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

Chapter V: Discussion
In association with Anxious/Stressed construct, adolescents seem to provide a holistic
definition of being stressed, stress, and anxious as part of depression itself. Anxious/Stressed is
not identified as a clinical criterion for depression in the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000), although
studies have found that depressive symptomatology can be precipitated by psychological
stressors (Post et al., 2003). Adverse early experiences can have a lasting impact on the way
individuals react to future stresses and their vulnerability to depression (Boyce & Essau, 2005).
It appears that most adolescents screened as "Not depressed" and "Depressed" have
similar definitions of Depressed Mood and Sadness. However, the new construct that
"Depressed" adolescents are using significantly more often than "Not Depressed" participants to
define depression is Inner Pain.
Self-Recognition of Depression and Its Association with Constructs of Adolescent Depression
Just over half of adolescents recognized depression in themselves. Out of this group, 17
percent recognized depression within two weeks and the rest beyond the two weeks. Adolescents
who self-recognized depression within two weeks had higher percentages of COAD than those
who did not self-recognize depression in the constructs Anxiety Symptoms, Contextual, and
Fear. As previously noted, significantly more depressed than non-depressed adolescents
generated their COAD in Anxiety Symptoms category. In association with the Contextual
category, more particularly for those adolescent who self-recognized depression within two
weeks, is indicative that the context or environment plays a part in their definition of depression
which may have connection to Anxiety Symptoms or Fear in their environment.
Concerning Social Impairment and each of its subcategories, the findings are similar to
associations found with depressive symptomatology. Higher percentages of adolescents who did
not self-recognize depression versus those who self-recognized depression within the past two
weeks provided their COAD in Social Impairment and each of its subcategories. Again, no
individual in the group who self-recognized depression within two weeks provided a COAD in
the construct Aggression/Bullied. These findings suggest that overt and covert social
characteristics are integral to the self-recognition of depression, and adolescents seem more
aware of Social Impairment when not thinking about the possibility that they may be depressed.
A significantly higher percentage of adolescents who self-recognized depression within
two weeks versus those who self-recognized depression beyond the two weeks, contributed their
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