Previous research has revealed a persistent association between social structure and mental health. However, most researchers have focused only on the psychological and psychosocial aspects of that relationship. The present paper indicates the need to include the social and structural bases of distress in our theoretical models. Starting from a general social and psychological model, our research considered the role of several social, environmental, and structural variables (social position, social stressors, and social integration), psychological factors (self-esteem), and psychosocial variables (perceived social support). The theoretical model was tested working with a group of Spanish participants (N = 401) that covered a range of social positions. The results obtained using structural equation modeling support our model, showing the relevant role played by psychosocial, psychological and social, and structural factors. Implications for theory and intervention are discussed.

To assess the psychological and family factors associated with suicidal ideation in pre-adolescent children, we studied a sample of 361 students, average age 9 years old. Two groups were formed, on the basis of the presence (n = 34) or absence (n = 44) of suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation was assessed with the Children's Depression Inventory and the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised. Depression, hopelessness, self-esteem, and perceived family environment were compared in both the suicidal ideation and the control groups. Students with suicidal ideation generally presented greater depressive symptoms and hopelessness, and lower self-esteem and family expressiveness, although there were differences both between sexes, and when the variable depression was controlled. Identifying these risk factors in pre-adolescents may have an impact on prevention of suicidal behavior at higher risk ages.

The relationship of parenting styles with adolescents' outcomes was analyzed within a sample of Spanish adolescents. A sample of 1456 teenagers from 13 to 16 years of age, of whom 54.3% were females, reported on their parents' child-rearing practices. The teenagers' parents were classified into one of four groups (authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, or neglectful). The adolescents were then contrasted on two different outcomes: (1) priority given to Schwartz's self-transcendence (universalism and benevolence) and conservation (security, conformity, and tradition) values and (2) level of self-esteem (appraised in five domains: academic, social, emotional, family and physical). The results show that Spanish adolescents from indulgent households have the same or better outcomes than adolescents from authoritative homes. Parenting is related with two self-esteem dimensions—academic and family—and with all the self-transcendence and conservation values. Adolescents of indulgent parents show highest scores in self-esteem whereas adolescents from authoritarian parents obtain the worst results. In contrast, there were no differences between the priority given by adolescents of authoritative and indulgent parents to any of the self-transcendence and conservation values, whereas adolescents of authoritarian and neglectful parents, in general, assign the lowest priority to all of these values.

The purpose of this study is two-fold: (a) to analyze self-concept, self-esteem, and psychopathological symptoms in individuals with and without intellectual disability; and (b) to explore whether there were gender differences in these same variables in both groups. The sample is made up of 170 participants aged 19 to 40, 128 without disability and 42 with intellectual disability. The methodology is descriptive. To measure the variables, three assessment instruments were applied: the “Listado de adjetivos para la evaluación del autoconcepto en adolescentes y adultos” (LAEA; Garaigordobil, in press), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE; Rosenberg, 1965), and the Revised Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90; Derogatis, 1983). The ANOVA showed that participants with intellectual disability scored significantly lower in self-concept and self-esteem, and higher in all the psychopathological symptoms except for somatization. The ANOVA did not reveal significant gender differences in any variables in either of the two groups.

The aim of this study was to translate into Spanish and to validate the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), completed by 420 university students. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the model that best fit the data, both in the total sample and in the male and female subsamples, was the one-factor structure with method effects associated with positively worded items. The results indicated high, positive correlations between self-esteem and the five dimensions of self-concept. The scale showed satisfactory levels of internal consistency and temporal stability over a four-week period. Lastly, gender differences were obtained. These findings support the use of the RSES for the assessment of self-esteem in higher education.

The purpose of this study was to analyze self-concept, self-esteem, and other personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in subjects with and without visual impairment. The sample was made up of 90 participants aged 12 to 17: 61 with no impairment and 29 with visual impairment. The ANOVA showed that there were no significant differences in self-concept and self-esteem in the samples, but the visually impaired adolescents scored significantly higher in various psychopathological symptoms as well as in their capacity for kind behavior. The ANOVA revealed no gender differences in any variables in adolescents without visual impairment. However, women with visual impairment scored lower in self-esteem and higher in various psychopathological symptoms. Pearson coefficients revealed negative relations between self-concept/self-esteem and all the psychopathological symptoms, and neuroticism, as well as a positive relation with extraversion. Low psychoticism, high extraversion, and low hostility were identified as predictors of high self-concept.

