Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T00:49:12.612Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Attitudes and Preferences towards Self-help Treatments for Depression in Comparison to Psychotherapy and Antidepressant Medication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2015

Katie Hanson ,
Thomas L. Webb ,
Paschal Sheeran  and
Graham Turpin
Katie Hanson*
Affiliation:
Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Thomas L. Webb
Affiliation:
University of Sheffield, UK
Paschal Sheeran
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
Graham Turpin
Affiliation:
University of Sheffield, UK
*
Reprint requests to Katie Hanson, Sheffield Hallam University, Heart of the Campus Building, Collegiate Crescent, Collegiate Campus, Sheffield S10 2BQ, UK. E-mail: k.hanson@shu.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Self-help is an effective treatment for depression. Less is known, however, about how acceptable people find different self-help treatments for depression. Aims: To investigate preferences and attitudes toward different self-help treatments for depression in comparison to psychotherapy and antidepressants. Method:N = 536 people who were not actively seeking treatment for depression were randomly assigned to read about one of five treatment options (bibliotherapy, Internet-based self-help, guided self-help, antidepressants, or psychotherapy) before rating how acceptable they found the treatment. Participants also ranked the treatments in order of preference. Results: Psychotherapy and guided self-help were found to be the most acceptable and preferred treatment options. Antidepressants and bibliotherapy were found to be the least acceptable treatments, with antidepressants rated as the most likely to have side effects. Preference data reflected the above findings – psychotherapy and guided self-help were the most preferred treatment options. Conclusions: The findings highlight differences in attitudes and preferences between guided and unguided self-help interventions; and between self-help interventions and psychotherapy. Future research should focus on understanding why unguided self-help interventions are deemed to be less acceptable than guided self-help interventions for treating depression.

