title: Attitudes toward utility, effects and side effects of treatment for anxiety and depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Negative perceptions about psychiatric treatment are likely to affect treatment adherence. We compared attitudes of patients with psychiatric illness and those of medical patients towards psychiatric treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Both patients with psychiatric illness and medical patients (controls) were shown a printed copy of two vignettes depicting major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. They were asked for their perceptions on the utility, effects and possible side effects of psychiatric medications, as well as the utility of psychotherapy in treating major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Responses between psychiatric patients and medical patients were compared using appropriate statistical tests, including logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with psychiatric illness were more likely than medical patients to endorse the utility of medications in treating major depression and generalized anxiety disorder (p<0.001). Those with psychiatric illness were more likely to endorse the utility of psychotherapy in treating major depression (p=0.004). Both groups of patients were of the view that psychotherapy would benefit generalized anxiety disorder. Older and lesser educated patients held negative beliefs about medications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While patients with psychiatric illnesses endorsed favourable attitudes toward medications (p<0.001), the older and lesser educated were more likely to hold negative views (p<0.05). Psychoeducation should be tailored to the needs of older and lesser educated patients.
authors.affiliation: Senior Consultant, Department of Psychiatry, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore leslie.lim.e.c@singhealth.com.sg.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Research Coordinator, Department of Psychiatry, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.affiliation: Head, Biostatistics Unit, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yiong-Huak
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Associate Consultant, Department of Psychiatry, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shi-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Poon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D012846:Singapore; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: medications; misperceptions; patients with psychiatric illness; psychotherapy; side effects