Emotional and behavioral difficulties in adolescence: Relationship with emotional well-being, affect, and academic performance / Dificultades emocionales y comportamentales en la adolescencia: relación con bienestar emocional, afecto y rendimiento académico

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to examine difficulties in behavioral and emotional adjustment and their relationship to subjective well-being, positive and negative affect, and academic performance in a representative sample of nonclinical adolescents. The sample consisted of a total of 1,664 participants (M = 16.12 years, SD = 1.36, range 14-19 years), selected through stratified cluster sampling. The instruments used were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C), the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children (PWI-SC), the ad hoc academic performance questionnaire, and the Oviedo Scale of Response Infrequency. In all, 7.7% of the adolescents showed a possible mental health risk. Emotional and behavioral difficulties were negatively correlated with emotional wellbeing and Positive Affect, and positively associated with Negative Affect. In addition, students with poorer academic performance reported greater emotional and behavioral difficulties. These results are consistent with those found in previous studies. They have clear implications, in both health and education, for improving the promotion of emotional wellbeing and the prevention of psychological problems in this population sector

RESUMEN

El propósito de este estudio fue examinar las dificultades en el ajuste emocional comportamental y su relación con el bienestar emocional, el afecto positivo y negativo y el rendimiento académico en una muestra representativa de adolescentes no clínicos. La muestra la conformaron un total 1.664 de participantes (M = 16.12 años; DT = 1.36, rango 14-19 años), seleccionados mediante muestreo estratificado por conglomerados. Los instrumentos empleados fueron el Strengths and Difficulties Questionnarie (SDQ), el Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C), el Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children (PWI-SC), un cuestionario ad hoc de rendimiento académico y la Escala Oviedo de Infrecuencia de Respuesta. Los resultados mostraron que el 7,7% de los adolescentes manifestaron posible riesgo de mala salud mental. Las dificultades emocionales y comportamentales correlacionaron de forma negativa con el bienestar emocional subjetivo y Afecto Positivo y de forma positiva Afecto Negativo. Además, los alumnos con un peor rendimiento académico informaron de mayores dificultades en ajuste emocional y comportamental. Estos resultados son convergentes con los encontrados en trabajos previos y tienen claras implicaciones, tanto a nivel sanitario como educativo, de cara a mejorar la promoción del bienestar emocional y prevención de los problemas psicológicos en este sector de la población