Table 2.

Presentation of themes and sub-themes with examples of related meaning units.

Descriptions of distress and dysfunction 401*	Limiting consequences in everyday life	“I am actually a social person. Now I don’t take any initiatives to make contact.”
	Emotions and behaviours related to dysfunction	“The worst thing is the worry about how things will turn out in a larger and longer perspective.”
	Psychiatric wordings of distress	“I get depressed on and off. I have problems with anxiety.”
	The personal history of the problem	“That I’m depressed, that I’ve had problems with it for several years.”
Managing problems and distress 186*	Strategies for managing the problem	“Listening to music can be an alternative to cope when I feel bad.”
	Current self-positioning to the problem	“For a long time I refused to accept that I feel mentally ill … I thought it would pass.”
	Deciding if and how to share	“Don’t want to burden them, they have their own lives.”
Current life conditions affecting the person 249*	Social stress factors	“Am stressed by the social security authorities. Feels like a threat.”
	The impact of others on the perceived problems	“My friend often says that you have to fight in order to survive.”
Perceived failure in meeting failure in social expectations 159*	Recognizing oneself in relation to values and roles	“The most important part of my identity is my profession.”
	Self-worth valued by performance	“Had many advantages growing up. I shouldn’t have failed.”
	Social norms and values of the family of origin	“Many in the family are successful.”
	Future social objectives	“Wants to gain energy and strength to tackle his studies. He wants to study at university in the future.”
Making sense of the problem 188*	Family- and childhood-related conditions	“Growing up with a substance abusing father, which led to an insecurity … It’s part of me, my history.”
	External stressful conditions	“The slump that happened this summer, which led to her seeking help now, was caused by stress and pressure at work.”
	Heredity and biology	“The cause is biological. Hereditary perhaps.”
	Psychological vulnerability	“She thinks her problems are stress-related. An internal rather than external stress.”
	Suspicion of a psychiatric diagnosis	“I have suspected it to be ADHD or bipolar disorder or both.”
Experiences of, and wishes for, help 313*	Help-seeking experiences	“Have had quite a few consultations. It has felt good, but basically not helped. The anxiety and depression remain.”
	Non-medical help seeking	“Tried mindfulness and acupuncture before which helped a lot.”
	Barriers to help seeking	“She wanted to manage it herself without help.”
	Ideas and thoughts about improvement	“Some kind of diagnosis … If I get a diagnosis, I have something to relate to. That is the way I am.”
	Concerns related to healthcare interventions	“I’m afraid of not being taken seriously.”

*Number of references.