Doctors are reluctant to provide antidepressants to minorities

A prescription to buy Paxil may play an important role in an individual's ability to overcome the symptoms of depression. However, new research indicates that some patients may have a harder time accessing antidepressants.

After reviewing medical claims data from 1993 to 2007, researchers from the University of Michigan found that minorities and Medicaid patients were much less likely than Caucasians and people with private insurance to be prescribed antidepressants, despite being treated for similar symptoms.

The findings also showed that physicians who owned their own practice and operated in urban areas had low rates of providing prescriptions for antidepressants.

"This study confirmed previous findings that sociological factors, such as race and ethnicity and patient health insurance status, influence physician prescribing behaviors," said Rajesh Balkrishnan, who led the investigation. "This is true in particular for major depressive disorder treatment."

Balkrishnan added that policymakers should design new programs that deal with these disparities in physician prescribing practices. This could play an important role in patients' ability to access the treatments they need to improve their health.

Without a prescription to buy Paxil or another antidepressant, individuals with depression may have difficulty managing their symptoms.