[Premorbid self-medication and its factors in patients with depressive and neurotic disorders]

To study self-medication and its factors in patients with depressive and neurotic disorders at premorbid stage.

The sample included 131 first-time admitted patients and 85 recurrent patients with depressive or neurotic disorders, who reported taking medication to cope with the symptoms during preadmission period. Lazarus coping strategies test, Shmishek personality test, test on disease attitude and patient activation were used. Social and demographic characteristics, subjective characteristics of disease, medical literacy and behavioral coping strategies were studied.

Over 50% of the patients used self-medication to cope with the symptoms during the preadmission period. Coping anxiety and insomnia was a key motivation to self-medication. Most frequently used medications included tranquilizers and herbal anxiolytics. Misunderstanding of origin of their state, searching for information about treatment of disease via internet, increased emotiveness and tension, lack of their correction with psychotherapy were the factors of self-medication.