Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 18(1) 72–90 © The Author(s) 2012 Reprints and permission: sagepub. co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1359104511433194 ccp.sagepub.com A qualitative exploration into young children’s perspectives and understandings of emotional difficulties in other children Clare Dixon 1,2 , Craig Murray 2 and Anna Daiches 2 Abstract Research into children’s perspectives and understandings of emotional difficulties is limited and methodologically varied. In this paper we explore young children’s perspectives and understandings of emotional difficulties in their peers. We conducted five focus groups involving a total of 25 children. The children, aged eight and nine, were presented with vignettes representing peers experiencing emotional difficulties, and invited to discuss their perspectives on possible causes. We also explored their emotional and behavioural reactions to the vignette characters. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis we identified three themes: Searching for an Explanation; Empathy versus Blame; and Consequences and Solutions. The children drew on their own emotional experiences in their sense-making, and the extent to which they held the character responsible for their behaviour was particularly important in influencing their responses towards the characters. Keywords attitudes, children, focus groups, interpretative phenomenological analysis, mental health Up to an estimated 10% of children aged 5–10 years within the UK have a mental health problem, the three most common problems being emotional difficulties (such as anxiety, depression and obsessions), hyperkinetic disorders and conduct disorders (Meltzer, 2007; Office of National Statistics (ONS), 2005). To enable appropriate mental health education for children to be devel- oped, it is important to understand children’s views and perspectives towards mental health. The potential impact of negative attitudes and the stigmatisation of mental health problems in children are well documented (Coleman, Walker, Lee, Frieson, & Squire, 2009; Hennessy & Heary, 2009; Walker, Coleman, Lee, Squire, & Frieson, 2008); children who experience such difficulties are likely to hold negative attitudes towards mental health problems and to experience low self-esteem 1 Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, UK 2 Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Lancaster University, UK Corresponding author: Clare Dixon, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Mulberry House, Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 2AP, UK. Email: clare.dixon@alderhey.nhs.uk 433194CCP Article at Lancaster University Library on March 31, 2015 ccp.sagepub.com Downloaded from