Poorer People With Depression Harder to Treat

Research finds they're less likely to respond

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) Low-income people with depression are less likely to respond to treatment and are more likely to be suicidal than those who have higher incomes, according to a study in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Income, education and occupation have long been linked to health. Research has shown that people with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to develop depression.

However, researchers at Harvard Medical school reanalyzed two clinical trials and found that people in areas defined as middle- or high-income were more likely to respond to treatment than those in the low-income group.

Also, people in low-income areas were about twice as likely to be suicidal as those in middle-income areas, and more than two and a half times as likely as those with high incomes.

Participants in the study were all aged 59 or older and receiving antidepressant medications combined with psychotherapy. Low income was defined as less than $25,000, middle income between $25,000 and $50,000, and high income more than $50,000. The participants' depressive symptoms and response to treatment were measured weekly.

The authors found that years of education did not affect treatment response or the incidence of suicide.

More information

The National Institute of Mental Health has more about depression.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
www.healthday.com