Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (9)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Andersson, S. J
Right arrow Articles by Lindberg, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Andersson, S. J
Right arrow Articles by Lindberg, G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Family Practice Vol. 18, No. 1, 64-70
© Oxford University Press 2001

Psychological Problems

Conceptions of depressive disorder and its treatment among 17 Swedish GPs. A qualitative interview study

Stig J Andersson, Margareta Troeina and Gunnar Lindbergb

Hermes Primary Health Care Centre, Säffle,
a Malmö University, Malmö and
b The NEPI Foundation, Malmö, Sweden.

Correspondence to Dr Stig J Andersson, Hermes Vårdcentral, Industrigatan 10, SE-661 33 Säffle, Sweden.

Background. Making clinical decisions for psychiatric patients in general practice is a complicated issue. A marked variation in the prescribing rates for antidepressant drugs in general as well as between geographical regions has been reported. Also, GPs tend to underestimate and undertreat depressive disorders.

Objectives. The aim of this study was to explore GPs' conceptions of depressive disorder and its treatment.

Method. A qualitative semi-structured interview was carried out on 17 GPs, selected to ensure variation of pre-conditions, in the county of Örebro, Sweden. Informants' conceptions about four depression-related issues were determined: the depressive disorder, antidepressant drugs, the treatment decision and psychotherapy.

Results. Conceptions of the four themes varied widely among informants in the interviews. However, the informants shared certain conceptions concerning the selection of drugs and drug treatment of major depression as well as the patient's role in deciding whether or not to treat pharmacologically.

Conclusions. The study adds knowledge of GPs' thoughts about depressive disorder and their diagnostic and treatment preferences. Utilizing the concepts discussed herein, a quantitative study will be conducted to analyse how GPs' conceptions of depression are inter-related.

Keywords. Antidepressant drugs, conceptions, depressive disorder, GP, treatment decision.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Fam PractHome page
C. E Newman, S. C Kippax, L. Mao, G. D Rogers, D. C Saltman, and M. R Kidd
Features of the management of depression in gay men and men with HIV from the perspective of Australian GPs
Fam. Pract., February 1, 2009; 26(1): 27 - 33.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Fam PractHome page
C. A Chew-Graham, S. Mullin, C. R May, S. Hedley, and H. Cole
Managing depression in primary care: another example of the inverse care law?
Fam. Pract., December 1, 2002; 19(6): 632 - 637.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Fam PractHome page
C. A Chew-Graham, C. R May, and M. S Perry
Qualitative research and the problem of judgement: lessons from interviewing fellow professionals
Fam. Pract., June 1, 2002; 19(3): 285 - 289.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.