Psychopathological Symptoms in Urban Adults
Psychopathological Symptoms in Urban Adults
2004
Maria Martina Casullo
PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN URBAN ADULTS
Psychology and Social Science, year/vol. 6, number 001
National Autonomous University of Mexico
Federal District, Mexico
pp. 49-57
Network of Scientific Journals of Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal
MARÍAMARTINACASULLO*
Summary
Data on psychopathological symptoms obtained through the administration of the Spanish version of
list of symptoms SCL-90-R (Derogatis, 1994) from samples of the general adult population (760) aged between 25 and
60 years. The central objective of this work is to study the psychopathological symptoms in adults living in environments
urban through the administration of the Spanish version of the SCL-90-R symptom checklist, in order to apply the
technique mentioned in epidemiological studies. No statistically significant differences have been found, according to sex,
for the hostility, psychoticism, and paranoid ideation dimensions. Taking into account the variable age, among women
Among older adults (ages 44 to 60), the Index of Positive Distress is higher than among males in that age group.
so much that younger men (25 to 36 years old) reveal higher average values than women of the same age
in obsessions and compulsions.
Palabras clave:Adultos. Epidemiología. SCL-90-R.
Abstract
A Spanish version of SCL-90-R (Derogatis, 1994) was administered to a sample of adults who live in Buenos Aires city and
its suburban area. The aim of the study was to obtain local data on psychopathological symptoms administering the SCL-
90-R in order to be able to use it in epidemiological studies. The checklist was answered by 760 adults aging 25 to 60.
years old (general population). We found statistically significant gender differences in most of the psychopathological dimensions
assessed but there were not found for the dimensions hostility, paranoid ideations and psychoticism. When analyzing the
variable age, we found that the Positive Disorder Index is higher among older women (44 to 60 years old) and that
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are higher in younger men (25 to 36 years old).
Key words: Adults. Epidemiology. SCL-90-R.
Doctor in Psychology, tenured professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires; researcher of the
CONICET and director of the Doctorate in Psychology at the University of Palermo. Tucumán 2162. 8th floor A. (1050), city of
Buenos Aires, Argentina. E-mail: macasullo@[Link]
In epidemiological studies, it can be pointed out evaluate; a job carried out in Norway with
to separate different stages. One of descriptive type, hospitalized psychiatric patients find that the
that deals with identifying problems and the self-reports yield lower scores than
important cases. In the analysis, the formulations are made the evaluations conducted by professionals
hypotheses linked to possible etiologies, in using the same list of symptoms (Bjorkly, 2002).
the experiment verifies those hypotheses by Studies conducted on the internal structure of
through observation and research and in the listing through the component analysis technique
fourth interpretative evaluations are assessed and discussed the main points, rotating the factors by
results. Epidemiology, as a discipline of procedures for clusters and varimax allowed
field of human health, requires the use of to note certain overlap between the dimensions
valid and reliable techniques for making diagnoses anxiety and phobic anxiety, as well as di-
tics at the population or community level. The applies- visions among some items of the dimension
Proper selection of them will allow to know the psychoticism. The convergent validity was studied-
factors associated with the emergence of the es- correlating the SCL-90 scores
pathological structure in collective contexts, thus R with the MMPI; high coefficients were found
how to evaluate preventive and programs in all dimensions except with the scale of
rehabilitation that is carried out. psychasthenia of the MMPI (Derogatis, 1994). Studies
Some authors propose alternative methods. carried out using the test-retest technique in
in order to be able to understand and determine the po- patient samples referred for assistance
psychiatric before starting the treatment for the
visibility of its application. The so-called estu-
fifteen days after its implementation,
descriptive gods aim to estimate rates
they found correlation coefficients between
of prevalence and incidence of a disorder, thus
0.80 and 0.90, data that indicates reliability
like mortality rates. The studies call-
of the instrument (Casullo, Castro and Solano, 1999).
two analytics attempt to explain the conformation of
On the other hand, when thinking about evaluation
the disease, its construction. The works of
psychological of large numbers of people,
descriptive type establishes relationships between a
as members of a social collective to be
pathology and social and cultural variables such as studied, generally one resorts, in a first
sex, social status, age, ethnicity or culture moment, to self-questionnaires or inventories
age, marital status and geographical region where they live
administerable. Just like many years ago it
the subjects studied (Beaglehole, Bonita and Kjells- Woodworth expressed (1918), one must know
trom, 1994; Friedman, 1975) take advantage of the human capacity to po-
When it comes to studying the epi-dimension to interview oneself.
