Work

Naïve Observers’ Perceptions of Hospitalized and Community Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: = 15.31, henceforth referred to as targets). They reported on their depressive symptoms and completed the Child Attachment Interview (CAI; Shmueli-Goetz et al., 2008). Naïve observers (N = 52 college students split in two rounds), unaware of all other information about targets, read transcripts of targets' CAI interviews; using solely that information, they rated targets' depressive symptoms. Observers also assessed their confidence in their evaluation of targets' symptoms. Results showed a positive association between observers' ratings and targets' self-reported depressive symptoms (Round 1 Cohen's d = 1.25, Round 2 Cohen's d = 1.42) and this association remained significant controlling for linguistic categories connected to depression detected by computer analysis. Observers' ratings discriminated between hospitalized and community adolescents (Round 1 Cohen's d = 1.43, Round 2 Cohen's d = 1.37), though confidence in their ratings was not associated with targets' ratings or group (community or hospitalized). Observers can reliably and accurately identify depressive symptoms in adolescents using attachment interviews, over and above computer analysis alone. This work suggests that naïve observers contribute unique insight into the detection of adolescent depressive symptoms.

Source: Behavior Therapy

DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2024.12.002