Depression remains as one of the key issues affecting millions of adolescents around the world, thus, creating the need for them to access psychological health care services. Researchers have been on the forefront in projecting different researches focused on the topic on depression in teenagers. The articles tend to provide readers with information on some of the underlying impacts associated with depression, as well as, establish an understanding of depression from a psychological perspective. Wu (2016) focused on the analysis of major practices that may be relevant to ensure that teenagers and adolescents overcome the depression issues. In the summary section, the primary element of focus is discussing the study conducted, as well as, placing the findings into context. The report seeks to evaluate different aspects associated with the article with the aim of establishing its overall effectiveness in meeting expected demands among individual readers.
Depression Intervention for Early Adolescents
Introduction
During the course of human development, one experiences a wide array of changes that seek to define effectiveness concerning the developmental process, as well as, effective achievement of set development objectives. The onset or early stages of adolescent tend to create a wide array of challenges for the children involved about the changes that they experience. Consequently, this creates a situation where some of the children tend to experience increased mental health problems, which include depression. Wu (2016) indicates that approximately 8% of children and adolescents around the world face the risk of depression during this stage of their lives. That indicates the need for having to create an overall structure of change regarding mental health care in a bid to ensuring that these children and adolescents receive quality mental health care services.
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Wu (2016) seeks to establish an understanding of what it means to experience a response shift when dealing with the issue of depression as part of establishing a front for early intervention for condition. Wu (2016) defines response shift as the changes that tend to occur internally focusing on the set standards while focusing on the pretest and posttest ratings. In this case, the pretest and posttest rating will seek to suggest that the adolescent has experienced a shift towards positive acceptance of development, which is one of the critical issues that bring about an avenue for depression. According to Wu (2016), it is important to establish an understanding of the issues relating to depression among the adolescents in a bid to ensure that the specific aspects are addressed. The summary will evaluate the nature of research and findings while the critique will evaluate whether the article was effective based on its presentation.
Summary
Wu (2016) embarks on a study seeking to understand how usage of the pretest and posttest analysis of ratings when dealing with intervention for depression among adolescents may achieve that overall element of effectiveness. Wu (2016) reflects on the issue of depression on the basis that it is one of the key mental health issues affecting adolescents around the world with most of the adolescent not being in a position to access quality health care services. An overall analysis of the article indicates that the inherent role of mental health care attributed to the position taken within the article. Wu (2016) reflects on the need for parents to seek early measures towards ensuring that they maintain that element of effectiveness relating to the mental health issues affecting their children.
Wu (2016) reflects on the advantages of understanding response shifts during the intervention when dealing with depression, as this would be of value in determining whether the intervention strategies are effective. In this view, Wu (2016) indicates that for psychologists to be in a position to gauge the response shifts, they must focus their attention on the pretest and posttest ratings during the course of intervention. Any changes in the ratings will determine whether the intervention is effective in presenting its intended outcome, which revolves around reducing the underlying impacts of depression. Wu (2016) embarks on an evaluation of response shift effects on the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) using a sample of 320 early adolescents suffering from different levels of the condition. During the selection of the sample, Wu (2016 ) focused on using randomized selection as a way of building efficiency, as well as, ensuring that the research results achieve their intended outcome.
A review of the sample, used in this particular research, indicates that the sample was 43.8% boys and 56.2% girls with the focus on testing the sample within a school setting (Wu, 2016). The research focused on adolescents between the age of 12 years and 17 years with the mean age in this particular study being 14.8 years (standard deviation [SD] = .56). The overall target population for this particular article was early adolescents, who experience a high risk of depression due to the developmental changes that they are experiencing as part of their life. Wu (2016) indicated that the early adolescent stage is considered as one of the most vulnerable stages relating to increased risk of exposure to mental health issues considering that these adolescents do not have an understanding of the development changes. Thus, this created the need for having to embark on an in-depth evaluation of this particular population focusing on whether the population would experience any form of response shift depending on intervention measures towards dealing with depression.
The key element of focus in this particular study was to establish a connection between response shifts and effectiveness in depression intervention based on the overall possibility of ensuring that these adolescents achieve success in their bid to dealing with mental health issues. Wu (2016) recognizes the gap within the mental health care system especially in the diagnosis and handling of adolescents, which acts as one of the main factor that contributes to a rise in such cases of depression among early adolescents. The gap has been created by the fact that majority of psychologists do not focus their attention on adolescents due to the negative perception that they are not capable of experiencing any shift with regard to their mental health (Wu, 2016). However, this presents a rather dissenting position considering that early adolescents face a high risk of depression.
