title: Beliefs of people taking antidepressants about the causes of their own depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The beliefs of people receiving treatment about the causes of their own mental health problems are researched less often than the causal beliefs of the public, but have important implications for relationships with prescribers, treatment choices and recovery.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online survey on a range of beliefs about depression, and experiences with antidepressants, was completed by 1829 New Zealand adults prescribed anti-depressants in the preceding five years, 97.4% of whom proceeded to take antidepressants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six of 17 beliefs about the causes of their own depression were endorsed by more than half the sample: chemical imbalance, family stress, work stress, heredity, relationship problems and distressing events in childhood. There were some marked differences in content, structure and level of conviction of beliefs about one׳s own depression and the sample׳s previously published beliefs about depression in general. There were also significant differences between the beliefs of demographic groupings. Regression analyses revealed that self-reported effectiveness of the antidepressants was positively associated with bio-genetic causal beliefs. The quality of the relationship with the prescribing doctor was positively related to a belief in chemical imbalance as a cause and negatively related to a belief in unemployment as a cause.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The convenience sample may have been biased towards a favourable view of bio-genetic explanations, since 83% reported that the medication reduced their depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People experiencing depression hold complex, multifactorial and idiosyncratic sets of beliefs about the causes of their own depression, apparently based at least in part on their own life experiences and circumstances. Exploring those beliefs may enhance the doctor-patient relationship and selection of appropriate treatment modality.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GB, UK. Electronic address: readj@liv.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Read
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GB, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shiels
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magliano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003469:Culture; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014478:Unemployment
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents
keywords: Antidepressants; Causal beliefs; Depression; Prognostic pessimism; Stigma