Recruitment of African Americans and Asian Americans With Late-Life Depression and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Objective-The purpose of this study was to compare the relative effectiveness of several different strategies for recruiting elderly Asians, African Americans, and Caucasians to participate in mental health research.Participants-A total of 35 African American, 24 Asian American, and 215 Caucasian participants were phone-screened for potential enrollment into a University of California, San Francisco Department of Psychiatry treatment outcome study for older adults (60+ years of age) with major depression and mild cognitive impairment. Design-The methods by which participants were recruited were recorded, coded into composite categories, and statistically analyzed to determine whether certain recruitment strategies were disproportionately effective for recruiting participants from the three racial groups.Results-Fisher's exact test analyses revealed that Asians and African Americans were significantly less likely than Caucasians to be recruited through mental health-based methods, and African Americans were significantly more likely than Caucasians and Asians to be recruited via referrals rather than solicitations. Logistic regression, which controlled for potential confounds, largely supported these findings.Conclusions-Findings suggest that the recruitment of elderly African or Asian Americans into mental health treatment outcome research can be facilitated by a flexible consumer-oriented strategy that integrates multiple recruitment methods. Establishing study credibility through nonmental health media and professional referral sources may be especially effective in engaging the participation of elderly Asian Americans; and cultivating ongoing relationships with key gatekeepers, who can observe benefits to the community, may be particularly effective in recruiting elderly African Americans.

Late‐life depression in older African Americans: a comprehensive review of epidemiological and clinical data

“…This discrepancy is probably due to a lack of help-seeking in mental health settings by this demographic group (Bistricky et al, 2010). Recruitment of older African Americans was increased using a consumer-centered approach, which included building relationship with gate-keepers within the community who gained the trust of participants.…”

“…Bistricky and colleagues observed that older African Americans were less likely to be recruited into research studies through mental health sources than through non-mental health sources. This discrepancy is probably due to a lack of help-seeking in mental health settings by this demographic group (Bistricky et al, 2010). Recruitment of older African Americans was increased using a consumer-centered approach, which included building relationship with gatekeepers within the community who gained the trust of participants.…”

Recruitment of Chinese American Elders into Dementia Research: The UCSF ADRC Experience

“…The potential cultural stigma associated with a diagnosis of dementia (Hinton et al, 2000) may inhibit patients from complaining to their physicians about cognitive changes or may inhibit families from bringing up these issues for fear of insulting an older family member or a perceived head of the household. In support of this concern, prior studies have suggested that East Asian immigrants are less likely to seek mental health services and recommend them to others (Barry & Grilo, 2002), and a recent study indicated that Asian Americans were less likely than Caucasians to be referred to mental health research through traditional mental health pathways (Bistricky, Mackin, Chu, & Arean, 2010). In contrast, more advanced dementia is often associated with disruptive behavioral problems (J. C. Chen, Borson, & Scanlan, 2000), which often result in presentation to a physician for help with management.…”

A randomized trial to assess the effect of a research informational pamphlet on telephone survey completion rates among older Latinos

“…In our study, substantially more people recalled receiving the letter than the pamphlet. The mailing served as an introduction to the follow-up telephone contact in which trained culturally competent interviewers facilitated recruitment by conveying information and addressing low-literacy issues that may be more prevalent among older Latinos [15,19,20]. …”