Plugged-In
Feeling Stressed? What Women of Color Should Know about Depression
By Bruce E. Phillips
Oct 21, 2003, 11:44

Annelle B. Primm, M.D., M.P.H. is associate professor at The Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Psychiatry.

As a Black female psychiatrist, Annelle Primm, M.D., M.P.H., understands very well the pressures that successful women of color are under.

Best known for her work in the area of depression among minorities, Dr. Primm says Black women are similar to all women in that they have a risk of depression that is twofold that of men. However, she believes Black women face especially stressful circumstances in America and that these stressors can trigger depression.

"We are expected to be everything to everyone, and sometimes we even impose those expectations on ourselves,"  Dr. Primm says.
These expectations, she says, can lead to a sense of over-responsibility that compounds stress and leads women not to take care of themselves.

"What is important for women is to be mindful of expectations and develop realistic boundaries as to what they can do without compromising themselves," Dr. Primm says.

Another social factor that can contribute to depression is racism, the doctor says: "Racial discrimination means always wondering why you are being judged, always being uncertain about someone's motives when something inappropriate occurs. We expend a lot of energy trying to be prepared and aware of what's going on around us."

This is a heavy burden to carry, she says: "Always being conscious of one's femaleness and one's ethnicity can trigger depression."
What's more, Dr. Primm believes, women in technology and science face greater pressures to prove they are as good as men.

"Science and technology are very competitive fields, and given that [women] are underrepresented, this puts added pressure on women to perform at a high level.... Being members of a minority or ethnic group adds pressure because of negative stereotypes," she says.

She urges women to use support groups, to reach out to others, and to have a regular "reality check" with those who can identify with their situation.

"Having support at work is important. Mentorship is important," Dr. Primm says. "It needn't be from another woman or a woman of color, but it should be from someone who understands."

Dr. Primm is optimistic about the ability of women to adapt to the technology and science workplace.

"While carrying a number of burdens, they are in a unique position to be role models, to find ways to achieve balance, to deal with competition, to manage stress, and to prevail," she says.

After all, she concludes, "We all deal with stressful situations, but we can be prepared to cope with stress to achieve an optimal quality of life."
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Annelle Primm, M.D., M.P.H., is a board certified psychiatrist who now holds dual positions as associate professor of psychiatry at The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine and as medical director of the Johns Hopkins community psychiatry program. She received her B.A. in biology from Harvard-Radcliffe College, her medical degree from Howard University, and a master of public health degree from The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Her efforts to reach out to those outside of the medical profession led her to produce a series of very successful videotapes: "Black and Blue," about depression in African Americans, and "Gray and Blue," about depression in senior citizens. She now is working on a video titled "Diabetes and Depression" and is planning a videotape about depression for other ethnic communities, including one for Hispanics in Spanish.

Dr. Primm received an Emerald Honor for Medical Education at the 2003 Women of Color Research Sciences and Technology Awards Conference in Nashville, Tenn.