Creencias de los padres acerca de los trastornos mentales de sus hijos en una consulta universitaria en Colombia / Beliefs of parents of children with mental disorders in a university hospital out-patient clinic in Colombia

RESUMEN Objetivo: Describir las creencias de los padres acerca de los trastornos mentales de sus hijos que asistieron a consulta externa infantil en una clínica universitaria. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal realizado en padres de niños con trastornos mentales de una clínica de cuarto nivel de Medellín, Colombia, durante el periodo comprendido entre enero y mayo del 2018. Se estudió a 98 padres de niños y adolescentes que consultaron por primera vez a Psiquiatría Infantil. Se aplicó un instrumento elaborado por los investigadores con variables demográficas y de creencias sobre: el origen del trastorno mental, del tratamiento y sus coadyuvantes. Resultados: El 49,9% de los 98 padres evaluados creyeron que su hijo tenía un trastorno mental; en cuanto al origen de este, el 43,9% creía que era heredado y 41,8% por causas orgánicas. El 95,9% de los padres creía que sus hijos necesitaban tratamiento, de ellos, el 90,4% estimó la psicoterapia y el 58,51%, la medicación. Entre los tratamientos alternativos el más frecuente fue la sanación, con un 27,5%. De los métodos coadyuvantes en el tratamiento, los más frecuentes fueron estimular comportamientos positivos con el 82,7%, y corregir con palabras y dar buen ejemplo con el 72,4%. Conclusiones: En este estudio casi la mitad de los padres pensaba que sus hijos tenían una enfermedad mental. El tratamiento más considerado por los participantes fue la psicoterapia, por encima del uso de psicofármacos. En cuanto a los métodos coadyuvantes, los padres consideraron principalmente el estimular comportamientos positivos, corregir con palabras y dar buen ejemplo.

ABSTRACT Objective: Describe the beliefs of parents about the mental disorders of their children who attended a paediatric outpatient clinic at a university hospital. Methods: This was a descriptive study with parents of children with mental disorders seen from January to May of 2018 at a high complexity hospital in Medellin, Colombia. Ninety-eight (98) parents of children and adolescents attending their first outpatient consultation with Paediatric Psychiatry were studied. An instrument designed by the investigators was applied to obtain demographic variables and beliefs about the origin of their child's mental disorder, treatment and adjuvants. Results: 49.9% of the 98 parents believed that their child had a mental disorder. 43.9% believed the disorder was inherited and 41.8% believed its cause was organic. 95.9% of the parents believed the child needed treatment, including psychotherapy (90.4%) and medication (58.51%). Among the alternative treatments the parents believed the child needed, healing was the most commonly cited by 27.5% of the parents. Of the adjuvant methods, the most commonly cited were reinforcing positive behaviour (82.7%) and correcting with words and setting a good example (72.4%). Conclusions: Nearly half of the parents believed their child had a mental disorder, the treatment that was most commonly considered was psychotherapy above medication, and the best adjuvant methods cited by parents were reinforcing positive behaviour, correcting with words and setting a good example.

[Prevalence of Depressive and Anxious Symptomatology in 14-18 ys-old Students from a Private School in Medellin]. / Prevalencia de sintomatología depresiva y ansiosa en estudiantes de 14 a 18 años de un colegio privado de Medellín.

OBJECTIVE: This study describes prevalence of depressive and anxious symptoms together with family, environmental and personal risk factors in a group of adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age in a private school of Medellín. METHODS: An analytic observational cross sectional study was performed in 152 adolescents, evaluating sociodemographic aspects and prevalence of depressive and anxious symptomatology, as established through BDI-II and BAI. RESULTS: Average age was 15.4 ± 0.9 years old, with a 25% prevalence of anxiety symptoms and 25.7% of depressive symptoms. From the 38 (25%) students with BAI positive, 26 (68.4%) were BDI positive, and from the 39 (25.6%) students with BDI positive, 26 (66.7%) were BAI positive. CONCLUSIONS: the risk factors for anxiety and depressive symptomatology were: being a woman, being a victim of bullying and abuse. Having friends was the protective factors for depressive symptomatology. There was a statistical association between self-report of depressive and anxiety symptomatology; between the anxiety self-report and the depressive symptomatology; as well as between depressive and anxiety symptomatology and parents' perception of such symptoms.