Suicidal risk and strategies for coping with stress in Colombian rural population / Riesgo suicida y estrategias de afrontamiento al estrés en población campesina colombiana

Resumen Introducción: El comportamiento suicida hace referencia a las diversas conductas para dejar de vivir es un fenómeno multifactorial ampliamente estudiado en población urbana, sin embargo, la población campesina, especialmente agricultores y trabajadores agrícolas están entre los grupos de alto riesgo. Objetivo: Evaluar las relaciones entre el riesgo suicida y las estrategias de afrontamiento al estrés en una muestra de 76 campesinos entre los 18 y 79 años del municipio de El Santuario, Colombia, durante la emergencia sanitaria por Covid-19. Método: Para este estudio se utilizó un diseño descriptivo correlacional de corte transversal y se emplearon como instrumentos la Escala de Evaluación de Riesgo Suicida -ERS- y la Escala de Estilos y Estrategias de Afrontamiento (EEEAE). Resultados: Los resultados encontrados en la Escala ERS no indicaron niveles clínicos de riesgo suicida. Y respecto a la EEEAE casi siempre los participantes usaban las estrategias de Reevaluación positiva, Apoyo social, Desconexión cognitiva y Resolver el problema. Hubo correlaciones negativas entre todas las dimensiones de la escala ERS con EEEAE, menos entre las dimensiones Depresión/Desesperanza y Aislamiento/Soporte social (ERS) con la Desconexión cognitiva (EEEAE) y especialmente la estrategia de Reevaluación Positiva tuvo un peso significativo sobre riesgo suicida. Conclusiones: La Reevaluación Positiva es una estrategia de afrontamiento que puede proteger la salud mental ante situaciones de estrés asociados con el riesgo suicida de la población campesina, los agricultores y trabajadores agrícolas.

Abstract Introduction: Suicidal behavior refers to the various behaviors to stop living, it is a multifactorial phenomenon widely studied in the urban population, however, the rural population, especially farmers and agricultural workers, are among the high-risk groups. Objective: Evaluate the relationships between suicidal risk and stress coping strategies in a sample of 76 peasants between 18 and 79 years of age from the municipality of El Santuario, Colombia during the Covid-19 health emergency. Method: For this study, a cross-sectional correlational descriptive design was used. The Suicide Risk Assessment Scale -SRAS- and the Coping Styles and Strategies Scale were used as measurement instruments (CSSS). Results: The results found in the SRAS Scale did not indicate clinical levels of suicidal risk. And regarding the EEEAE, the participants almost always used the strategies of Positive Reappraisal, Social Support, Cognitive Disconnection and Problem-Solving skills. There were negative correlations between all the dimensions of the SRAS scale with CSSS, less between the dimensions Depression/Hopelessness and Isolation/social support (SRAS) with Cognitive Disconnection (CSSS) and especially the Positive Reappraisal had a significant weight on suicidal risk. Conclusions: Positive Reappraisal is a coping strategy that can protect mental health in situations of stress associated with suicidal risk of the rural population, farmers, and agricultural workers.

Validating the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale in a Colombian sample.

The present instrumental study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale with 421 Colombian adults in full lockdown of coronavirus. The reliability was excellent, obtained through the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (α = 0.83). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis identified satisfactory indicators for the scale's one-dimensional model. The correlations obtained in the discriminant analysis of the items have a moderate level of correlation with values between 0.74 and 0.81. These findings demonstrate that the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate dysfunctional anxiety related to coronavirus in Colombian population.