Citation

Pepper CM, Nieuwsma JA, Thompson VM. J. Rural Ment. Health 2007; 31(3): 6-18.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, National Association for Rural Mental Health, Publisher American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/h0095937

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In rural areas, the treatment of depression occurs largely in primary care clinics. The objective of this study was to examine whether rural primary care providers' (PCPs) attitudes about depression are associated with their reports of assessment and treatment of depression. PCPs in Wyoming were mailed questionnaire packets that included the Depression Attitude Questionnaire to assess their attitudes about depression as well as items to measure their screening, assessment, and treatment practices in treating depression. PCPs who reported unease with patients with depression were less likely to assess for depression or to provide counseling or education to those patients. PCPs who reported difficulty distinguishing depression from sadness were less thorough in their assessment of depression. Efforts to train PCPs in treating depression should focus on improving their self-efficacy in working with these patients in addition to improving their assessment and treatment skills.

Language: en