Do health professionals' attitudes interfere with the treatment of depression? At the time the data for this study were collected, all authors were affiliated with The Ohio State University. A version of this article was presented at the 48th Annual Convention of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, San Francisco, May 19–23, 1993.

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Title:	Do health professionals' attitudes interfere with the treatment of depression? At the time the data for this study were collected, all authors were affiliated with The Ohio State University. A version of this article was presented at the 48th Annual Convention of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, San Francisco, May 19–23, 1993.
Authors:	Stern, Stephen L., Williams, Tennyson, Dixon, Samuel L., Clement, Jeanne A., Butt, Zeeshan A., Schwartzbaum, Judith A., Busch, Kirk
Source:	Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269). 1999, Vol. 9 Issue 4, p151-155. 5p.
Subjects:	Depressed persons, Medical care, Social workers, Health care teams, Psychiatrists
Abstract:	Might the attitudes of health care professionals help to explain why most persons with a depressive disorder do not receive adequate care? To assess this question, the authors surveyed the faculty and staff of a midwestern university. One hundred percent of the social workers who responded found psychotherapy or counseling to be extremely or quite effective in treating persons with a major depressive episode, compared to 55% of the psychologists and 31% of the psychiatrists. For medication, the corresponding figures were 88% of psychiatrists, 64% of psychologists, and 46% of social workers. Many respondents noted problems with interprofessional communication, while most psychiatrists felt that individuals treated by two or more professionals for their depression usually receive poorer care. If future studies indicate that nonmedical therapists who view antidepressants as relatively ineffective are less likely to refer depressed clients for medication evaluation, these findings might help to explain why many depressed individuals who could benefit from medication do not receive it. Concerns about interprofessional communication, as well as psychiatrists' beliefs about the quality of care received by persons treated by more than one professional, might also explain why joint treatment occurs less often than would be desirable. The authors discuss some of the implications that these findings may have for the education of health care professionals. Depression and Anxiety 9:151–155, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

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Abstract:	Might the attitudes of health care professionals help to explain why most persons with a depressive disorder do not receive adequate care? To assess this question, the authors surveyed the faculty and staff of a midwestern university. One hundred percent of the social workers who responded found psychotherapy or counseling to be extremely or quite effective in treating persons with a major depressive episode, compared to 55% of the psychologists and 31% of the psychiatrists. For medication, the corresponding figures were 88% of psychiatrists, 64% of psychologists, and 46% of social workers. Many respondents noted problems with interprofessional communication, while most psychiatrists felt that individuals treated by two or more professionals for their depression usually receive poorer care. If future studies indicate that nonmedical therapists who view antidepressants as relatively ineffective are less likely to refer depressed clients for medication evaluation, these findings might help to explain why many depressed individuals who could benefit from medication do not receive it. Concerns about interprofessional communication, as well as psychiatrists' beliefs about the quality of care received by persons treated by more than one professional, might also explain why joint treatment occurs less often than would be desirable. The authors discuss some of the implications that these findings may have for the education of health care professionals. Depression and Anxiety 9:151–155, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	10914269
DOI:	10.1002/(SICI)1520-6394(1999)9:4<151::AID-DA1>3.0.CO;2-M