Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume 88, Issue 1 , Pages 47-53 , September 2005

Belief in the harmfulness of antidepressants: Results from a national survey of the Australian public

  • Anthony F. Jorm

      Affiliations

    • ORYGEN Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
    • Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +61 3 83468218; fax: +61 3 93479099.
    • ,
  • Helen Christensen

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
    • ,
  • Kathleen M. Griffiths

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Received 5 April 2005 ,Revised 6 June 2005 ,Accepted 7 June 2005.

References 

  1. Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H. Public attitudes towards psychotropic drugs: have there been any changes in recent years?. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2004;37:152–156
  2. Angermeyer MC, Daumer R, Matschinger H. Benefits and risks of psychotropic medication in the eyes of the general public: results of a survey in the Federal Republic of Germany. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1993;26:114–120
  3. Benkert O, Graf-Morgenstern M, Hillert A, Sandmann J, Ehmig SC, Weissbecker H, et al. Public opinion on psychotropic drugs: an analysis of the factors influencing acceptance or rejection. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 1997;185:151–158
  4. Caldwell TM, Jorm AF. Mental health nurses' beliefs about interventions for schizophrenia and depression: a comparison with psychiatrists and the public. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry. 2000;34:602–611
  5. Fergusson D, Doucette S, Glass KC, Shapiro S, Healy D, Hebert P, et al. Association between suicide attempts and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Br. Med. J. 2005;330:653
  6. Fischer W, Goerg D, Zbinden E, Guimon J. Determining factors and the effects of attitudes towards psychotropic medication. In:  Guimon J,  Fischer W,  Sartorius N editor. The Image of Madness: The Public Facing Mental Illness and Psychiatric Treatment. Basel: Karger; 1999;p. 162–186
  7. Goldney RD, Fisher LJ, Wilson DH. Mental health literacy: an impediment to the optimum treatment of major depression in the community. J. Affect. Disord. 2001;64:277–284
  8. Griffiths KM, Christensen H, Jorm AF, Evans K, Groves C. Effect of web-based depression literacy and cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions on stigmatising attitudes to depression: randomised controlled trial. Br. J. Psychiatry. 2004;185:342–349
  9. Gunnell D, Ashby D. Antidepressants and suicide: what is the balance of benefit and harm. Br. Med. J. 2004;329:34–38
  10. Hall WD, Mant A, Mitchell PB, Rendle VA, Hickie IB, McManus P. Association between antidepressant prescribing and suicide in Australia, 1991–2000: trend analysis. Br. Med. J. 2003;326:1008
  11. Jorm AF, Korten AE, Jacomb PA, Christensen H, Rodgers B, Pollitt P. “Mental health literacy”: a survey of the public's ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment. Med. J. Aust. 1997;166:182–186
  12. Jorm AF, Korten AE, Jacomb PA, Rodgers B, Pollitt P, Christensen H, et al. Helpfulness of interventions for mental disorders: beliefs of health professionals compared to the general public. Br. J. Psychiatry. 1997;171:233–237
  13. Jorm AF, Korten AE, Jacomb PA, Christensen H, Rodgers B, Pollitt P. Public beliefs about causes and risk factors for depression and schizophrenia. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 1997;32:143–148
  14. Jorm AF, Blewitt KA, Griffiths KM, Kitchener BA, Parslow RA. Mental health first aid responses of the public: results from an Australian national survey. BMC Psychiatry. 2005;5:9
  15. Jorm AF, Christensen H, Griffiths KM. The impact of beyondblue: the national depression initiative on the Australian public's recognition of depression and beliefs about treatments. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry. 2005;39:248–254
  16. Jorm, A.F., Christensen, H., Griffiths, K.M., in press. The public's ability to recognize mental disorders and their beliefs about treatment: changes in Australia over 8 years. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry 39, 248–254.
  17. Paykel ES, Hart D, Priest RG. Changes in public attitudes to depression during the Defeat Depression Campaign. Br. J. Psychiatry. 1998;173:519–522
  18. Priest RG, Vize C, Roberts A, Roberts M, Tylee A. Lay people's attitudes to treatment of depression: results of opinion poll for Defeat Depression Campaign just before its launch. Br. Med. J. 1996;313:858–859
  19. Pyne JM, Rost KM, Farahati F, Tripathi SP, Smith J, Williams DK, et al. One size fits some: the impact of patient treatment attitudes on the cost-effectiveness of a depression primary-care intervention. Psychol. Med. 2005;35:839–854

PII: S0165-0327(05)00157-6

doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2005.06.002

Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume 88, Issue 1 , Pages 47-53 , September 2005

Article Tools