Satisfaction with general practitioner treatment of depression among residents of aged care facilities.
OBJECTIVE
This article investigates consumer perspectives on the treatment for depression among older people in residential facilities.


METHODS
Aged care residents who were aware of being treated for depression in the past 6 months (24 women and 7 men, mean age = 83 years) participated in an interview that assessed their perspective on treatments.


RESULTS
Although more than half of the participants in the sample reported overall satisfaction with the medical treatments received for depression, qualitative data provided indications of unsatisfactory service delivery, including perceptions of low treatment efficacy, short consultation times, the failure to assess affective symptomatology, and negative responses to residents' disclosure of symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on consumer satisfaction with health services and issues that may be pertinent to the elderly depressed. Training for general practitioners providing treatment in aged care is indicated.
Mellor
David
D
School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood 3125, Australia. mellor@deakin.edu.au.
Davison
Tanya
T
McCabe
Marita
M
Kuruvilla
George
G
Moore
Kathleen
K
Ski
Chantal
C
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012112:Residential Facilities