Psychiatric history and symptom differences in black and white depressed patients.

Compared 159 black psychiatric patients with 555 white patients on a battery of social, personality, and psychiatric history variables, as well as presenting symptoms. In making these comparisons, race differences in age, social class status, and sex were controlled. Both black and white depressed patients were remarkably similar on presenting symptoms, especially the core symptoms of depression, when the groups were equated or controlled for age and social class differences. However, some differences did emerge on a number of hostility variables. There was a greater tendency toward negativism and the introjection of anger in blacks than in whites. In addition, depressed black males indicated that they were more likely than their white counterparts to strike back, either verbally or physically, when they felt their rights were being violated. There was also a very high incidence of suicide threats or attempts among the black males. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)