Explaining patients' beliefs about the necessity and harmfulness of antidepressants

Abstract

PURPOSE: Patients' beliefs about antidepressants vary widely and probably influence adherence, yet little is known about what underlies such beliefs. This study's objective was to identify the demographic and clinical characteristics that account for patients' beliefs about antidepressants. METHODS: Participants were 165 patients with unipolar nonpsychotic major depression from primary care and psychiatry clinics who were participating in the baseline phase of a multistaged trial of medication and psychotherapy. Before patients started antidepressants, interview and self-report measures were used to assess treatment beliefs, depression features, and comorbid conditions. Linear multivariate regression was used to identify the strongest correlates of perceived medication necessity and harmfulness after adjusting for age, sex, education, and the random effects of patients within clinical site. RESULTS: Perceived necessity was associated with older age (P