Exploring the Impact of Family Experiences and Psychological Indexes on Behaviour towards Antibiotics: A Self-Report Study on an Italian Sample

Antibiotic resistance represents a worldwide health concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated around 10 million deaths by 2050 caused by this phenomenon. The main cause for the development of resistance is the prolonged and inappropriate use of antibiotics, which can also affect the individual psychophysiological balance and several biological indices. Given the large number of factors involved in medicine adherence, the purpose of the current study was to investigate beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours of the general population toward antibiotics, through an online investigation, with the aim to identify dispositional factors and personal experiences which influence antibiotics misuse. A sample of 100 responders (74 females, mean age 33.37) completed an online battery of validated scales administered to assess several psychological indexes (Big Five Questionnaire, BFQ-R; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI; Perceived Stress Scale, PSS; Psychosomatic Problem Scale, PPS), together with a revised form of a WHO survey investigating attitude, knowledge and practice towards antibiotics, and a series of ad hoc questions to investigate disease behaviour and individual and family-related past experiences with antibiotics. Significant correlations between intake behaviour, awareness and individual attitude emerged: having had a family of origin which has demonised antibiotics negatively correlates with the quantity of antibiotics taken in the last year and the personal attitude toward antibiotics, while a family of origin which has used antibiotics improperly positively correlates with the amount of antibiotics taken, and negatively both with the knowledge of good practices of intake and the awareness about antibiotics. Moreover, a good personal past compliance with antibiotic prescription is positively correlated with a family which has used antibiotics correctly. Also, significant correlations emerged between psychological facets and antibiotic behaviour: the personality traits of conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness are positively correlated to antibiotics awareness, on the contrary of indexes of psychological balance (i.e., anxiety, perceived stress and psychosomatization), which correlate negatively to awareness. Moreover, the moderator role of anxiety in the relationship between a negative family approach towards antibiotics and antibiotics intake, and the mediator role of individual awareness in the relationship between a familiar positive approach to antibiotics and individual past compliance to doctor’s prescription emerged. Subsequently, regression analysis revealed the role of anxiety, stress and psychosomatization as predictors of individual antibiotics awareness, suggesting that people with a lower psychological well-being may consume antibiotics in a less responsible way. In summary, the present study shed the light on how family experiences and individual psychological factors may play crucial roles in shaping behaviours and attitudes towards antibiotics. These findings can be utilized to formulate patient-centred strategies for therapeutic communication and education.