International and Spanish Findings in Scientific Literature about Minors' Mental Health: Predictive Factors Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Minors' mental health is a subject of high global concern. Understanding the factors that influence their mental health is essential to improving the health of future generations. In this study, an analysis of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire's usefulness is carried out, as a validated tool, recognized in Spain and internationally, for the measurement of minors' mental health. In turn, the influence of the variables of gender, age, and physical health, along with the occupational social class of parents on Spanish minors' mental health, has been analyzed. Spanish minors with good physical health and of parents with middle and higher education, as well as in an occupational social class, are less likely to suffer mental health problems. On the other hand, it seems that internalizing symptoms are more likely in girls, and externalizing symptoms are more likely in boys. However, when a global measure of mental health is made without specific subscales, the effects of gender and age diverge greatly, according to the studies. Although there are examples of current research using the same measurement tool, there is still a need for many more international studies that are coordinated using the same methodology. This study identifies the factors which the international and Spanish scientific literature has revealed as being determinants in minors' mental health. Finally, it is essential that the influence of these factors be assessed in the areas of primary care and mental health to facilitate better detection, intervention, or prevention of mental health problems in today's children, as well as the children of future generations.

Analysis of Predictive Factors on Minors' Mental Health According to the Spanish National Health Survey.

Research on minors' mental health is an increasingly developing area. Given the increased prevalence of disorders, it seems necessary to analyze the factors that can affect poor mental health. This study analyzes the influence of occupational class, educational level, age, sex and perceived mental health of Spanish children, which is measured through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The sample consists of 3599 minors between 4 and 14 years old, who were interviewed through the Spanish National Health Survey 2011. Our results indicating the significant (p < 0.05) relationship between mental health, occupational class (OR 0.533) and minors' health in the last year (OR 0.313) are shown. However, gender (OR 1.187) and educational level of Pre-School Education in relation to Secondary Education (OR 1.174) and Primary Education (OR 0.996) do not generate significant differences. In conclusion, we consider it necessary to design and implement public policies aimed at improving the care system for children who have had poor or regular health in the last year, and whose parents are positioned in the lowest part of the occupational scale.

[Mental health in the age group 4-15 years based on the results of the national survey of health 2006, Spain]. / Salud mental en el grupo de edad 4-15 años a partir de los resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2006.

BACKGROUND: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is one of the most internationally widely used questionnaire to measure mental health. The aim of this study is to analyze the discrimination cutoff of the questionnaire in Spanish population and the association between the Spanish children mental health and the variables gender, municipality size and health status in the last twelve months. METHOD: The results of the Spanish National Health Survey-2006 were used with a selected sample of 6390 children between 4 and 15 years. Through discriminant analysis and ROC curves, we analyzed the cutoff score provide in the SDQ-parent with Spanish population and the measures of association are forecasted with respect to the independent variables. RESULTS: the cutoff equal to 20, used in the SDQ-parent with Spanish population, provided a sensitivity of 0,964 and a specificity of 0,945. The relationship between mental health and sex (OR 1,17) and municipality size (OR 0,85) gave not significant p-value (p>0,05). However, this relation get a significant p-value for the variable health situation in the last twelve months (OR 0,30; p<0,05). CONCLUSIONS: The cutoff score equal to 20 is adequate to discriminate the Spanish children mental health through the SDQ-parent version. The influence between health situation in the last year and mental health is accepted, compared to a lack of influence of gender and municipality size variables.

Salud mental en el grupo de edad 4-15 años a partir de los resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2006 / Mental health in the age group 4-15 years based on the results of the national survey of health 2006, Spain

Fundamentos: el Cuestionario de Capacidades y Dificultades (SDQ, según sus siglas en inglés) es uno de los más utilizados internacionalmente para la medición de la salud mental. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la discriminación del punto de corte del cuestionario en población española y la asociación entre la salud mental de los menores españoles y las variables sexo, tamaño del municipio y estado de salud en los últimos doce meses. Método: se utilizaron los resultados obtenidos en la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Española 2006, con una muestra de 6.390 menores de 4 a 15 años. Mediante un análisis discriminante y las curvas COR, se analizó la puntuación de corte utilizada en el cuestionario SDQ-padres para la población española y se estimaron las medidas de asociación con respecto a las variables independientes. Resultados: el punto de corte igual a 20, utilizado en el SDQ-pa-dres con población española, aporta una sensibilidad de 0,964 y una especificidad de 0,945. La relación entre la salud mental y las variables sexo (OR 1,17) y tamaño del municipio (OR 0,85) aportaron valores no significativos (p>0,05). En la variable estado de salud del menor en los últimos doce meses sí se obtuvieron diferencias estadísticamente (OR 0,30; p<0,05). Conclusiones: la puntuación de corte igual a 20 es adecuada para la discriminación de la salud mental de los menores españoles mediante el cuestionario SDQ-padres. Se acepta la influencia del estado de salud en los últimos doce meses en la salud mental, frente a una falta de influencia del sexo y el tamaño del municipio(AU)

Background: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is one of the most internationally widely used questionnaire to measure mental health. The aim of this study is to analyze the discrimination cutoff of the questionnaire in Spanish population and the association between the Spanish children mental health and the variables gender, municipality size and health status in the last twelve months. Method: The results of the Spanish National Health Survey-2006 were used with a selected sample of 6390 children between 4 and 15 years. Through discriminant analysis and ROC curves, we analyzed the cutoff score provide in the SDQ-parent with Spanish population and the measures of association are forecasted with respect to the independent variables. Results: the cutoff equal to 20, used in the SDQ-parent with Spanish population, provided a sensitivity of 0,964 and a specificity of 0,945. The relationship between mental health and sex (OR 1,17) and municipality size (OR 0,85) gave not significant p-value (p>0,05). However, this relation get a significant p-value for the variable health situation in the last twelve months (OR 0,30; p<0,05). Conclusions: The cutoff score equal to 20 is adequate to discriminate the Spanish children mental health through the SDQ-parent version. The influence between health situation in the last year and mental health is accepted, compared to a lack of influence of gender and municipality size variables(AU)