Citation

González-Forteza C, Villatoro J, Pick S, Collado ME. Salud Ment. (Mex) 1998; 21(2): 37-45.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Instituto Mexicano de Psiquiatria)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

The inter-relationship between psychosocial stress-coping responses- emotional distress as a dynamic and multifactorial process has been configurated to define conceptual models widely recognized (Cervantes, Castro, 1985; Moos, 1984; Lazarus, 1990). With this approaches in mind we carried out a investigation in order to evaluate the adequation of that interrelationship in Mexican adolescents. The aim of this paper is to report the configuration of psychosocial stress-coping responses-emotional distress and identify the differences according to the socioeconomic status -SES-: low and middle. The potential stressant areas evaluated were: familiar, social (best friend) and sexuality. The construction of the Psychosocial Stress and Coping Responses scales were elaborated as a result of past experiences and a pilot study (N = 100). The emotional distress was evaluated through depressive symptomatology (CES-D, Radloff, 1977) and suicidal ideation (Roberts, 1980). All scales applied were adequated about their internal consistency and factorial structure in the participants. The sample was representative of adolescents living in the Political Delegation of Coyoacan, at the south of Mexico City. The design of the sample was stratified with a selection scheme by conglomerates in three stages: 1) basic geostatistic areas (AGEB) classified by SES low and middle; 2) block of buildings in each selectioned AGEB; and 3) houses with adolescents living in. The design of the study was ex-post-facto and cross sectional. Data was obtained at in their homes or nearby, previous informed consent of selectioned parents and adolescents. The total sample was integrated by 800 adolescents. We decided to prove the conceptual issues through the FASEM models (Factor Structural Equation Models) in order to evaluate the model' adjustment to the collected data and identify which model relationships could be different between low and middle SES adolescents. The data analysis was carried out with the EQS Program, version 5.4 (Bentier, 1995). The results obtained clearly identify the inter-relationship between psychosocial stress-coping responses-emotional distress in both SES. The major regression coefficient defined the direction of the psychosocial stress to the emotional distress. The contribution of the psychosocial stress to the coping responses was also significative; although minor. The categories of coping responses were: manifest aggression, deceit aggression and avoidance, that integrated a latent variable: coping responses that influence the emotional distress significatively, but with minor weight. Two elements were differently identified by SES in the model: 1) the major contribution of the psychosocial stress to the emotional distress in low SES adolescents; and 2) the major factorial weight of avoidance categories of coping responses also in low SES adolescents. The models obtained confirm the conceptual adequation of the psychosocial stress in Mexican adolescents as an important risk factor for depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation, in order to provide information to the prevention area.

Language: es

Keywords

adolescent; Adolescents; adult; article; cognition; coping behavior; Coping responses; data analysis; depression; Depressive symptomathology; emotional stress; female; human; major clinical study; male; mental stress; Mexico; Psychosocial stress; risk factor; sampling; social psychology; socioeconomics; Suicidal ideation; suicide attempt; symptomatology