General Practitioners' Attitudes Towards Depression: a Study in Primary Care Setting in Brazil

Neury José Botega and Guilherme Martins Silveira
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Neury José Botega: Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, P.O. Box 6111, Campinas-SP, 13081-970, Brazil
Guilherme Martins Silveira: Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas-SP, Brazil

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 1996, vol. 42, issue 3, 230-237

Abstract: A self-report instrument comprising twenty visual analogue scale statements about attitudes towards depression was sent to all 110 general practitioners working in primary health care centres in the city of Campinas, Brazil. The statements of the Depression Attitude Questionnaire (DAQ) cover three main areas: nature of depression, treatment preferences and professional reactions regarding depressed patients. Seventy-eight (71%) doctors returned the questionnaire. Forty-two percent of the doctors believe "it is difficult to differentiate whether patients are presenting with unhappiness or a clinical depressive disorder that needs treatment". Sixty-three percent believe that "antidepressants usually produce a satisfactory result in the treatment of depressed patients in general practice". However, most doctors would refer patients in need of antidepressants (66%) or psychotherapy (60%) to a specialist. They also view the treatment of depression as "heavy going" (46%) and "unrewarding" (57%). These findings suggest a need for further education of general practitioners on the nature, diagnosis and management of depressive disorders.

Date: 1996
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:42:y:1996:i:3:p:230-237

DOI: 10.1177/002076409604200307

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