Improvement of knowledge and attitudes towards depression in adolescents

Abstract

Many adolescents still lack knowledge about depression and possess negative attitudes towards mental health difficulties. Preliminary data from international studies show that even low-threshold programs can significantly increase knowledge and decrease stigma. However, studies aimed to evaluate informational material designed to educate teenage populations about depression are lacking. In order to close this gap, we developed an information booklet for adolescents with the aim to give depression-specific information and to reduce prejudices. In a sample of 156 9th grade pupils the information booklet was evaluated in a pre-post assessment. After correction for multiple testing, significant improvement of knowledge and attitudes could be found in 32 out of 50 items of a study-specific questionnaire. Pronounced effects resulted in the categories “symptoms” and “antidepressants”. The acceptability of the information booklet was measured by the categories layout, contents, and utility. Overall assessment of the booklet and acceptance in all categories were high.