Co-cultural Communicative Practices of African American Women Seeking Depression Care

African Americans face unique communication challenges when interfacing with the health care system that has a history of discrimination and power differentials. In response to the trifecta of race, class, and gender oppression when seeking health care, African American women make critical decisions regarding how to communicate during the clinical encounter for depression care. The purpose of this study was to use focused ethnography to explore the co-cultural communicative practices that African American women use when seeking depression care. The concept of intersectionality was used to contextualize 5 domains that explained the depth and breadth of African American women's experiences and communication strategies when seeking care for depression.