Patients' Attitudes and Beliefs About Mood Stabilizers
Author Information
Author(s): Lars Vedel Kessing, Hanne Vibe Hansen, Per Bech
Primary Institution: Department of Psychiatry, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Hypothesis
How do attitudes and beliefs about mood stabilizers vary among patients with depressive and bipolar disorders?
Conclusion
Patients, especially older ones, need better knowledge and attitudes towards mood stabilizers to improve their treatment outcomes.
Supporting Evidence
- 49.9% of patients responded to the survey.
- 40 to 80% of patients had incorrect views on the effects of mood stabilizers.
- Older patients had more negative views on the doctor-patient relationship.
- There were no significant differences in attitudes based on the type of disorder.
Takeaway
Many patients don't understand how mood stabilizers work, and older patients often feel more negatively about their treatment.
Methodology
The Mood Stabilizer Compliance Questionnaire (MSQC) was mailed to a large population of patients with depressive or bipolar disorder.
Potential Biases
Patients with more negative attitudes may have been less likely to respond, potentially skewing results.
Limitations
The study had a response rate of 49.9%, and the sample may not represent all patients due to potential biases in who chose to respond.
Participant Demographics
Patients included were from Denmark, with a mix of depressive and bipolar disorders, and a median age of 43.8 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.006
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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