Browsing by Author "Urzua, Alfonso"

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
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    Children's Mental Health: Discrepancy between Child Self-Reporting and Parental Reporting
    (2022) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Urzua, Alfonso; Villalonga-Olives, Ester; Atencio-Quevedo, Diego; Irarrazaval, Matias; Flores, Jerome; Ramirez, Cristian
    (1) Background: Discrepancies between children's self-reports and their parents' reports on mental health indicators are associated with measurement errors or informant bias. However, they are a valuable tool in understanding the course of child psychopathology. This study aims to determine the level of discrepancies between parents' perceptions and children's self-reports in mental health indicators in Northern Chile. (2) Methods: A System of Evaluation of Children and Adolescents self-report (Sistema de Evaluacion de Ninos y Adolescentes, SENA) was responded to by 408 students between 8 and 13 years old and their parents. (3) Results: Children reported a significantly higher frequency of emotional problems, defiant behavior, and executive functions as compared to their parents' responses. (4) Conclusions: There is a disjunction between the report of parents and children, which could originate in poor family communication.
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    Effects of Resilience and Acculturation Stress on Integration and Social Competence of Migrant Children and Adolescents in Northern Chile
    (2021) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Urzua, Alfonso; Escobar-Soler, Carolang; Flores, Jerome; Mena-Chamorro, Patricio; Villalonga-Olives, Ester
    Migration in Chile has increased exponentially in recent years, with education being one of the main focuses of attention in this cultural transformation. Integration and social competence in the migrant population are determined by several factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential effects of resilience and acculturation stress on the levels of integration and social competence in migrant students in Northern Chile. In total, 292 school children of both genders aged 8 to 18, from the fourth grade to senior year of high school, participated in the investigation. A subscale of the Child and Adolescent Assessment System (Sistema de evaluacion de ninos y adolescentes SENA) was used to assess integration and social competence. Additionally, the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-12) and the Acculturation Stress Source Scale (FEAC) were used. The results show that integration and social competence have statistically significant and direct associations with resilience (p < 0.001) and indirect associations with acculturation stress (p = 0.009). Both constructs could be defined as protection and risk factors, respectively, and should be considered in educational contexts to favor adaptation in the integration of migrant children and adolescents.
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    Mental Health in Immigrant Children and Adolescents in Northern Chile
    (2020) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Atencio, Diego; Flores, Jerome; Narea Biscupovich, Marigen Soledad; Urzua, Alfonso; Irarrázaval Domínguez, Matías
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    Mental Health in Indigenous Children and Adolescents: The Contribution of Cultural Backgroud
    (2023) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Mena-Chamorro, Patricio; Urzua, Alfonso; Munoz-Henriquez, Wilson; Flores, Jerome; Narea, Marigen; Irarrazaval, Matias
    The purpose of this study is to describe and compare the prevalence of mental health problems in Aymara and non-Aymara children and adolescent. The study sample comprised 1839 students from 8 to 19 years, from educational institutions of Northern Chile. Forty-nine percent of students identified with the Aymara ethnic group. The Child and Adolescent Evaluation System was used to evaluate internal and external problems. In Elementary school, Aymara students showed significantly lower scores in externalized problems and in high school, there were significantly lower scores in interiorized, exteriorized and other problems than Non-Aymara students. It seems that the legacy of the Aymara culture has favored the development of protective factors in relation to the mental health of these students. In a context of growing recognition and appreciation of this culture, greater involvement with Aymara culture could promote better mental health of school children.
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    Pre and Post Pandemic Depressive and Anxious Symptoms in Children and Adolescents in Northern Chile
    (2023) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Atencio-Quevedo, Diego; Ponce-Correa, Felipe; Mena-Chamorro, Patricio; Urzua, Alfonso; Flores, Jerome
    The psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still represent a focus of concern, especially in children and adolescents who are a group particularly vulnerable to the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly due to the loss of socialization and leisure spaces. The aim of the study is to determine the variation in the levels of depressive and anxious symptomatology in children and adolescents in the North of Chile. Methods: A Repeated cross-sectional design (RCS) was used. The sample consisted of a total of 475 students aged 12 to 18 years (high school) from educational establishments in the city of Arica. To evaluate the changes in the mental health of students associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the same mental health measures applied to students were compared in two waves (2018-2021). Results: An increase in the symptomatology levels of depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and problems with the family, while a decrease in problems with school and peers was observed. Conclusions: The results show that there is an increase in mental health problems associated with the periods of time in which the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the social relation spaces and classrooms of secondary school students. The observed changes point to future challenges, which include that it may be important to improve the coordination and integration of mental health professionals in educational centers and schools.
