ABSTRACT
Few young people are keen to be assessed for anything-let alone for a mood disorder. Many will resist, either actively or passivelyusually denying that there is a problem. Some teenagers are ready to be persuaded by parents or friends if convincing reasons are provided. However, if a teenager can fi nd an excuse for postponing assessment they are likely to grasp it, and sometimes they fi nd implicit support for their resistance from family ambivalence about seeking assessment for a ‘mental illness’.
