Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (14)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Secker, J.
Right arrow Articles by Hill, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Secker, J.
Right arrow Articles by Hill, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Health Education Research, Vol. 14, No. 6, 729-739, December 1999
© 1999 Oxford University Press

Young people's understanding of mental illness

J. Secker, C. Armstrong1 and M. Hill2

Centre for Mental Health Services Development,King's College London, Friars House, 157–168 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8EZ,
1 Nuffield Centre for Community Care Studies, University of Glasgow G12 8RZ, and
2 Centre for the Child and Society, University of Glasgow G12 8RT, UK

Research exploring young people's perspectives on mental health is at an early stage of development and few studies have focused in detail on mental distress or illness. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study which used case vignettes in group and individual interviews to explore the ways in which the young people who took part constructed their understanding of what constitutes mental illness. In essence, they did so by drawing on their own experiences to distinguish between behaviours with which they could identify in some way and those with which they could not. An overview of previous relevant research is provided in the Introduction, followed by a description of the methods and sampling strategies used. The main findings of the study are then presented in relation to the ways in which young people defined unusual behaviour, their understanding of the behaviours associated with different mental health problems and their attitudes to the people concerned. Finally, some ways in which health promotion might build on the findings are identified and discussed.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Int J Soc PsychiatryHome page
A. Furnham and A. Igboaka
Young People's Recognition and Understanding of Schizophrenia: a Cross-Cultural Study of Young People From Britain and Nigeria
International Journal of Social Psychiatry, September 1, 2007; 53(5): 430 - 446.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Health Educ ResHome page
D. Crone, A. Smith, and B. Gough
'I feel totally at one, totally alive and totally happy': a psycho-social explanation of the physical activity and mental health relationship
Health Educ. Res., October 1, 2005; 20(5): 600 - 611.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Adv. Psychiatr. Treat.Home page
M. Smith
Stigma
Adv. Psychiatr. Treat., September 1, 2002; 8(5): 317 - 323.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.