TPC-Journal-V1-Issue2

136 The Professional Counselor \ Volume 1, Issue 2 Table 1 Gender and Ratings of Vignette as Depressed Total N Male N Female N Chi Square (Χ 2 ) for gender difference a Emily 27 (75%) 14 (66.7%) 13 (86.7%) a Tony 21 (58.3%) 11 (52.4%) 10 (66.7%) Nick 1 (2.8%) 1 (4.8%) 0 (0%) Mandy 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Jade 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Note: Percentages appear in parentheses after frequencies. a = depressed vignette Second, in regard to respondents expressing greater worry for youth in the depressed vignettes versus the non- depressed vignettes, the Friend in Need Questionnaire instructed participants to rate their concern on a five-point scale with higher scores indicating more worry. The scores for the depressed vignettes (Emily and Tony) and non-depressed vignettes (Mandy, Jade, and Nick) were collapsed to produce mean scores of level of worry. A general linear model was used to compare sex differences (participant) in the intensity of worry scores for depressed and non-depressed vignettes. Results indicate that no significant differences existed between male ( M = 3.40, SD = .38) and female participants ( M = 3.45, SD = .33) regarding ratings of worry for the depressed ( p < .58). No significant differences were found regarding male ( M = 1.80, SD = .41) and female participants’ ( M = 1.81, SD = .39) ratings of worry of the non-depressed vignettes either ( p < .82). The third question pertained to the length of recovery in the depressed and non-depressed vignettes. The respondents rated each vignette on the perceived length of time it would take the character to feel better on a four-point Likert scale from 1 (one or two days) to 4 (longer than a few months). Higher scores indicate a perception that more time is needed to feel better. Despite the use of a Likert scale, some respondents chose two answers or marked in between two options. When this occurred, the score was adjusted to reflect an average. For example, if someone circled, both “3” and “4,” a score of “3.5” was entered. This decision was made to maintain as many respondents as possible, given the small number of the sample. Overall, the respondents rated the depressed vignettes with a mean score of 3.67 ( SD = .37), which indicates a recovery period of between “one or two months” and “longer than a few months.” This finding compared to a lower mean score of 1.97 (one or two days, SD = .45) for the non-depressed vignettes. Scores on the two depressed vignettes and scores on the three non-depressed vignettes were collapsed to create a composite mean score of recovery time for depressed (dependent variable) versus non-depressed vignettes (dependent variable). A two-way MANOVA was conducted to determine if sex differences (of respondents) made a difference in the length of the recovery for both scenarios (depressed versus non-depressed). The overall model was statistically significant for the recovery time between the depressed and non-depressed vignettes F (1, 34) = 651.31; p = .01. The MANOVA did not reveal a significant interaction between participant gender and recovery time of vignettes ( p < .27). Female respondents rated both the depressed vignettes ( M = 3.82, SD = 24) and non-depressed vignettes ( M = 2.03, SD = .43) higher than male respondents who rated the vignettes as 3.57 ( SD = .53) and 1.93 ( SD = .47) respectively, but this difference was not statistically significant. Fourth, participants were asked to identify the elements of the vignette that demonstrated whether the fictitious teens were having emotional troubles. The two depressed vignettes (Emily and Tony) contained criteria of a Major Depressive Episode as described in the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000). In the case of Emily, respondents readily identified indicators of suicide (91%) and self-worth (72%). Respondents were less likely to identify symptoms of loss of interest (19%), fatigue (22%), and mood (19%) in this case. (See Table 2 for more complete results.) In the case of Tony, a majority of respondents identified loss of interest (75%) and weight loss (58%). Respondents were less likely to identify Tony’s fatigue (44%), insomnia (39%), and diminished ability to think or concentrate (39%).