Children's concepts of childhood and adolescent depression

Abstract

Background Research on adolescent Mental Health Literacy (MHL) is rapidly increasing; however, equivalent research in children is lacking. Exploring children's mental health conceptualisations reveals how their knowledge develops and provides the evidence base for the development of mental health education for younger age groups. Methods A total of 105 children aged 8–9 and 11–12 years were interviewed using a vignette methodology structured according to the model of illness representations, exploring: recognition, causes, consequences, timeline and curability of depression. Age, gender and experience differences were explored. Results Children were able to identify the existence of a psychological difficulty in a depressed peer; however, they struggled to categorise depression as a mental illness or to label depression. Children referred to a variety of causal factors, primarily environmental and interpersonal rather than internal biological causes. Children considered depression to be curable within a short period of 1–2 months and anticipated negative outcomes if left untreated. Older children's concepts were more sophisticated than younger children's. Gender and experience were not associated with depression concepts in this age range. Conclusions Age trends in children's mental health concepts are evident, in accordance with previous studies. Children from the age of 8–9 years demonstrate detailed concepts of depression. However, mental health educational interventions are needed to target specific gaps and misconceptions in children's understanding.

Understanding the illness representations of young people with anxiety and depression: A qualitative study

“…Only a handful of studies have sought to determine the relationship between illness beliefs and outcomes such as attitudes towards mental health services and adherence to both psychotropic medication and mental health appointments among youth with anxiety or depression (Munson et al, 2009(Munson et al, , 2010Wisdom & Green, 2004). Existing studies used diverse methodologies, and no consistent theoretical framework of illness belief models exists (Fox, Buchanan-Barrow, & Barrett, 2010;Georgakakou-Koutsonikou et al, 2019;Midgley et al, 2017;Wisdom & Green, 2004), resulting in a disparate literature that lacks a shared language and common theoretical frame, and from which it is difficult to draw firm conclusions.…”

Effectiveness of Life Skills Intervention on Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

“…First, the prevalence of mental disorders peaks during adolescence. It is a transitional stage characterised by rapid growth and development with the occurrence of numerous physical and psychological changes, such as increased susceptibility to stressors and the emergence of many mental health disorders ( 14 , 17 , 56 , 57 ). Also, previous literature documented that the symptoms of these mental disorders persist throughout childhood; thus, it is not common for intervention programmes to focus on children ( 6 ).…”

South African youth’s understanding of feelings, thoughts and behaviours: Implications for the development of CBT-based mental health interventions

“…Their understanding and engagement can be enhanced through the use of concrete methods, including stories, and specific contextual questions which help to make abstract concepts accessible (Reynolds et al, 2006). The importance of psychoeducation to increase young people's mental health literacy and understanding of mental health difficulties has been highlighted (Georgakakou-Koutsonikou et al, 2019;Georgakakou-Koutsonikou and Williams, 2017). In addition, our findings indicate that some initial psycho-educational work needs to be built into any school-based group programmes provided in this context to help youth understand the core concepts (such as thoughts, feelings and behaviours) that underpin the intervention.…”

“…Results of another HIC study showed that children as young as 6 or 7 were able to discriminate amongst thoughts, feelings and behaviours, although those 'at risk' of mental health problems performed significantly poorer (Reynolds et al, 2006). Research has shown that most 8-to 12-year-olds can identify emotional difficulties displayed by hypothetical peers in vignettes (Georgakakou-Koutsonikou et al, 2019). Simple, concrete cues, including stories, have also been shown to improve children's (aged 4-7 years) performance in terms of discriminating amongst thoughts, feelings and behaviours (Quakley et al, 2004).…”