Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Depression among Puerto Ricans in New York City: the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study was conducted to analyze determinants of depression among Puerto Ricans by replicating and expanding earlier studies of depression among Cuban Americans and Mexican Americans. Data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982–1984, were employed to examine depression and associated characteristics among Puerto Ricans. We utilized descriptive and multivariate statistics to examine the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)-assessed depressive symptomatology and the DSM-III/DIS specification of major depression. The findings indicated that CES-D-assessed depressive symptomatology among Puerto Ricans was associated with female gender, disrupted marital status, poor health, and lower socioeconomic status as indicated by low education, low household income, age, and unemployment. For both 6-month and 1-month DIS major depression, age, disrupted marital status, and income of less than $ 5,000 were significant risk factors. For 6-month DIS major depression, never-married persons had a higher risk 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 Hispanic groups. We remained unable to explain the relatively extreme levels of depression among Puerto Ricans in New York, though several probable explanations are elaborated. We emphasized the general need to expand the range of research designs and current risk models in epidemiology in an effort to capture the complexity of psychosocial and cultural processes relevant to psychological distress.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mann ES, Salvo JJ (1985) Characteristics of new Hispanic immigrants to New York City: a comparison of Puerto Rican and non-Puerto Rican Hispanics. Research Bulletin 8 (1–2). Hispanic Research Center, Fordham University, Bronx, New York

    Google Scholar 

  2. Institute for Puerto Rican Policy Inc. Data note on the Puerto Rican Community 1992; 9/10

  3. Rogler LH, Cooney RS (1985) Puerto Rican families in New York City: intergenerational processes. Waterfront Press, Maplewood, N.J.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Fernandez-Pol B, Bluestone H, Morales G, Mizruchi M (1985) Cultural influences and alcoholism: a study of Puerto Ricans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 9: 443–446

    Google Scholar 

  5. Soto E, Shaver P (1982) Sex-role traditionalism, assertiveness, and symptoms of Puerto Rican women living in the United States. Hispanic J Behav Sci 4: 1–19

    Google Scholar 

  6. Torres-Matrullo C (1976) Acculturation and psychopathology among Puerto Rican women in mainland United States. Am J Orthopsychiatry 46: 710–719

    Google Scholar 

  7. Canino GJ, Bird HR, Shrout PE, et al (1987) The Prevalence of Specific Psychiatric Disorders in Puerto Rico. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44: 727–735

    Google Scholar 

  8. Canino IA, Earley BF, Rogler LH (1988) The Puerto Rican child in New York City: stress and mental health, 2nd edn, Monograph no. 4. Hispanic Research Center, Fordham University, Bronx, N. Y.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Rogler LH, Malgady RG, Rodriguez O (1989) Hispanics and mental health: a framework for research, Krieger Publishers, Malabar, Florida

    Google Scholar 

  10. Mościcki EK, Rae DS, Regier DA, Locke BZ (1987) The Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: depression among Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puerto Ricans. In: Gaviria M, Arana J (eds) Health and behavior: research agenda for Hispanics, Research monograph no. 1. The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, pp 145–159

    Google Scholar 

  11. Mościcki EK, Locke BZ, Rae DS, Boyd JH (1989) Depressive symptoms among Mexican Americans: the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Epidemiol 130: 348–360

    Google Scholar 

  12. Narrow WE, Rae DS, Mościcki EK, Locke BZ, Regier DA (1990) Depression among Cuban Americans. The Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 25: 260–268

    Google Scholar 

  13. Vera M, Alegría M, Freeman D, Robles RR, Ríos R, Ríos CF (1991) Depressive symptoms among Puerto Ricans: Island poor compared with residents of the New York City area. Am J Epidemiol 134: 502–510

    Google Scholar 

  14. Delgado JL, Johnson CL, Rol I, Trevino FM (1990) Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: methodological considerations. Am J Public Health 80 [Suppl]: 6–10

    Google Scholar 

  15. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Natinal Center for Health Statistics: Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982–84 (computer file), in Washington DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics (producer). Ann Arbor, MI, Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (distributor); 1989

  16. Radloff LS, Wales JB (1977) The CES-D scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl Psychol Meas 1: 385–401

    Google Scholar 

  17. Robins LN, Helzer JE, Croughan J, Ratcliff KS (1981) National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Its history, characteristics, and validity. Arch Gen Psychiatry 38: 381–389

