Depressed individuals' reasons for and against trying to get better

Abstract

Objective

To understand reasons individuals with high depressive symptoms offer for trying to improve their state or for not doing so.

Method

Participants (N = 227) in an online depression intervention study were asked, in a free response format, about their reasons for “getting better” (200 responses were collected), and, separately, about their reservations or hesitations about getting better (146 responses were collected). Using “bottom‐up” thematic analysis, themes of responses were developed.

Results

Analysis identified 15 reasons individuals gave for getting better, as well as nine hesitations regarding getting better. Primary reasons individuals endorsed for getting better include improving one's functioning, social reasons, and the desire to experience enjoyment and positive emotions. Primary hesitations regarding getting better included low expectations for success of any effort to improve as well as resignation to always being depressed or having a depressed identity. Themes were not related to demographic or clinical characteristics.

Conclusions

Addressing individuals' attitudes towards treatment and emphasising the importance of overcoming depression for achievement of personal goals may motivate individuals with depression to initiate and remain in treatment. The results underscore the importance of understanding and addressing clients' hesitations about recovery as well as their motivations for improvement. These motivators and hesitations should be assessed in the initial stations of treatment to improve the likelihood of engagement in the treatment process.

Key words:

• major depression
• preferences
• qualitative data
• thematic analysis
• treatment decisions
• treatment‐seeking

Funding information National Institute of Mental Health, Grant/Award Number: 5K08MH091501; Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Seed Grant

Funding information National Institute of Mental Health, Grant/Award Number: 5K08MH091501; Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Seed Grant

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Seed Grant (Leykin, PI) and by NIMH grant 5K08MH091501 (Leykin, PI).

Notes

Funding information National Institute of Mental Health, Grant/Award Number: 5K08MH091501; Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Seed Grant

Additional information

Funding

National Institute of Mental Health

Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Seed Grant