure of physician-patient interaction, and other factors associated with physician-patient interaction.

Overall, even after accounting for demographic variables, the higher scores on the CES-D were associated with lower scores on physician-patient interaction (B=1.11, 95% CI=1.06, 1.16). Depression was positively associated with: difficulty in talking to physicians, likelihood of discussing problems with physicians, reporting that a physician had made offensive comments, and the likelihood of changing physicians due to dissatisfaction (all P values <.01).

These results suggest that depressive symptomatology may be an important factor to consider in physicians' interaction with African-American women.