Low income patients less likely to respond to depression treatment

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

The outcome in depression is less favorable for those on lower incomes than for those on higher incomes.
It's already known that socioeconomic status can be a powerful factor in health. Those with lower income and education level are more likely to develop depression than those who are higher up on the socioeconomic scale, for instance. Now researchers at Harvard Medical School look at evidence showing how economic status affects response to treatment for depression.

They analyzed previous clinical trials done at the University of Pittsburgh where 248 participants received antidepressants and psychotherapy. Low income people were defined as those on an income of 25,000 dollars or less, high income those on more than 50,000 dollars. The middle-income group comprised those earning between these limits.

The middle-income group was significantly more likely to respond to the treatment than those in the low-income group. The higher-income group was only marginally more likely to benefit from treatment than the middle-income group. What is more, the lower-income group was more likely to become suicidal than the middle or higher income groups. Education level was not such a strong factor in predicting outcome from treatment for depression as was income.

Source
Archives of General Psychiatry January 2006 Volume 63 pages 50-56

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