The purpose of this study was to examine how patient ethnicity and gender influenced physician-patient communication about anxiety and depression. A data set comprised of 427 transcripts of audio-taped medical visits and physician and patient interviews was analyzed. The data was originally collected during 1995 at the family practice and internal medicine clinics at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Preliminary results based on 358 encounters will be presented. Sixty-five percent of the patient sample was Hispanic and 67 percent was female. Patient age ranged from 18 to 85 years. Anxiety was discussed during 31 percent of the medical encounters. Physicians were significantly more likely to discuss anxiety with more educated patients. Patients initiated the discussion of anxiety 67 percent of the time. Physicians asked one or more questions about anxiety during 42 percent of the visits where anxiety was discussed. Physicians were three times more likely to ask men more questions about anxiety than women. Depression or signs and symptoms of depression were discussed during 26 percent of the patient visits. Patients initiated the discussion of depression 54 percent of the time. Women were 3.4 times more likely to initiate the discussion of depression than men. Physicians asked one or more questions about depression during 59 percent of the visits where depression was discussed. Patient ethnicity did not influence any aspect of physician-patient communication about anxiety or depression.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the influence of gender and ethnicity on whether physicians and patients discuss anxiety and depression. 2. Explain how often physicians versus patients initiate the discussion of anxiety and depression during medical visits.
Keywords: Communication, Ethnicity
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.