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Detection of Depression with Different Interpreting Methods Among Chinese and Latino Primary Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Abstract

Language barriers may contribute to the under-detection of depression in Latinos and Asians. A total of 782 English, Spanish, and Chinese-speaking primary care patients were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. Language discordant patients were randomized to Remote Simultaneous Medical Interpreting (RSMI) or usual and customary (U&C) interpreting. The Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS) was administered. Patients were tracked for 1 year. A total of 462 patients completed the BDI-FS. Thirty-three percent had a positive (≥4) screen. Twenty-seven percent of BDI-FS positive patients were diagnosed with depression. Among BDI-FS positive patients, Chinese-speakers were less likely to be diagnosed compared with English speakers (31% vs. 10%, P < 0.05). There was a trend towards greater diagnosis with RSMI (27% detection with RSMI vs. 20% U&C, P = 0.41). The diagnosis of depression among BDI-FS positive patients in our population was low, particularly among Chinese-speakers. RSMI could be an important part of a multi-faceted approach to improving the detection of depression.

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Acknowledgements

The work described was supported by The California Endowment and The Commonwealth Fund. It is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, ID#NCT00522327. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the awarding Agencies. The authors wish to thank the dedicated efforts of Ephraim Shapiro, M.B.A., M.P.A., Yu-hui Ferng, M.P.A, Nicole Hewitt, M.P.A, and Brenda Chan, M.A. on this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Center for Immigrant Health, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, OBV, CD-402, 10016, New York, NY, USA

    Jennifer C. F. Leng, Jyotsna Changrani & Francesca Gany

  2. Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Chi-Hong Tseng

  3. Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Chi-Hong Tseng

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  1. Jennifer C. F. Leng
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  4. Francesca Gany
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Correspondence to Jennifer C. F. Leng.

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Leng, J.C.F., Changrani, J., Tseng, CH. et al. Detection of Depression with Different Interpreting Methods Among Chinese and Latino Primary Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Immigrant Minority Health 12, 234–241 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-009-9254-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-009-9254-7

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