Comportamento autoagressivo e adoecimento mental em estudantes de escolas públicas do município de Maceió, Alagoas

Abstract

Self-harm in teenagers is a public health problem in Brazil, and school is a place that plays na important role to understand this event, given that they spend a large part of their time in this environment. The objective of this research is to evaluate self-aggressive behavior, risk for depression and state-trait anxiety in public school students in the municipality of Maceió, Alagoas. This is a cross-sectional study in which students from two public institutions in the city were interviewed. In the interview, students from the sixth to the ninth year of elementary school at a municipal school, and students from high school at the state school. For that, four instruments were necessary for data collection: a) Identification form; b) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (IDATE); c) Depression Scale (CES-D); and d) Questionnaire of mpulsivity, SelfInjury and Suicidal Ideation for Adolescents (QIAIS-A). It was essential the use of univariate descriptive statistics to analyze the data using the mean and standard deviation, as well as Pearson’s correlation test for continuous variables and Spearman’s correlation test for non continuous variables. Fisher’s exact test was used for inferential analysis. 133 stud ents took part in this study. It was found that 90 students (72.6%) were at risk of depression, with moderate state anxiety (116 – 97.5%) and moderate trait anxiety (117 – 96.7%). In relation to the evolution of impulsivity, it was observed that the students had a mean impulse/hyperkinesis of 12.14 (±6.37), and impulse control of 6.45 (±2.71). 84 students (64.1%) were at risk of self harm, 39 (29.8%) had risk behavior for self-harm and 118 (90.8%) had suicidal ideation. The findings suggest that students who self-harm have a higher risk of repression, moderate anxiety and suicidal ideation. This condition puts them at greater risk of death due to the mental illness they experience. It is, therefore, important to think about care strategies in schools that aim to monitor and evaluate self-harm behaviors.