The experience of Thai adolescents with depression: A qualitative study

Abstract

AimPeople who have depression experience a maelstrom of emotion as they attempt to understand what is happening to them. While the experience has been quite extensively documented in adults and older individuals, there is a great deal less information available about adolescent depression experiences and reactions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of Thai‐adolescents suffering from depression.DesignInterpretative phenomenological analysis.MethodFourteen adolescents were recruited from a secondary school in Chiangrai province, Thailand. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out. Interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.ResultsThe following four themes were identified: (1) struggling to make sense of their situation, (2) feeling down and withdrawing, (3) contemplating self‐harm and (4) therapy as a last choice. The results point to the continuing significance of promoting psychoeducation for Thai‐adolescents with depression as well as parents, school nurses and health providers while eliminating stigma.