BACKGROUND: Depression is a chronic and disabling illness that occurs more often in women than men and commonly goes undetected and/or undertreated in African American women. Understanding sociocultural factors that may influence detection of depression is important for early intervention and treatment.OBJECTIVE:To improve understanding of how African American women articulate and conceptualize depression as well as how they manage depression in their daily life. This information can assist in detecting depression, which is requisite to accessing treatment.STUDY DESIGN:In accordance with this study's exploratory descriptive design, 36 African American women diagnosed with depression by a licensed mental health provider within the past year participated in five focus groups.RESULTS: Main themes included enduring the experience, revealing distress, and coping.CONCLUSION:Women's accounts of how they shaped their views and words used to communicate their depression were influenced by social and cultural experiences, values, and their knowledge about depression. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2007; 13(3), 161-169. DOI: 10.1177/1078390307304996
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