Adolescents' responses to peers with depression or conduct disorder

Abstract

Objective: To determine how young people are likely to respond to a peer with mental illness, or who has severe behavioural problems. Method: A mental health literacy survey was conducted with 1137 adolescents in years 8, 9 and 10 in South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Respondents were presented with a vignette of either a 16-year-old boymeeting criteria for conduct disorder or a 16-year-old girl meeting criteria for major depression. As part of the survey, respondents were asked to write in words what they would do if the person in the vignette was a friend of theirs and they wished to help. Responses were coded into categories. Results: Over half the sample (53 %) describ..