As indicated earlier, the setting of this study is within a school environment with the focus being on the idea of ensuring that the participants in the study are accorded a platform for comfort during the course of research. Wu (2016) indicates that using a school environment in the research was important in building an environment for positivity with regard to set expectations with regard to the outcomes of the research process. However, it is important to note that the effectiveness of the research was based on the fact that each of the participants involved understood the impact of depression in their lives thus the need to engage in positive practices that help in overcoming the condition. Their engagement in the study accorded them with some element of positivity with regard to improving or achieving effectiveness in the treatment process (Wu, 2016). Ultimately, this meant that the participants would be in a better position to achieve positive mental health outcomes depending on their engagement in this particular research study.
Wu (2016) sought permission from the parents of these early adolescents by ensuring that each of the parents was involved in the course of the study, as well as, ensuring that the parents signed a consent that would see their children involved in the study (Wu, 2016). One of the significant issues to note was that the study focused on minors below the legal age of 18 years, thus, meaning that the participants were not in any position of signing consents. Consequently, this created the need for having to deal with their parents and guardians with an intention of ensuring that the study achieved its intended objective. Based on the methods, design, and presentation of findings, one of the key aspects to consider is the fact that the researcher was able to satisfy the Principle of Falsifiability considering that the researcher was able to build on overall reliability and validity of the data presented in the article (Wu, 2016).
Critical Analysis
When embarking on a critical analysis of the article, it is important to take note of the fact that the research study concluded that the idea of using response shifts in depression intervention is effective in defining how early adolescents responded to the intervention strategies adopted (Wu, 2016). Thus, meant that the idea of using response shift is important in determining whether the interventions adopted are effective in dealing with the onset and effects of depression among early adolescent. In my personal view of the findings, I noted that the article was able to present an evidence-based approach in the research process, which was important in supporting the ultimate findings of the study. The idea of using an evidence-based approach was important, as it worked towards ensuring that the article supported the findings with the relevant evidence (Wu, 2016).
In that view, I would argue on the fact that I was satisfied with the findings of the study not only with regard to the usage of evidence but also on the fact that it supported the general hypothesis of the article. However, one of the important questions that I needed to seek clarification relating to the overall structure of response shift to help determine whether these shifts would arise when the intervention is failing. In some cases, the adoption of specific interventions tends to fail with regard to its approach towards improving the possibility of effective treatment (Wu, 2016). My question related to the understanding that the response shifts are important in highlighting the positive outcomes associated with depression intervention. My intention in this case focused on establishing a connection between response shifts and failure with regard to the depression interventions adopted.
Based on the findings of this research study, I was able to develop an intimate connection to the topic considering that I was able to develop a better understanding of what it means to deal with depression among adolescents. In the study of psychology, I have always been fascinated with the idea of studying depression in adolescents based on the understanding that this is a mental health issue affecting a wide population around the world. However, I have come across limited studies focusing on this topic, which is an element that sought to affect my desire and connection towards this particular topic of study in psychology. My engagement in this article, as well as, the findings of the study created a platform from where I was able to develop that element of connection (Wu, 2016).
From my view, I believe that the idea of using this train of research is important in the presentation of research results focusing on the issue of depression in adolescents, as it sought to project an overall level of effectiveness with regard to the research results. Wu (2016) indicates that the article does not violate any of the principles of scientific methodology considering that he sought to project the study while focusing on the need to embrace these principles. In the methodology section, it was evident that the researcher was able to create some form of connection with regard to the presentation of data collected during the course of the study. Additionally, the article also built on the understanding that the study would focus much of its attention on children, which was an important aspect to note for this particular research study (Wu, 2016). The researcher also indicated the research method and design utilized during the course of the research study focusing on the data collection process.
From an analysis of the presentation of the research study, one of the significant aspects noted was that the researcher obtained all the necessary consent that would ensure that the study achieves its intended results (Wu, 2016). While considering that the participants in the study were minors, the researcher focused on seeking consent from their parents, which was important in ensuring that the participants had the permission to engage in the study. On the other hand, this also meant that the researcher had the permission to use the findings of the study, focusing on minors, as part of the research process. The scientific principles of the study were followed appropriately with the researcher focusing much of his attention on ensuring that the study embraced an element of reliability (Wu, 2016). The long-term effect is that the researcher was able to maintain that positive avenue for connection based on the hypothesis and the findings.
Reference
Wu, P. C. (2016). Response Shifts In Depression Intervention For Early Adolescents. Journal of clinical psychology, 72 (7), 663-675.
