The long term objective of this research is to investigate how people's understanding of conditions medically defined as depression influence self-care patterns for depression. This study of self-care behaviors will explore: 1) the primary factors involved in the evident treatment gap between a disease model of depression and the practices and knowledge that inform people's attempts at care for their depressive symptoms, and 2) the proposed understanding of alcohol use as a form of self-care rather than only a provoking factor of depression. This research will take place in a poor, urban setting of Santiago, Chile. The overall research design is a case-based, 18-month longitudinal, ethnographic study of the development and utilization of care-seeking behaviors for depressive symptoms by community and hospital-based samples of people meeting DSM-IV-R criteria for minor depression, major depression and co-morbid depression and alcohol abuse/dependency. It will rely on screening and diagnostic tools for depression and substance use, bi-monthly open-ended interviews with subjects, and a general ethnographic study of the social and economic context of mental health care.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships (ADAMHA) (F30)
Project #
1F30MH064979-01
Application #
6445365
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1-SRV-C (01))
Program Officer
Altman, Fred
Project Start
2001-09-25
Project End
Budget Start
2001-09-25
Budget End
2002-09-24
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$38,738
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
082359691
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115