Catalina González-Forteza

Ideación suicida y características asociadas en mujeres adolescentes

Objective. To determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and the symptomatic profile as well as to identify the sociodemographic characteristics highlighting female adolescents with the highest scores on suicidal ideation in adolescents living in Mexico City: students and suicidal patients. Material and methods. A cross-sectional and ex-post-facto study was carried out in order to analize information from two samples: 1 712 junior and junior high school women students (representative student sample in Mexico City), and 30 adolescents inpatient hospitalized for her suicide attempts (clinical sample). Results. Prevalence of presence as well as persistance of suicidal ideation were higher in the clinical sample, nevertheless 11.8% of the schoolar sample had everyone of the symptoms in arange of 1 to 7 days. The most persistent of the ideation symptoms was: “My family would be better if I were dead”; and in the clinical sample it was “I thought about killing myself”. Finally, the sociodemographic characteristics that best matched the student girls having the highest scores in suicidal ideation were: to be on junior high school, to get low grades, to acknowledge school performance as bad and to have interrupted her studies. The characteristics that highlight the girls with a first attempt were analized in the clinic sample in comparisson with those ones with two or more attempts. It was significant that girls in the second group were living only with one parent and they thought in the last attempt that their dead would be possible or certain. Conclusions. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was important in the school sample. If it is considered that this psychological conGonzalez-Forteza C, Berenzon-Gorn S, Tello-Granados AM, Facio-Flores D, Medina-Mora Icaza ME. Ideacion suicida y caracteristicas asociadas en mujeres adolescentes. Salud Publica Mex 1998;40:430-437.Objetivo. Determinar la prevalencia de ideacion suicida y el perfil sintomatico e identificar las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que distinguen a quienes tuvieron mayores puntajes de ideacion suicida entre poblacion adolescente del Distrito Federal: estudiantes y pacientes por intento suicida. Material y metodos. El estudio fue transversal y ex-post-facto. Se analizo la informacion de dos muestras: 1 712 mujeres, estudiantes de ensenanza media -secundaria- y media superior -bachillerato- (muestra escolar representativa en el D.F.), y 30 adolescentes mujeres internadas por intento suicida (muestra clinica). Resultados. La prevalencia, tanto de presencia como de persistencia de ideacion suicida, fue mas elevada en la muestra clinica; sin embargo, 11.8% de las adolescentes escolares presentaron todos los sintomas de ideacion suicida de 1 a 7 dias. Las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que distinguieron a las estudiantes con mayores puntajes de ideacion fueron: cursar secundaria, obtener calificaciones bajas, percibir como malo su desempeno escolar y haber interrumpido sus estudios. En la muestra clinica se analizaron las caracteristicas que distinguieron a las jovenes con un intento suicida, de aquellas con dos o mas; las mas significativas fueron: vivir solas con uno de sus padres y pensar en que su muerte seria posible. Conclusiones. La prevalencia de ideacion suicida fue importante en la poblacion escolar. Si se considera que este constructo psicologico tiene una fuerte asociacion con el intento suicida y, mas aun, con la conducta suicida multiple, entonces resulta prioritario detectar adolescentes en riesgo y orientar esfuerzos preventivos entre las adolescentes escolares, tomando en cuenta las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que se configuraron en riesgo para la ideacion suicida.

Aplicación de la Escala de Depresión del Center of Epidemiological Studies en adolescentes de la Ciudad de México

Objective. To assess the internal consistency, as well as the construct, concurrent and external consistency of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-R) in Mexican adolescents. Material and Methods. The data are from two samples of middle-school students from Mexico City. The questionnaire included the CES-D-R and other scales for suicide problems, peer and family violence, and drug use. Results. The sample included 1 549 students (mean age 14 years, SD=1.2). The CES-D-R showed a sixfactor structure (explained variance, 55%) with an excellent internal consistency ( α=0.93), a significant discriminative power for opposite scores (z=-3.695, p<0.001), and a positive significant correlation with the Roberts Suicidal Ideation Scale (r=0.685, p<0.001). Conclusions. The CES-D-R has excellent psychometric characteristics for Mexican adolescents and therefore is deemed as an adequate tool for the assessment of depressive symptoms in large samples to detect mental health needs and design preventive interventions.

Disordered eating behavior and body weight and shape relatives’ criticism in overweight and obese 15- to 19-year-old females:

This study evaluated the link between relatives’ criticism of overweight or obese teenage girls’ figure and body weight and their relationship with their mothers, fathers and siblings, affection, self-esteem, the internalization of the aesthetic body thin ideal, depressive symptoms and disordered eating behaviors (DEB). The sample comprised 2174 senior high school students aged 15 to 19. Teenagers criticized by their relatives showed higher DEB, without interaction between Body Mass Index (BMI) and DEB. The structural equations model showed DEB was primarily explained by the internalization of the body aesthetic thin ideal, family’s criticism, BMI and depressive symptoms.

