Co-Cultural Communication Strategies of African American Women During the Clinical Encounter for Depression Care

Purpose and Background/Significance: The prevalence rate of a major depressive episode for African Americans has been reported as lower than Whites. However, symptom severity and chronicity have been found to be higher. African American women encounter a healthcare system which has a history of discrimination and power differentials based on race, class, and gender. In response to experiences of discrimination, African American women make decisions regarding how to communicate in an effort to deliver health related messages that are considered acceptable by the healthcare system. A closer examination of the communication strategies African American women use when interacting with the healthcare system is necessary to identify common cultural practices that may impact the diagnosis and treatment of depression. The purpose of this study is to explore the co-cultural communication strategies African American women use when seeking care for depression. The conceptual definition of co-cultural communication strategies for this study is the communication African American women choose when interacting with the healthcare system. Theoretical Framework: The frameworks that guide this study are the Co-Cultural Theory of Communication (Orbe, 1998) and Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2000). Methods: The method used for this study is Focused Ethnography. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 20 key informants. Semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes were used to collect data. The data were analyzed within the context of Co-Cultural Theory of Communication and Black Feminist Thought, using Leininger’s four phases of qualitative data analysis. Rigor were assessed using Leininger’s (2006) criteria for evaluating qualitative research. Results/Conclusions: Final data analysis is incomplete but will be completed prior to the conference. The findings from this study will be compared to extant literature, and will be used to develop culturally appropriate theory regarding depression care with African American women. Keywords: communication, depression, African America