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Published on: May 19, 2015
Perceived stigma as a predictor of treatment discontinuation in young and older outpatients with depression
J A Sirey1, M L Bruce, G S Alexopoulos
1Outpatient Department, Westchester Division, New York Presbyterian Hospital, White Plains, NY, USA. jsirey@med.cornell.edu
Objective:
The authors' goal was to examine the extent to which perceived stigma affected treatment discontinuation in young and older adults with major depression.
Method:
A two-stage sampling design identified 92 new admissions of outpatients with major depression. Perceived stigma was assessed at admission. Discontinuation of treatment was recorded at 3-month follow-up.
Results:
Although younger patients reported perceiving more stigma than older patients, stigma predicted treatment discontinuation only among the older patients.
Conclusions:
Patients' perceptions of stigma at the start of treatment influence their subsequent treatment behavior. Stigma is an appropriate target for intervention aimed at improving treatment adherence and outcomes.
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