Mental health described by adolescents: a creative study

Gasparini, Danieli Amanda; Cid, Maria Fernanda Barboza

doi:10.1590/2526-8910.ctoAO399838861

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Original Article • Cad. Bras. Ter. Ocup. 33 • 2025 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2526-8910.ctoAO399838862 linkcopy

Mental health described by adolescents: a creative study

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Introduction Based on a pluralistic conception of adolescence and the need to expand the spaces for listening to people who experience this process, there are indications in the literature about the need for studies to consider the place of speech of the adolescent population regarding mental health and the adoption of methodologies that consider them in the production of knowledge about themselves.

Objective To identify the understandings of high school adolescents about mental health.

Method Qualitative research, conducted with 15 high school adolescents, which used the creative method of graphic elucidation to produce data. The adolescents chose elements present in their lives to represent their perspectives on mental health.

Results The participants approached mental health in a broad way, related to the feeling of well-being, the possibilities of relating and having a support network, as well as the performance of meaningful and pleasurable activities.

Conclusion The results reinforce the need for a broader concept of mental health, contextualized with the needs, desires, experiences, culture and history of the subjects. In addition, they highlight the importance of investing in research strategies that guarantee the place of speech of adolescents.

Keywords:
Adolescent; Mental Health; Methodology; Creativity; Data Visualization

Participant	Gender	Age	School	High School Series
Participant 1	Male	16	Public	3^rd
Participant 2	Female	17	Public	3^rd
Participant 3	Female	15	Private	2^nd
Participant 4	Male	15	Public	1^st
Participant 5	Male	15	Private	1^st
Participant 6	Female	16	Private	2^nd
Participant 7	Female	15	Public	1^st
Participant 8	Male	15	Private	1^st
Participant 9	Female	15	Public	1^st
Participant 10	Female	15	Private	1^st
Participant 11	Female	17	Private	3^rd
Participant 12	Female	15	Private	1^st
Participant 13	Female	16	Public	1^st
Participant 14	Female	17	Public	3^rd
Participant 15	Female	18	Public	3^rd

Participant	Graphic Elucidation
Participant 1	[...] I brought *a medal from when I played football.*
Participant 2	[...] there's a *song* that I really like and that [...] is a song by Shawn Mendes, who is my favorite artist, and it's called “In my blood”, in which he talks about anxiety.
Participant 3	It’s a*song* , called “Experience”, by Ludovico.
Participant 4	I brought a *phrase* that I think represents it well, which is like “the important thing is to always be at peace with yourself”.
Participant 5	[...] normally, to feel good, right, I usually listen to some *music* . Normally it's Adele [that] I listen to a lot, and Billie Eilish too.
Participant 6	So, like, I took an example of each thing. [...] Yeah... from *books* , there's one that works for both books and *movies* , which for me is my favorite on this topic, which is “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” And from movies, there are several. “The Minimum to Live For”, which is more focused on anorexia, “Girl, Interrupted”, has everything. “The Virgin Suicides”, is more, I don't know, I think just depression. And “Silver Linings Playbook”, is [about] bipolarity. And then from *series* , there's “Euphoria”, which is the series that deals with this the most and deals with it in a good way. And “Skins”, which doesn't deal with it in a very good way, but it does and is my favorite on this topic. And from *music* , only Billie Elish deals with these topics for teenagers, and I took a song of hers that talks a lot about it, called “Listen Before I Go”. But there are also other songs, but they're made by adults, so I don't know if you think they're relevant or not.
Participant 7	[...], but I already underwent treatment with a psychologist and [...] she gave me *a letter* and I took that letter.
Participant 8	[...] it's something that really marked my childhood, you know that *song* from “Toy Story”, “You’ve got a friend in me”.
Participant 9	I brought*a notebook* , which is this one I got last year from three of my friends. [...] These friends got together and made this notebook full of stuff, full of messages like... to give me strength, to... you know, as if it were support.
Participant 10	[...] I took *a record player* that I have here at home. [...] And then also, which you can't take, they are types of songs. Because it's not a specific song. [It's] Any song.
Participant 11	These are *photos* of me and my friends.
Participant 12	I brought*my skates* .
Participant 13	[...] I brought the *bible* here.
Participant 14	Ah, I brought this*photo*here [...] because I never had friends like I had with this group here [in the photo].
Participant 15	One*sentence: [...] Mental health means happiness. A happy life is a balanced life, a life that has some meaning, according to Aristotle.*

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Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Departamento de Terapia Ocupacional Rodovia Washington Luis, Km 235, Caixa Postal 676, CEP: , 13565-905, São Carlos, SP - Brasil, Tel.: 55-16-3361-8749 - São Carlos - SP - Brazil
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[1] Source: Own elaboration.