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Symptoms of Mental Health Problems: Children's and Adolescents' Understandings and Implications for Gender Differences in Help Seeking

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Symptoms of Mental Health Problems: Children's and Adolescents' Understandings and Implications for Gender Differences in Help Seeking
Language: English
Authors: MacLean, Alice, Hunt, Kate, Sweeting, Helen
Source: Children & Society. May 2013 27(3):161-173.
Availability: Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2013
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Elementary Secondary Education
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Mental Disorders, Children, Adolescents, Gender Differences, Focus Groups, Foreign Countries, Knowledge Level, Social Bias, Age Differences, Elementary School Students, Secondary School Students, Help Seeking, Well Being
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (Scotland)
DOI: 10.1111/j.1099-0860.2011.00406.x
ISSN: 0951-0605
Abstract: Amidst concerns that young people's mental health is deteriorating, it is important to explore their understandings of symptoms of mental health problems and beliefs around help seeking. Drawing on focus group data from Scottish school pupils, we demonstrate how they understood symptoms of mental health problems and how their characterisations of these symptoms as "rare" and "weird" informed participants' perceptions that peers, teachers and parents would respond to disclosure in stigmatising ways. Consequently, participants suggested that they would delay or avoid disclosing symptoms of mental health problems. We highlight subtle gender and age differences and outline implications for policy and practice. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 32
Entry Date: 2014
Accession Number: EJ1010981
Database: ERIC
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Abstract:Amidst concerns that young people's mental health is deteriorating, it is important to explore their understandings of symptoms of mental health problems and beliefs around help seeking. Drawing on focus group data from Scottish school pupils, we demonstrate how they understood symptoms of mental health problems and how their characterisations of these symptoms as "rare" and "weird" informed participants' perceptions that peers, teachers and parents would respond to disclosure in stigmatising ways. Consequently, participants suggested that they would delay or avoid disclosing symptoms of mental health problems. We highlight subtle gender and age differences and outline implications for policy and practice. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
ISSN:0951-0605
DOI:10.1111/j.1099-0860.2011.00406.x