The following is a summary of “Macroeconomic antecedents of racial disparities in psychiatric-related Emergency Department visits,” published in the June 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Singh et al.

Racial disparities have a significant impact on access to mental health services, particularly among low-income populations.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study determining the impact of joblessness in the African-American community compared to White individuals based on a rise in psychiatric-related ED visits (PREDVs)

They analyzed 6.7 million PREDVs among African-Americans and whites across 48 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in 4 states (2006-2011). MSA-level monthly employment data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics were used. The outcome was specified as the race of PREDV (African American (1) or White (0). The exposure was measured as the monthly percentage change in employment across MSAs, lagging by 0 to 3 months. Logistic regressions examined how changes in employment relate to the odds of African American PREDVs relative to whites. 

The results showed that 3 months after a decrease in overall employment, the odds of PREDVs among publicly insured, working-age African Americans increased by OR of 0.994 (95% CI: 0.990-0.998) compared to White individuals. 

Investigators concluded that economic downturns could slightly raise PREDVs among publicly insured, working-age African Americans compared to white individuals, influencing racial disparities in psychiatric ED help-seeking. 

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1287791/abstract