RESUMO

Against the background of a lack of screening instruments for measuring depressive symptoms in Colombian adolescents and preadolescents, this study aims to establish the internal consistency reliability, component structure and the concurrent and discriminant validity of the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Six-Item Scale (KADS-6) among preadolescent school students in Sincelejo, Colombia. Participated 710 youth (10.8 years of age ± .75 years) divided into two groups to cross-validate analyses that were undertaken to determine the internal consistency reliability, as well as the concurrent and discriminant validity, of the KADS-6 among preadolescents. Results show that over 95% of the sample did not report problems understanding any of the items on the KADS-6. The KADS-6 had acceptable levels of internal consistency reliability, concurrent and discriminant validity and was unidimensional. In conclusion, The KADS-6 is well understood by Colombian preadolescents and has adequate psychometric properties in adolescents, rendering it acceptable for use with Colombian preadolescents.

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OBJECTIVE: This objective of this study is to examine the association between suicidal behaviour and substance use, depression, aggressiveness and borderline personality traits among adolescents from Sincelejo, a rural city in the north of Colombia. METHODS: This cross sectional study included 352 participants selected by purposive sampling, from a public and a private school located in Sincelejo, Sucre district, in the north of Colombia. Students ages ranged from 12 to 18 years old (mean, 15.09±1.82). The participants completed three screening tools: a socio-demographic questionnaire, a screening instrument to collect information related to the frequency of use of some substances, such as tobacco and cannabis, and a self-report inventory to assess various personality and psychopathology domains. A series of t-tests, ANOVA and linear regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Physical aggression (t=7.74; p <0.01), cognitive depression (t=5.03; p <0.01), affective depression (t=8.24; p <0.01), affective instability (t=3.46; p <0.01), few social relationships (t=3.36; p <0.01), self-harm (t=3.45; p<.01), cannabis and tranquilizer use (t=2.83; p <0.05; and t=2.37; p <0.05) had a significant independent relationship with suicidal behaviour. Aggression (t=2.59; p <0.05), components of depression (t=9.03; p <0.01) and borderline personality traits (t=4.12; p <0.01) also predicted suicidal behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: More longitudinal studies are needed in this area to identify the causal relations between the factors studied and the suicidal behaviour of young people in Sincelejo.

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RESUMO

Objective: This objective of this study is to examine the association between suicidal behaviour and substance use, depression, aggressiveness and borderline personality traits among adolescents from Sincelejo, a rural city in the north of Colombia. Methods: This cross sectional study included 352 participants selected by purposive sampling, from a public and a private school located in Sincelejo, Sucre district, in the north of Colombia. Students ages ranged from 12 to 18 years old (mean, 15.09 ± 1.82). The participants completed three screening tools: a socio-demographic questionnaire, a screening instrument to collect information related to the frequency of use of some substances, such as tobacco and cannabis, and a self-report inventory to assess various personality and psychopathology domains. A series of t-tests, ANOVA and linear regression analyses were conducted. Results: Physical aggression (t = 7.74; p < 0.01), cognitive depression (t = 5.03; p < 0.01), affective depression (t = 8.24; p <0.01), affective instability (t = 3.46; p <0.01), few social relationships (t = 3.36; p < 0.01), self-harm (t = 3.45; p< .01), cannabis and tranquilizer use (t = 2.83; p < 0.05; and t = 2.37; p <0.05) had a significant independent relationship with suicidal behaviour. Aggression (t = 2.59; p <0.05), components of depression (t = 9.03; p <0.01) and borderline personality traits (t = 4.12; p <0.01) also predicted suicidal behaviour. Conclusions: More longitudinal studies are needed in this area to identify the causal relations between the factors studied and the suicidal behaviour of young people in Sincelejo.

Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio es examinar la asociación del comportamiento suicida con el consumo de sustancias, síntomas depresivos, agresividad y rasgos de personalidad límite en adolescentes de Sincelejo (Sucre), una ciudad rural del norte de Colombia. Métodos: Este estudio transversal incluyó a 352 participantes seleccionados por muestreo intencional de una escuela pública y privada ubicada en Sincelejo, distrito de Sucre, en el norte de Colombia. Las edades de los estudiantes oscilaron entre los 12 y los 18 anos (media, 15,09 ± 1,82). Los participantes completaron 3 instrumentos de cribado: uno de datos sociodemográficos, uno sobre consumo de algunas sustancias, tales como tabaco y cannabis, y su frecuencia y un instrumento de autoinforme para evaluar varios dominios de la personalidad y algunas psicopatologías. Se realizaron una serie de pruebas de la t, ANOVA y análisis de regresión lineal. Resultados: La agresión física (t = 7,74; p <0,01), el componente cognitivo de la depresión (t = 5,03; p <0,01), el componente afectivo de la depresión (t = 8,24; p <0,01), la inestabilidad afectiva (t = 3,46, p < 0,01), las pocas relaciones sociales (t = 3,36, p < 0,01), las autolesiones (p <0,01; t = 3,45, p <0,01), el cannabis (t = 2,83; p <0,05) y la toma de tranquilizantes (t = 2,37; p <0,05), se asociaron con el comportamiento suicida. La agresión (t = 2,59; p <0,05), los componentes de la depresión (t = 9,03; p <0,01) y los rasgos de personalidad límite (t = 4,12, p <0,01) predijeron el comportamiento suicida. Conclusiones: Se requieren más estudios longitudinales en esta área con el fin de identificar las relaciones causales entre los factores estudiados y el comportamiento suicida de los jóvenes en Sincelejo.

