MENTAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN LA RIOJA: RESULTS FROM THE NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY IN SPAIN (ENSE 2011/12)

Mental disorders are a global health problem, however, in La Rioja, few empirical studies have been carried out that try to analyze emotional and behavioral problems in The child and adolescent population. The main goal was to analyze the mental health state of Riojan Youth from 4 to 14 years old, as well as their relationship with physical health and healthy lifestyle habits. The sample was 101 participants (M = 9.44, SD = 3.12, 57 men, 44 women). It was extracted from the National Health Survey of Spain 2011/12. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire parent's version and KIDSCREEN-10 were used to evaluate mental health and quality of life, respectively. Questions about healthy habits (food, physical activity, sleep) and previous mental disorders were also used. The results indicated that 5% of the sample presented higher scores (at risk for mental health problems), and 8.9% obtained borderline scores. The SDQ emotional problems subscale was negatively associated with the KIDSCREEN-10 scores. Participants considered "at risk" did not report a worse quality of life or a higher prevalence of previous mental disorders compared to the "no risk" group. No relationship was found between the higher risk of mental health problems and eating habits (except for the consumption of fast food), physical activity or rest. These findings allow us to have a current vision on the state of mental health of Riojan youth in order to allocate resources and implementing programs to promotion emotional wellbeing.