how do adolescents define depression? - cIRcle - University of ...
how do adolescents define depression? - cIRcle - University of ...
how do adolescents define depression? - cIRcle - University of ...
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Chapter V: Discussion<br />
DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000) highlights irritability as an a<strong>do</strong>lescent depressive symptom. Although<br />
Depressed Mood is an integral criterion in determining a MDE diagnosis in the DSM-IV-TR<br />
(APA, 2000), a<strong>do</strong>lescents have a more comprehensive definition <strong>of</strong> what Depressed Mood means<br />
to them.<br />
Associations <strong>of</strong> A<strong>do</strong>lescent Depression Constructs to Grade, Gender, Depressive<br />
Symptomatology, Self-Recognition <strong>of</strong> Depression, and Pathway to Talking to<br />
Someone When Depressed<br />
Chi-square tests, categories and subcategories developed from a<strong>do</strong>lescents' definitions <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>depression</strong> were examined against grade, gender, presence and non-presence <strong>of</strong> screened<br />
<strong>depression</strong>, self-recognition <strong>of</strong> <strong>depression</strong>, a<strong>do</strong>lescents' thinking about own need to talk to<br />
someone, and talking to someone when feeling depressed. Findings were significant in various<br />
associations between the constructs <strong>of</strong> a<strong>do</strong>lescent <strong>depression</strong> and these different variables. This<br />
section presents the specific findings from these analyses.<br />
Associations <strong>of</strong> Categories and Subcategories <strong>of</strong> A<strong>do</strong>lescent Depression to Grade and Gender<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> Categories and Subcategories <strong>of</strong> Depression to Grade<br />
Suicidal, Depressed Mood, Inner Pain, Depressed Appearance, and Pessimism were<br />
significant findings between the grade levels. In each analysis, a higher percentage <strong>of</strong> the 8 th<br />
versus the 11 th graders provided definitions in these constructs. It seems that students in grade 8<br />
generated their COAD both in overt and covert constructs when defining <strong>depression</strong>. The covert<br />
constructs, such as Inner Pain or Pessimism, reveal both cognitive and emotional understanding<br />
in the younger grade students. Cicchetti, Rogosch, Toth, and Spagnola (1997) suggest that<br />
cognition provides the structure, but that emotion is a separate developmental <strong>do</strong>main exerting<br />
reciprocal influences. Interacting with a<strong>do</strong>lescents' cognition, emotion may exert its own force,<br />
providing the structure at the abstract developmental phase <strong>of</strong> thinking. These constructs may<br />
lead to the detection <strong>of</strong> specific characteristics that are important in the way students in grade 8<br />
<strong>define</strong> <strong>depression</strong>; <strong>how</strong>ever, the meanings <strong>of</strong> these constructs need further elaboration from<br />
a<strong>do</strong>lescents.<br />
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