The effectiveness of videotape in patient education on depression.

The effectiveness of videotape for patient education on depression was assessed. The videotape was shown to members of a general patient population and accompanying persons in the waiting area of a health maintenance organization (HMO) clinic, then evaluated according to pre- and post-test questionnaire responses before and after viewing the tape. The patients' knowledge of depression increased significantly (p less than or equal to 0.002) as a result of the videotape intervention. Although attitudes were not affected, 91.7% found it useful and 38.3% thought it reassuring. There was a high demand for access to more health educational videotapes.