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Objetivo. Determinar la prevalencia de ideación suicida y el perfil sintomático e identificar las características sociodemográficas que distinguen a quienes tuvieron mayores puntajes de ideación suicida entre población adolescente del Distrito Federal: estudiantes y pacientes por intento suicida. Material y métodos. El estudio fue transversal y ex-post-facto. Se analizó la información de dos muestras: 1 712 mujeres, estudiantes de enseñanza media -secundaria- y media superior -bachillerato- (muestra escolar representativa en el D.F.), y 30 adolescentes mujeres internadas por intento suicida (muestra clínica). Resultados. La prevalencia, tanto de presencia como de persistencia de ideación suicida, fue más elevada en la muestra clínica; sin embargo, 11.8% de las adolescentes escolares presentaron todos los síntomas de ideación suicida de 1 a 7 días. Las características sociodemográficas que distinguieron a las estudiantes con mayores puntajes de ideación fueron: cursar secundaria, obtener calificaciones bajas, percibir como malo su desempeño escolar y haber interrumpido sus estudios. En la muestra clínica se analizaron las características que distinguieron a las jóvenes con un intento suicida, de aquellas con dos o más; las más significativas fueron: vivir solas con uno de sus padres y pensar en que su muerte sería posible. Conclusiones. La prevalencia de ideación suicida fue importante en la población escolar. Si se considera que este constructo psicológico tiene una fuerte asociación con el intento suicida y, más aún, con la conducta suicida múltiple, entonces resulta prioritario detectar adolescentes en riesgo y orientar esfuerzos preventivos entre las adolescentes escolares, tomando en cuenta las características sociodemográficas que se configuraron en riesgo para la ideación suicida.

Objective. To assess the internal consistency, as well as the construct, concurrent and external consistency of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-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 six-factor structure (explained variance, 55%) with an excellent internal consistency (á=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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the internal consistency, as well as the construct, concurrent and external consistency of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-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 six-factor structure (explained variance, 55%) with an excellent internal consistency (a=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.

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 Integración Juvenil. Data analysis included correlations and interpretive analysis., Results: Three 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".