Peer Selection and Socialization in Adolescent Depression: The Role of School Transitions

In the Australian education system, there are substantial class inequalities in educational outcomes and transitions. These inequalities persist despite increased choice and individual opportunity for young people. This article explores high school students’ experiences of class in a social context they largely believe to be a meritocracy. Specifically, it asks: how does class shape young people’s thinking and decision-making about their post-school futures? I use Bourdieu’s ‘habitus’ as a frame to understand the role of class in young people’s lives, stressing its generative and heterogeneous aspects. Drawing on qualitative-led mixed methods research, this article argues that young people have internalised the ‘doxa’ of meritocracy, agency and ambition, conceiving of themselves as individual agents in this context. However, risk and security, opportunities and constraints, are not distributed equally in a class-stratified society. Young people from working-class backgrounds more commonly imagine insecure, uncertain futures.

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The Genesis 12–19 (G1219) Study: A Twin and Sibling Study of Gene–Environment Interplay and Adolescent Development in the UK

Twin Research and Human Genetics ◽

10.1017/thg.2012.83 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 134-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Tom A. McAdams ◽

Alice M. Gregory ◽

Richard Rowe ◽

Helena M. S. Zavos ◽

Nicola L. Barclay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Adolescent Depression ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Antisocial Behaviors ◽

Sibling Pairs ◽

Multiple Phenotypes ◽

Gene Environment ◽

Sample Data ◽

The Uk

The Genesis 12–19 (G1219) Study is an ongoing longitudinal study of a sample of UK twin pairs, non-twin sibling pairs, and their parents. G1219 was initially designed to examine the role of gene–environment interplay in adolescent depression. However, since then data have continued to be collected from both parents and their offspring into young adulthood. This has allowed for longitudinal analyses of depression and has enabled researchers to investigate multiple phenotypes and to ask questions about intermediate mechanisms. The study has primarily focused on emotional development, particularly depression and anxiety, which have been assessed at multiple levels of analysis (symptoms, cognitions, and relevant environmental experiences). G1219 has also included assessment of a broader range of psychological phenotypes ranging from antisocial behaviors and substance use to sleep difficulties, in addition to multiple aspects of the environment. DNA has also been collected. The first wave of data collection began in the year 1999 and the fifth wave of data collection will be complete before the end of 2012. In this article, we describe the sample, data collection, and measures used. We also summarize some of the key findings to date.

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Knowledge gain and usage of knowledge learned during internet-based CBT treatment for adolescent depression - a qualitative study

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-020-02833-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Matilda Berg ◽

Anna Malmquist ◽

Alexander Rozental ◽

Naira Topooco ◽

Gerhard Andersson

Keyword(s):

Adolescent Depression ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Adherence Rate ◽

Knowledge Gain ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Behavioural Treatment ◽

Cognitive Behavioural ◽

Present Life

Abstract Background The role of explicit learning of treatment content in internet-based cognitive-behavioural treatment (ICBT) is an emerging field of research. The objective of this study was to explore clients experiences of their ICBT treatment for depression with a focus on knowledge gain and usage of knowledge learned during treatment. Methods A strategic sample of ten adolescents, aged between 15 and 19 years, who had received ICBT for major depression within a clinical controlled trial were recruited for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted 6 months following trial completion. Data were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The participants had a general adherence rate of 6–8 opened modules out of 8 possible. Results Two main themes were identified; “Active agents of CBT” and “Passive agents of CBT”, with each theme consisting of three and two sub-themes. Active agents of CBT reflect a tendency to specifically remember and actively apply specific CBT principles in present life situations. Passive agents of CBT reflect a tendency to remember CBT treatment principles vaguely and express a passive or reactive usage of learned therapy content. Conclusion The findings suggest that young clients can remember and apply CBT principles 6 months after their treatment. However, while experiencing benefits of treatment, clients recall and application of treatment strategies vary. The study emphasizes the importance of exploring client recall of CBT components and how valuable it is to explicitly remember contents of a treatment in order to improve and maintain improvement. Further studies on the role of knowledge and memory of ICBT for adolescent populations are warranted.

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Friendship as a predictor of adjustment following a transition to formal academic instruction and evaluation

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/01650250544000099 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 314-322 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Giovanna Tomada ◽

Barry H. Schneider ◽

Piero de Domini ◽

Paul S. Greenman ◽

Ada Fonzi

Keyword(s):

Life Experiences ◽

Antisocial Behaviour ◽

School Transition ◽

Second Grade ◽

School Transitions ◽

Attitudes Toward School ◽

Cognitive Changes ◽

Academic Instruction ◽

The City

Most school transitions are characterised by sweeping changes in children's social and learning environments, often accompanied by important biological and cognitive changes; the multiple changes occurring within the child and the environment make the results of school-transition studies difficult to interpret. Italian elementary school children experience a marked transition in teaching and evaluation style at the end of second grade, but do not change schools. Formal academic instruction begins and pupils' progress begins to be evaluated individually by means of oral examinations. The present longitudinal study focuses on the role of friends during this transition. The participants were pupils of 17 classes in 11 schools in the city of Florence, Italy, and surrounding towns. Self-reported liking of school decreased sharply after the transition. There were some indications that having friends contributed overall to successful adjustment after the transition, especially in terms of children's liking of school. There was also some evidence that friendship is an asset to children undergoing stressful life experiences. Both children's liking of school and their antisocial behaviours were predicted by their friends' attitudes toward school and their friends' antisocial behaviour.

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What Role Does the Prefrontal Cortex Play in the Processing of Negative and Positive Stimuli in Adolescent Depression?

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9050104 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 104 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Siyabend Kaya ◽

Ciara McCabe

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Adolescent Depression ◽

Region Of Interest ◽

Small Sample ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Small Sample Sizes ◽

Positive Stimuli ◽

Larger Sample ◽

Negative Stimuli

This perspective describes the contribution of the prefrontal cortex to the symptoms of depression in adolescents and specifically the processing of positive and negative information. We also discuss how the prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity and connectivity during tasks and at rest might be a biomarker for risk for depression onset in adolescents. We include some of our recent work examining not only the anticipation and consummation of positive and negative stimuli, but also effort to gain positive and avoid negative stimuli in adolescents with depression. We find, using region of interest analyses, that the PFC is blunted in those with depression compared to controls across the different phases but in a larger sample the PFC is blunted in the anticipatory phase of the study only. Taken together, in adolescents with depression there is evidence for dysfunctional PFC activity across different studies and tasks. However, the data are limited with small sample sizes and inconsistent findings. Larger longitudinal studies with more detailed assessments of symptoms across the spectrum are needed to further evaluate the role of the PFC in adolescent depression.

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