Table 3.
Rural physicians’ attitudes and perceptions regarding the diagnosis and treatment of depression in older adults
| Item/perception | Rating n(%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD | D | A | SA | |
| Helping depressed patients is important to me. | 0 | 0 | 5 (7) | 71 (93) |
| Feel confident I can accurately diagnose depression in elderly. | 0 | 1 (1) | 45 (59) | 30 (40) |
| Treating depressed patients a rewarding aspect of practicing medicine. | 1 (1) | 5 (7) | 36 (47) | 34 (45) |
| Do not focus on depression diagnosis until ruling out organic disease. | 6 (8) | 30 (40) | 33 (43) | 7 (9) |
| Family members included in decisions and plans on treatment/management of depression in elderly. | 1 (1) | 8 (11) | 42 (55) | 25 (33) |
| Too pressured for time to routinely investigate depression in older patients. | 24 (32) | 41 (54) | 10 (13) | 1 (1) |
| Confidence in my ability to prescribe antidepressants for elderly patients. | 2 (3) | 6 (8) | 36 (47) | 32 (42) |
| When depression and dementia coexist, depression should still be treated. | 0 | 0 | 19 (25) | 57 (75) |
| Feel I am intruding when probing emotional concerns of my patients. | 62 (82) | 11 (14) | 2 (3) | 1 (1) |
| Consider my knowledge of diagnosis/treatment of depression is up-to-date. | 0 | 2 (3) | 54 (71) | 20 (26) |
| Elderly patients have so many problems, do not always have time to consider depression. | 24 (31) | 34 (45) | 15 (20) | 3 (4) |
| I think psychotherapy can help depressed, elderly patients. | 0 | 5 (7) | 46 (60) | 25 (33) |
| Consider diagnosis/treatment of depression in elderly patients to be my responsibility. | 0 | 0 | 34 (46) | 42 (55) |
| Will send elderly patients for psychiatric consult rather than diagnose/treat myself. | 44 (58) | 30 (39) | 2(3) | 0 |
| Elderly patients expect primary care physicians to deal with depression. | 0 | 3 (4) | 28 (37) | 45 (59) |
| Generally nothing that can be done for older patients with depression. | 73 (96) | 3(4) | 0 | 0 |
| Depression is normal concomitant of aging. | 59 (78) | 17 (22) | 0 | 0 |
| Priority is to treat medical problems first, then investigate psychological problems. | 16 (21) | 47 (62) | 12 (16) | 1 (1) |
| Given chronic illnesses elderly patients suffer, depression is understandable. | 9(12) | 15 (20) | 38 (50) | 14 (18) |
| Older adults with depression likely experienced episodes of depression when younger adults. | 4 (5) | 22 (29) | 43 (57) | 7 (9) |
| Diagnosing depression automatically burdens me with responsibility for treatment. | 17 (22) | 28 (37) | 25 (33) | 6 (8) |
| Feel comfortable dealing with family members of depressed patients. | 0 | 5 (6) | 41 (54) | 30 (40) |
| Management of depressed elderly people is different from management of younger adults. | 3 (4) | 10 (13) | 49 (65) | 14 (18) |
| Depressed elderly patients frustrate me. | 27 (35) | 37 (49) | 10 (13) | 2 (3) |
| It is preferable not to use the term ‘depression’ to avoid labeling or stigmatizing the patient. | 36 (47) | 33 (43) | 4 (5) | 3 (4) |
| Psychotherapy is less efficacious for older patients compared to younger patients. | 14 (18) | 45 (59) | 16 (21) | 1 (1) |
| Five years from now, caring for geriatric patients with depression will be more important to me than now. | 10 (13) | 31 (41) | 28 (37) | 7 (9) |
| In my experience, family member information is useful in diagnosing depression in older patients. | 0 | 1 (1) | 27 (36) | 48 (63) |
SD, Strongly disagree = 1; D, disagree = 2; A, agree = 3; SA, strongly agree = 4.