Keywords

Depressionacceptabilitypreferenceself-help
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , March 2016 , pp. 129 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bedi, N., Lee, A., Harrison, G., Chilvers, C., Dewey, M., Fielding, K., et al. (2000). Assessing effectiveness of treatment of depression in primary care: partially randomized preference trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 177, 312–318. doi:10.1192/bjp.177.4.312 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bower, P. and Gilbody, S. (2005). Stepped care in psychological therapies: access, effectiveness and efficacy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 186, 11–17. doi:10.1192/bjp.186.1.11 Google Scholar
Christensen, H., Griffiths, K. M. and Farrer, L. (2009). Adherence in Internet interventions for anxiety and depression: systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 11, e13. doi:10.2196/jmir.1194 Google Scholar
Cooper-Patrick, L., Powe, N. R., Jenckes, M. W., Gonzales, J. J., Levine, D. M. and Ford, D. E. (1997). Identification of patient attitudes and preferences regarding treatment of depression. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 12, 431–438. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.1997.00075.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cuijpers, P. (1997). Bibliotherapy in unipolar depression: a meta-analysis. Journal of Behavioral Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 28, 139–147. doi:10.1016/S0005-7916(97)00005-0 Google Scholar
Cuijpers, P., Berking, M., Andersson, G., Quigley, L., Kleiboer, A. and Dobson, K. S. (2013). A meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioural therapy for adult depression, alone and in comparison with other treatments. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 58, 376–385.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2013). Making Mental Health Services More Effective and Accessible. London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Dunlop, B. W., Kelley, M. E., Mletzko, T. C., Velasquez, C. M., Craighead, W. E. and Mayberg, H. S. (2012). Depression beliefs, treatment preference, and outcomes in a randomized trial for major depressive disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46, 375–381. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.11.003 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwight Johnson, M., Apesoa-Varano, C., Hay, J., Unutzer, J. and Hinton, L. (2013). Depression treatment preferences of older white and Mexican origin men. General Hospital Psychiatry, 35, 59–65. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2012.08.003 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elkin, I., Yamaguchi, J. L., Arnkoff, D. B., Glass, C. R., Sotsky, S. M. and Krupnick, J. L. (1999). “Patient-Treatment Fit” and early engagement in therapy. Psychotherapy Research, 9, 437–451. doi:10.1080/10503309912331332851 Google Scholar
Farrand, P. and Woodford, J. (2013). Impact of support on the effectiveness of written cognitive behavioural self-help: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 182–195. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2012.11.001 Google Scholar
Feeny, N. C. and Zoellner, L. A. (2004). Prolonged Exposure versus Sertraline: primary outcomes for the treatment of chronic PTSD. Paper presented at the International Society for the Study of Traumatic Stress, New Orleans: USA.Google Scholar
Gellatly, J., Bower, P., Hennessy, S., Richards, D., Gilbody, S. and Lovell, K. (2007). What makes self-help interventions effective in the management of depressive symptoms? Meta-analysis and meta-regression. Psychological Medicine, 37, 1217–1228. doi:10.1017/S0033291707000062 Google Scholar
Iacoviello, B. M., McCarthy, K. S., Barrett, M. S., Rynn, M., Gallop, R. and Barber, J. P. (2007). Treatment preferences affect the therapeutic alliance: implications for randomized controlled trials. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 194–198. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.75.1.194 Google Scholar
Kazdin, A. E. (1980). Acceptability of alternative treatments for deviant child behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13, 259–273. doi:10.1901/jaba.1980.13-259 Google Scholar
Khalsa, S. R., McCarthy, K. S., Sharpless, B. A., Barrett, M. S. and Barber, J. P. (2011). Beliefs about the causes of depression and treatment preferences. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67, 539–549. doi:10.1002/jclp.20785 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Khawam, E. A., Laurencic, G. and Malone, D. A. (2006). Side effects of antidepressants: an overview. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 73, 351–353. doi:10.3949/ccjm.73.4.351 Google Scholar
King, M., Nazareth, I., Lampe, F., Bower, P., Chandler, M., Morou, M., et al. (2005). Impact of participant and physician intervention preferences on randomized trials: a systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association, 293, 1089–1099. doi:10.1001/jama.293.9.1089 Google Scholar
Kocsis, J. H., Leon, A. C., Markowitz, J. C., Manber, R., Arnow, B., Klein, D. N., et al. (2009). Patient preference as a moderator of outcome for chronic forms of major depressive disorder treated with nefazodone, cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy, or their combination. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 70, 354–361. doi:10.4088/JCP.08m04371 Google Scholar
Kwan, B. M., Dimidjian, S. and Rizvi, S. L. (2010). Treatment preference, engagement, and clinical improvement in pharmacotherapy versus psychotherapy for depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 799–804. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2010.04.003 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Landreville, P. and Guérette, A. (1998). Psychometric properties of a modified version of the treatment evaluation inventory for assessing the acceptability of treatments for geriatric depression. Canadian Journal on Aging, 17, 414–424. doi:10.1017/S071498080001268X Google Scholar
