Open AccessConceptual Models of Psychological Distress Among Low‐income Patients in an Inner‐city Primary Care Clinic
Author(s) -
Karasz Alison,
Sacajiu Galit,
Garcia Nerina
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of general internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.746
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 1525-1497
pISSN - 0884-8734
DOI - 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20636.x
Subject(s) - medicine , distress , anxiety , psychological distress , primary care , depression (economics) , inner city , clinical psychology , psychiatry , family medicine , economics , economic geography , macroeconomics
Although depression and anxiety syndromes are common in primary care, many depressed and anxious patients fail to receive effective treatment. Little attention has been given to the role of illness beliefs in shaping these patients' treatment preferences and decisions. Using semistructured interviews, this study examined conceptual models of depressive symptoms among patients in an inner‐city clinic. A theoretical taxonomy of patients' conceptual models of distress was developed: each category was associated with a unique pattern of treatment preferences. We conclude that patients' models of distress may play an important role in treatment‐seeking decisions, and deserve further investigation.