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Table 1 Agreement with the statement ‘it is acceptable for prescription drugs to be used in the treatment of depression’ according to ‘familiarity’ and ‘attitudes towards over-diagnosis’

From: Over-diagnosed and over-treated: a survey of Australian public attitudes towards the acceptability of drug treatment for depression and ADHD

  

Acceptable for prescription drugs to treat depression

 

N (%)

Agree (%)

Disagree (%)

Don’t know (%)

Total sample

1269

60.9

17.5

21.6

Depression is over-diagnosed

 

Agree

732

58.6

24.0

17.3

Disagree

291

77.3

9.6

13.1

Don’t know

109

48.4

7.3

44.3

Familiarity with depression

 

Not Familiara

422

51.4

17.3

31.3

Yes – otherb

593

63.2

18.7

18.0

Yes – mec

264

70.8

15.2

14.0

Age category

    

18 – 34

101

74.3

13.9

11.9

35 – 44

199

70.4

10.1

19.6

45 – 54

262

67.2

14.5

18.3

55+

708

54.2

20.9

24.9

  1. aNot familiar = I don’t know anyone who has been treated for depression with prescription drugs.
  2. bYes – other = I personally know someone who has been treated for depression with prescription drugs.
  3. cYes – me = I have been treated for depression with prescription drugs.