Beliefs About Depression and Antidepressants: Is There A Relationship with Attachment Style or Personality Characteristics?

Abstract

Attitudinal barriers can be more frequent than structural barriers in depression treatment. Understanding attitudinal barriers are the first step to overcome. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the beliefs about depression, antidepressants with attachment styles, and personality characteristics. A total of 207 participants completed an online survey which consisted of the sociodemographic data form, beliefs about antidepressants and depression questionnaire, Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised, and Ten Item Personality Inventory. False beliefs about depression were related to younger age, lower education level, and male gender (p<0.05 each). False beliefs about antidepressants were related to openness to experience personality dimension and anxious attachment style in addition to the male gender and, lower educational level (p<0.05 each). Interventions addressing wrong beliefs about depression should provide basic information about the disease. Clinicians aiming to provide proper knowledge about antidepressants should prioritize a trusting relationship.