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

Chapter V: Discussion
Krenke's and Klessinger's (2000) and other findings (Herman-Stahl et al., 1995; Murberg & Bru,
2005), where avoidant-copers reported the most depressive symptoms.
The study's findings show that adolescents' approach-oriented coping style specifically
via thinking about own need to talk and talking to someone can indirectly extend from their
conceptions of depression and their self-recognition of depression. Logically, impaired social
functioning would be related to impaired help-seeking pathways, which require greater maturity
in social and emotional understanding. Subjective thought of needing to talk to someone when
depressed precedes talking to someone and may be the reference point for early intervention of
depression in adolescents because by the time adolescents decide to talk to someone, it may be
too late. Moreover, self-recognition of depression can precede adolescent's thought about own
need to talk to someone.
This study's findings in adolescents' approach-oriented coping style when feeling
depressed, show that the majority of adolescents included Social Impairment in their definition
of depression. Social impairment works against an individual's ability to seek help. As a result,
affected young people who are socially impaired have more difficulty in seeking help on their
own. In essence, adolescents are less likely to seek help when depressed because their social
impairment is part of the problem that defines their depression.
This finding reinforces studies showing that most young people do not seek out support
services. Approach-oriented coping specifically via adolescents' thought about own need to talk
and talking to someone when feeling depressed may involve other factors such as family
influence, peer influence, school referrals, as well as the context itself. Increased understanding
and a higher capacity to coordinate relationships would suggest that contextual factors are
important considerations in adolescent reluctance to talk to someone when feeling depressed.
Adolescents may recognize that they may be depressed, but once they look for help in dealing
with depression, they confront barriers within themselves and their environment. However, the
findings in this study, presented in this section, also point out the factors that can enable
communication with adolescents, early detection, and intervention.
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