Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Publication
    Childhood interventions to reduce stigma towards peers with disabilities and chronic health conditions: a systematic review
    Stigma is a problem for children with a wide range of disabilities and chronic health conditions including epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, and mental health problems (e.g. ADHD). When stigma occurs, it has particular significance for a child¿s psychological wellbeing and development.  Evidence that stigmatizing attitudes develop early in life make it imperative that interventions for school-age children are developed to prevent or reduce stigma.  While several interventions exist, most focus on single stigmatized conditions rather than attempting a broader focus on acceptance of peers who are different. The primary goal of the review is to present an evidence-based analysis of anti-stigma interventions.  Method:  Population: Children and adolescents (6-18 years). Intervention: Interventions must aim to change the study population¿s attitudes or behaviour towards individuals who are disabled or who have chronic health conditions.  Search strategy: (i) Searches of: PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, Medline; (ii) checking references at the end relevant articles; and (iii) using Social Science Citation Index and Google Scholar to find articles that cite key references.  Conclusions: Conclusions will focus on the transfer of learning from well-developed interventions regarding health conditions, to health conditions for which few anti-stigma interventions currently exist. Age appropriateness of interventions will be a particular focus.
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  • Publication
    Factors associated with acceptance of peers with mental health problems in childhood and adolescence
    Background:  Research suggests that children’s reactions to peers with mental health problems are related to the maintenance and outcomes of these problems. However, children’s perceptions of such peers, particularly those with internalising problems, are neither well researched nor understood. The present study aimed to test a series of models relating socio-demographic and attributional variables to the acceptance of hypothetical boys and girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. Methods:  A sample of 595 participants, drawn from five different age-groups spanning early childhood to late adolescence, completed a booklet of questions in response to two vignettes describing the behaviour of hypothetical target peers with depression and ADHD. The sample was drawn from schools randomly selected in the east of Ireland. Results:  The models indicated that age and gender of the participant, and the perceived responsibility of the target character for his/her condition, were the three most important predictors of acceptance in all models. However, the relationship between these variables and acceptance varied depending on the gender of the target child and the condition (depression or ADHD) in the models tested. Conclusions:  The findings of the study suggest that the relationships between socio-demographic and attributional variables and acceptance of peers with mental health problems depend on the type of mental health problem under consideration. The findings have implications for the development of information and education programmes to improve the integration of children with mental health problems.
    Scopus© Citations 40  549
  • Publication
    Development of the Children's Attributions about Psychological Problems in their Peers (CAPPP) Scale
    Background Research has shown that children's beliefs about the causes of psychological problems are related to their attitudes and reactions towards affected peers. This study describes the development of the Children's Attributions about Psychological Problems in their Peers (CAPPP)Scale, which assesses children's beliefs about the causes of an internalizing and an externalizing condition. Methods The 16 items comprising the CAPPP are derived from previous qualitative research findings. Five hundred and ninety-five young people, drawn from five different age groups spanning early childhood to late adolescence, completed a CAPPP Scale for each of two vignettes describing the behaviour of hypothetical peers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)and depression.Results Modifications following consideration of psychometric properties and conceptual fit resulted in a 12-item scale. For both the ADHD and depression conditions, the components that emerged were Volition, Recent Life Stress, Family Factors and School Factors.Conclusions The present study represents the first field trial of the CAPPP. Results suggest that children's and adolescents' beliefs about the causes of psychological problems are multidimensional and incorporate both individual and environmental factors
    Scopus© Citations 2  202
  • Publication
    Children's understanding of psychological problems displayed by their peers : a review of the literature
    Background There is widespread consensus in the literature that children who have psychological problems are more likely than other children to be excluded or rejected by their peers. The existence of this phenomenon has been established, primarily, with the use of research on their sociometric status within groups of peers. Much less research has been done on the way in which children develop attitudes and behavioural intentions towards peers with problems. Aims The primary aim of this article is to introduce readers to research on children's understanding of the nature of common childhood psychological problems with a view to exploring the factors that might contribute to the development of negative attitudes and behaviour. Method Relevant publications were identified through searches of electronic databases and articles in print. Results From the early years of primary school children are able to identify peers whose behaviour deviates from the norm and to suggest causes for the behaviour of peers with psychological problems. Furthermore, their beliefs about peers’ personal responsibility for these problems appear to be a significant determinant of attitudes and behavioural intentions. The article identifies the need for more research on the role of factors such as gender and personal contact in determining children’s understanding of and attitudes towards peers with psychological problems. In addition the article calls for more research on mental health education programmes and the extension of these programmes to younger children, given the fact that even young primary school children appear to have beliefs about the causes of psychological problems and negative attitudes to peers who display such problems. Conclusions Research on children’s understanding of mental health can make an important contribution to our understanding of why children with problems are so much more likely to be excluded from their peer group.
      1226Scopus© Citations 37
  • Publication
    Adolescents' beliefs about sources of help for ADHD and depression
    The peer group begins to become a source of support during late childhood and adolescence making it important to understand what type of help young people might suggest to a friend with an emotional or behavioral problem. Three groups of young people participated in the study with average ages of 12 (N=107), 14 (N=153) and 16 years (N=133). All participants were presented with vignettes describing fictional peers, two of whom had symptoms of clinical problems (ADHD and depression) and a third comparison peer without symptoms. Results indicate that all participants distinguished between clinical and comparison vignette characters and they believed that the characters with clinical symptoms needed help. The 16-year-olds were more likely to differentiate between the two clinical vignettes in terms of the type of help suggested. The results are discussed in light of previous research on adolescents' understanding of sources of help for mental health problems.
      593Scopus© Citations 21