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the possible direct and interactive associations of sex, age and parenting styles with symptoms of depression and anxiety. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 710 students ranging from 8 to 13 years (mean age 10.8 years [ 0.75]), the most of them males (n = 422, 59.4%), completed three screening instruments: a parenting practices scale and two self-reports for evaluating anxiety and depressive symptoms. Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Authoritative (38.6%) and neglectful (38%) parenting styles were predominant. Symptoms of depression -F (3, 706) = 3.12, p = .03- and anxiety -F (3, 706) = 2.83, p = .4- differed by parenting styles. Students with a neglectful parenting style reported significant lower generalized anxiety symptoms than those whose parents used authoritative parenting. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Children ages 8 to 13 years-old with authoritative parenting style should be evaluated for possible presence of generalized anxiety symptoms.

Objetivos: Analizar las posibles asociaciones entre sexo, edad y estilos de crianza con síntomas de depresión y ansiedad. Método: En este estudio transversal participaron 710 estudiantes entre 8 y 13 años (con una edad promedio de 10.8 [DE = 0.75]), la mayoría hombres (n = 422, 59.4%), los cuales respondieron tres instrumentos de cribado: una escala de prácticas parentales y dos autoinformes para evaluar síntomas de ansiedad y de depresión. Se llevaron a cabo dos regresiones múltiples. Resultados: Los estilos parentales predominantes fueron el autoritativo (38.6%) y el negligente (38%). Los síntomas depresivos -F (3, 706) = 3.12, p = .03- y ansiosos -F (3, 706) = 2.83, p = .4- se relacionaron de manera diferente entre los estilos parentales. El estilo parental negligente se asoció con menos ansiedad generalizada que el estilo parental autoritativo. Implicaciones clínicas: Los niños de 8 a 13 años con estilo de crianza autoritario podrían ser evaluados para detectar la posible presencia de síntomas de ansiedad generalizada.

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: This objective of this study is to examine the association between suicidal behaviour and substance use, depression, aggressiveness and borderline personality traits among adolescents from Sincelejo, a rural city in the north of Colombia. METHODS: This cross sectional study included 352 participants selected by purposive sampling, from a public and a private school located in Sincelejo, Sucre district, in the north of Colombia. Students ages ranged from 12 to 18 years old (mean, 15.09±1.82). The participants completed three screening tools: a socio-demographic questionnaire, a screening instrument to collect information related to the frequency of use of some substances, such as tobacco and cannabis, and a self-report inventory to assess various personality and psychopathology domains. A series of t-tests, ANOVA and linear regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Physical aggression (t=7.74; p <0.01), cognitive depression (t=5.03; p <0.01), affective depression (t=8.24; p <0.01), affective instability (t=3.46; p <0.01), few social relationships (t=3.36; p <0.01), self-harm (t=3.45; p<.01), cannabis and tranquilizer use (t=2.83; p <0.05; and t=2.37; p <0.05) had a significant independent relationship with suicidal behaviour. Aggression (t=2.59; p <0.05), components of depression (t=9.03; p <0.01) and borderline personality traits (t=4.12; p <0.01) also predicted suicidal behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: More longitudinal studies are needed in this area to identify the causal relations between the factors studied and the suicidal behaviour of young people in Sincelejo.

