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In brief: Antidepressants and empathy

In brief

Antidepressants and empathy

A study of depression treatment by family doctors has found that patients are more likely to improve if their doctors are good communicators — but only if they also prescribe adequate medication.

More than 200 depressed patients of 18 general practitioners participated. Researchers questioned them after a visit to the doctor, assessing the doctor’s empathy and support by a series of questions about personal interest in the patient, listening carefully, asking useful questions, showing an understanding of the patient’s feelings, and showing appreciation of the patient’s efforts to cope. Physicians were rated on a 10-point scale for each answer.

Three months after treatment began and again a year later, the communication skills of doctors were correlated with the outcome of the patient’s depression — how long it lasted, how severe the symptoms were, and how much disability it caused.

For best results, patients needed both adequate treatment (at least three months at sufficient doses) and an empathic and supportive doctor.

Drugs improved symptoms; the doctor’s empathy and support had little effect on symptoms but helped to reduce functional disability and limitations, easing the effects of depression on daily life.

The doctor’s skills were effective only with accurate diagnosis and adequate drug treatment. A good relationship with the doctor apparently made patients feel less isolated and more hopeful, and therefore more likely to continue taking their medications. Surprisingly, patients with the least communicative physicians did not simply get less from their medications; they were actually better off if they received no drug treatment at all.

Van Os TWDP, et al. “Communicative Skills of General Practitioners Augment the Effectiveness of Guideline-based Depression Treatment,” Journal of Affective Disorders (Jan. 2005): Vol. 84, No. 1, pp. 43–51.

Last updated:	August 21, 2006