Adolescent experience of psychotropic treatment.
Despite growing concern over the treatment of adolescents with psychiatric medications, little research has examined youth understandings and interpretations of mental illness and psychotropic treatment. This article reports the exploratory findings of semi-structured and open-ended interviews carried out with 20 adolescents diagnosed with one or more psychiatric disorders, and who were currently prescribed psychiatric medications. Grounded theory coding procedures were used to identify themes related to adolescent subjective experience with psychiatric medications. The categories identified are interpreted as different points of view through which adolescents understand and take action upon their illness concerns; their need for medication treatment; their perceptions of how medications work; their responses to parental and other influences upon medication treatment; and, their everyday management activities.
Floersch
Jerry
J
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-7164, USA. jerry.floersch@case.edu
Townsend
Lisa
L
Longhofer
Jeffrey
J
Munson
Michelle
M
Winbush
Victoria
V
Kranke
Derrick
D
Faber
Rachel
R
Thomas
Jeremy
J
Jenkins
Janis H
JH
Findling
Robert L
RL
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012649:Self Concept
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs