School Guidance Counsellors and Adolescent Depression: Beliefs, Knowledge and Practice

Abstract

Adolescent depression is a significant problem in New Zealand. The Youth2000 survey indicated that around 9.0% of male and 18% of female secondary school students reported feeling depressed. School Guidance Counsellors (SGCs) are ideally placed to identify, assess and treat these adolescents. However, SGCs are rarely included in mental health research. I investigated the beliefs, knowledge and practice of SGCs around adolescent depression. There were three stages to the research. Stage One used a qualitative approach, with nine focus groups held in Auckland in 2004. Fifty-two SGCs participated. I developed a thematic map from the results that emerged. Category One “Beliefs and Knowledge” had three themes: causes, negative connotations and different presentations. Category Two “Practice” had five themes: assessment, referrals, effective therapy, systems and training needs. Stage Two comprised a questionnaire based on these results. This investigated SGCs’ knowledge of depression, assessment, training and referral decisions. It also requested demographic data. In 2005, this was sent to 455 SGCs throughout New Zealand. Two hundred and forty SGCs (53%) responded. Eighty percent did not believe that their initial training equipped them adequately to work with mild to moderately depressed adolescents. SGCs wanted further training, especially appropriate strategies. They requested information based on research and presented by clinicians. In Stage Three, I developed a training workshop on assessment, referral and treatment of adolescent depression, tailored to SGCs’ needs. Thirty-nine SGCs attended workshops in 2006. Evaluations were positive and indicated that this training was appropriate and useful. SGCs would recommend the workshop to others. Strengths and weaknesses of the study are discussed and recommendations made about future developments. There is emphasis on the need for policy to encourage collaboration between SGCs and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), education and health, training providers and the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. As SGCs are placed outside both teaching and health, they need to be adequately trained and receive regular professional development, supervision and consultation around depression. CAMHS are well placed to offer training to SGCs based on identified needs and evidence-based practice.