La autoestima (AE) y la adaptación social (AS) se deterioran a menudo durante el curso de los trastornos afectivos; este deterioro se asocia con el comportamiento suicida. El propósito del presente estudio era investigar la AE y la AS en los pacientes unipolares o bipolares en relación con las características demográficas y clínicas, especialmente la presencia de suicidalidad (ideación suicida, intento de suicidio o ambas cosas). Se examinó a 44 pacientes, 28 bipolares y 16 unipolares, en remisión durante 3 meses al menos, y a 50 individuos sanos por medio de una entrevista clínica estructurada. La AE y la AS se evaluaron por la Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg y la Escala de Adaptación Social, respectivamente. Los resultados han mostrado que los pacientes bipolares no diferían de los controles desde el punto de vista de la AE, mientras que los pacientes unipolares tenían una AE más baja que los bipolares y los controles. No se encontraron diferencias significativas en las puntuaciones medias de AS entre los tres grupos. La suicidalidad durante la depresión se asociaba sólo en los pacientes bipolares con AE más baja en la remisión; la asociación de la suicidalidad con la AS era similar, pero no tan pronunciada. Se concluye que la AE baja que permanece en la remisión parece estar relacionada con la expresión de suicidalidad durante los episodios depresivos de los pacientes bipolares, mientras que ningún patrón similar es evidente en los pacientes unipolares.

Los trastornos del estado de ánimo se caracterizan por episodios maniacos y depresivos que se alternan con un estado de ánimo normal. Aunque la función social tiene grandes deficiencias durante los episodios de enfermedad, hay opiniones contrapuestas sobre la función entre los episodios. El presente artículo se centra en la autoestima y la adaptación social en pacientes en los que el trastorno del estado de ánimo ha remitido. Se compararon pacientes con trastorno del estado de ánimo (99 sujetos bipolares y 86 con depresión mayor) con un grupo de 100 sujetos de control. Se utilizó la Escala de autoestima (SES) y la Escala de adaptación social (SAS) para medir la autoestima y la adaptación social, respectivamente, en ambos grupos de sujetos. Los pacientes con trastorno de estado de ánimo mostraban peor adaptación social y una autoestima más baja que los sujetos de control. Estos resultados confirman convincentemente observaciones previas de una mala función entre episodios en los pacientes con trastorno del estado de ánimo.

Los datos sobre distimia y personalidad presentados aquí se derivan del Estudio de la cohorte de Zurich, que siguió a 591 sujetos desde los 20 hasta los 35 años de edad. Desde la infancia, los distímicos se percibían como mucho más ansiosos y con menos confianza en sí mismos que los que tenían depresión mayor o los controles. Manifestaban más problemas de comportamiento y tenían puntuaciones altas de neuroticismo e introversión. Los distímicos puntuaban bajo por lo que se refiere a la calidad de vida, la autoestima y el dominio, mientras que lo hacían alto en conductas de evitación/negación. Se avanza la hipótesis de que los problemas de comportamiento, la ansiedad, los niveles elevados de neuroticismo y los trastornos de la personalidad constituyen factores de riesgo para la depresión crónica. Se presentan datos de la existencia de distimia bipolar.

Las teorías psicoanalítica, conductual y cognitiva suponen un proceso continuo en el desarrollo de la autoaceptación por la interacción padre-hijo durante la niñez y la adolescencia como una variable psicológica importante. El objetivo del presente estudio era investigar las relaciones entre percepción de la conducta de educación de los padres y autoaceptación en pacientes psiquiátricos internos. Los resultados de comparaciones de grupos extremos indicaron el poder discriminativo recíproco de los factores de educación de los padres y las puntuaciones de autoaceptación, apoyando la hipótesis de un proceso continuo en el desarrollo de los rasgos de autoaceptación y estado de ánimo. La percepción de la educación de los padres predecía aspectos de las manifestaciones psicopatológicas en la edad adulta. Los efectos de la conducta maternal y paternal parecían ser específicos al género. Se discuten interpretaciones alternativas de estos hallazgos.