title: What to do about depression? Self-help recommendations of the public.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While help-seeking and treatment preferences for depression have been assessed in a number of population studies, little is known about the public's self-help beliefs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore public beliefs about self-help actions to be taken in case of depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  In spring 2009, a population-based survey was conducted by telephone in the city of Vienna. A fully structured interview was carried out, which began with the presentation of a vignette describing a case of depression. Subsequently, respondents were asked to indicate to what extent they would recommend various self-help actions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the self-help options proposed, confiding in a close friend or someone in the family were most frequently recommended. Apart from that, a variety of interpersonal actions (socializing with others, joining a self-help group), psychological methods (thinking positively), lifestyle changes (engaging in sport, listening to music, going on vacation, reading a good book) and dietary methods (eating healthy food) were endorsed by over half of respondents. While women were more ready to recommend self-help actions, the better educated were less enthusiastic about them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As only some of the self-help measures endorsed by the public are evidence based, more research is needed before promulgating their use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Austria. anita.holzinger@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holzinger
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matschinger
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angermeyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011639:Public Opinion; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult