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Published on: May 19, 2015
Dataset on the effects of psychological care on depression and suicide ideation in underrepresented children
Xuerong Liu1, Wei Li1, Jie Gong2
1Experimental Research Center for Medical and Psychological Science (ERC-MPS), School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
Insights
Primary psychological healthcare significantly reduced depression and suicidal ideation in underserved children and adolescents. This large-scale study provides crucial data on mental health interventions for vulnerable youth populations.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Mental Health Services Research
- Global Public Health
Background:
- Rising rates of depression and suicide pose a significant threat to children and adolescents globally.
- Existing psychological healthcare policies lack comprehensive data on their effectiveness, especially for vulnerable populations.
- Underrepresentation of underprivileged children in lower-middle-income countries in mental health research hinders policy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of primary psychological healthcare on reducing depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.
- To address the data gap concerning mental health interventions for underrepresented and vulnerable youth.
- To provide evidence for effective psychological healthcare strategies in diverse child and adolescent populations.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale, multi-center cohort dataset of 249,772 children and adolescents was analyzed.
- Data on depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were collected at baseline (October 2022) and six-month follow-up (May 2023).
- The study focused on various underrepresented groups, including unattended children, orphans, and those in difficult circumstances.
Main Results:
- Primary psychological healthcare demonstrated a significant effect in decreasing depression.
- The intervention also showed a notable reduction in suicidal ideation among participants.
- The findings highlight the positive impact of accessible mental health services for at-risk youth.
Conclusions:
- Primary psychological healthcare is an effective strategy for mitigating depression and suicidal ideation in children and adolescents.
- This research underscores the importance of inclusive mental health policies and interventions for vulnerable youth populations.
- The study provides robust evidence supporting the implementation of psychological healthcare systems in underserved communities.
Abstract:
Massive increases in the risks of depressive disorders and the ensuing suicide have become the overarching menace for children/adolescents. Despite global consensus to instigate psychological healthcare policy for these children/adolescents, their effects remain largely unclear neither from a small amount of official data nor from small-scale scientific studies. More importantly, in underprivileged children/adolescents in lower-middle-economic-status countries/areas, the data collection may not be as equally accessible as in developed countries/areas, thus resulting in underrepresented observations. To address these challenges, we released a large-scale and multi-center cohort dataset (n = 249,772) showing the effects of primary psychological healthcare on decreasing depression and suicidal ideation in these children/adolescents who were underrepresented in previous studies or current healthcare systems, including unattended children/adolescents, orphans, children/adolescents in especially difficult circumstances, and "left-behind" and "single-parenting" children/adolescents. We provided all individual data recording the depressive symptoms and suicide ideation that had been collected at baseline (Oct 2022) and half-year follow-up (May 2023) from practicing this psychological healthcare system.
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