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Socio-Environmental Risks for Untreated Depression Among Formerly Incarcerated Latino Men

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Abstract

To identify the levels of untreated depression and the socio-environmental factors associated with it among formerly incarcerated Latino men (FILM). Cross-sectional survey with 259 FILM ages 18–49 who were released from prison/jail within the prior 5 years. Depression was measured by the brief symptom inventory (BSI). Backward elimination was used to determine the best regression models. 26.9 % of the study sample reported depression. Low familism, residing farther away from family members, low utilization of health and social services, high levels of loneliness and high lifetime and current frequency of alcohol use were also associated with depression. Depression is a major problem among FILM. Addressing untreated depression among FILM must be a public health priority.

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Acknowledgments

This article was supported by the US National Institute of Mental Health (grant number: 1 RC MH 088636-01; Principal Investigators: Miguel Muñoz-Laboy and Vincent Guilamo-Ramos). We would also like to extent our gratitude to our research participants and to thank the members of our research team: Ilka Bobet (Field Coordinator); and field researchers: Samuel Santiago, Santos Bobet, Francisco Quinones and Hector Ramos. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIMH or the NIH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Temple University, Ritter Annex 5th floor, 1301 W. Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19122-6091, USA

    Miguel Muñoz-Laboy & Nicolette Severson

  2. Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Nancy Worthington & Ashley Perry

  3. Silver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Vincent Guilamo-Ramos & Jane Lee

  4. School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Leopoldo Cabassa

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  1. Miguel Muñoz-Laboy
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  2. Nancy Worthington
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  3. Ashley Perry
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  4. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos
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  5. Leopoldo Cabassa
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  7. Nicolette Severson
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Correspondence to Miguel Muñoz-Laboy.

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Muñoz-Laboy, M., Worthington, N., Perry, A. et al. Socio-Environmental Risks for Untreated Depression Among Formerly Incarcerated Latino Men. J Immigrant Minority Health 16, 1183–1192 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9814-8

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