What does it mean to flourish? Piloting the flourishing measure with adolescents and young adults with mood and anxiety disorders

Abstract

Introduction: Treatment for adolescents and young adults with mood and anxiety disorders typically focuses on recovery of symptoms and improvement in functioning. Measuring positive states of health—using self-report surveys such as the Flourishing Measure—may help to promote holistic treatment. We piloted the Flourishing Measure—Adolescent Version in a clinical sample of adolescents and young adults with mood and/or anxiety disorders to determine appropriateness and acceptability in this population. Methods: We recruited adolescents (age 12–18) and young adults (age 19–25) with mood and/or anxiety disorders from an outpatient psychiatry clinic associated with an academic hospital. We used cognitive interviewing, a method used in survey development that determines whether respondents’ understanding aligns with instrument intention. Participants completed the Flourishing Measure and answered questions about their impressions of items. Results: Sixteen participants (10 adolescents and 6 young adults) participated in the study. Participants generally understood the concept of flourishing and the intention of individual items. The items were generally considered clear and participants offered minor suggestions for improvement in wording of the items. Discussion: Participants in our study understood the meaning of flourishing, as well as individual items in the measure. The Flourishing Measure may be suitable for use in clinical and research settings for adolescents and young adults, though piloting with larger, more diverse samples is needed.