It is estimated that around 15% of children and young people in Denmark will be diagnosed with a mental disorder before they turn 18. At the same time general practitioners experience a lack of knowledge, tolls and decision-making capabilities when facing a growing number of children and adolescents experiencing mental distress. How do we determine when emotional discomfort is a sign of illness or just a natural life challenge? We see a youth culture with increasing psychologization of the language used to describe and understand life challenges, emotional discomfort and distress. A language marked by diagnostic terminology and self-diagnosing in everyday conversations. Sadness becomes depression and fear becomes anxiety. We therefore see a need to explore how children and young people can gain a new ‘language of suffering’ when talking about life challenges and distress, to create an alternative conversational space for children and youths facing adversity and suffering.
Purpose
In this project we examine how children and young people understand, experience and deal with emotional discomfort, and how the primary healthcare sector (general practice) and civil actors (Børnetelefonen) can best support them without pathologizing or neglecting their need for help. The goal of the project is to strengthen the existential agency of children and young people, and ensure a general, early and targeted intervention. The project generates new knowledge about how children and young people themselves understand, manage and express mental distress and life challenges. From this knowledge we will develop, evaluate and implement a training program for volunteers, healthcare professionals and practitioners which can improve professional conversations with children and young people, and strengthen an early and general human effort in both healthcare and civil society.
Method
This project uses an action research design which involves descriptive statistics and qualitative methods in the form of thematic text analysis, focus group interviews and the development of training programs and materials:
- Descriptive statistical and thematic text analysis of around 4.000 letters written by children and adolescents to Børnetelefonen in the period 2019-2024.
- Six different focus group interviews with 10-12 general practitioners, 10-12 volunteers at Børnetelefonen, 5-6 professionals at Børns Vilkår, and a children-and-youths-panel consisting of junior advisors at Børnetelefonen.
- Workshops and focus group interviews with volunteers, professionals, doctors and the children-and-youths-panel to create teaching courses and learning materials for general practitioners, professionals, and volunteers who work with children and young people.
Project period
The project consists of three phases:
- The exploratory phase: To investigate and increase knowledge about children’s and youths’ own understanding and language regarding difficulties in life, and how they experience, navigate and handle emotional discomfort: How do children and young people describe their own understanding and ways of coping when experiencing mental health issues or other difficulties in life?
- The practice-oriented phase: To enhance practical knowledge about how general practitioners, professionals and volunteers can best support children and young people’s existential agency and well-being when facing mental health struggles, without pathologizing normal challenges in life: How can civil social actors and general practitioners best assist and support children and youths experiencing life challenges?
- The phase of development, evaluation and implementation of training: To develop, evaluate and implement relevant training programs and learning materials in collaboration with children and youths, general practice and civilian actors (Børnetelefonen). To raise awareness among adults (volunteers, professional, practitioners) about their own understandings, language use and perspectives in interactions with children and young people experiencing mental illness, distress and / or life challenges. Teaching material to create an alternative space for professional conversations between adults and adolescents.