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

Appendices
UBC is Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and
Special Education. The other research team members include Dr. Jane Garland, Clinical
Professor of Psychiatry and Head of the Mood Disorders Clinic at the BC Children's Hospital,
and Dr. James Frankish, Associate Professor of Graduate Studies and Health Care and
Epidemiology (Medicine), and Associate Director at the Institute of Health Promotion Research.
I have extensive background as a researcher, psychiatric social worker, and a nurse practitioner
in adolescent mental and physical health, including eating disorders. I have written the proposal
and developed the Prince George Eating Disorders Clinic, and coordinated the clinic for the first
year that it was established. My Master's research study, at the University of Melbourne and the
Centre for Adolescent Health Research Unit in Melbourne, was based on my Questionnaire
developed to investigate adolescents' self-recognition of depression and their help-seeking
behaviors for depression. This Questionnaire was linked to a cohort study of adolescent health
and depression in Australian secondary schools.
The true magnitude of the problem of depression during adolescence and its effect on
school environments is now generally recognized. It is a major public health problem that so far
remains poorly understood. Only a very small proportion of affected young individuals receive
effective treatment or access support services appropriate to their needs. There are recognized
reasons for this including definitional ambiguities in the concept of adolescent depression,
conflicting theories about causes and therapy, attempts to fit adolescent depression into the adult
depression model, ethnic and social differences, and a marked reluctance during the adolescent
years to seek help or remain in treatment and support programs. Depression is predicted to show
a rising trend in the coming 15 years (World Health Organization [WHO], 2001) and is predicted
to be the leading disability in both men and women next to heart disease (National Institute of
Mental Health [U.S.], 2002). Mental health problems cost the Canadian economy an estimated
33 Billion a year in lost production (Shaw, 2004). The economic cost of mental illness in Canada
was estimated at just over 7 Billion in 1993 (Health Canada, 2002). Thus, an exploration of the
developmental mechanisms that may underlie the onset and progression of depression during
adolescence is particularly critical.
For this project, we need to identify grade 8 and grade 11 classrooms and ask to recruit X
(or more if possible) students from your school (half boys and half girls from each participating
grade). Approximately 50 minutes will be required to complete the survey for 1 session. The
entire study sample consists of 352 participants.
The pilot for this study was completed in December 2004. The pilot Questionnaire was
administered in 1 secondary school to students in grade 8 (2 boys and 2 girls) and grade 11 (2
boys and 2 girls) for a total of 8 participants and took approximately 50 minutes to complete for
all participants. After completion of the Questionnaire and the distribution of the resource
pamphlets, the students participated in a 30 minute focus group. Their feedback was gathered to
evaluate the resource pamphlet, and the terminology and language of the Questionnaire. This
pilot study information was used to refine the Questionnaire and resource pamphlet for this main
research project.
This project is supported by the Lions Gate Healthcare Research Foundation and has also
been reviewed by the Foundation's Research Review Committee. The UBC Ethics approval
certificate for this main research study was received from the UBC Ethics Board on March 8,
2005 and is included in the attached documents.
Our research team puts a very high premium on sharing research results in a timely and
appropriate format. A summary report will be made available to the participating schools and
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