- Oct 25, 2005
- 1,210
- 23
I find this study full of holes, it dont seem right, but if women and young girls in the community are depressed and carry it from young to old then we have SERIOUS problems for the community in the near and long term.
Depression Rate Drops for White Females, Stays Steady for Blacks
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Life News (Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Medical News Keywords
DEPRESSION, TEENAGERS, WOMEN, GIRLS, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, CAUCASIAN, BLACK, WHITE, RACIAL HEALTH DISPARITIES, STUDY, BODY IMAGE, MENTAL HEALTH
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Description
A new Northeastern University study found that white girls become less depressed as they reach early adulthood, while depression rate among black girls holds steady. NU professor Debra L. Franko and her fellow researchers examined self-reported symptoms of over 2,000 girls of both ethic groups during a recent study. Reasons for the difference between the two groups may include health disparities.
Newswise — A new study by Northeastern University professor Debra L. Franko found that white girls become less depressed as they age while black girls continue feeling the same. Franko and her associates surveyed more than two thousand girls and young women of both ethnicities and concluded that the depression rate in Caucasian females drops over time, while it remains steady in their African-American counterparts. The study was published in a recent issue of Journal of Adolescent Health.
Dr. Franko and her fellow researchers studied girls between the ages of 16 and 23 by examining self-reported symptoms of depression and analyzed the differences between the two ethnic groups. They suspect that these differences occur because of known racial and ethnic health disparities.
“We believe that issues like access to proper care, the stigma of mental health problems, and insurance status may be contributing factors to African-American girls suffering from depression being less likely to receive the necessary treatment,” says Debra L. Franko, Professor of Counseling and Applied Psychology. “This is clearly an area that needs to be investigated further.”
Dr. Franko and her colleagues suspect that the different ways black and white girls view their bodies may also contribute to the difference in depression rates among the two groups. Young Caucasian teenagers tend to be unhappy with their bodies and many show symptoms of depression as a result. As they get older, they become more satisfied with their shapes and sizes and the level of depression decreases. Conversely, most African-American girls accept their bodies both in their early teens and as they continue to mature, therefore the depression rate among them remains steady as they reach early adulthood.
The sample of Franko’s study was comprised of 2221 females (1146 African-American and 1075 Caucasian). The girls were participants in the decade-long National Growth and Health Study, conducted between 1987 and 1998.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and by contracts and cooperative agreements from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
About Northeastern
Northeastern University, located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, is a world leader in practice-oriented education and recognized for its expert faculty and first-rate academic and research facilities. Northeastern integrates challenging liberal arts and professional studies with the nation’s largest cooperative education program. Through co-op, Northeastern undergraduates alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, giving them nearly two years of professional experience upon graduation. The majority of Northeastern graduates receive a job offer from a co-op employer. Cited for excellence four years running by U.S. News & World Report, Northeastern has quickly moved up into the top tier rankings – an impressive 35 spots in four years. In addition, Northeastern was named a top college in the 2006 edition of the Princeton Review’s annual “Best Colleges” issue. For more information, please visit http://www.northeastern.edu.
Depression Rate Drops for White Females, Stays Steady for Blacks
Libraries
Life News (Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Medical News Keywords
DEPRESSION, TEENAGERS, WOMEN, GIRLS, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, CAUCASIAN, BLACK, WHITE, RACIAL HEALTH DISPARITIES, STUDY, BODY IMAGE, MENTAL HEALTH
Contact Information
Available for logged-in reporters only
Description
A new Northeastern University study found that white girls become less depressed as they reach early adulthood, while depression rate among black girls holds steady. NU professor Debra L. Franko and her fellow researchers examined self-reported symptoms of over 2,000 girls of both ethic groups during a recent study. Reasons for the difference between the two groups may include health disparities.
Newswise — A new study by Northeastern University professor Debra L. Franko found that white girls become less depressed as they age while black girls continue feeling the same. Franko and her associates surveyed more than two thousand girls and young women of both ethnicities and concluded that the depression rate in Caucasian females drops over time, while it remains steady in their African-American counterparts. The study was published in a recent issue of Journal of Adolescent Health.
Dr. Franko and her fellow researchers studied girls between the ages of 16 and 23 by examining self-reported symptoms of depression and analyzed the differences between the two ethnic groups. They suspect that these differences occur because of known racial and ethnic health disparities.
“We believe that issues like access to proper care, the stigma of mental health problems, and insurance status may be contributing factors to African-American girls suffering from depression being less likely to receive the necessary treatment,” says Debra L. Franko, Professor of Counseling and Applied Psychology. “This is clearly an area that needs to be investigated further.”
Dr. Franko and her colleagues suspect that the different ways black and white girls view their bodies may also contribute to the difference in depression rates among the two groups. Young Caucasian teenagers tend to be unhappy with their bodies and many show symptoms of depression as a result. As they get older, they become more satisfied with their shapes and sizes and the level of depression decreases. Conversely, most African-American girls accept their bodies both in their early teens and as they continue to mature, therefore the depression rate among them remains steady as they reach early adulthood.
The sample of Franko’s study was comprised of 2221 females (1146 African-American and 1075 Caucasian). The girls were participants in the decade-long National Growth and Health Study, conducted between 1987 and 1998.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and by contracts and cooperative agreements from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
About Northeastern
Northeastern University, located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, is a world leader in practice-oriented education and recognized for its expert faculty and first-rate academic and research facilities. Northeastern integrates challenging liberal arts and professional studies with the nation’s largest cooperative education program. Through co-op, Northeastern undergraduates alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, giving them nearly two years of professional experience upon graduation. The majority of Northeastern graduates receive a job offer from a co-op employer. Cited for excellence four years running by U.S. News & World Report, Northeastern has quickly moved up into the top tier rankings – an impressive 35 spots in four years. In addition, Northeastern was named a top college in the 2006 edition of the Princeton Review’s annual “Best Colleges” issue. For more information, please visit http://www.northeastern.edu.
... please make yourself at home ... 