Suicidal ideation in a community-derived sample of Spanish adolescents

Introduction: Suicide is a current public health problem and among the main causes of mortality in adolescents and young adults. The main goal of this study was to analyse suicidal ideation in a representative sample of Spanish adolescents. Specifically, the prevalence rates of suicide ideation, the psychometric properties of the Paykel Suicide Scale (PSS) scores, and the socio-emotional adjustment of adolescents at risk for suicide were analysed. Material and methods: The sample consisted of 1,664 participants (M = 16.12 years, SD = 1.36, range 14-19 years), selected by stratified sampling by clusters. The instruments used were the PSS, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children, and the Oviedo Infrequency Scale. Results: The results showed that 4.1% of the sample indicated that they had tried to commit suicide in the previous year. Statistically significant differences were found according to gender but not according to age in the PSS mean scores. The analysis of the internal structure of the PSS showed that the one-dimensional model presented excellent goodness of fit indexes. This model showed measurement invariance across gender. The reliability of the scores, estimated with ordinal alpha, was 0.93. Participants who reported suicide ideation showed poorer mental health status and lower life satisfaction compared to the non-suicide ideation group. Conclusions: Suicidal ideation is present during adolescence and is associated with poor subjective well-being and increased emotional and behavioural problems. PSS seems to show adequate psychometric behaviour to assess suicidal ideation in adolescents. These findings have clear implications, both in health and education systems, to improve the promotion of emotional well-being and prevention of psychological and psychiatric problems in this sector of the population. © 2017 SEP y SEPB

La ampliación de la Unión Europea de 2004-2007: Pasado, Presente y Futuro

Desde la suscripción de los primeros tratados que dieron origen a la Comunidad Europea, constituida por seis países, hasta la actualidad en que la Unión Europea está conformada por veintisiete países se han producido seis procesos distintos de ampliación, siete si se cuenta la reunificación alemana: - En 1958 los seis estados fundadores de Comunidad Europea del Carbón y del Acero (Bélgica, República Federal Alemana, Francia, Italia, Luxemburgo y los Países Bajos), constituyeron la Comunidad Económica Europea y la Comunidad Europea de la Energía Atómica. - En 1973 se incorporaron el Reino Unido, Irlanda y Dinamarca (incluida Groenlandia y excluidas las Islas Feroe). - En 1981 se incorporó Grecia. En 1985 se retiró Groenlandia como consecuencia del referéndum de 1982. - En 1986 se incorporaron España y Portugal. - En 1990 se produjo la reunificación de la República Federal Alemana y la República Democrática Alemana (RDA) en una nueva RFA unificada, constituye una ampliación de la Unión sin que aumente el número de estados miembros. Comienza a usarse formalmente, en el año 1993, el término Unión Europea. - En 1995 se incorporaron Austria, Finlandia y Suecia. - En 2004 se incorporaron República Checa, Chipre (sólo la parte greco-chipriota), Eslovaquia, Eslovenia, Estonia, Hungría, Letonia, Lituania, Malta y Polonia. - En 2007 se incorporaron Rumanía y Bulgaria