DEPRESSION AMONG PUERTO-RICANS IN NEW-YORK-CITY - THE HISPANIC HEALTHAND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY

This study was conducted to analyze determinants of depression among P uerto Ricans by replicating and expanding earlier studies of depressio n among Cuban Americans and Mexican Americans. Data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982-1984, were employed to e xamine depression and associated characteristics among Puerto Ricans. We utilized descriptive and multivariate statistics to examine the Cen ter for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)-assessed depres sive symptomatology and the DSM-III/DIS specification of major depress ion. The findings indicated that CES-D-assessed depressive symptomatol ogy among Puerto Ricans was associated with female gender, disrupted m arital status, poor health, and lower socioeconomic status as indicate d by low education, low household income, age, and unemployment. For b oth 6-month and 1-month DIS major depression, age, disrupted marital s tatus, and income of less than $ 5,000 were significant risk factors. For 6-month DIS major depression, never-married persons had a higher r isk for depression. For 1-month diagnoses, writing Spanish better than English was associated with lower risk. In general, our findings for Puerto Ricans were similar to studies of depression among other Hispan ic groups. We remained unable to explain the relatively extreme levels of depression among Puerto Ricans in New York, though several probabl e explanations are elaborated. We emphasized the general need to expan d the range of research designs and current risk models in epidemiolog y in an effort to capture the complexity of psychosocial and cultural processes relevant to psychological distress.