Factors associated with the rejection of depression treatment in Quechua‐speaking indigenous postmenopausal women from Peru

Objective To determine the factors associated with the rejection of depression treatment in Quechua‐speaking indigenous postmenopausal women from a Peruvian community. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted with 211 Quechua‐speaking postmenopausal women from the Chontayoc community (Huaraz‐Peru, 3139 m asl), who suffered from depression and refused either pharmacologic treatment or psychotherapeutic treatment. A questionnaire was administered between April and September 2024, following voluntary informed consent and approval by the ethics committee. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. The χ 2 test was applied with a significance level of 0.05. Results The majority of postmenopausal women (123, 58.3%) refused pharmacologic treatment for depression, while 162 (76.8%) and 181 (85.8%) women expressed distrust of the professional competence of health personnel and preference for the use of traditional medicine, respectively. The institutional and cultural factors that showed a statistically significant relationship with the rejection of depression treatment were distrust of the professional competence of health personnel, health care in a language other than Quechua, fear of treatment, distrust of its effectiveness, little information provided by health personnel, preference for the use of traditional medicine, shame and fear of community rejection, belief that depression treatment causes madness, and belief that depression is normal in postmenopausal women ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Institutional and cultural factors are associated with the rejection of depression treatment in Quechua‐speaking indigenous postmenopausal women from the Chontayoc community, so multisectoral intervention measures with an intercultural approach are required.