Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of PhD (Community Psychology) Faculty of Arts University of Zululand, 2008. / Research indicates that the prevalence of childhood depression is increasing, the onset of depression is occurring earlier in life, and that depression coexists with other mental health problems such as anxiety and disruptive behaviour disorders. Teachers are more responsive to behavioural manifestations such as hyperactivity, disruptive behaviour and aggression. They are less responsive to interpersonal difficulties and less disruptive behaviours such as withdrawal and social isolation. While they can correctly recognize that internalizing symptoms such as withdrawal and sadness are indicators of depression, they are unable to correctly recognize that externalizing behaviours such as disruptiveness and aggression can also be indicators of depression. Since many of these symptoms of depression manifest in the school, it is imperative that teachers are able to correctly identify the symptoms of depression. The correct management of the child prevents the depression from worsening and leading to disastrous consequences. The purpose of this study was to establish whether teachers were fully knowledgeable about the behavioural symptoms of depression. A former purpose was to determine the management strategies used at school, and to develop a guideline document for teachers. Survey methodology and interview techniques were used to collect data for the study. These methods provided quantitative and qualitative data. The participants comprised 56 primary school teachers from three randomly selected schools. Two questionnaires were specially designed to gather data for the study. The results of the study revealed that teachers were not fully knowledgeable about the behavioural symptoms of depression and that they lacked the depth of knowledge required to recognize the significance of the diagnostic criteria of depression "which manifest as behavioural symptoms in school. The results showed mat more than 57 % of participants felt that parents and home factors were responsible for depression. Results also indicated that the majority of participants were not able to recognize the multiplicity of factors that could cause and result in depression. In the perceived absence of psychological support from the Department of Education, participants indicated a need for guidelines for identification and management of symptoms of depression. There was overwhelming support for the implementation of a self-esteem programme at schools. At the conclusion of the study, a document which outlined recognition and management of the behavioural symptoms of depression, was developed by the researcher. As a result of the findings of the study, recommendations were made to teachers, the schools' management team, as well as to the Department of Education. Recommendations made to teachers included training the child in social skills and cognitive strategies, and maintaining contact with parents. One important recommendation to the schools' management was the timely referral of depressed children to mental health professionals. Recommendations made to the Department of Education included the facilitation of the formation of multidisciplinary teams which would comprise teachers, management staff, parents and school psychologists. These multidisciplinary teams would manage the successful implementation of programmes that will foster healthy social and emotional development of all children.

Childhood depression is a widespread disorder, with Latina girls experiencing higher rates of depression. Cognitive-Behavioral therapy is an empirically supported intervention for the treatment of depression. Group processes occurring during therapy, such as group cohesion, have been proposed as mechanisms through which positive change occurs, though their effectiveness have only begun to be explored. The proposed study will examine the effects of group cohesion in the context of a group CBT treatment on changes in depressive symptoms in biethnic youth. Specifically, this study will analyze self-reports of group cohesion and pre- and post-treatment depression scores of 8- to 14-year old Latina and European-American girls undergoing a CBT treatment for depression. It is hoped that this study will lead to an increased discernment in cultural sensitivity with regards to the delivery of interventions for the treatment of depression. / text

Prevalence estimates of child depression are substantial and morbidity leads to an increased risk of recurrence during adolescence and adulthood . Further , early-onset depression is associated with a number of negative outcomes including: poor physical health , social and interpersonal impairments , academic problems , substance abuse , future maladjustment , and suicidal behavior. In light of the prevalence , persistence, and negative outcomes associated with depression in children and adolescents , several treatments ranging from psychosocial to pharmacological interventions have been developed and evaluated. However, the overall efficacy of treatments remains equivocal because the majority of existing reviews of the child and adolescent depression treatment literature are narrative in nature, methodologically flawed , and/or present vague or conflicting conclusions. Although there are a number of good meta-analytic reviews that indicate that psychotherapy is effective with children and adolescents overall, comprehensive meta-analytic reviews focusing on the efficacy of psychological treatments specifically for depressed youth are nonexistent in the published literature. A comprehensive sample of studies on the psychosocial and pharmacological treatment of early-onset depression was located through an extensive literature search. Articles that met the inclusionary criteria were subsequently analyzed. The outcome data from 3 7 outcome studies were extracted and converted into effect sizes. Comparisons of main effects, potential interactions, and other specified variables were conducted. The overall findings of this meta-analysis indicate that several different psychosocial interventions for early-onset depression produce moderate to large treatment gains that are clinically meaningful for many afflicted youth. Further, it appears that psychosocial treatments are, in general, superior to pharmacological regimens in treating depressed children and adolescents. However, there is also recent evidence that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine are efficacious, and they will likely play an increased role in the management of affective illness in youngsters. The clinical implications and limitations of these data are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.

No description available.

