What's the thing to do when you're feeling depressed? A cross-cultural replication

Cross-Cultural Beliefs About "Depression"

“…The questionnaire was designed to examine the degree and pattern of consensus in beliefs about depression and antidepressive behaviour in lay populations. The questionnaire had been used in crosscultural replications (Caro et al 1983) of Rippere's work.…”

“…Some researchers have indeed attempted a cross-cultural replication of this research. Caro et al (1983) have found some cross-cultural similarities in British and Spanish people in their ideas for coping with depression, although the British show a greater degree of consensus than the Spanish.…”

Variability in lay perceptions of depression: A vignette study

“…A series of studies conducted by Rippere (1977a, 1977b, 1979, 1980a, 1980b, 1981) indicate that there appears to be a relatively stable consensus concerning how often people become depressed; what individuals do when they are depressed; how helpful ‘antidepressive’ behaviours tend to be and how often people engage in such activities; the duration of episodes of depression; the ‘truth’ of certain propositions of depression concerning how to manage and prevent depression; how depressed people usually are when they say that they are depressed; how feelings of depression may be exacerbated; etc. Rippere's findings have been replicated with Spanish speaking adults (Miralles, Caro, & Rippere, 1983; Caro, Miralles, & Rippere, 1983) and, whilst showing cultural differences, indicate a broad consensus in the way depression is conceptualized by lay people in Western European societies. Not only are lay beliefs consistent within Western culture, but research on lay beliefs suggests that there is a degree of continuity in the manner in which laypeople, currently depressed individuals, and health practitioners conceptualize depression (Furnham & Kuyken, 1991; Kuyken et al , 1992).…”