OBJECTIVE: Assessing lay beliefs about causes of depressive behaviour and analysing the influence of labelling and demographic factors on causal attributions. METHOD: In Switzerland we conducted a representative telephone survey with 873 interviewees. A vignette depicting a man with depression satisfying the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-III-R criteria was presented. Content analysis of up to three answers about assumed causes was conducted. RESULTS: For more than half the respondents (56.6%) difficulties within the family or the partnership are causal for depression. Occupational stress is the second most-mentioned cause (32.7%), whereas unspecified further stress is in third place (19.9%). Traumatic events (17.9%), depressive disorder (14.1%) and further unspecified illnesses (11.6%) follow. Few correlations were found between causal attributions, labelling and demographic factors. CONCLUSION: The respective causal attributions are mainly independent of demographic factors, thus generalizable for the population. The attributions are shaped primarily by psychosocial ideas about aetiology. Nevertheless, one-third of the interviewees holds biological or disease-related beliefs about causes of depression. The respective illness models cannot be neglected in the therapeutic relationship.
OBJECTIVE: Assessing lay beliefs about causes of depressive behaviour and analysing the influence of labelling and demographic factors on causal attributions. METHOD: In Switzerland we conducted a representative telephone survey with 873 interviewees. A vignette depicting a man with depression satisfying the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-III-R criteria was presented. Content analysis of up to three answers about assumed causes was conducted. RESULTS: For more than half the respondents (56.6%) difficulties within the family or the partnership are causal for depression. Occupational stress is the second most-mentioned cause (32.7%), whereas unspecified further stress is in third place (19.9%). Traumatic events (17.9%), depressive disorder (14.1%) and further unspecified illnesses (11.6%) follow. Few correlations were found between causal attributions, labelling and demographic factors. CONCLUSION: The respective causal attributions are mainly independent of demographic factors, thus generalizable for the population. The attributions are shaped primarily by psychosocial ideas about aetiology. Nevertheless, one-third of the interviewees holds biological or disease-related beliefs about causes of depression. The respective illness models cannot be neglected in the therapeutic relationship.
Authors: Matthias C Angermeyer; Sandra Van der Auwera; Herbert Matschinger; Mauro G Carta; Sebastian E Baumeister; Georg Schomerus Journal: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Date: 2015-11-28 Impact factor: 5.270
Authors: Olaf von dem Knesebeck; Eva Mnich; Anne Daubmann; Karl Wegscheider; Matthias C Angermeyer; Martin Lambert; Anne Karow; Martin Härter; Christopher Kofahl Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2012-10-10 Impact factor: 4.328