title: What to do about depression? Help-seeking and treatment recommendations of the public.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several population studies on beliefs about depression carried out in western countries during the 1990s have shown that the public clearly favors psychotherapy over antidepressant medication. The present study examines whether this phenomenon still exists at the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2009, a telephone survey was conducted among the population of Vienna aged 16 years and older (n = 1205). A fully structured interview was administered which began with the presentation of a vignette depicting a case of depression fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV for a moderate depressive episode.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psychotherapists were most frequently endorsed as source of professional help. Antidepressant medication still was more frequently advised against than recommended. Respondents familiar with the treatment of depression tended to be more ready to recommend to seek help from mental health professionals and to endorse various treatment options, particularly medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At the end of the first decade of this century, there still exists a large gap between the public's beliefs and what mental health professionals consider appropriate for the treatment of depression. Therefore, further effort to improve the public's mental health literacy seems necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University Vienna, Austria. anita.holzinger@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holzinger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matschinger
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Angermeyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000379:methods; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003469:Culture; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011639:Public Opinion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents