Lay theories of “modern-type” depression among undergraduate students

Abstract

This study examined the lay theory characteristics of “modern-type” depression using a text mining method. A total of 225 undergraduate students filled in a questionnaire. They answered questions about the characteristics and causes of as well as reasons for “modern-type” depression using free-form text entry. Then, they answered questions about their sources of information on “modern-type” depression. The results showed that participants mainly described that “modern-type” depression is common among young people and that people with “modern-type” depression lack awareness of the illness. Also, participants indicated that they obtained knowledge about “modern-type” depression from different information sources such as television and the internet.