Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2413

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Frankenberger KA, Frankenberger WR, Peden BF, Hunt HL, Raschick CM, Steller EG, Peterson JA.
Effects of information on college students' perceptions of antidepressant medication.
J Am Coll Health 2004 Jul-Aug; 53:(1):35-40

Abstract:

The authors examined the impact of pharmaceutical companies’ advertisements on college students’ perceptions of depression and concomitant treatment with antidepressants among 13 male and 31 female undergraduates from a midwestern university. The students were randomly assigned to groups that read either pharmaceutical company advertisements or scientific information about depression and its treatment. The analysis revealed that 40% of the women in the advertisement condition as opposed to 1 woman (6%) in the scientific condition rated themselves as having mild, moderate, or severe depression on the Beck Depression Inventory, second edition. Women in the advertisement condition were significantly more likely to believe that depression required treatment with antidepressant medication and were more willing than women in the scientific condition to suggest antidepressant treatment to others.

Keywords:
MeSH Terms: Adolescent Adult Antidepressive Agents/administration & dosage* Attitude to Health* Depressive Disorder/diagnosis Depressive Disorder/drug therapy* Female Follow-Up Studies Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Male Questionnaires Risk Assessment Sampling Studies Severity of Illness Index Students Universities Substances: Antidepressive Agents