Young people's perceptions of mental health

Findings are reported from a qualitative study which used focus group discussions and individual interviews to explore young people's understanding of mental health and illness; the promotion of positive mental health; responses to negative feelings; and perceived differences between themselves and adults.

Abstract

Research exploring young people's views towards mental health is at an early stage of development. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study which used focus group discussions and individual interviews to explore young people's understanding of mental health and illness; the promotion of positive mental health; responses to negative feelings; and perceived differences between themselves and adults. An overview of previous research is provided in the introduction, followed by a description of the methods and sampling strategies used. The main findings are then presented. Finally, a number of implications have been drawn out which are commented on in the conclusions. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.