The paradoxical role of antidepressant medication - returning to normal functioning while losing the sense of being normal

@article{citeulike:3363024, abstract = {<i>Background</i>: The development of healthcare services which address patients' perspectives of treatment and illness has been advocated. However, little is known about patients' beliefs and experiences of taking antidepressant medication. <i>Aims</i>: The current study aimed to identify factors of importance to patients beginning courses of antidepressant medication, in order to inform the development of partnerships between patients and healthcare professionals. <i>Method</i>: Patients beginning courses of antidepressant medication were recruited from general practice surgeries. Semi-structured interviews were performed. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and coded. <i>Results</i>: Antidepressant medication was found to have a paradoxical role in affecting the return to normal life and functioning. Medication enabled respondents to return to normality by reducing symptoms associated with the condition. However, it also had a stigma attached which reduced interviewees' sense of being normal. Respondents reported mechanisms of dealing with stigma, the majority of which reconciled taking antidepressant medication with previous self identity. <i>Conclusion</i>: Knowledge of mechanisms used to deal with stigma may aid healthcare professionals in building partnerships with patients with a diagnosis of depression. <i>Declaration of interest</i>: None.}, author = {Garfield, Sara and Smith, Felicity and Francis, Sally-Anne}, citeulike-article-id = {3363024}, doi = {10.1080/09638230310001603582}, journal = {Journal of Mental Health}, keywords = {antidepressants, depression, normalcy, stigma}, number = {5}, pages = {521--535}, posted-at = {2008-10-01 15:57:12}, priority = {2}, publisher = {Informa Healthcare}, title = {The paradoxical role of antidepressant medication - returning to normal functioning while losing the sense of being normal}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638230310001603582}, volume = {12}, year = {2003} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:3363024 L3 - citeulike-article-id:3363024 N2 - <i>Background</i>: The development of healthcare services which address patients' perspectives of treatment and illness has been advocated. However, little is known about patients' beliefs and experiences of taking antidepressant medication. <i>Aims</i>: The current study aimed to identify factors of importance to patients beginning courses of antidepressant medication, in order to inform the development of partnerships between patients and healthcare professionals. <i>Method</i>: Patients beginning courses of antidepressant medication were recruited from general practice surgeries. Semi-structured interviews were performed. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and coded. <i>Results</i>: Antidepressant medication was found to have a paradoxical role in affecting the return to normal life and functioning. Medication enabled respondents to return to normality by reducing symptoms associated with the condition. However, it also had a stigma attached which reduced interviewees' sense of being normal. Respondents reported mechanisms of dealing with stigma, the majority of which reconciled taking antidepressant medication with previous self identity. <i>Conclusion</i>: Knowledge of mechanisms used to deal with stigma may aid healthcare professionals in building partnerships with patients with a diagnosis of depression. <i>Declaration of interest</i>: None. IS - 5 JF - Journal of Mental Health EP - 535 TI - The paradoxical role of antidepressant medication - returning to normal functioning while losing the sense of being normal PB - Informa Healthcare VL - 12 SP - 521 KW - antidepressants KW - depression KW - normalcy KW - stigma AU - Garfield, Sara AU - Smith, Felicity AU - Francis, Sally-Anne PY - 2003/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638230310001603582 ER -