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Gender differences in hospitalised patients’ perceived reasons for their depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2013

Brandon A. Gaudiano ,
Kathryn Nowlan ,
Jessica A. Hughes  and
Ivan W. Miller
Brandon A. Gaudiano*
Affiliation:
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Butler Hospital
Kathryn Nowlan
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Jessica A. Hughes
Affiliation:
University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Ivan W. Miller
Affiliation:
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Butler Hospital
*
Correspondence to: Dr Brandon Gaudiano, Butler Hospital, Psychosocial Research Program, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA. E-mail: Brandon_Gaudiano@brown.edu
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Abstract

Background

Perceived causes of depression can affect treatment preferences and outcomes. Men and women may have somewhat differing views about the causes of their depression, but there is a paucity of research on gender differences in hospitalised patients with depression.

Aims

We examined potential gender differences in hospitalised patients’ perceived causes for their depression and their relationship with treatment beliefs and preferences.

Method

A sample of 52 psychiatric inpatients hospitalised with depression was recruited and completed self-report measures of reasons for depression, depression severity, treatment beliefs and preferences.

Results

Biological reasons for depression were associated with more severe depression and more positive medication beliefs. In addition, results showed that women were significantly more likely to endorse physical and biological reasons for their depression compared with men. Gender moderated the relationship between physical reasons for depression and medication beliefs, such that men endorsing physical reasons found antidepressants less acceptable and had more negative beliefs about medication compared to women.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that depressed men and women in the hospital may have differing views about the causes of their depression and this may affect the acceptability of treatments. Depression treatment in inpatient settings should be better personalised to match the beliefs of individual patients.

Keywords

Depressiontreatment preferencesmedication beliefsreasons for depression
Type
Original Research Article
Information
Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , April 2014 , pp. 23 - 32
Copyright
Copyright © NAPICU 2013 

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