The experience of Thai adolescents with depression: A qualitative study.
Chuntana Reangsing, Khanittha Pitchalard, Katemanee Moonpanane and 1 others
PMID 38581165WHAT IT FOUND
Fourteen Thai adolescents with depression described confusion, withdrawal, thoughts of self-harm, and delaying therapy because stigma, parents, and absent school nurses made help-seeking a last resort.
Key findings
01Adolescents struggled to understand their depression, often not knowing its cause and hiding feelings to seem normal.
02Four of five adolescents diagnosed with major depressive disorder had attempted self-harm by slitting their wrists.
03Every interviewed adolescent reported a delay between first experiencing depression and seeking professional help.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study interviewed only 14 adolescents from one rural secondary school, so it cannot represent all Thai adolescents with depression. Most participants were female, and only adolescents who agreed to be interviewed were included, so male experiences and those too distressed to participate may be missing. Teachers made a clinical judgement about whether adolescents were appropriate to invite, and adolescents in crisis or with precarious mental health may have been excluded. The study reports experiences and themes, not effects of any treatment, so it cannot show that school nurses, psychoeducation, or family conversations improve depression. The paper says all participants had a time lag but does not report how long the delay was or compare it with any group.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared. The work was supported by OPS MHESI and Thailand Science Research and Innovation under grant RGNS 64-179, and article processing charges were supported by Mae Fah Luang University.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that any treatment works or that school nurses caused the delay. The study interviewed 14 adolescents and reports their experiences, not outcomes from an intervention.