PREVALENCIA DE PROBLEMAS EMOCIONALES Y CONDUCTUALES EN NIÑOS Y ADOLESCENTES DE 6 A 18 AÑOS DE LA CIUDAD DE QUITO-ECUADOR

Abstract

Objectives:_x000D_ _x000D_ To estimate the prevalence of psychological problems in children and adolescents from 6 to 18 years of age in Quito applying Achenbach's System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA), and to study its association with sociodemographic variables._x000D_ _x000D_ Method:_x000D_ _x000D_ Three public schools and seven private schools were randomly selected. 3080 parents were invited from which 1426 participated in the study. We obtained a sample of 1350 participants (699 male-651 female)._x000D_ _x000D_ Results:_x000D_ _x000D_ We observed a prevalence of 3,7-11,7% in the scale of total problems for parents and from 20,9-21,1% for children. The highest prevalence was in anxiety problems (parents from 7,1-17,7%; children from 11,8-15,8%), internalizing problems (parents from 5,1-11,7%; children from 11,2-12,6%), obsessive-compulsive problems (parents from 1,7-6,6%; children from 3,6-5,0%) and thought problems (parents from 1,4-6,9%; children from 2,8-4,8%). The prevalence was higher in boys ages 6 to 11, and girls ages 12 to 18, and boys who live in non-nuclear families, who attend public schools and corresponded to other ethnic minority groups._x000D_ _x000D_ Conclusion:_x000D_ _x000D_ Psychological problems affect around 11,7% of children ages 6 to 18, and are mainly thought problems, internalizing problems, anxiety problems and obsessive-compulsive problems. These problems need to be identified to be able to start promotion and prevention strategies in the mental health of children and adolescents in Quito.

Date of Award	6 Oct 2020
Original language	Spanish
Supervisor	Lourdes Ezpeleta Ascaso (Director) & Eva Penelo Werner (Director)