Guelph Mercury

GUELPH — Psychology researcher Margaret Lumley is finding that having a strong, positive self image makes young people more resilient and better able to weather bouts of depression, stress and mental illness.

Lumley, a professor of psychology at the University of Guelph, said her research is suggesting clients would be better served by focusing on what's right in their lives rather than what's wrong, which is the standard treatment for depression.

Lumley and some of her PhD students have been working with the Wellington Catholic District School Board, studying youth and their sense of self.

Through surveys and student journalling, Lumley is finding that strength-based treatment is more effective for treating depression and can even have a preventive effect, diminishing the strength and frequency of depressive episodes later in life.

"Adolescence is a key time for onset of depression, which is often episodic," Lumley said. "Challenging depression in its early stages can reduce the severity in future.

"Lots of depression research focuses on negative self-belief and treatment is often cognitive behavioural therapy. What we're finding is challenging those beliefs."

Lumley said youth with weak, positive beliefs about themselves are more likely to be depressed that those with strong positive beliefs, and even those with strong negative self-beliefs.

"It's the absence of the strong positive self that's the risk factor," she said.

Lumley said attitudinal surveys asked students how they feel about themselves: I am worthy; I am a good person; People like me; I can trust people.

"We need to know the child's perception of themselves. It has a major role in depression. When treating depression, that's what we work on," Lumley said.

Strength-based treatment begins with the strength and incorporates it in treatment. So if a child is good at art, for example, it starts with art. Children don't always recognize that they have good qualities or that the good qualities they have are valuable.

Being a good friend, being the person people confide in, being helpful and caring — "Kids will eventually identify them in themselves with reinforcement from adults," Lumley said.

"We're not disregarding the very real challenges of a mental health difficulty. This is no Pollyanna approach. But starting from strengths is very powerful. All children can benefit from this."

Lumley recently received a $312,000 infrastructure grant to outfit her lab with computers, software and a mobile research lab. In school students will be given netbooks to complete surveys and make diary entries.

This will allow her to collect information about the students, their relationships, their engagement with the community around them, grades emotions and mental health

Some 25 per cent of youth in Ontario have significant emotional problems, Lumley said and 70 per cent of mental health problems begin during childhood or adolescence.

"Not everybody wins in life, but we hope to help young people build resources and skills that will take them through life," she said.

jshuttleworth@guelphmercury.com