Primary care patients' personal illness models for depression: a preliminary investigation

Background. Despite the fact that more than half of depressed persons are t reated for this disorder by primary care physicians, depression is often un der-recognized or treated inadequately. There is continued emphasis on effe ctive treatment of depression in primary care patients, but little attentio n has been paid to the role of the depressed person's illness cognitions in coping with this disorder. Given the often recurring and chronic nature of depression, the individual's self-management strategies may be critical to effective treatment, recovery and remaining well. Objectives. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether primar y care patients' personal illness cognitions for depression are associated with depression coping strategies and treatment-related behaviour. Methods. Forty-one primary care patients with depressive symptoms or disord er completed interviews and questionnaires assessing illness cognitions for depression, depression coping strategies and other treatment-related behav iour. Descriptive statistics are used to present patients' illness cognitio ns for depression. t-tests and correlational analyses were completed to ass ess the relationship between illness cognitions, depression coping strategi es and treatment-related behaviour. Results. Preliminary data describing illness cognitions for depression are presented. Participants' illness cognitions for depression were significant ly associated with current and past treatment-seeking behaviour, medication adherence and coping strategies. Conclusions. Although preliminary, these findings indicate that patients' u nderstanding of depression and its consequences are associated with how the y manage this illness. Future research is needed to examine the mediating a nd moderating effects of illness cognitions for depression on medication ad herence and other self-management behaviours of depressed primary care pati ents. Knowledge about primary care patients' personal illness models will a id in the development of adherence interventions, self-management training and support services appropriate to patients' needs in the primary care set ting.