Self-stigma and attitudes about treatment in depressed patients in a hospital setting.
OBJECTIVE
Many patients have stigma about depression, which may inhibit treatment seeking. However, most previous research in this area has been conducted in outpatient samples. The current study investigated self-stigma and its relationship with treatment beliefs in depressed patients receiving psychiatric hospital treatment.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 55 hospitalized patients with depressive disorders who completed measures of self-stigma, medication beliefs, psychotherapy beliefs and depression.


RESULTS
Multiple regression analyses controlling for demographic variables demonstrated that higher depression severity was associated with increased self-stigma related to treatment and having depression. Higher self-stigma about treatment was associated with more negative beliefs about psychiatric medications, but more positive beliefs about psychotherapy. In contrast, self-stigma about depression was associated with negative beliefs about medications, but not psychotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychiatric hospital treatment, particularly in the USA, emphasizes medication treatment while de-emphasizing evidence-based psychosocial interventions. Individuals with negative views about psychiatric medications and positive views about the value of psychotherapy have higher treatment self-stigma, which may discourage them from seeking hospital treatment when needed or negatively affect their treatment response.
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University & Butler Hospital, Rhode Island 02906 , USA. Brandon_Gaudiano@brown.edu
Brandon A
BA
Gaudiano
Ivan W
IW
Miller
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012752:Shame; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
D000928:Antidepressive Agents