Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17592

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Seong Park J, Grow JM
Symptom information in direct-to-consumer antidepressant advertising and college students’ perception of the lifetime risk of depression
Journal of Medical Marketing 2010; 10:(2):123–133 [Epub ahead of print]
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jmm/journal/v10/n2/abs/jmm200944a.html

Abstract:

While consumers’ health cognition and behavior are likely formed through multiple influences, the current study focused on the effects of exposure to specific content elements in direct-to-consumer advertising. The study revealed that consumers’ exposure to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) diagnostic guideline has potential to reduce their perceived lifetime risk of depression and intention to consult a health professional to discuss the health issue. The study further revealed when an antidepressant ad mentioned a long list of symptoms, exposure to the diagnostic guideline reduced risk perception and consultation intention significantly, whereas in the presence of a short list of symptoms, the APA guideline had minimal impact.

Keywords:
antidepressant advertising; direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising; health cognition and behavior; representativeness heuristic; risk perception