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Positive Education Interventions Prevent Depression in Chinese Adolescents.

ABSTRACT: Positive education aims to improve students' academic performance as well as their well-being and character strengths. In contrast to traditional school counseling methods that are typically post hoc and pathological, positive education advocates a preventive and positive approach, which teaches students well-being skills that can reduce the chances of depression before it occurs. The current study tested this hypothesis by using a pseudo-experiment design. Six 8th grade classes (N = 173) in a Chinese school were randomly assigned into two groups. In the experiment group, students took positive education courses once a week that taught them primarily knowledge and skills related to positive emotions. Students in the control group took regular moral education courses. After one semester, the level of depression of students in the experiment group had no significant change while that of students in the control group increased significantly. The results showed that adolescent depression can be prevented by positive emotion interventions. Implications and limitations are discussed.

SUBMITTER: Zhao Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6582777 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Positive Education Interventions Prevent Depression in Chinese Adolescents.

Zhao Yukun Y Yu Feng F Wu Yiwen Y Zeng Guang G Peng Kaiping K

Frontiers in psychology 20190612

Positive education aims to improve students' academic performance as well as their well-being and character strengths. In contrast to traditional school counseling methods that are typically <i>post hoc</i> and pathological, positive education advocates a preventive and positive approach, which teaches students well-being skills that can reduce the chances of depression before it occurs. The current study tested this hypothesis by using a pseudo-experiment design. Six 8th grade classes (<i>N</i> ...[more]

PMID: 31249543

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Project description:OBJECTIVES:Adolescent risk behaviours are a key health concern. The purpose of this research is to gaina deeper understanding of how, why, for whom, and inwhat circumstances complex adolescent risk behaviourprevention programmes are most successful. METHODS AND ANALYSIS:To understand how adolescent risk behaviour prevention programmes work in a reallife context, a realist synthesis will be undertaken, operationalised in four phases. Phase one Developing a framework to map the theoretical and conceptual landscape of adolescent risk behaviour prevention. Guided by stakeholder consultation. Phase two Formulating initial programme theories through exploration of the literature, along with primary data from professional stakeholder interviews. Phase three Refining programme theories through more purposeful, in depth screening of the literature, along with primary qualitative data, from young people and professionals. Data will be collected through semi structured focus groups, to explore specific elements of the emerging programme theories. Phase four Testing programme theories through interviews with youth workers, following consultation with young people, using vignettes to explore the relationship between specific programme theories. This relatively novel method of primary and secondary data integration within a realist synthesis will provide deeper insight in to young peoples lived experience of risk behaviour prevention programmes, while maintaining transparency in the process of programme theory development. DATA ANALYSIS:A realist logic of analysis will be used to align data from each phase with context mechanism outcome configurations or specific elements thereof. Substantive theory will then be sought to understand and explain the findings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:This study has been approved by the Ethics committee at Northumbria University, UK. Findings will be disseminated through knowledge exchange with stakeholders, publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, and formal and informal reports.

Project description:ImportanceAlthough problem solving has been an important component of successful depression prevention and treatment interventions, evidence to support problem solving's mechanism of action is sparse.ObjectiveTo understand the mechanism of an efficacious depression prevention intervention, problem-solving education (PSE).Design, setting, and participantsA multivariate path analysis was embedded within a randomized efficacy trial (February 15, 2011, to May 9, 2016). Participants were mothers with depressed mood, anhedonia, or depression history (but not in current major depressive episode) at 1 of 6 Head Start agencies. Participants were followed up for 12 months with serial assessments of potential intervention mediators and depressive symptoms.InterventionsProblem-solving education (n = 111) and usual Head Start services (n = 119).Main outcomes and measuresPrimary outcomes were depressive symptom elevations, which were measured bimonthly. Eight plausible intervention mediators were assessed: problem-solving ability; mastery; self-esteem; perceived stress; behavioral activation; and avoidant, problem-focused, and social coping.ResultsAmong 230 participants, 152 (66.1%) were Hispanic; mean (SD) age was 31.4 (7.3) years. Based on associations with either PSE participation or depressive symptom outcomes, problem-solving ability, perceived stress, behavioral activation, and problem-focused coping were included in a parsimonious, multivariate path model. In this model, only perceived stress was associated with both PSE participation and depressive symptoms. Participants in the PSE group had adjusted standardized perceived stress change scores that were 11% lower than controls (95% CI, -0.19 to -0.03), and improvement in perceived stress generated an adjusted rate ratio (aRR) of 0.42 (95% CI, 0.33-0.53) for depressive symptom elevations. Participants in the intervention group also had standardized behavioral activation change scores 15% greater than controls (95% CI, 0.01-0.30) and problem-focused coping change scores 17% greater than controls (95% CI, 0.03-0.31); however, changes in these constructs were not associated with a differential rate of depressive symptom elevations. The direct effect of PSE on depressive symptom elevations (aRR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52-0.97) was greater than the mediated effect explained by improvement in perceived stress (aRR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.98).Conclusions and relevanceProblem-solving education is efficacious in preventing depressive symptoms and appears to work by decreasing perceived stress; however, the mechanism for much of PSE's impact on depression remains unexplained. These results can be used to simplify the intervention model in preparation for effectiveness testing.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01298804.

Dataset Information

Positive Education Interventions Prevent Depression in Chinese Adolescents.

Publications

Positive Education Interventions Prevent Depression in Chinese Adolescents.

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