demiological of psychological processes (cogni- The central objective of this work is to...
tivos, affective and psychosocial) the great challenge is study the psychopathological symptoms in adults that
for the definition both conceptual and operational they reside in urban areas through the adminis-
of the constituents of the so-called process betrayal of the Spanish version of the list of sin-
health/illness. How can it be characterized? Tomas SCL-90-R, in order to apply the technique
a conduct or psychological behavior mentioned in epidemiological studies.
50 Are you okay? Is there a certain consensus to analyze the
possible forms of psychopathologies? Talk about
consensus implies the ability to analyze both constructs Method
universal - ethical - like those that are cultural
usually specific –emics– (Díaz Loving, 1998). The type of study was descriptive-correlational.
The great challenge is to be able to accomplish psychodiagnosis. Participants: adult subjects residing in the
valid and reliable tokens at the community level. urban area of the city of Buenos Aires and the
This work presents and analyzes data Buenos Aires conurbation. The participation in the
Argentines obtained through administration The research was voluntary and anonymous.
from a list of symptoms (SCL-90-R) that can
to be used in epidemiological studies in order to
detect at-risk populations (screening). Nu- Description of the sample
meritorious published articles analyze this list
of symptoms. Vassend and Skrondal (1999) study Sample total: 760 subjects, 379 males and
the factorial structure of the test and point out some- 381 women. Place of residence: 51% reside in
the inconsistencies in the nine dimensions that the city of Buenos Aires; 42% in the Greater Buenos Aires
Bonaerense; 5% in the province of Buenos Ai- what he has felt and thought during the last
response; 2% does not answer. it has five options: never, very little,
It is worth noting that of the total residents poco, bastante, mucho.
In the Conurbano, only 24% report that they were born It is applicable to people between the ages of 13 and 65.
in that region, while for the city of age.
Buenos Aires the percentage of those born and residing The answers are evaluated based on
it is practically the same (51% and 50% res- nine primary dimensions and three glo-indices
respectively). In the Buenos Aires Conurbano the bales of psychological discomfort. These dimensions
major percentage of current residents, notable- were defined based on clinical criteria
mind greater than those born there can be inter- cos, rational and empirical.
lent as a result of migrations: 9% 1. Somatizations: evaluate the presence of ma-
born in the province of Buenos Aires, 11% in stares that the person perceives related to
the rest of the country and 2% of neighboring countries. different bodily dysfunctions (cardiovascular-
The sample is made up of the groups of nasal, respiratory, and gastrointestinal.
2. Obsessions and compulsions: includes symptoms-
following ages:
more that identify with the clinical syndrome
Ages N % of the same name: thoughts, actions, and im-
pulses that are experienced as impossible to
25 to 36 years old 272 35.8 avoid unwanted ones.
37 to 43 years old 235 30.9 3. Interpersonal sensitivity: detects the pre-
44 to 60 years old 253 33.3 sense of feelings of inferiority and inadequacy
equation, especially when the person compares themselves
with its peers.
Technique for data collection
4. Depression: the items are a sample re-
the instrument
representative of the main climatic manifestations
signs of a depressive disorder: state of
Work has been done with the list of symptoms designed -
dysphoric mood, lack of motivation, low energy
by Derogatis (1994) known as Symp- vital, feelings of hopelessness and ideations
tom Check List-90-Revised or SCL-90-R. In this suicides.
Opportunity has revealed data on the population. 5. Anxiety: assesses the presence of signs.
adult, as in recent years work has been done anxiety symptoms such as nervousness,
only with samples of adolescents (Casullo and tension, panic attacks and fears.
