Analysis of the effect of exposure to information, sex and age on treatment preferences in mild to moderate depression

Abstract

Previous studies have found that matching patients’ preferences is a strong predictor of a shorter treatment duration in depression. However, variables for patients’ preference towards each treatment type (psychopharmacological/
psychotherapeutic/combined) are unclear. This study aims to analyze the effect of exposure to minimal information on the therapeutic efficacy of each treatment type, the sex and the age of participants, on their treatment preferences. Three hundred and thirty-five people were surveyed through two social networks. Exposure to information on the efficacy of each type of treatment did not influence the degree of preference for any of them. However, preference for the pharmacological treatment was lower than for psychotherapeutic treatment in women and young people. Main reasons indicated were confidence in combination therapy and in psychotherapy. Implications for the treatment of depression are discussed.