RESUMO

This project investigated the association between Jamaican school-age children's perception of their communities and their levels of depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional survey of sixth-grade students from schools in Kingston, Jamaica was conducted. Results of correlational analyses indicated that there were significant associations between neighbourhood factors and depressive symptoms while multiple regression analyses suggested that neigbourhood factors and social class were predictive of children's depressive symptoms. It appears that the perception of neighbourhood factors, particularly neighbourhood quality and network are associated with depressive symptom while neighbourhood factors may mediate the relationship between low social class and depressive symptoms.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Students who are tracked into low performing schools or classrooms that limit their life chances may report increased depressive symptoms. Limited research has been conducted on academic tracking and its association with depressive symptoms among high school students in the Caribbean. This project examines levels of depressive symptoms among tenth grade students tracked within and between high schools in Jamaica, St. Vincent and St. Kitts and Nevis. METHODS: Students enrolled in grade ten of the 2006/2007 academic year in Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent were administered the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). In Jamaica and St. Vincent, academic tracking was operationalized using data provided by the local Ministries of Education. These Ministries ranked ordered schools according to students' performance on Caribbean school leaving examinations. In St. Kitts and Nevis tracking was operationalized by classroom assignments within schools whereby students were grouped into classrooms according to their levels of academic achievement. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between academic tracking and BDI-II depression scores. RESULTS: A wide cross-section of 4th form students in each nation was sampled (n = 1738; 278 from Jamaica, 737 St. Kitts and Nevis, 716 from St. Vincent; 52% females, 46.2% males and 1.8% no gender reported; age 12 to 19 years, mean = 15.4 yrs, sd = .9 yr). Roughly half (53%) of the students reported some symptoms of depression with 19.2% reporting moderate and 10.7% reporting severe symptoms of depression. Students in Jamaica reported significantly higher depression scores than those in either St. Kitts and Nevis or St. Vincent (p < .01). Students assigned to a higher academic track reported significantly lower BDI-II scores than students who were assigned to the lower academic track (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be an association between academic tracking and depressive symptoms that is differentially manifested across the islands of Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent.

RESUMO

Quality-of-life (QOL) measurements are becoming a vital part of health outcome appraisal. Sickle-cell disease (SCD) places a substantial burden on those afflicted. No QOL measure has been validated for use in Jamaica. The SF-36 version 2 was administered to two samples of patients with SCD: the 'Cohort' (n = 233), and the 'Main' samples (n = 256). All patients were also administered the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-Bref), Flanagan's Quality-of-Life Scale (QOLS), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. All measures were found to be reliable with coefficient alphas' ranging from 0.70 to 0.93. The total SF-36 score showed a strong positive correlation with the total WHOQOL-Bref (0.78) and a moderate one with the total QOLS score (0.57). The correlations of the total scores from the SF-36 scale with those from the Loneliness Scale were negative but moderate in size (-0.59). This study provides fair evidence for the concurrent, and some evidence for the discriminant, validity of the SF-36 in Jamaicans with SCD.

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BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease is the commonest genetic disorder in Jamaica and most likely exerts numerous effects on quality of life (QOL) of those afflicted with it. The WHOQOL-Bref, which is a commonly utilized generic measure of quality of life, has never previously been utilized in this population. We have sought to study its utility in this disease population. METHODS: 491 patients with sickle cell disease were administered the questionnaire including demographics, WHOQOL-Bref, Short Form-36 (SF-36), Flanagan's quality of life scale (QOLS) and measures of disease severity at their routine health maintenance visits to the sickle cell unit. Internal consistency reliabilities, construct validity and "known groups" validity of the WHOQOL-Bref, and its domains, were examined; and then compared to those of the other instruments. RESULTS: All three instruments had good internal consistency, ranging from 0.70 to 0.93 for the WHOQOL-Bref (except the 'social relationships' domain), 0.86-0.93 for the SF-36 and 0.88 for the QOLS. None of the instruments showed any marked floor or ceiling effects except the SF-36 'physical health' and 'role limitations' domains. The WHOQOL-Bref scale also had moderate concurrent validity and showed strong "known groups" validity. CONCLUSION: This study has shown good psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-Bref instrument in determining QOL of those with sickle cell disease. Its utility in this regard is comparable to that of the SF-36 and QOLS.

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RESUMO

Background: Students who are tracked into low performing schools or classrooms that limit their life chances may report increased depressive symptoms. Limited research has been conducted on academic tracking and its association with depressive symptoms among high school students in the Caribbean. This project examines levels of depressive symptoms among tenth grade students tracked within and between high schools in Jamaica, St. Vincent and St. Kitts and Nevis. Methods: Students enrolled in grade ten of the 2006/2007 academic year in Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent were administered the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). In Jamaica and St. Vincent, academic tracking was operationalized using data provided by the local Ministries of Education. These Ministries ranked ordered schools according to students' performance on Caribbean school leaving examinations. In St. Kitts and Nevis tracking was operationalized by classroom assignments within schools whereby students were grouped into classrooms according to their levels of academic achievement. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between academic tracking and BDI-II depression scores. A wide cross-section of 4th form students in each nation was sampled (n = 1738; 278 from Jamaica, 737 St. Kitts and Nevis, 716 from St. Vincent; 52% females, 46.2% males and 1.8% no gender reported; age 12 to 19 years, mean = 15.4 yrs, sd = .9 yr). Roughly half (53%) of the students reported some symptoms of depression with 19.2% reporting moderate and 10.7% reporting severe symptoms of depression. Students in Jamaica reported significantly higher depression scores than those in either St. Kitts and Nevis or St. Vincent (p < .01). Students assigned to a higher academic track reported significantly lower BDI-II scores than students who were assigned to the lower academic track (p < .01). Conclusions: There appears to be an association between academic tracking and depressive symptoms that is differentially manifested across the islands of Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent.

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