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    Psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents in a middle-income Latin American country
    (2020) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Flores, Jerome; Escobar, Carolang; Urzua, Alfonso; Irarrázaval Domínguez, Matías
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    Religion Involvement and Substance Use Problems in Schoolchildren in Northern Chile
    (2022) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Peroza, Erika; Escobar-Soler, Carolang; Flores, Jerome; Urzua, Alfonso; Irarrazaval, Matias; Reygadas, Karina; Zegarra, Gustavo
    (1) Background: Religious involvement and spirituality have proven to be sources of well-being for individuals at different moments in life and are also associated with a decrease in depression, anxiety, and substance use. Therefore, these could be protective factors against stressful conditions and contribute to mental health. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between religious involvement and substance use among students in northern Chile. (2) Methods: The design is retrospective ex post facto with only one group, and the sample included 2313 adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age from public and private schools. A subscale of the Child and Adolescent Assessment System was used to assess substance use and Universal Age I-E-12 to measure religious involvement. (3) Results: The findings suggest that the intrinsic orientation of religiousness (beta = -0.048, p < 0.014), age (beta = 0.374, p < 0.000), gender (beta = 0.039, p < 0.040), and ethnic identity (beta = 0.051, p < 0.008) have significant correlations with substance use. (4) Conclusions: The intrinsic orientation of religion is a relevant variable associated with consumption due to its non-instrumental characteristics of religion and practices aimed at self-exploration and self-knowledge that favor the subjective well-being of individuals, which could prevent drug use from becoming an alternative for dealing with conflicts in the children and young population of this region of Latin America.
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    Self-esteem in adolescents with learning difficulties: A study from the perspective of the students, parents, and teachers
    (2021) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Mena-Chamorro, Patricio; Atencio-Quevedo, Diego; Flores, Jerome; Urzua, Alfonso
    This study aimed to evaluate the association between learning difficulties and self-esteem in adolescents in northern Chile. The study sample comprised 116 students aged 13-17 years from government-subsidized schools. The Child and Adolescent Assessment System (SENA) was used to measure the variables considered in this study. The results showed that learning and school problems were able to predict 16% (F = 6.416; p = .000; R-a(2) = 0.16) of self-esteem variance. It seems that students who present difficulties in their learning process are more vulnerable to not appreciating their qualities and feeling less proud of themselves, which could decrease their self-esteem. These findings should inform the design of future psychoeducational interventions that promote healthy self-esteem.
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    The effect of discrimination on Mental Health in the Chilean Population
    (2023) Urzua, Alfonso; Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Henriquez, Diego
    Introduction: Discrimination affects the health and well-being of those who experience it. The relationship between discrimination and mental health in migrant communities and in the Chilean child and youth population has been previously studied, however, there is little evidence regarding the effects of discrimination on the general population. Objective: To analyze the relationship between discrimination and the presence of anxious and depressive symptoms in the Chilean population. Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study evaluating 927 subjects in the cities of Arica, Antofagasta, and Santiago. To evaluate discrimination the Krieger Discrimination Experience Scale is used. To asses depressive and anxious symptomatology, the Beck scales for BDI Depression and BAI Anxiety were implemented. Results: The mean age of the sample is 33.9 years (Range 18-70 years; SD=13.13). 59.5% of the participants are female. 36% of the participants reported having experienced discrimination in some aspect of their lives. The highest perception of discrimination is associated with employment (42%) and the main reported causes are level of education or income, age, and gender. Experiences of discrimination exert statistically significant positive effects of moderate magnitude (b>.30) on depressive (b=.460, p<.001) and anxious (b=.480, p<.001) symptomatology, the latter being interrelated (b=.636, p<.001). Conclusions: More than a third of the population studied reported having been discriminated in some aspect of their lives. This perception is further accentuated in relation to employment. The perception of discrimination is associated with an increase in anxious and depressive symptoms in the Chilean population.
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    The Effects of Social Determinants and Resilience on the Mental Health of Chilean Adolescents
    (2023) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Mena-Chamorro, Patricio; Henriquez, Diego; Urzua, Alfonso; Irarrazaval, Matias
    The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of social determinants (i.e., gender, educational vulnerability, and socioeconomic status) and resilience on the mental health of Chilean adolescents in pre-, during, and post-COVID-19 pandemic contexts. The study included a group of 684 students, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years, who were attending educational institutions in the city of Arica. The Child and Adolescent Assessment System (SENA) was used to measure mental health problems, the Brief Resilience Scale for Children and Youth (CYRM-12) was used to measure resilience, and the Vulnerability Index of Educational Institutions was used to measure educational vulnerability. The results suggest increases in depressive, anxious, and social anxiety symptomatologies over time (wave by year, 2018, 2020, and 2021). In addition, multiple linear regression models showed predictive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, gender, vulnerability index, socioeconomic status, and resilient behaviors on mental health problems. The worsening of mental health indicators over time requires the greater coordination and integration of mental health experts in the most vulnerable educational centers.
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    The Mediating Role of Contextual Problems and Sensation Seeking in the Association between Substance Use and Mental Health in Adolescents from Northern Chile
    (2022) Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Atencio-Quevedo, Diego; Urzua, Alfonso; Flores, Jerome; Irarrazaval, Matias
    Substance use is a risk behavior that has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in adolescence. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between behavioral problems, emotional problems, and substance use as well as the mediating role of contextual problems and sensation seeking in this relation. A cross-sectional study of 2277 adolescents from Northern Chile was conducted. The System for the Evaluation of Children and Adolescents (SENA) was used to assess substance use, contextual problems, sensation seeking, and emotional and behavioral problems. Through a mediational model, it was observed that substance use has a positive indirect effect on emotional and behavioral problems when both contextual problems and sensation seeking act as mediating variables. An indirect effect of substance use on contextual problems with sensation seeking as a mediator was also observed. The results suggests that context and sensation seeking are a relevant source of information in understanding adolescents and their propensity to use drugs. Interventions based on addressing contextual problems (problems with school, peers, and family) and enhancing personal resources should be implemented in order to reduce substance use in adolescents as well as the consequences it can generate in the short, medium, and long term.