Shadi Beshai (University of Regina) -Promotion and Marketing of Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments: Public Perceptions of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Medication for Depression

Years of careful clinical research have helped us develop efficacious and effective psychological treatments for many conditions. For example, there are a number of compelling arguments in support of the use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a first-line treatment for depression. Despite the clear efficacy of CBT as a treatment for depression, the use of this treatment has remained relatively consistent while the use of antidepressant medication (ADM) for the treatment of depression has increased 4.5-fold from 1980 to 2000. Therefore, there is a clear gap between the effectiveness of and our confidence in psychological treatments, and the public’s willingness to request or demand such treatments. In this presentation, I will discuss elements related to public reluctance to engaging in CBT, as well as present results from two online studies in which we examined perceptions of ADM and CBT for depression. I will also summarize some evidence that suggests that depressive symptoms and explanatory models of depression may be linked to individuals’ willingness to request and/or adhere to CBT for depression. Future directions in this area of research will also be discussed.

The Think-Tank seminar series is organised by Heather O’Mahen, Lorna Cook, Matthew Owens-Solari and Matthew Lomas (mdcadmin@exeter.ac.uk).