As relações entre os comportamentos externalizantes e as competências de estudantes adolescentes

Abstract

Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) are on the rise in adolescence, which is crossed by different social, economic, political and cultural contexts and is not limited to physical development. In this context, it is necessary for health professionals to be equipped to learn about this population, to facilitate the process of evaluation and planning of prevention and intervention programs in mental health. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between externalizing behaviors and the competencies of adolescent students. This is a quantitative study of a descriptive, analytical and cross-sectional nature. Data was collected using a questionnaire with sociodemographic data and the Brazilian version of the selfassessment inventory for adolescents aged 11 to 18 - Youth Self-Report/2001 (YSR/2001). The raw scores obtained from the inventory were used to analyze the data, based on the responses of adolescents from public schools in Cuiabá. This research is part of a matrix study that was approved by the Ethics Committee for Research with Human Beings in the Health Area of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (opinion no. 4.466.951). The sample consisted of two hundred and twenty-two adolescent students (n=222), predominantly female (67.5%), aged between 15 and 18 (56.8%) and from the city of Cuiabá/MT (74.3%). As for the characterization of the adolescents according to externalizing behaviors and competencies, 10.0% of the sample showed values in the clinical range for the total competency scale, 9.0% clinical profile for externalizing behaviors, 2.7% clinical profile for aggressive behavior and 7.2% clinical profile for rule-breaking behavior. There were no significant correlations between the mean scores for competencies and externalizing behaviors, but there was a moderate, positive and significant correlation between the mean scores for the rule-breaking scales and aggressive behavior (r=0.60). In the associations of the rule-breaking scale, the items "consuming alcoholic beverages without parental permission" and "skipping class" had significantly lower mean competency scores than those who denied such behavior. On the other hand, participants who said they preferred to hang out with older teenagers had higher mean competency scores. Adolescents who reported being moody or getting angry easily had lower mean competency scores than those who denied such behaviors, with a moderate effect. Males had higher mean raw competency scores (p=0.036), while females had higher scores for aggressive behavior (p=0.014). There were no statistically significant differences between age groups. Therefore, analyzing the relationship between externalizing behaviors and competencies provides greater insight into the mental health situation of adolescent students.