Attitudes toward depression and its treatment in disadvantaged, depressed women

This research was conducted to investigate various attitudes toward depression and its treatment in disadvantaged, depressed women. Specifically, it investigated depressed women's ideas about what depression is, what causes it, and what they think might work best to cure it, as well as how likely people are to recognize depression in themselves, be distressed by it, and want help for it. I also investigated perceived barriers to care, and stigmas associated with depression and mental health treatment, attitudes toward treatment, and preferences and expectations for various treatment methods. These attitudes were explored prior to randomized assignment to cognitive behavioral group therapy, pharmacotherapy, or care as usual. They were then reassessed after up to four sessions of education before beginning actual treatment. These attitudes were not as useful as expected for predicting which women would make use of the treatment offered to them. Women who were assigned a treatment that matched their preference were no more likely to enter treatment than those assigned to a non-matched treatment. Education sessions were somewhat helpful in improving attitudes, particularly towards medication, which seemed to produce the most reservations initially. Limitations and implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are discussed.