A survey of attitudes to depression in the general public: A comparison of age and gender differences

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have identified the presence of negative attitudes towards depression in the lay public and have identified that older adults have less positive attitudes towards depression than younger adults. There are mixed findings in differences in attitudes amongst male and females, with some indication that males have more negative attitudes than females, though some studies report no differences between males and females. This study seeks to examine attitudes towards depression in the general public with an interest in age and gender differences in attitudes.

Method: With an overall response rate of 80%, 322 non-acutely ill medical outpatients (and visitors) completed a short vignette style questionnaire assessing attitudes to depression. Fifty-four percent of the sample were female and 41% over 65 years of age.

Results: Using factor analysis, three themes emerged; “familiarity with depression”, “recognition of depression as a mental illness”, and “negative attitudes about depression”. Significant differences in attitudes to depression were found among younger and older adults and males and females.

Conclusion: Future educational campaigns aimed at the general public should concentrate their efforts on older adults and male lay people, who hold the least positive attitudes towards people with depression.

Keywords:

• Attitudes
• depression
• age differences
• gender differences