31st Annual Student Research Conference
Prediction of Antidepressant Effectiveness and Satisfaction Ratings in Online Consumer Reviews
Emily E. Kinkade*, Nala Turner, Samantha E. Carroll, Bailey R. Holm, Anthony Rogers, and Claire E. Miller
Dr. Jeffrey Vittengl, Faculty Mentor
Biological explanations of depression have been linked to increased pessimism regarding prognosis and treatment, perhaps because of the belief that depression is more permanent and difficult to treat. The purpose of this study was to investigate if antidepressant reviews using fewer biological words would give higher antidepressant ratings. Online narrative reviews (N=3,000) plus numerical ratings of drug effectiveness and satisfaction were compiled. Narrative reviews were analyzed using word count software, and word use patterns were correlated with antidepressant ratings. Consumers who used more social words gave higher ratings of effectiveness of antidepressants, whereas consumers who used more biological words gave significantly lower ratings of effectiveness and satisfaction for antidepressants. These results suggest that consumers writing from a biological perspective view their treatment less favorably, consistent with previous research about the effects of a biological perspective of depression.
Keywords: Depression, Antidepressants, Depression treatment, Drug therapy
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 7-1
Location: GEO - SUB
Time: 3:30