“YOU GET ANGRY INSIDE YOURSELF”: LOW-INCOME ADOLESCENT SOUTH AFRICAN GIRLS’ SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE OF DEPRESSION

Authors

  • Karin Meyer Stellenbosch University
  • Lou-Marie Kruger University of Stellenbosch

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15270/51-2-441

Abstract

Informed by the feminist social constructionist approach this study aimed at exploring the subjective experiences of depression of low-income South African adolescent girls. Participants in this study (girls between the ages of 12 and 14) live in a semi-rural low-income coloured community in the Western Cape. Participants were familiar with the concept of depression, but it seemed that for them the central emotion associated with depression was anger, which often manifested in destructive behaviours. Furthermore, participants seemed to construct depression as a relational problem, suggesting that psychotherapy may be indicated as an important intervention strategy.

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Author Biographies

Karin Meyer, Stellenbosch University

Postgraduate Student; Department of Psychology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Lou-Marie Kruger, University of Stellenbosch

 Prof Lou-Marie Kruger, Department of Psychology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa

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Published

2015-07-22

How to Cite

Meyer, K., & Kruger, L.-M. (2015). “YOU GET ANGRY INSIDE YOURSELF”: LOW-INCOME ADOLESCENT SOUTH AFRICAN GIRLS’ SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE OF DEPRESSION. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 51(2). https://doi.org/10.15270/51-2-441

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