Barriers to diagnosis and treatment of depression: voices from a rural African-American faith community.

Abstract

Mental health disparities exist for rural African-Americans regarding the early detection of depression and its effective treatment. Disparities that are evident in rural communities include limited mental health resources and the stigma of depression. The faith community has a long-standing history of being the initial source of help to those who experience depression. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how rural African-American faith communities view the barriers to diagnosis and treatment of depression. A convenience sample of 24 persons (N = 24) participated in focus groups and interviews. Four internal barriers were identified: personal business, "mindset," "denial," and "put on a front." Additionally,four external barriers were identified: "spiritual beliefs," "lack of medical resources," "lack of education about depression," and "stigma." The identified barriers supported the results from previous studies, but they also highlighted other less acknowledged barriers. In conclusion, interventions are needed to overcome these barriers in order to eliminate the depression disparities experienced by this population.