Depression amongst the youth is a global mental health concern that afflicts the perceptions, emotions and behaviors of the vulnerable population thereby causing functional, physical and emotional problems. Prudent understanding of the issue may be gained through referring to various kinds of studies comprising of qualitative, quantitative and mixed method types.
Shochet, I., Montague, R., Smith, C., & Dadds, M. (2014). A Qualitative Investigation of Adolescents’ Perceived Mechanisms of Change from a Universal School-Based Depression Prevention Program. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 11, 5541-5554.
The article explored the beliefs associated with evidence-based depression prevention intervention in the adolescents that lead to emergence of two major themes. Improvements in interpersonal relationship and self-regulation alongside more helpful cognitions were reported.
The effectiveness of the school-based depression prevention program has been gained from the study with insight into their utilization among the prospective subjects.
Findings may be extrapolated to other context and applied to combat ill effects of adolescent depression.
Ranney, M. L., Choo, E. K., Cunningham, R. M., Spirito, A., Thorsen, M., Mello, M. J., & Morrow, K. (2014). Acceptability, language, and structure of text message-based behavioral interventions for high-risk adolescent females: a qualitative study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 55(1), 33-40.
In this article, detailed explanation has been provided with respect to feasibility, language orientation as well as structure pertaining to a text message based preventive intervention for high risk adolescent females presented with depressive symptom. Results revealed the acceptance of a customized schedule, dose and content driven text-message intervention in the group.
Privacy and cost issue must be resolved and clarified to the users prior to implementation of intervention to the concerned group.
Mental health researchers are likely to be benefited from the findings of the study to design appropriate behavioral intervention.
Orth, U., Robins, R. W., Widaman, K. F., & Conger, R. D. (2014). Is low self-esteem a risk factor for depression? Findings from a longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth. Developmental Psychology, 50(2), 622.
The article represented the link between low self esteem and depression by virtue of acquisition of longitudinal data from Mexican youth. It was estimated through analysis of data that low self esteem is a potential risk factor for depression.
The general evaluation of own worth reflected on the self esteem that further paved the way for harboring depressive symptoms.
Vulnerability of low self esteem to strike depression may be utilized as the target for therapeutic intervention to generate positive outcomes.
Price, R. B., Rosen, D., Siegle, G. J., Ladouceur, C. D., Tang, K., Allen, K. B., ... & Silk, J. S. (2016). From anxious youth to depressed adolescents: Prospective prediction of 2-year depression symptoms via attentional bias measures. Journal of abnormal psychology, 125(2), 267.
The article dealt with the measurements of attentional pattern in the anxious youth who are at greater risk of developing depression both at baseline and psychotherapy intervention condition. Result suggested an important mater that attentional avoidance of threat might exert detrimental effects and lead to onset of depression in the concerned population.
Heightened clinical attention and preventive measures might offer help to anxious youth who exhibit attentional avoidance thereby mitigating chances of depression onset.
Early detection and intervention in the vulnerable youth may act to combat depression by assessing the attentional avoidance symptom accurately.
Midgley, N., Ansaldo, F., & Target, M. The Meaningful Assessment of Therapy Outcomes: Incorporating a Qualitative Study Into a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Treatment of Adolescent Depression.
In this article evaluation of the treatment of adolescent depression has been argued through incorporation of both qualitative study as well as randomized controlled trial. Arguments have been done in favor of resorting to mixed method approach for evaluating the effectiveness of psychological therapies.
The dynamic and complex multidisciplinary clinical setting might utilize this approach for better addressing adolescent depression through assessment of the efficacy of the intervention.
Application of mixed method will open up opportunities for better judging the potential of the therapeutic interventions to treat adolescent depression.
Sibinga, E. M., Perry-Parrish, C., Thorpe, K., Mika, M., & Ellen, J. M. (2014). A small mixed-method RCT of mindfulness instruction for urban youth. EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing, 10(3), 180-186.
The article has made use of a mixed method RCT approach in relation to a mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) for urban youth in comparison to an active control program for reducing the symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. Quantitative assessment through self-reported survey did not reveal any significant difference between two groups. However, qualitative outcomes through interview reported of conflict avoidance, self-regulation, self-awareness and increased calm in the urban youth.
Positive affective as well as behavioral outcomes may be expected from qualitative data retrieved in course of the study to curb the issue of youth depression.
MBSR may be utilized to improve the behavioral and emotional outcomes in the vulnerable youth to combat depression.
Adolescent depression calls for a multidisciplinary intervention approach and early detection of the risk factors might act to offer better outcomes in the affected individuals. Link with affective variables such as low self esteem must be attended to prevent future onset of depression. Subjective data must be emphasized to strategize most suitable intervention in addition to considering a mixed method approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the prospective therapeutic interventions. Consideration of all the factors associated to youth depression is most likely to generate holistic outcomes.
