Conceptual models of psychological distress among low-income patients in an inner-city primary care clinic.
Although depression and anxiety syndromes are common in primary care, many depressed and anxious patients fail to receive effective treatment. Little attention has been given to the role of illness beliefs in shaping these patients' treatment preferences and decisions. Using semistructured interviews, this study examined conceptual models of depressive symptoms among patients in an inner-city clinic. A theoretical taxonomy of patients' conceptual models of distress was developed: each category was associated with a unique pattern of treatment preferences. We conclude that patients' models of distress may play an important role in treatment-seeking decisions, and deserve further investigation.
Karasz
Alison
A
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467, USA. akkarasz@montefiore.org
Sacajiu
Galit
G
Garcia
Nerina
N
D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011203:Poverty; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012803:Sick Role; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population