The Perceived Impact of Parental Depression on the Narrative Construction of Personal Identity: Reflections from Emerging Adults

Authors

  • Girija Kaimal <em>Drexel University Harvard University</em>
  • William R. Beardslee <em>Drexel University Harvard University</em>

Abstract

This paper presents a narrative analysis of emerging adults’ perceptions of the impact of parental depression on themselves as they reflected back on their lives in their natal home. Archived interview narratives were analyzed from sixteen respondents from a preventive intervention study of depression in families. The perceptions of parental depression and the perceived impact of parental depression were found to fall into five perspectives: resistance (no impact), negativity (being disadvantaged), ambivalent perspectives (disadvantaged but also sensitized), acceptance (reconciling with loss), and, compassion (sensitivity and caregiving). The findings from the narratives indicated that the perceived impacts of parental depression spanned a spectrum of responses, not all of which were negative. Emerging adults with their own history of depression reported a more resistant or negative perceived impact of parental depression, and more boys than girls narrated perceived negative impacts of parental depression on the self. These perspectives on parental depression derived from the narratives offer clinicians and family therapists a means of understanding the impact of depression on emerging adults’ sense of self. Implications of language usage, such as tense and coherence, are also discussed.

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Published

2015-03-05

How to Cite

Kaimal, G., & Beardslee, W. R. (2015). The Perceived Impact of Parental Depression on the Narrative Construction of Personal Identity: Reflections from Emerging Adults. Narrative Works, 5(1). Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/NW/article/view/23784

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2015)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright for articles published in Narrative Works is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to Narrative Works. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.