La representación social que orienta las decisiones paternas al afrontar el consumo de drogas de sus hijos

Objective. To identify the social representation guiding decisions of parents of teenage drug users to face consumption of their children. Material and Methods. A qualitative study using free lists, characterization questionnaires, and in-depth interviews was performed among 60 systematically selected parents of young drug users who were receiving treatment in Centros de Integracion Juvenil. Data analysis included correlations and interpretive analysis. Results.stages were identified: 1) discovery of the addiction, characterized by parental disappointment; 2) permanence: The highest in duration, resource investment, and losses; and 3) withdrawal: Featured by seeking health services. Conclusions. The representation that guided parental decisions was “the offer of a better world”, which stemmed from the social, cultural, and family context that revolves around consumption and that was sustained by two beliefs: “Learning from mistakes” and “where there is a will there is a way”. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html

Suicidal ideation and associated characteristics in adolescent women

Objective. To determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and the symptomatic profile as well as to identify the sociodemographic characteristics highlighting female adolescents with the highest scores on suicidal ideation in adolescents living in Mexico City: students and suicidal patients. Material and methods. A cross-sectional and ex-post-facto study was carried out in order to analize information from two samples: 1 712 junior and junior high school women students (representative student sample in Mexico City), and 30 adolescents inpatient hospitalized for her suicide attempts (clinical sample). Results. Prevalence of presence as well as persistance of suicidal ideation were higher in the clinical sample, nevertheless 11.8% of the schoolar sample had everyone of the symptoms in arange of 1 to 7 days. The most persistent of the ideation symptoms was: “My family would be better if I were dead”; and in the clinical sample it was “I thought about killing myself”. Finally, the sociodemographic characteristics that best matched the student girls having the highest scores in suicidal ideation were: to be on junior high school, to get low grades, to acknowledge school performance as bad and to have interrupted her studies. The characteristics that highlight the girls with a first attempt were analized in the clinic sample in comparisson with those ones with two or more attempts. It was significant that girls in the second group were living only with one parent and they thought in the last attempt that their dead would be possible or certain. Conclusions. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was important in the school sample. If it is considered that this psychological conGonzalez-Forteza C, Berenzon-Gorn S, Tello-Granados AM, Facio-Flores D, Medina-Mora Icaza ME. Ideacion suicida y caracteristicas asociadas en mujeres adolescentes. Salud Publica Mex 1998;40:430-437.Objetivo. Determinar la prevalencia de ideacion suicida y el perfil sintomatico e identificar las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que distinguen a quienes tuvieron mayores puntajes de ideacion suicida entre poblacion adolescente del Distrito Federal: estudiantes y pacientes por intento suicida. Material y metodos. El estudio fue transversal y ex-post-facto. Se analizo la informacion de dos muestras: 1 712 mujeres, estudiantes de ensenanza media -secundaria- y media superior -bachillerato- (muestra escolar representativa en el D.F.), y 30 adolescentes mujeres internadas por intento suicida (muestra clinica). Resultados. La prevalencia, tanto de presencia como de persistencia de ideacion suicida, fue mas elevada en la muestra clinica; sin embargo, 11.8% de las adolescentes escolares presentaron todos los sintomas de ideacion suicida de 1 a 7 dias. Las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que distinguieron a las estudiantes con mayores puntajes de ideacion fueron: cursar secundaria, obtener calificaciones bajas, percibir como malo su desempeno escolar y haber interrumpido sus estudios. En la muestra clinica se analizaron las caracteristicas que distinguieron a las jovenes con un intento suicida, de aquellas con dos o mas; las mas significativas fueron: vivir solas con uno de sus padres y pensar en que su muerte seria posible. Conclusiones. La prevalencia de ideacion suicida fue importante en la poblacion escolar. Si se considera que este constructo psicologico tiene una fuerte asociacion con el intento suicida y, mas aun, con la conducta suicida multiple, entonces resulta prioritario detectar adolescentes en riesgo y orientar esfuerzos preventivos entre las adolescentes escolares, tomando en cuenta las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que se configuraron en riesgo para la ideacion suicida.

Estudio de la depresión en estudiantes de la Ciudad de México y del Estado de Michoacán por medio de la versión revisada de la CES-D

Background. The prevalence of depression is increasing among adolescents. Depression is related to factors such as socioeconomic status, family history of problems with depression and alcohol use, experiences with violence, physical or sexual abuse and use of tobacco and illicit drugs. These may increase the risk of other problematic behaviors. Objective. To describe the depressive symptoms in adolescents from Mexico City and the State of Michoacan. Method. Data were generated with the revised version of the CES-D. Two cross-sectional studies with non-probabilistic samples were conducted (N=2127). Results. A total of 12% of the adolescents had symptoms of a probable major depressive episode (MDE) (13.3% from Mexico City and 9.2% from Michoacan). The proportion of probable MDE was significantly higher among women (χ2 = 56.294, DF = 2, p Discussion and conclusion. The proportion of students who had clinically significant symptoms underlines the need for information, awareness, training for parents, teachers, health professionals and adolescents for addressing the relevance for attending depression and to improve the access to health care services. Although the CESD-R may be a quick alternative for an early detection of a probable major depressive episode, it would be necessary to build a referral mechanism to mental health care services for individuals at risk, as well as strategies to ensure its quality.

