The relationship of depression and disease stage to patient perceptions of Parkinson's disease

The present study aimed to perform an in-depth exploration of perceptions of Parkinson's disease (PD) and their relationship to depression and disease stage using semi-structured interviews. 37 participants with PD formed four groups: depressed and non-depressed with either mild or moderate-severe stage PD. Interviews were analysed using Framework Analysis. Moderate-severe stage patients reported a greater variety of perceptions than those with mild symptoms. Depressed and non-depressed patients differed in their perceptions of the consequences, treatment control and emotional reaction to PD. Helping patients to adjust life goals to accommodate PD and employ adaptive coping strategies may help to relieve depressive symptoms in PD.