Salud mental en adolescentes medida a través del cuestionario de fortalezas y dificultades (SDQ)

Abstract

Mental health is a topic that has not been sufficiently addressed in our context, especially what it refers to in adolescence, which is why the objective of this study was to measure mental health in adolescents according to age, sex and school level in the educational unit Jaime Roldós Aguilera, Azuay-Ecuador. To achieve this purpose, the Goodman Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was administered. The investigation was quantitative of descriptive and correlational scope with a sample of 376 students, ages ranging from 11 to 17 years. The results suggest that there is a low but positive correlation between age and the dimensions of difficulties. Regarding sex, there are differences between men and women, but only in the dimensions of emotional symptoms and pro-social behavior where women obtained a higher score, in the other dimensions there are no significant differences. For the school level the results showed better score for the ninth and tenth of EGB (M: 13) while those with greater difficulties are the second of BGU (M: 16). For the total score of difficulties, the difference is not significant. Regarding the psychometric properties of the instrument, the reliability and construct validity of the SDQ proved to be unsatisfactory in this context (α = .67).