[Three typologies for adolescents' mental health in north-eastern Medellín, Colombia, 2006]. / Tres tipologías de salud mental de los adolescentes de una zona de Medellín-Colombia, 2006.

OBJECTIVE: Obtaining typologies for adolescent students in north-eastern Medellin in 2006 concerning five mental health indicators (depression level, family functioning level, risk of suicide, consuming psychoactive substances and family vulnerability) linked to gender, age group and commune. METHOD: The information was collected from a stratified random sample of 779 adolescents who were proportionally assigned by the size of educational institutions in each commune in the study area; a 3,5 % error and 95 % confidence interval were used in such calculation. The students were given a questionnaire to fill in by themselves. RESULTS: Three typologies were presented where adolescents were classified as follows: two grouped adolescents without difficulties regarding the five mental health indicators and a third category grouped adolescents having problems in all the mental health indicators studied formed mainly by students from the Popular and Santa Cruz communes (35 %, around 15,636 students). CONCLUSION: The mental health of adolescent students from north-eastern Medellín was seen to be a multidimensional phenomenon needing interdisciplinary intervention and presented differences by gender, age group and commune.

Tres tipologías de salud mental de los adolescentes de una zona de Medellín-Colombia, 2006 / Three typologies for adolescents' mental health in north-eastern Medellín, Colombia, 2006

Objetivo Obtener tipologías de adolescentes escolarizados en la zona nororiental de Medellín en el 2006, por medio de cinco indicadores de salud mental, nivel de depresión, nivel de funcionamiento familiar, nivel de riesgo de suicidio, consumo de sustancias psicoactivas y vulnerabilidad familiar. Métodos La información se produce desde una muestra aleatoria estratificada de 779 adolescentes que se asigna proporcionalmente al tamaño de las instituciones educativas en cada comuna de la zona y se calcula con un error del 3,5 por ciento y una confianza del 95 por ciento. Se aplica un cuestionario autodiligenciado a los estudiantes. Resultados Se muestran tres tipologías, dos de las cuales agrupan adolescentes sin dificultades en los cinco indicadores de salud mental y una tercera tipología con problemáticas en todos los indicadores de salud mental estudiados, formada principalmente por estudiantes de las comunas Popular y Santa Cruz, que representan el 35 por ciento del total, 15 636 estudiantes, aproximadamente. Conclusión La salud mental de los adolescentes escolarizados de la zona nororiental de Medellín es un fenómeno multidimensional que requiere una intervención interdisciplinaria y presenta diferencias por sexo, grupo de edad y comuna de residencia.

Objective Obtaining typologies for adolescent students in north-eastern Medellin in 2006 concerning five mental health indicators (depression level, family functioning level, risk of suicide, consuming psychoactive substances and family vulnerability) linked to gender, age group and commune. Method The information was collected from a stratified random sample of 779 adolescents who were proportionally assigned by the size of educational institutions in each commune in the study area; a 3,5 percent error and 95 percent confidence interval were used in such calculation. The students were given a questionnaire to fill in by themselves. Results Three typologies were presented where adolescents were classified as follows: two grouped adolescents without difficulties regarding the five mental health indicators and a third category grouped adolescents having problems in all the mental health indicators studied formed mainly by students from the Popular and Santa Cruz communes (35 percent, around 15,636 students). Conclusion The mental health of adolescent students from north-eastern Medellín was seen to be a multidimensional phenomenon needing interdisciplinary intervention and presented differences by gender, age group and commune.