Exploring experiences of adolescents living with a depressed parent

Abstract

In this qualitative study the researcher explores the experiences faced by adolescents living with a clinically depressed parent, and the emotional, social and intellectual challenges they go through, with the aim to identify and explore the emotional impact of parental depression on adolescents. The approach employed in this study is based on an ethnographic stance. A qualitative methodological design was followed allowing for personal experiences and meaning attributions to come to the fore. The participants were selected because they were accessible and met the criteria of living with a depressed mother. The study‟s results were presented in the form of descriptive text with particular reference to the thematic analysis process. An analysis of the participants‟ global themes revealed that by experiencing and sharing their mother‟s pain the experience had a negative emotional, social and behavioural impact on them and affected their interactional relationships with their parent.