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Depression Research and Treatment
Volume 2010 (2010), Article ID 671279, 7 pages
doi:10.1155/2010/671279
Research Article

Predictors of Maternal Depression Management among Primary Care Physicians

Jenn A. Leiferman,1 Sarah E. Dauber,2 Katie Scott,3 Kurt Heisler,4 and James F. Paulson4

1Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 E 17th Place, Mailstop B119, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
2Columbia University, USA
3Colorado State University, USA
4Eastern Virginia Medical School, USA

Received 19 August 2009; Accepted 4 January 2010

Academic Editor: John R. Seeley

Copyright © 2010 Jenn A. Leiferman et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose. The present surveillance study examined predictors of the management of maternal depression in primary care settings. Methods. A total of 217 physicians completed a 60-item survey assessing demographics, physicians' attitudes, beliefs, efficacy, current practices, and perceived barriers regarding the management of maternal depression. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate a model that examined the relationships among physicians' knowledge, beliefs, self-efficacy, perceived barriers, past training toward and current management practices for maternal depression. Results. In a model predicting physician depression management practices, a good overall fit was observed ( 𝜒 2 = 1 3 6 . 6 3 , C F I = . 9 7 , T L I = . 9 5 , R M S E A = . 0 5 ), with physician comfort with, confidence in, and perceived responsibility for managing maternal depression all having prominent positive associations. Conclusions. These findings will guide the development of future multifaceted intervention strategies to enhance physician skills in managing maternal depression in primary care settings.