Landreville, P., Landry, J., Baillargeon, L., Guérette, A. and Matteau, E. (2001). Older adults’ acceptance of psychological treatments for depression. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 56B, 285–291. doi:10.1093/geronb/56.5.P285 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leykin, Y., DeRubeis, R. J., Gallop, R., Amsterdam, J. D., Shelton, R. C. and Hollon, S. D. (2007). The relation of patients’ treatment preferences to outcome in a randomized clinical trial. Behavior Therapy, 38, 209–217. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2006.08.002 Google Scholar
Lin, P., Campbell, D. G., Chaney, E. F., Liu, C. F., Heagerty, P., Felker, B. L., et al. (2005). The influence of patient preference on depression treatment in primary care. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 30, 164–173. doi:10.1207/s15324796abm3002_9 Google Scholar
Lucock, M. P., Barber, R., Jones, A. and Lovell, J. (2007). Service users' views of self-help strategies and research in the UK. Journal of Mental Health, 16, 795–805.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macdonald, W., Mead, N., Bower, P., Richards, D. and Lovell, K. (2007). A qualitative study of patients’ perceptions of a “minimal” psychological therapy. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 53, 23–35. doi:10.1177/0020764006066841 Google Scholar
Marrs, R. W. (1995). A meta-analysis of bibliotherapy studies. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23, 843–870. doi:10.1007/BF02507018 Google Scholar
McHugh, K. R., Whitton, S. W., Peckham, A. D., Welge, J. A. and Otto, M. W. (2013). Patient preference for psychological vs pharmacologic treatment of psychiatric disorders: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 74, 595–602. doi:10.4088/JCP.12r07757 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mergl, R., Henkel, V., Allgaier, A. K., Kramer, D., Hautzinger, M., Kohnen, R., et al. (2011). Are treatment preferences relevant in response to serotonergic antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy in depressed primary care patients? Results from a randomized controlled trial including a patients’ choice arm. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 80, 39–47. doi:10.1159/000318772 Google Scholar
Mitchell, N. and Gordon, P. K. (2007). Attitudes towards computerized CBT for depression amongst a student population. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 35, 421–430. doi:10.1017/S1352465807003700 Google Scholar
Mohr, D. C., Siddique, P. H., Ho, J., Duffecy, J., Jin, L. and Fokuo, J. K. (2010). Interest in behavioral and psychological treatments delivered face-to-face, by telephone, and by internet. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 40, 89–98. doi:10.1007/s12160-010-9203-7 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moradveisi, L., Huibers, M., Renner, F. and Arntz, A. (2014). The influence of patients’ preference/attitude towards psychotherapy and antidepressant medication on the treatment of major depressive disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 45, 170–177. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2013.10.003 Google Scholar
NICE (2009). Depression in Adults: the treatment and management of depression in adults. CG90. London: NICE.Google Scholar
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401. doi:10.1177/014662167700100306 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Radloff, L. S. (1991). The use of the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale in adolescents and young adults. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20, 149–166. doi:10.1007/BF01537606 Google Scholar
Raue, P. and Schulberg, H. C. (2007). Psychotherapy and patient preferences for the treatment of major depression in primary care. In Henri, M. J. (Ed.), Trends in Depression Research (pp. 31–51). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.Google Scholar
Raue, P., Schulberg, H., Heo, M., Klimstra, S. and Bruce, M. (2009). Patients' depression treatment preferences and initiation, adherence, and outcome: a randomized primary care study. Psychiatric Services, 60, 337–343. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.60.3.337 Google Scholar
Rethink (2012a). Medication for Mental Illness. Retrieved from: http://www.rethink.org/living_with_mental_illness/treatment_and_therapy/medication/index.html Google Scholar
Rethink (2012b). Talking Therapies Factsheet. Retrieved from: http://www.rethink.org/living_with_mental_illness/treatment_and_therapy/talking_treatments/index.html Google Scholar
Schneider, J., Foroushani, P. S., Grime, P. and Thornicroft, G. (2014). Acceptability of online self-help to people with depression: users’ views of MoodGYM versus informational websites. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16, e90. doi:10.2196/jmir.2871 Google Scholar
Sharp, D. M., Power, K. G. and Swanson, V. (2004). A comparison of the efficacy and acceptability of group versus individual cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia in primary care. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 11, 73–82. doi:10.1002/cpp.393 Google Scholar
Steidtmann, D., Manber, R., Arnow, B. A., Klein, D. N., Markowitz, J. C., Rothbaum, B. O., et al. (2012). Patient treatment preference as predictor of response and attrition in treatment for chronic depression. Depression and Anxiety, 29, 896–905. doi:10.1002/da.21977 Google Scholar
Stewart, G. (2010). Understanding Depression. Retrieved from: http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/depression Google Scholar
Sumner, K., Haddock, G., Hartley, S., Kilbride, M., McCuster, M., Pitt, L., et al. (2014). Preferences for psychological therapy in psychosis: trial participation, mode of treatment and willingness to be randomised. Journal of Mental Health, 23, 67–71. doi:10.3109/09638237.2013.841865 Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Hanson supplementary material

Hanson supplementary material 1

Download Hanson supplementary material(File)
File 428 KB
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.