A Qualitative Study of Young Adults Experience With a Reminiscence-Based Therapy for Depressive Symptoms

Reminiscence therapy is a novel psychosocial approach to treating depressive symptoms in young adults. We present the first qualitative inquiry into young adults’ experience of reminiscence-based therapy, aimed at exploring attitudes toward this approach and their view of processes underpinning positive change. Help-seeking young adults (mean age = 20.8, SD = 1.6) with at least moderate depressive symptoms were interviewed following a course of cognitive-reminiscence therapy. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The intervention was reported to be a positive experience that led to positive outcomes. Change was attributed to common therapy factors and specific factors of cognitive reframing, increasing awareness of a broader life story, learning from the past to feel more confident and able to cope, and strengthened self-worth and self-acceptance. These findings provide unique insight into young adults’ experience with reminiscence-based treatment for depressive symptoms and indicate it is generally acceptable, useful, and age-appropriate for them.

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A Qualitative Study of Young Adults Experience with a Reminiscence-Based Therapy for Depressive Symptoms

10.31234/osf.io/knzpv ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

David John Hallford ◽

David J. Mellor ◽

Manon E. Burgat

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Life Story ◽

Qualitative Inquiry ◽

Reminiscence Therapy ◽

Cognitive Reframing ◽

Self Worth ◽

Age Appropriate ◽

Specific Factors

Reminiscence therapy is a novel psychosocial approach to treating depressive symptoms in young adults. We present the first qualitative inquiry into young adults’ experience of reminiscence-based therapy, aimed at exploring attitudes towards this approach and their view of processes underpinning positive change. Help-seeking young adults (mean age 20.8, SD = 1.6) with at least moderate depressive symptoms were interviewed following a course of cognitive-reminiscence therapy. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The intervention was reported to be a positive experience which led to positive outcomes. Change was attributed to common therapy factors, and specific factors of cognitive reframing, increasing awareness of a broader life story, learning from the past to feel more confident and able to cope, and strengthened self-worth and self-acceptance. These findings provide unique insight into young adults’ experience with reminiscence-based treatment for depressive symptoms, and indicates it is generally acceptable, useful, and age-appropriate for them.

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Autobiographical Memory-Based Intervention for Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive-Reminiscence Therapy

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics ◽

10.1159/000444417 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 85 (4) ◽

pp. 246-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

David John Hallford ◽

David Mellor

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Young Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Autobiographical Memory ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Reminiscence Therapy ◽

Randomized Controlled

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Contingent Self-worth in Chinese Adolescents and Young Adults: Relations with Global Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptoms

Social Development ◽

10.1111/sode.12173 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 846-865

Author(s):

Li Chen-Bouck ◽

Meagan M. Patterson

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Chinese Adolescents ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Self Worth

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Depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior among general population adolescents and young adults across Greece

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1017/s0924933800001929 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 139-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

MG Madianos ◽

D Gefou-Madianou ◽

CN Stefanis

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

School Attendance ◽

Age Groups ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Total Sample ◽

Suicide Attempters

SummaryThe authors conducted a home survey investigating the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts among a probability nationwide sample of 1316 adolescents aged 12-17 and 1114 young adults aged 18-24. Depressive symptoms were detected by the use of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. 20.3% of adolescents and 35.7% of young adults were characterized as being depressed. Similar differences between the two age groups in the prevalence rates of suicidal ideation and attempts were observed. Suicide attempters of both age groups reported a higher number of depressive symptoms compared with the non attempters. Characteristics that distinguished the suicide attempters from the total sample were low rates of school attendance, use of substances, previous psychiatric help-seeking and additional mental health problems in families.

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Facilitating factors and barriers in help-seeking behaviour in adolescents and young adults with depressive symptoms: A qualitative study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247516 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0247516

Author(s):

Eline Eigenhuis ◽

Ruth C. Waumans ◽

Anna D. T. Muntingh ◽

Marjan J. Westerman ◽

Marlinde van Meijel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Young Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Easy Access ◽

