Truth sometimes hurts. But for children closing in on adolescence, a firm grasp on the truth about one's standing with classmates and peers can be healthy, even when it does hurt a bit.
A new study has found that children who can accurately assess how much -- or little -- their peers like them are less likely to develop symptoms of depression, including sadness and difficulties concentrating or sleeping. By comparison, children with unrealistically rosy or unfoundedly gloomy views of their standing appear more likely to be headed toward depression.
Many psychologists have speculated that the smiling child who believes she is the glowing sun in her classmates' universe will be protected from depression by that belief. They also surmised that the child who holds a negative view of his status among peers is more prone to maladjustment and depression.
That picture, says Florida State University psychologist Janet Kistner, may be a bit too simple. She and fellow researchers found that the child who is not regarded well by peers -- and knows it -- is actually less likely to grow more depressed over time than the child who believes that classmates like him when, in fact, they don't. The kid who can see that he is not so well-liked may be better able to change his behavior to make friends, Kistner says. The kid who's clueless about her effect on classmates may grow frustrated and sad as she misses social cues and fumbles gestures of friendship.
"Realistic perceptions," Kistner says, "are a hallmark of mental health."
The study is the latest in a welter of efforts to identify which children and adolescents may be at heightened risk for developing depression and mental illness.
Some politicians, public health officials, mental health activists and pharmaceutical companies have worked to establish mental-health screening programs in schools and the community. Those initiatives, including a model program designed at Columbia University called TeenScreen, aim to steer kids who are more likely to develop depression toward help before their emotional difficulties lead them to risky behaviors, academic failure or suicide attempts. In recent years, six states -- Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Iowa and New Mexico -- have moved to adopt programs that screen schoolchildren for warning signs of mental illness, including depression. Elsewhere, individual school districts have followed suit.
