RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANXIETY AND SUICIDAL IDEATION IN ADOLESCENTS AT THE DON BOSCO PROJECT FOUNDATION

Abstract

Anxiety and suicidal ideation represent a problem in adolescents, being more and more common in recent times. The aim of the research was to analyses the relationship between anxiety and suicidal ideation in adolescents at the Don Bosco Project Foundation, located in Ambato, Ecuador. The research was quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational in scope, using non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The final sample consisted of 62 adolescents of both sexes, aged between 12 and 18 years. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale (SSI) were used. Among the results, a significant correlation was found between anxiety and suicidal ideation: p< .001; r = .481**. Mild levels of anxiety were also found with a mean of M = 15.23 and mild levels of suicidal thoughts and attempts with a mean of M = 6.03. It is concluded that there is a moderate positive relationship between anxiety and suicidal ideation in adolescents, and a prevalence of anxiety was also found in more than half of the population, being a risk factor for suicide if not intervened in a timely manner. These results help to understand the relationship between these variables and are expected to motivate future research in Ecuador.