Castro Solano, 1999; Casullo and Fernández Lipora- 6. Hostility: it refers to thinking
this, 2001; Casullo, Cruz, González and Maganto, tones, feelings, and characteristic actions of the
2003). The technique evaluates symptoms that the subject presence of negative emotions related to
What does he/she/they respond experiences at that moment or
the anger.
has experienced recently (a week ago); 7. Phobic anxiety: this discomfort refers to a
it is not proposed to evaluate personality or its traits persistent response of fear (to mirror people-
machines. Requires a minimum level of understanding. specific, places, objects and situations) that is in
reading session that, in case it is very low, will herself irrational and disproportionate with the es- 51
replace with the reading of each item by the stimulus that provokes it.
professional evaluator. The answer to be marked 8. Paranoid ideation: evaluates disorders of
on the corresponding sheet offers five options, thought, such as projected thoughts
based on a Likert-type scale. The SCL-90- you, suspicion, fear of loss of autonomy.
R can be administered in the form of notebooks- 9. Psychoticism: includes related symptoms
hello/response sheet or in a special edition with feelings of loneliness, skiing lifestyle
by computer (PC) that responds informatively Zoids, hallucinations, and thought control.
The SCL-90-R Symptom Checklist
rolled by Derogatis allows evaluating patterns or
clusters of symptoms present in a subject; can- Additional items
to be used in both epidemiological tasks,
community and individual clinical diagnostic. These seven items are not included in the nine.
It consists of 90 items that are answered dimensions but have clinical relevance: 19 (po-
based on a five-point scale (0- with appetite), 44 (problems sleeping), 59 (pen-
4). The subject marks their answer taking into account thoughts about death or dying), 60 (eating
in excess), 64 (waking up very early), 66 6. There are differentiated benchmarks according to the
(unsettled dream) and 89 (feelings of guilt). gender variable.
Global severity index (IGS): he is a good Indian- The technique was administered to people from the population
Framework of the current level of the gravity of the discomfort. general evaluation by students who took the subject
Combine the number of recognized symptoms Theory and Techniques of Exploration and Diagnosis,
as gifts with the intensity of discomfort Module 1, Lecture 2 (Faculty of Psychology, UBA)
perceived. in the second semester of the year 2003. This task
It is calculated by adding the scores obtained. was part of the mandatory practical activities
the nine dimensions and in the items adi- rays of matter. The participation of the peo-
cionales. those that made up the sample were anonymous and
Total of positive symptoms (STPit is estimated voluntary. From the total number of cases surveyed, it is chosen-
counting the total number of items that have a res- randomly those who integrated each of
set greater than zero. the three age groups. The participants m...
In subjects from the general population, scores his answers in printed versions of the
brutal or below three for males or below four for females technique.
women are considered indicators of an intent
to be aware of the person showing their best self
of what it really is (positive image). Results
Gross scores above 50 in varo-
60 in women indicate a tendency towards exhaustion. The following table lists the values of pro-
generate the presence of pathologies. mean and dispersion for the total sample
Positive distress index (PSDIpretends taking into account the differentiation between the sub-
evaluate the response style indicating if the per- male and female samples. Given that the technique-
Sona tends to exaggerate or minimize the evils. nica uses a Likert scale with five options
burdens that afflict them. It is calculated by dividing the sum in response, respecting the original proposal of the
total of the responses given to the items by the
value obtained in Total Positive Symptoms (STP).
Extreme scores in this index as well Table [Link] and dispersion values.
they suggest response patterns that Ana must Comparisons by gender
to be expressed in terms of attitudes of pretense.
Numerous studies have confirmed Mujeres Varones
the factorial invariance of the technique and its validity
Symptoms N: 381 N: 379
discriminant, as well as its consistency
internal and test-retest reliability, as has already been M d.t. M t.
marked. Somatizations 0.85 0.62 0.57 0.48 *
52 The inventory is evaluated and interpreted according to Obsessions, 1.12 0.70 1.0 0.69 *
to the following criteria: Compulsions
Sensitivity 0.85 0.63 0.69 0.59 *
interpersonal
1. Direct or gross scores are calculated.
Depression 1.05 0.69 0.81 0.59 *
tasks for each of the nine dimensions
Anxiety 0.96 0.64 0.74 0.56 *
and the three indices.