Correlatos psicosociales de depresión y riesgo de suicidio en trabajadoras sexuales del Estado de Hidalgo, México

Los datos disponibles sobre la salud mental en trabajadoras sexuales en Mexico son escasos. Sin embargo la poca evidencia disponible muestra que las prevalencias de depresion y problematica suicida son mucho mas elevadas que en la poblacion general. El objetivo de este articulo es explorar los factores psicosociales que se relacionan con la depresion y el riesgo de suicidio en una muestra de 103 trabajadoras sexuales del Estado de Hidalgo, Mexico. Los resultados muestran que las frecuencias de depresion y riesgo de suicidio fueron mas elevadas que en las mujeres de la poblacion general (39.8 y 3.0%, respectivamente). Las variables que predijeron estos malestares fueron la mala relacion con la madre, los efectos perjudiciales del consumo de alcohol sobre la salud fisica y las actividades domesticas, la violencia de la pareja y la violencia sexual. Es necesario considerar estos resultados para propiciar acciones que reduzcan o eliminen la violencia de pareja, fomenten la adquisicion de habilidades para el manejo de las consecuencias negativas de la violencia, asi como implementar estrategias para reducir el dano ocasionado por el consumo de alcohol en este grupo poblacional en situacion de vulnerabilidad.

Salud Pública de México

Objective. To determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and the symptomatic profile as well as to identify the sociodemographic characteristics highlighting female adolescents with the highest scores on suicidal ideation in adolescents living in Mexico City: students and suicidal patients. Material and methods. A cross-sectional and ex-post-facto study was carried out in order to analize information from two samples: 1 712 junior and junior high school women students (representative student sample in Mexico City), and 30 adolescents inpatient hospitalized for her suicide attempts (clinical sample). Results. Prevalence of presence as well as persistance of suicidal ideation were higher in the clinical sample, nevertheless 11.8% of the schoolar sample had everyone of the symptoms in arange of 1 to 7 days. The most persistent of the ideation symptoms was: “My family would be better if I were dead”; and in the clinical sample it was “I thought about killing myself”. Finally, the sociodemographic characteristics that best matched the student girls having the highest scores in suicidal ideation were: to be on junior high school, to get low grades, to acknowledge school performance as bad and to have interrupted her studies. The characteristics that highlight the girls with a first attempt were analized in the clinic sample in comparisson with those ones with two or more attempts. It was significant that girls in the second group were living only with one parent and they thought in the last attempt that their dead would be possible or certain. Conclusions. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was important in the school sample. If it is considered that this psychological conGonzalez-Forteza C, Berenzon-Gorn S, Tello-Granados AM, Facio-Flores D, Medina-Mora Icaza ME. Ideacion suicida y caracteristicas asociadas en mujeres adolescentes. Salud Publica Mex 1998;40:430-437.Objetivo. Determinar la prevalencia de ideacion suicida y el perfil sintomatico e identificar las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que distinguen a quienes tuvieron mayores puntajes de ideacion suicida entre poblacion adolescente del Distrito Federal: estudiantes y pacientes por intento suicida. Material y metodos. El estudio fue transversal y ex-post-facto. Se analizo la informacion de dos muestras: 1 712 mujeres, estudiantes de ensenanza media -secundaria- y media superior -bachillerato- (muestra escolar representativa en el D.F.), y 30 adolescentes mujeres internadas por intento suicida (muestra clinica). Resultados. La prevalencia, tanto de presencia como de persistencia de ideacion suicida, fue mas elevada en la muestra clinica; sin embargo, 11.8% de las adolescentes escolares presentaron todos los sintomas de ideacion suicida de 1 a 7 dias. Las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que distinguieron a las estudiantes con mayores puntajes de ideacion fueron: cursar secundaria, obtener calificaciones bajas, percibir como malo su desempeno escolar y haber interrumpido sus estudios. En la muestra clinica se analizaron las caracteristicas que distinguieron a las jovenes con un intento suicida, de aquellas con dos o mas; las mas significativas fueron: vivir solas con uno de sus padres y pensar en que su muerte seria posible. Conclusiones. La prevalencia de ideacion suicida fue importante en la poblacion escolar. Si se considera que este constructo psicologico tiene una fuerte asociacion con el intento suicida y, mas aun, con la conducta suicida multiple, entonces resulta prioritario detectar adolescentes en riesgo y orientar esfuerzos preventivos entre las adolescentes escolares, tomando en cuenta las caracteristicas sociodemograficas que se configuraron en riesgo para la ideacion suicida.