Victimization and risk factors in children and adolescents admitted into outpatient protection center in northern Chile

The present study aimed to identify the proportion of victimization, types of victimization, and risk factors associated to children and adolescents who were admitted into an outpatient protection center for children and adolescents in northern Chile during the years 2016 and 2017. Secondary data from the database pertaining to the protection center was used. The sample was non-probabilistic and included 6,499 cases. The research was descriptive-comparative with a non-experimental retrospective cross-sectional design. The results showed a higher percentage of victimization by neglect, followed by witnessing domestic violence and child sexual abuse. The sociodemographic variables showed a higher percentage of victimization at the age of 6 to 9 and 14 to 17 years old, in children and adolescents who were in the first and second cycle of elementary school and were Chilean. It was found that children victimized by child sexual abuse and bullying also had a drug diagnosis record. Logistic regression analyses showed that gender, age, schooling, nationality, and a drug diagnosis record increase the probability of occurrence of certain types of victimization. The results showed the magnitude of the problem concerning victimizations experienced by children and adolescents in northern Chile and the need to generate prevention strategies for this population.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar la proporción de victimización, tipos de victimización y factores de riesgo asociados a los niños, niñas y adolescentes que ingresaron a un Centro de Protección a la infancia en el norte de Chile durante los años 2016 y 2017. Se utilizaron datos secundarios de la base de datos del sistema de protección a la infancia. La muestra fue no probabilística e incluyó 6.499 casos. La investigación fue descriptiva-comparativa con un diseño no experimental retrospectivo de corte transversal. Los resultados mostraron un mayor porcentaje de victimización por negligencia, seguido por presenciar violencia doméstica y abuso sexual infantil. Las variables sociodemográficas mostraron un mayor porcentaje de victimización en la edad de 6 a 9 y de 14 a 17 años, en niños y adolescentes que cursaban el primer y segundo ciclo de primaria y eran chilenos. Se encontró que los niños víctimas de abuso sexual infantil y bullying también tenían un registro de diagnóstico de drogas. Los análisis de regresión logística mostraron que el género, la edad, la escolaridad, la nacionalidad y un registro de diagnóstico de drogas aumentan la probabilidad de ocurrencia de ciertos tipos de victimización. Los resultados evidencian la magnitud del problema de las victimizaciones que sufren los niños, niñas y adolescentes del norte de Chile y la necesidad de generar estrategias de prevención para esta población.

Association between Familism and Mental Health in College Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Familism, also known in the literature as allocentrism, is the cultural propensity of a society to place the family at the center of its value system. Adherence to this value has been related to less depressive symptomatology in young people; however, these results are not conclusive, since it has also been found that the influence of familism on depressive symptoms is more indirect than direct. This study aimed to explore the direct relationships between familism (allocentrism and idiocentrism) and mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress). Methodologically, the study had a non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational design. A sample of 451 Chilean university students responded to an instrument composed of the subscales allocentrism, idiocentrism, depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that family allocentrism was positively and significantly associated with depression (γ = 0.112, p < 0.05), anxiety (γ = 0.209, p < 0.001), and stress (γ = 0.212, p < 0.001), and family idiocentrism was negatively and significantly linked with depression (γ = -0.392, p < 0.001), anxiety (γ = -0.368, p < 0.001), and stress (γ = -0.408, p < 0.001). These findings contribute to supporting actions to reduce negative symptomatology and promote greater well-being in university students.

An updated review on burden on caregivers of schizophrenia patients.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness that has a significant impact not only in the patient but also in the entire family as well. Caregivers assume almost the totality of the patient care. This responsibility exposes caregivers to an intense burden with negative consequences for them and the rest of the family system. This is an updated review of existing literature about burden on families with schizophrenia patients. METHOD: An electronic search of articles from MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA, EBSCO, and Cochrane databases was conducted for articles published between 2008 and 2013. RESULTS: A systematization of information and frequency analysis revealed the existence of eight factors related to burden that were present in almost all the reviewed literature: Programs of family treatment, Ethnic group, Expressed Emotion, Stress and Burden, Preoccupations of the caregiver, Kind of caregiver, Social networks, Social support, Finances and Coping Strategies. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the statements of different theories reflecting the complexity of schizophrenia caregivers' burden and these, in turn, may be related to the above factors.