How perceived risk and personal and clinical experience affect medical students' decisions to seek treatment for major depression

To examine the role of perceived risk, and personal and clinical experience in medical students' treatment seeking behavior for major depression. In 2003, a questionnaire was administered to 173 first-year and 164 fourth-year medical students at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine to assess students' perception of risk for major depression in the general population and personal and clinical experience with major depression. Treatment-seeking behavior was examined using a hypothetical scenario. Data analysis used analysis of variance and regression models. A total of 157 (91%) first-year and 108 (66%) fourth-year students completed the questionnaire. The majority overestimated the risk for major depression in the general population (p