Ethnicity and psychopathology in an aging hospital-based population : a comparison of African-American and Anglo-European patients

This study analyzes the effect of ethnicity, classified as African-American and Anglo-European, on diagnosis, symptomatology, and response to inpatient treatment in a sample of geriatric patients of a research unit of a tertiary care facility. Viables that might confound the effects of ethnicity, such as age, gender, education, and associated diagnoses, were statistically controlled. Psychotic diagnoses were significantly associated with ethnicity, being higher in African-Americans, weakening the claim that such an association stems from the confounding effects of social class. Viability in the ratings on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale was significantly associated with ethnicity in several instances