Major depression is another disease for which blacks have a lower rate of illness but a prognosis that is considerably worse than whites. A recent national study found that although blacks have lower current and lifetime rates of major depression than whites, the cases of depression among blacks were more likely to be persistent, severe, disabling, and untreated.17 National data also reveal that whites are more likely than blacks (but not Hispanics) to develop alcohol dependence.19 However, once dependence existed, both blacks and Latinos were more likely than whites to persist in alcohol dependence.