Facilitating Factors ◽

Health Illiteracy

Objective Despite the availability of mental health care, only a minority of depressed adolescents and young adults receive treatment. This study aimed to investigate facilitating factors and barriers in help-seeking behaviour of adolescents and young adults with depressive symptoms, using qualitative research methods. Methods In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 32 participants with current or previous depressive symptoms aged 16 to 24 years using thematic content analysis. Findings Our sample consisted mainly of adolescents who eventually found their way to professional help. Five main themes in help-seeking by adolescents and young adults were identified: (I) Individual functioning and well-being, (II) Health literacy, (III) Attitudinal aspects, (IV) Surroundings, and (V) Accessibility. Prompts to seek treatment were disease burden and poor academic performance. Health illiteracy negatively influenced treatment-seeking behaviour. Attitudinal aspects either hampered (shame, wanting to handle the problem oneself, negative attitudes towards treatment) or facilitated (positive attitudes towards treatment) help-seeking. Furthermore, adolescents’ surroundings (school, family, and peers) appeared to play a critical role in the recognition of depressive symptoms and encouragement to seek help. Barriers regarding accessibility of mental health care were found, whereas direct and easy access to treatment greatly improved mental health care use. Conclusion Facilitating factors can play a critical role in the help-seeking process of depressed adolescents and young adults, and may guide efforts to increase access to mental health care of this vulnerable age group. In particular, recognition and encouragement from school personnel and peers and easy access to care providers positively influenced help-seeking in our sample. Health illiteracy and attitudinal aspects appeared to be important barriers to seeking treatment and public/school campaigns aimed at reducing health illiteracy and stigma might be necessary to improve treatment-seeking and health care utilization in this age group.

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Depressive Personality Styles and Social Anxiety in Young Adults

Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy ◽

10.1891/088983907782638734 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 275-284 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Golan Shahar ◽

Eva Gilboa-Shechtman

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Personality Variables ◽

Personality Styles ◽

Self Worth ◽

Low Levels ◽

Depressive Personality

We examined the role of three depression-related cognitive personality styles in young adults’ social anxiety: evaluation concerns, positive achievement striving, and dependency. Sixty-nine undergraduates were administered measures of the aforementioned personality variables, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety. Controlling for participants’ depressive symptoms, we found that evaluation concerns, particularly self-criticism, predicted elevated levels of social anxiety. Dependency also predicted elevated social anxiety, but this effect was small and marginally significant (p = .05). Finally, positive achievement striving predicted low levels of social anxiety but only in the presence of evaluation concerns. Findings are consistent with earlier theoretical conceptualizations of social anxiety as reflecting low self-worth.

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Cognitive-Reminiscence Therapy for Young Adults with Depressive Symptoms: Clinical Observations, Challenges, and Recommendations

10.31234/osf.io/pxk5j ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

David John Hallford ◽

David J. Mellor

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Treatment Protocol ◽

Common Life ◽

Reminiscence Therapy ◽

Clinical Observations ◽

Recent Clinical Trial ◽

Homework Adherence ◽

Conceptual Overview ◽

Different Levels

Cognitive-reminiscence therapy is a novel intervention for depression in young adults, and currently no specific clinical guidance exists for its use in this age group. The aim of this article is to disseminate our experiences from a recent clinical trial in which we engaged in cognitive-reminiscence therapy (CRT) with young adults for the purpose of treating depressive symptoms. Discussion is presented in terms of clinical observations that were made during treatment, specific challenges that arose, and recommendations for implementing this therapy with young adults. Firstly, a conceptual overview and rationale for CRT is provided along with an outline of the treatment protocol that was used. Then,a framework for undertaking therapeutic reminiscence work at different levels of analysis is presented, and comment is made on the rationale for, and the process of, elicitingspecific memories. Common life events and issues that emerged as the foci of reminiscence with young adults in our trial are reviewed. Following this, the process of orienting to the mechanisms of change in CRT is discussed. Finally, several clinical issues and insights that emerged during the provision of this therapy are presented: contextualising emerging adulthood as a time of transition, creating continuity acrossindividuals’ lives, the process of reflection on reminiscence, and homework adherence.

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Autobiographical memory-based intervention for depressive symptoms in young adults: A randomized controlled trial of cognitive-reminiscence therapy

10.31234/osf.io/3tqzb ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

David John Hallford ◽

David J. Mellor

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Usual Care ◽

Autobiographical Memory ◽

Meaning In Life ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Care Group ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Reminiscence Therapy

Background: Autobiographical memory-based interventions have shown promise in the treatment of depression. This study is the first to examine the effects of one such therapy, cognitive-reminiscence therapy (CRT), for the treatment of depressive symptoms in young adults. Method: A total of 26 young adults (mean age = 20.8 years, SD = 1.9) presenting to a community youth mental health service for treatment of at least moderate depressive symptoms were randomized to receive either a six-week course of individual CRT or usual care (individual, brief evidence-based psychotherapy). Results: CRT had large effects on depressive symptoms at six-weeks (d = 1.59) and at a three month follow-up (d = 1.51). Effects were also found at six-weeks in the CRT group for variables suggested to play a mediating role: self-esteem, self-efficacy, meaning in life and optimism (d = .92 – 1.99), and at follow-up (d = .74 – 1.21). Effects were observed on anxiety symptoms at six-weeks (d = 1.78), but not maintained at follow-up. No within-group effects were observed in the usual care group, aside from optimism at six-weeks (d = 1.05), but not at three-months. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary findings that CRT is a feasible and promising approach to the alleviation of depression among young adults. However, larger trials are needed to test its effects more rigorously.

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