General Hospital Psychiatry
Volume 27, Issue 2 , Pages 97-99, March 2005

Health beliefs and depression in a group of elderly high utilizers of medical services☆

  • Carolyn M. Levinson, M.P.H

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 203 932 5711x7432; fax: +1 203 937 3472.
    • ,
  • Benjamin G. Druss, M.D., M.P.H

      Affiliations

    • Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

Received 13 January 2003; accepted 16 September 2004.

Abstract 

Using a standardized measure of health beliefs, this study sought to disentangle factors that contribute to increased medical service use in a sample of 64 high-utilizing elderly patients. In adjusted models, people with depressive symptoms were more likely than those without depression to believe that they were susceptible to chronic medical conditions, and that these conditions were severe. However, they did not appear to have a distorted view of the potential benefits and risks of seeking health care. The results of this study suggest that the association between depressive symptoms and medical service use may be more closely related to how patients view their medical illnesses than with how they perceive their need for health care.

Keywords: Health beliefs, Depression, Elderly, Service use

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

☆ This study was funded in part by NIMH grant K08 MH01556.

PII: S0163-8343(04)00131-8

doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2004.09.010

General Hospital Psychiatry
Volume 27, Issue 2 , Pages 97-99, March 2005

Article Tools