Discuss Problems Related to Identifying/Diagnosing and the Assessment of Depression in Adolescents Taking Into Account Gender and Contextual Factors”.

Table of Contents

Introduction pg. 3

Problems relating to the identification pg. 3-4

of depression

Problems relating to the diagnosis/assessment pg.4-7

of depression

Gender factors relating to depression pg. 7-8

in adolescence

Contextual factors relating to depression pg. 9-10

in adolescence

Conclusion pg. 10

Reference List pg. 11

Discuss problems related to identifying/diagnosing and the assessment of depression in adolescents taking into account gender and contextual factors.

Introduction

An increasing amount of research has been conducted with regards to depression among adolescents. This is important as there are many problems when identifying, diagnosing and assessing this mood disorder. As a result, many children and adolescents are misdiagnosed. Overall it seems there is a significant amount of debate with regards to the DSM-IV-TR classification system as there are too many ‘gaps’ with regards to diagnosing/identifying mood disorders in adolescents. Throughout this essay it will be made clear the ways in which this classification system needs to be adapted to clearly state the symptoms for children and adolescents. Symptoms, however, are not the only sources being researched. The contextual and gender factors of adolescents will also be examined to highlight additional problems with regard to identifying/diagnosing depression.

Problems relating to the identification of depression in adolescents

Mood disorders are separated into two categories namely, depressive disorders and bipolar disorder, this is important as the identification and diagnosis differs for each disorder. Depression was thought to be a disorder that only affected adults and was viewed as a reaction to a perceived loss or as a result of hostility (Mash & Wolfe, 2010). Symptoms of depression in children were seen as a normal and momentary expression of a certain stage of development (Mash & Wolfe, 2010). The term ‘masked...