how do adolescents define depression? - cIRcle - University of ...

Chapter IV: Results
variable contained two values of self-recognition of depression within the past two weeks prior
to the survey and self-recognition of depression beyond the two weeks.
Univariate Analyses of Self-Recognition of Adolescent Depression
To assess adolescents' self-recognition of depression in their lifetime, frequency counts
were calculated for the S-ROAD item (Appendix F). Results indicated that more than half of
adolescents (56%) identified themselves as having had depression sometime during their
lifetime. To establish time recall of those participants who recognized depression in themselves
(n = 185), frequency counts were computed for "Presently or up to two weeks" continuing with a
range to lifetime S-ROAD (Appendix G1). Participants were able to provide more than one
answer. From the study sample (N= 332), 31 (9%)18 adolescents considered themselves to have
been depressed within the last two weeks prior to the survey. Thirteen out of 148 boys (8.8%)
and 18 out of 184 girls (9.8%) comprised these 31 adolescents who self-recognized depression
within the last two weeks prior to the survey. Most of the adolescents who self-recognized
depression in their lifetime considered themselves depressed beyond the two weeks (n = 151,
[83%]).
Association between Adolescent Depression Constructs and Self-Recognized Depression within
the Past Two Weeks versus Not Self-Recognized Depression
Chi-square tests revealed significant differences in self-recognition of depression within
two weeks prior to the survey versus those who did not recognize depression in themselves in
association with categories Anxiety Symptoms and Contextual/Causal, and subcategory Fear
(see Table 21). In all these three constructs, adolescents who recognized depression in
themselves within the past two weeks prior to the survey had significantly higher percentages of
COAD units than those participants who did not self-recognize depression.
18 The percentages of participants who recognized depression in themselves, within two weeks and beyond,
were taken against the entire sample of 332 rather than only those who self-recognized depression, n = 185 (- 3
missing in this analysis) = 182, because the data already revealed that 143 (43%) did not self-recognize depression
(missing n = 4).
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