Resumen

SILVA, Ana Sofia  y  DEUS, Alberto Afonso de. Comportamentos de consumo de haxixe e saúde mental em adolescentes: Estudo comparativo. Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2005, vol.23, n.2, pp.151-172. ISSN 0870-8231.

The present study had the intent to evaluate the situation concerning the behaviors of consumption of hashish, in adolescents who attended school, to study the influence of variables such as, family situation, degree of influence of the group of pairs in decisions, and expectancies, in the beginning and in maintenance of the consumption of that substance. It was still intended to evaluate the existence or not of relationships between this consumption and the adolescents’mental health. The participants were 221 adolescents of both sexes, with ages between 13 and 17 years old, and that frequented between 8th and 10th, in schools of the surroundings of Lisbon. As measure instruments, it was built a questionnaire (Questionário sobre Comportamentos de Consumo de Haxixe), based on one already existent to evaluate the consumption of alcohol, that after being subject to a pre-test, it was administered together with the adaptation for the portuguese population of the Mental Health Inventory, the Inventário de Saúde Mental. The results showed that most of the youths doesn’t consume hashish (n=181; 81,9%). Of those that do (n=40; 18,1%), 42,5% do an experimental consume, 27,5% an occasional, 20% a habitual and 10% an abusive. Most (27,5%) of them affirms to have had his/her first experience with hashish at 13 years old, being the main reasons for consumption the search of relaxation (31,3%) and of amusement (36,8%). Friends of the same age are the main consumption companions (62,0%), being the street the elected place for most to consume (51,0%). When compared the two groups of participants (consumers versus no consumers), it was verified that, in the consumers’ group a tendency exists to school become afected (40% reproved), with the dissaprovals appearing in larger number at 9th (12,5%; 16,7% in 10th). As for the family situation, it was verified the existence of a larger percentage of consumers’ parents that are separate (15,0%) or divorced (25,0%). Expectations of larger relaxation with consequent increase of amusement (p=.000), of smaller nervousness (p=.000) and of the hashish to be less harmful than tobacco (p=.005), were high in the consumers. This group classifies the hashish as a light drug (72,5%) or as not being a drug at all (27,5%), being the main reason for consume, amusement (55.0%). The differences among the two groups for the influence of age and group of pairs in decisions and/or acts, were statistically significant (p=.007 and p=.042, respectively). There weren’t found differences statistically significant among the two groups as for mental health. To conclude, frequency of use of this substance and the meaning that she has, differs. It becomes important to take in consideration this fact and, on this base, delineate prevention programs that promote dialogue among parents and adolescents, their resilience and their social competences, in direction to well-being and to a healthy growth.

Palabras clave : Adolescence; mental health; hashish; expectancies; light/hard drugs.

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