    Google Scholar 

  18. Canino GJ, Bird HR, Shrout PE, et al (1987) The Spanish Diagnostic Interview Schedule: reliability and concordance with clinical diagnoses in Puerto Rico. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44: 720–726

    Google Scholar 

  19. Vernon SW, Roberts RE (1982) Prevalence of treated and untreated psychiatric disorders in three ethnic groups. Soc Sci Med 16: 1575–1582

    Google Scholar 

  20. Boyd JH, Weissman MM, Thompson WD (1982) Screening for depression in a community sample. Arch Gen Psychiatry 39: 1195–1200

    Google Scholar 

  21. Husaini BA, Neff JA, Harrington JB (1980) Depression in rural communities: validating the CES-D Scale. J Community Psychol 8: 20–27

    Google Scholar 

  22. Radloff LS, Locke BZ (1986) The Community Mental Health Assessment Survey and the CES-D scale. In: Weissman MM, Myers JK, Ross CE (eds) Community surveys of psychiatric disorders. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, N.J., pp 177–189

    Google Scholar 

  23. Roberts RE, Vernon SW (1982) Depression in the community: prevalence and treatment. Arch Gen Psychiatry 39: 1407–1409

    Google Scholar 

  24. Clark VA, Aneshensel CS, Frerichs RR, Morgan TM (1983) Analysis of non-response in a prospective study of depression in Los Angeles County. Int J Epidemiol 12: 193–198

    Google Scholar 

  25. Frerichs RR, Aneshensel CS, Clark VA, Yokoenic P (1981) Smoking and depression: a community survey. Am J Public Health 71: 637–640

    Google Scholar 

  26. Frerichs RR, Aneshensel CS, Yokopenic PA, Clark VA (1982) Physical health and depression: an epidemiologic survey. Prev Med 11: 639–646

    Google Scholar 

  27. Garrison CZ, Jackson KL, Marsteller F, McKeown R, Addy C (1990) A longitudinal study of depressive symptomatology in young adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 29: 581–585

    Google Scholar 

  28. Magni G, Rossi MR, Rigatti-Luchini S, Merskey H (1992) Chronic abdominal pain and depression. Epidemiologic findings in the United States. Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Pain 49: 77–85

    Google Scholar 

  29. Weissman MM, Sholomskas D, Pottenger M, Prusoff BA, Locke BZ (1977) Assessing depressive symptoms in five psychiatric populations: a validation study. Am J Epidemiol 106: 203–214

    Google Scholar 

  30. Vernon SW, Roberts RE, Lee ES (1982) Response tendencies, ethnicity, and depression scores. Am J Epidemiol 116: 482–495

    Google Scholar 

  31. Roberts RE, Vernon SW (1983) The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale: its use in a community sample. Am J Psychiatry 140: 41–46

    Google Scholar 

  32. Roberts RE, Vernon SW, Rhoades HM (1989) Effects of language and ethnic status on reliability and validity of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale with psychiatric patients. J Nerv Ment Dis 177: 581–592

    Google Scholar 

  33. Roberts RE, Lewinsohn PM, Seeley JR (1991) Screening for adolescent depression: a comparison of depression scales. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 30: 58–66

    Google Scholar 

  34. Rogler LH, Cortes DE, Malgady RG (1991) Acculturation and mental health status among Hispanics: convergence and new directions for research. Am Psychol 46: 585–597

    Google Scholar 

  35. Cuellar I, Harris LC, Jasso R (1980) An acculturation scale for Mexican American normal and clinical populations. Hispanic J Behav Sci 2: 199–217

    Google Scholar 

  36. Shaw BV, Barnwell BG, Hunt PN, LaVange LM (1993) SU-DAAN version 6.34. Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, N. C.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Malgady RG, Rogler LH, Tyron WW (1992) Issues of validity in the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. J Psychiatr, Res 26: 59–57

    Google Scholar 

  38. Brurnam MA, Hough RL, Karno M, Escobar JI, Telles CA (1987) Acculturation and lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Mexican Americans in Los Angeles. J Health Soc Behav 28: 89–102

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Mail Stop K-60, 30333, Atlanta, GA, USA

    L. B. Potter

  2. Hispanic Research Center, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA

    L. H. Rogler

  3. Prevention Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA

    E. K. Mościcki

Authors
  1. L. B. Potter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. H. Rogler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. K. Mościcki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Potter, L.B., Rogler, L.H. & Mościcki, E.K. Depression among Puerto Ricans in New York City: the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 30, 185–193 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00790657

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00790657

Keywords

Search

Navigation