Resilience among Adolescents with Depression: A Qualitative Study
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: Depression is a significant global mental health problem, particularly among adolescents and young adults.The mental health check-in data from the Department of Mental Health shows that 29.51% of Thai youth under the age of 20 are at risk of depression. Studies have shown that resilience is a critical protective factor and a key predictor of recovery from depressive episodes. However, studies exploring resilience among adolescents with depression remain scarce, particularly within the Thai context. Therefore, this study aims to explore the lived experiences of resilience among adolescents who have experienced depression
Methods: This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach. The target group consisted of late adolescents aged 18–25 years who had experienced depressive symptoms continuously for at least 3 months and had received treatment. At the time of the study, they had been symptom-free for more than 1 year. Informants were selected through purposive sampling based on specified criteria. Access to key informants began with a first informant who was recommended, followed by snowball sampling, in which each informant referred the next. A total of 7 informants were gradually recruited through this process. The research instrument was a semi-structured in-depth interview guide developed by the researcher. Data were analyzed using content analysis, and qualified experts validated the findings.
Results: The experience of psychological resilience among adolescents with depression comprised five key themes: (1) self-acceptance and openness to healing; (2) life purpose and meaning, consisting of 2.1 committing to recovery from depression, 2.2 envisioning meaningful future goals, and 2.3 establishing daily life objectives; (3) new experiences and environmental change, consisting of 3.1 generating joy through new activities, 3.2 discovering self-worth through bringing happiness to others, and 3.3 connecting with the outside world and engaging with new environments; (4) supportive relationships and social support, consisting of 4.1 seeking and receiving support from social networks, 4.2 restoring family relationships, 4.3 receiving family support, and 4.4 establishing new supportive relationships; and (5) new cognitive approaches and coping strategies, consisting of 5.1 adopting new perspectives to reduce suffering, and 5.2 implementing new coping strategies in various situations.
Application of this study: Teachers, lecturers, educational personnel, psychologists, and adolescent counselors can apply this knowledge to design mental health care guidelines and develop resilience-building programs for adolescents to prevent future problems.
Conclusions: Thai adolescents with depression can rebuild their psychological resilience through a developmental process. This process begins with self-acceptance and willingness to engage in treatment, followed by cultivating a sense of purpose, engaging with new social environments, establishing supportive relationships, accessing multidimensional social support, and reframing their perspectives toward life.
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