Thesis (D.Clin. Psych.) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

This qualitative study aimed to explore the constructions of childhood depression as portrayed in South African women's interest magazines. Departing from a postmodern paradigm and utilising a social constructionist framework, these magazines were regarded as part of larger mass media discourses on childhood depression. The magazines contribute to the construction of 'truths' about childhood depression in its audience. To explore the research question, three of the highest circulating magazines in South Africa containing texts related to childhood depression were identified. The magazines were aimed not only at women, but at both English- and Afrikaans-speaking women, and at African, Caucasian, and possibly Coloured women. The hardcopies of these magazines were sourced from the publisher for a period of approximately two years each. A total of 20 articles that spoke to childhood depression were identified in these magazines. Two forms of analysis were used in a mutually enriching and recursive manner. The contextual analysis allowed an enriched insight into the context of the articles. The thematic analysis gave way to themes and subthemes to emerge. It was found that although perceptions in these articles were most often in line with professional psychological knowledge, at times it failed to speak to uniquely South African concerns regarding childhood depression, and often reified problematic discourses. It was concluded that mass media may be a powerful tool to employ by government organisations, health professionals, and social scientists, to address problematic mental health discourses in South Africa. / Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

Depression represents a serious mental health problem that affects the lives of many children. Depression is frequently cited as the most recurrent emotional problem facing younger populations. Left untreated, depression can have several negative ramifications on later adjustment, including suicide, substance use, academic and social difficulties, low self-esteem, and an increased risk for other mental health problems. The search for effective treatments for depression has extended into several arenas. Schools play an important role in the lives of children and provide an ideal setting for early detection and remediation of depression at every stage. Schools are increasingly being encouraged to offer preventative mental health services to deal with emotional issues that may often go unnoticed until a crisis situation. However, there remain a small number of studies that have investigated the impact of school-based preventative interventions for depression. For this reason, a school-based, primary prevention study was conducted. The current study utilized an interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral model that was incorporated into the health education curriculum of the school. The sample included four fifth-grade classes in a rural school district. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design similar to a Solomon four-group design with two intervention and two control classes. The intervention was a total of eight 50-minute sessions. The subjects were assessed using a variety of self-report, sociometric, and rating-scale instruments. The results of the study suggest that social skills were statistically significantly impacted by the intervention, and moderate standardized mean difference effect sizes (ES) of .51 and .48 were found. Depressive symptom reduction was less pronounced. Additional findings indicate that the children did in fact learn the principles conveyed throughout the intervention, including methods of alleviating depressive symptomatology and social skills relevant for fifth-grade children. The results are discussed in the context of primary prevention models in other areas of mental health.

This study was design to determine the efficacy of intensive individual play therapy as a method of intervention for children diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was designed to study the effectiveness of an intensive play therapy intervention in: a) reducing symptoms of childhood depression in children with IDDM; b) reducing symptoms of anxiety in children with IDDM; c) reducing the overall behavior difficulties in children with IDDM; d) increasing healthy adjustment in children with IDDM; e) increasing diabetic's children's adherence to their diabetic regime; and f) impacting these emotional and behavioral symptoms over time. The 15 children in the experimental group received 12, daily play therapy sessions while attending a summer camp for children with diabetes. The control group, consisting of 15 children who attended the diabetic summer camp, received no play therapy. Children and parents in both groups completed pretest, post-test and three-month follow-up data, consisting of: the Children's Depression Inventory, the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Filial Problems Checklist and the Diabetes Adaptation Scale. Analysis of covariance revealed that the children in the experimental group significantly improved their adaptation to their diabetes following intensive play therapy as reflected by the Diabetes Adaptation Scale. No other hypothesis were retained, although statistical trends noted increased improvement in the experimental group in the areas of behavior difficulties and adherence behavior. Possible explanations for these results include a lack of symptoms reported at the time of pretesting and the validity of these instruments for a chronically ill population. The results of this study indicate that intensive play therapy may be an effective intervention for children diagnosed with IDDM. Qualitative observations and progress noted in therapy reveal that young children with IDDM have the capability to address and resolve issues of anxiety, depression and other emotional issues related to their diabetes in play therapy. Preventative approaches such as play therapy for children with IDDM are particularly important for this population as current behavior patterns and treatment adherence are highly correlated with long-term medical and psychological health.

This thesis argues for the power of story and, in particular, the story of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien to help build optimism and hope. The Hobbit is under-used in primary schools and this thesis demonstrates that it is eminently suitable for children. Without imagination children are vulnerable to sadness and despair. The positive development of imagination through heroic tales is likely to benefit children emotionally and psychologically. The story of The Hobbit can be utilised to develop the concept of the Hero's Journey, a persistent trope in oral and recorded literature and an archetype for virtually all human experience. In addition, the thesis shows that critical thinking skills and multiple intelligences can be developed through the use of The Hobbit. Depression in young people is now recognised as a serious public health problem in Australia. Research supports the view that children need optimism. This thesis discusses statistics regarding the increased prevalence of childhood depression and aggression as well as alarming youth suicide reports. The inquiry by the Victorian Parliament into the effects of television violence on children is examined and the scholarly works of Neil Postman, inter alia, are discussed to establish the overall pattern of positive association between television violence and aggression in children. Furthermore, the contention that many contemporary realistic texts do little to promote hopefulness in the young is supported with the opinions of scholars who are respected in the field of children’s literature. Tolkien was a devout Catholic but, even more importantly, he was able to restate traditional values through his imaginative works of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This has relevance for Catholic educators who strive to relate Gospel values to popular culture. Christian education must extend imagination beyond morality to help young people to find meaning and purpose in their lives. Through the use of The Hobbit and other books of this kind, children can begin to learn not to fear change, failure or setbacks but to see them as important challenges and opportunities for personal growth. This thesis argues for the likely value of a continuum of this type of learning that begins in early childhood, in order to provide a