Beliefs about depression - do affliction and treatment experience matter? Results of a population survey from Germany

BACKGROUND: There is not much known about the associations of beliefs about depression (depression literacy) with a history of depression and treatment experience.

METHODS: Analyses were based on a telephone survey in two large German cities (Hamburg and Munich). Written vignettes with typical signs and symptoms suggestive of a depression were presented to 1293 respondents. Respondents were then asked about beliefs about causes, symptoms, prevalence, and treatment using a standardized questionnaire. For the analysis respondents were divided into three groups: (1) people who never had a depression, (2) people who had a depression but were not treated and (3) people with treatment experience.

RESULTS: Respondents with experience in treatment for depression were more likely to correctly recognize the disorder, to positively evaluate treatability and to favor external factors (adverse conditions in childhood and psychosocial stress) as potential causes of depression compared to those who never were afflicted. There were no significant differences between these two groups regarding beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment options. There were only few significant differences in depression literacy between respondents who have a history of depression but have not sought help and those who never were afflicted.

LIMITATIONS: The three groups were constituted on the basis of respondents׳ self-reports, not medical diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings only partly support the general assumption that being afflicted and having sought help is associated with beliefs closer to those of professionals.