Link → January/February 2008 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
[Note: This is a press release] The following material is excerpted:
Patients’ Beliefs About Antidepressants: Demographics and Clinical Characteristics
A study aimed at identifying the demographic and clinical characteristics that account for patients’ beliefs about the necessity and harmfulness of antidepressants finds that skepticism about antidepressants is strongest among younger patients who have never taken them, who view their symptoms as mild and transient and who are unclear about the factors contributing to their depression. The findings are based on an analysis of interviews with 165 patients with major depression. Because patients’ beliefs and attitudes about medication have been shown to predict medication adherence, treatment outcome, or both, these findings suggest that this group of patients might benefit from belief-focused interventions aimed at enhancing adherence and improving clinical outcomes.
Explaining Patients’ Beliefs About the Necessity and Harmfulness of Antidepressants By James E. Aikens, Ph.D., et al
