Disparities found in depression care for elderly AA population.

While there have been numerous improvements in depression care over the last 20 years, disparities in depression treatment still exist, particularly for elderly African Americans, igniting a call for universal mental health screening and further research, according to a new study currently online and in the February issue of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH).

For their study "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Depression Care in Community-Dwelling Elderly in the United States," Rutgers researchers culled data from the U.S. Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey 2001-2005, and obtained information on health care use and costs, health status, medical and prescription drug insurance coverage, access to care and use of services.

Based on a national survey of 33,708 Medicare beneficiaries, 65 years and older, researchers found that depression diagnosis …