Improving the Recognition of Depression in Adolescence: Can We Teach the Teachers?

• NCJ Number: 217800
• Journal: Journal of Adolescence Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 81-95
• Author(s): Stephanie Moor; Maguire Ann; McQueen Hester; Wells J. Elisabeth; Elton Robert; Wrate Robert; Blair Caroline
• Editor(s): Ann Hagell Dr.
• Date Published: February 2007
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based psychoeducational intervention designed to help teachers recognize the symptoms of clinical depression in adolescent students.

Abstract

The overall finding indicates the teachers’ ability to identify their depressed pupils was not improved by the educational intervention. Unrecognized depression remained unrecognized. This study was developed in response to teachers’ concerns about adolescent depression. Teachers constitute the only professional group in the community with daily contact with adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate an initiative to improve the recognition of depressed adolescents. A systematic evaluation was conducted of the effectiveness of this new educational intervention to help secondary school teachers recognize pupils’ symptoms of clinical depression. The study addressed the following questions: (1) to what extent do teachers report depressive illness in their pupils; (2) what is the effect of training on teacher recognition of depression; (3) can the combination of teacher training plus the use of pupil self-report data enhance the identification of depressed pupils; and (4) how effective is a specially developed brief educational intervention in changing teachers’ attitudes about adolescent depression? Figure, tables, and references