This qualitative interview study explored the responses of child participants and their primary caregivers to the experience of completing a multi-stage screening process designed to identify depressed youth. Participants were sixteen girls ages 9 to 11 and caregivers of twelve of the girls. The child participants selected for this study were those who reported symptoms of a depressive disorder at the initial stages of screening without receiving diagnosis of a depressive disorder at the final stage of screening. Qualitative interviews were completed separately with child participants and their caregivers using a semi-structured interview format. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze interview transcripts and generate an integrated explanation of child and caregiver responses to depression screening and assessment (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Results of this study indicate that depression screening and assessment serves the function of creating a forum for the child perspective by raising the child‘s emotional state and concerns to the attention of both the child and the parent. The child participants in this study reported experiencing emotional distress or a sense of burden prior to the first stage of screening. A process of reflecting on their emotions, beliefs, and stressors began as child participants completed screening questionnaires, followed by a sense of relief or improved mood in response to talking with interviewers during a brief interview. The forum for the child perspective expanded as parents received interviewer feedback about child emotions and concerns and began to assess the information in light of their own observations and situational factors. The extent to which parent and child maintained the forum for the child perspective through sustained communication about the child‘s emotions and concerns influenced the type and intensity of interventions subsequently introduced by parents. The chief means through which depression screening affected the child participants was through enhancing their understanding of themselves, promoting positive coping processes, facilitating parent/child communication, and influencing parent perceptions and the parenting agenda. / text

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This study examined British Columbia elementary school counsellors' perceptions in relation to assisting depressed students, including: (a) their knowledge about depression; (b) their ideal role; (c) their current role; (d) their current practices; (e) barriers to assisting depressed students; and (f) factors which would help them to better assist these students. A questionnaire specifically designed for this study was mailed to 333 elementary school counsellors, and 248 (74.5%) were completed and returned. The percentages of counsellors who perceived various functions as part of their current and ideal roles were calculated, as were the percentages who engaged in various counsellor activities, and indicated factors which would help them to better assist depressed students. Sample means and standard deviations were calculated for the extent to which various factors were barriers to assisting depressed students. Results indicated most counsellors perceived identification, referral, and prevention of student depression to be part of their ideal and current roles, and have used these functions to assist depressed students. However, respondents were divided on treating depressed students, and only slightly more than one-third had assessed students even though two-thirds perceived it as part of their ideal role. Most counsellors have been referred depressed students by teachers, and have referred students to mental health and medical professionals. Approximately one-half perceived art and play therapy to be a more effective method of treating depression. Counsellors lacked basic information on childhood depression, and more learned about it through their own initiative, rather than professional development activities. Too high a student-to-counsellor ratio and lack of time were most consistently rated as the highest barriers to assisting depressed students. Other major barriers included: priority being given to acting out students; lack of knowledge about depression, assessment techniques, and treatment strategies; and lack of community resources. Lack of a clear role policy was not perceived to be a major barrier to assisting depressed students. The most frequent recommendations for helping counsellors to assist depressed students were more information about effective treatment strategies and a lower student-to-counsellor ratio.

The study investigated the concept of childhood depression principally in primary school preadolescent children. While there is a plethora of literature on adult depression, and a wealth of research studies on adolescent depression, there seems to be a dearth of research studies on preadolescent childhood depression. The researcher has also observed as an educator that with an increase of the incidence of child abuse, there was a concurrent increase of children with depressive symptoms in the classroom . The findings of this study will hopefully add to the available literature on childhood depression and assist in some way towards ameliorating the status quo in childhood depression. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of depression among preadolescent primary school children and to investigate the factors from home and school that may contribute to depression. Respondents completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and a specially developed Questionnaire. The findings from both the CDI and the Questionnaire were compared with relevant research studies. The results of the study indicated that 10.3 % of the respondents were depressed. These results were similar to the findings of other studies with similar populations. The findings partially supported the inference that major depression begins in adolescence. The factors at home that were problematic were the relationship with parents and relationship with siblings. Generally the respondents were satisfied with matters at school with the exception of their relationship with their teachers. Although most of the respondents seemed to enjoy good peer relationships and seemed to enjoy being at school, there were some negative aspects in the pupil -teacher relationship which are explored in more detail in the study. Some recommendations were made to the school personnel as well as to parents. One very important implication that surfaced from the study is that schools should employ counsellors or psychologists who are well trained in children's problems to help and heal distressed children. It is hoped that this study raises the awareness of childhood depression and reflects the importance of early intervention and prevention programmes. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2003.

This study investigated the relationship between the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1983) factor scores and the longitudinal outcomes of depressive symptomatology in a non-clinical sample of children (mean age = 10.67 years). The CDI was administered to measure depressive symptomatology at three intervals: twice within a two-week period to verify that clinical levels of depressive symptoms had persisted, and once at a seven month follow-up to measure the outcome of those depressive symptoms. Results suggested that recovery from depressive symptoms was comparable to recovery rates of depression in adult and child clinical populations. There was little empirical support for the hypothesis that Kovacs' CDI factors could discriminate between children with a good outcome of recovering from their depressive symptomatology and those with a poor outcome. An unexpected result was the lack of significant correlations among the factors in the depressed sample. The implications for these findings are discussed.

Thesis (MPsy(Specialisation))--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Capella University, 2007. / Adviser: Laren Winter. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves: [56]-68)