IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v62y2016i2p198-200.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

South African adolescents’ beliefs about depression

Author

Listed:
  • Shilpa Aggarwal
  • Michael Berk
  • Lian Taljard
  • Zane Wilson

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores the depression literacy in adolescents in South Africa. Method: A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 2,050 students from disadvantaged secondary schools in Johannesburg region. Result: A total of 90.9% reported depression as an illness, and 41.4% considered it a sign of weakness. Parents and siblings followed by friends and teachers were the preferred support options. The indicators of depression identified were socialisation pattern changes (24.6%), sad mood (23.6%), sleeping and eating pattern changes (18.3%), irritable behaviour (12.5%) and other health risk behaviours (9.7%). Conclusion: The majority considered depression an illness. An improvement in adolescent mental health literacy will increase access to help when needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Shilpa Aggarwal & Michael Berk & Lian Taljard & Zane Wilson, 2016. "South African adolescents’ beliefs about depression," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 62(2), pages 198-200, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:62:y:2016:i:2:p:198-200
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764015618226
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764015618226
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0020764015618226?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:62:y:2016:i:2:p:198-200. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.