Dysfunctional attitudes and the common mental disorders in primary care

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Limited evidence exists on dysfunctional attitudes predisposing individuals to depression.
• Previous studies often used cross-sectional designs or focused on clinical samples.
• The study investigated the association between dysfunctional attitudes and common mental disorders in primary care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that dysfunctional attitudes are associated with the onset and repeat prevalence of common mental disorders.
• To examine the role of dysfunctional attitudes as a potential risk factor in primary care populations.
• To differentiate the impact of dysfunctional attitudes on the incidence versus recurrence of mental health episodes.

Main Methods:

• A 12-month prospective cohort study was conducted.
• 305 consecutive primary care attenders were recruited from a health center in South London.
• The Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) was used to measure attitudes.

Main Results:

• A significant linear association was found between higher DAS scores and the onset of common mental disorders (unadjusted OR 1.05, P = 0.009).
• This association remained significant after adjusting for baseline scores on the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) (OR 1.05, P = 0.03).
• No statistically significant association was found between DAS scores and the repeat prevalence of mental disorder episodes.

Conclusions:

• Dysfunctional attitudes may serve as a risk factor for the initial onset of moderately severe anxiety and depression in primary care.
• The findings suggest that dysfunctional attitudes do not significantly impact the outcome or recurrence of these common mental disorders.
• The study highlights the potential role of cognitive factors in the development of mental health conditions within general practice settings.