This study of 200 adults receiving outpatient services in rural Middle Tennessee was conducted to provide data on the validity of the CES‐D as a measure of depressive symptomatology. Specifically, the study sought to determine the CES‐D's ability to discriminate between outpatients and a sample of community residents, between patient groups reflecting different diagnostic classifications and levels of problem severity, and based upon such comparisons, to select cutting points on the CES‐D which would indicate levels of depressive symptomatology which denote a need for services. The data indicated that the CES‐D distinguished (1) between patients and nonpatients, (2) among various patient groups, and (3) among depressed patients with varying levels of problem severity. Further, the study cites the utility of new cutting points of 17 and 23 to provide an estimate of “possible” and “probable” caseness within the community. The study provides support for the utility of the CES‐D in determining levels of depressive symptomatology in the population.

SYNOPSISObjectives. Optimistic predictions for the Healthy People 2010 goals of eliminating racial/ethnic disparities in health have been made based on absolute improvements in life expectancy and mortality. This study sought to determine whether there is evidence of relative improvement (a more valid measure of inequality) in life expectancy and mortality, and whether such improvement, if demonstrated, predicts future success in eliminating disparities.Methods. Historical data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Census Bureau were used to predict future trends in relative mortality and life expectancy, employing an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. Excess mortality and time lags in mortality and life expectancy for blacks relative to whites were also estimated.Results. Based on data for 1945 to 1999, forecasts for relative black:white ageadjusted, all-cause mortality and white:black life expectancy at birth showed trends toward increasing disparities. From 1979, when the Healthy People initiative began, to 1998, the black:white ratio of age-adjusted, gender-specific mortality increased for all but one of nine causes of death that accounted for 83.4% of all US mortality in 1998. From 1980 to 1998, average numbers of

Although nearly all segments of the Black population experienced widened post-HAART disparities, disparities were not inevitable and tended to reflect pre-HAART levels. Public health policymakers should consider the hypothesis of unequal diffusion of the HAART innovation, with place effects rendering some communities more vulnerable than others to this potential problem.

The study discussed in this article examined the relationship between depression symptomatology and functional impairment among white and African American elderly people and investigated the effect of race, religiosity, and social support on this relationship. Study results indicate that although African American elderly people were more impaired in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) than white elderly people, they did not experience higher levels of depression. However, African Americans did report significantly higher levels of religiosity and social support.