Parental Memorable Messages about Depression: Implications for Perceived Support, Stigma, Relational Satisfaction, and Treatment-Seeking among Young Adults with Depression

ABSTRACT

Using a memorable message framework, we explored the content of parental memorable messages about depression and differences in perceptions of parental social support and stigma, relational satisfaction, and depression treatment-seeking among young adults diagnosed with depression (N= 128) based on message type (i.e., content). Thematic analyses revealed seven prominent categories of parental memorable messages about depression (e.g., We will be there, Depression isn’t real). Young adult’s perceptions of parental support, stigma, and relational satisfaction differed based on message type, though differences in treatment-seeking based on message type were non-significant. Our findings illuminate the significance of parental communication about depression and how the content of messages about depression are linked to perceptions of parental support, stigma, and relational satisfaction among young adult with depression. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future directions are also discussed.

Disclosure statement

We have no known conflict of interest to report.

Notes

1. MTurk is an online, crowdsourcing marketplace where individuals select and complete projects (i.e., Human Information Tasks (HITS)), such as surveys, offered by organizations and researchers and receive compensation for completing those activities. Researchers can customize and implement “qualifications” required by users to participate in surveys. Because participants were required to live in the U.S. to participate, the MTurk qualification of “Live in the U.S.” was used and only those who met that criteria had access to the survey.

2. MTurk participants were compensated two US dollars for participating and completing the short survey, which was comparable to other survey studies at the time the data were collected.

3. Three participants reported receiving memorable messages from “Other” sources, including a stepmother (n = 2) and grandmother/legal guardian (n = 1). Mean scores for dependent variables for these cases fell within the ± 1 SD from the means for mothers and were combined into a single group.