How important is intrinsic spirituality in depression care? A comparison of white and African-American primary care patients

We used a cross-sectional survey to compare the views of African-American a nd white adult primary care patients (N = 76) regarding the Importance of v arious aspects of depression care. Patients were asked to rate the Importan ce of 126 aspects of depression care (derived from attitudinal domains Iden tified in focus groups) on a 5-point Likert scale. The 30 most Important it ems came from 9 domains: 1) health professionals' interpersonal skills, 2) primary care provider recognition of depression, 3) treatment effectiveness , 4) treatment problems, 5) patient understanding about treatment, 6) intri nsic spirituality, 7) financial access, 8) life experiences, and 9) social support. African-American and white patients rated most aspects of depressi on care as similarly important, except that the odds of rating spirituality as extremely important for depression care were 3 times higher for African Americans than the odds for whites.