Hostility 0.80 0.66 0.78 0.65
2. The values assigned to each item are summed and Phobic anxiety 0.41 0.51 0.29 0.39 *
that total is divided by the number of items Ideations 0.90 0.78 0.85 0.71
answered. paranoid
3. Those direct scores are converted into Psychoticism 0.52 0.49 0.46 0.47
T scores (Mean = 50 and Standard Deviation = 10). Severity Index 0.16 0.09 0.13 0.07 *
Youcanalsoworkwithpercentiles. Global
4. It is considered indicative of a person IN Totalof 38.78 16.71 33.82 17.05 *
RISK any score T above 63. Positive symptoms
5. Indicates the presence of severe pathology. Index of 1.90 0.48 1.81 0.45 *
situation equal to or above T 75 (percentile 98). Positive discomfort
author, an analysis was made parametri- Table 4. Items with superior percentage
data code. at 20% in women
In the comparison between genders, DO NOT en-
they found statistically significant differences in Women
three of the evaluated dimensions: hostility, 52% I worry too much about what happens.
paranoid ideation and psychoticism (test) 38% pain in the back.
Student. 30% Feeling like everything is very hard for me
Of the nine psychopathological dimensions effort.
that analyzes this scale, the average values more 26% Feeling very nervous, agitated.
highs obtained, for each sex, corresponded 26% Eat too much.
a las siguientes: 25% Feel sad.
25% Feeling that something is wrong in my body.
Table [Link] of the scores 23% Not being able to finish the things I started
highest obtained for men a hacer.
and women 23% Sleep with issues, very restless.
22% Having difficulty making decisions.
Men Women 21% Feeling hurt in my feelings.
Obsessions Obsessions 21% Nausea or stomach pain.
and compulsions and compulsions 21% Feeling that I am not valued as I deserve.
Paranoid ideas Depression
3) Depression 3) Anxiety
Hostility Paranoid ideas 1% of women reported as a response
a lot of thinking about giving up
life.
It can be stated that, in global terms, the Although there are common issues, such as
feelings of anxiety and hostility are what it can be inferred from the reading of the percentages
more differences are presented between genders: the va-
statements, it is possible to think that in women
rones admit to feeling more hostile (aggressive) and
feelings of insecurity prevailed
the saddest and most depressed women. to decision making, sadness, pain and the
An analysis of the responses was carried out. to feel undervalued despite the efforts,
you give each of the 90 items that make up the list while in the male sample appear
of symptoms. The instruction asked the subjects most frequently indicated related symptoms
that will mark each of these items thinking you swim with nervousness and lack of calm, the
in how they had felt during the last se- psychomotor instability. People with am-
Come on, to what extent had that problem affected them?
both sexes recognized as main symptoms
worried or bothered. Only analyzed They worry too much about what they
the answers to the options quite and much with it happened and the feeling of doing everyday things
percentages higher than 20% (see tables 3 and 4). it required a lot of effort that was experienced
mainly at the bodily level, especially among 53
the boys.
Table 3. Items with superior percentage The probable existence of was also studied
20% in males significant statistical differences between males
men and women in the average values of the
Men nine dimensions and global indices according to
43% I worry too much about what happens. age variable. Differences were only found with
34% Nervousness. certain statistical significance (Student's t-test), re-
29% Eating too much. coding the categorization of ages, in
23% Feeling that something is wrong in my body. the Positive Distress IndexPSDI) being mild-
22% pain in the back. speak louder for the group of women from
22% Being restless; unable to sit still ages between 48 and 60 years (p = < 0.03) in com-
without moving. comparison with men. In the Sev- Index-
21% Feel that everything is very hard for me in this age group, it was also observed
effort. a marginal difference (p = < 0.06). Starting from
it can be said that at an older age, there was a greater presence of somatizations, inse-
it seems that there is a certain tendency to exaggerate social security, depression and anxiety. Women
or to feign the seriousness of the discomforts that are happening aged between 37-43 years also revealed
they say at the same time that, simultaneously, they recognize greater somatizations and depressive symptomatology
there is the presence of more discomforts than among the siva than men. Among women aged 44 to 60
younger women. years found greater presence of somatization
Table 5 shows the direct scores. actions, obsessions and compulsions, insecurity,
or crude scores corresponding to the trans- depression, anxiety, phobias, psychoticism, the Indian-
formed T 50 (average), T 63 (symptoms with global severity and that of positive discomforts
moderate clinical significance) and T 75 (severity you as well as the total number of positive symptoms, that
clinic). among the males of that same age. It indicates
If the age variable is considered according to the three pains of hostility and paranoid ideations no
groups, 25 to 36 years, 37 to 43 years, and 44 to 60 years, they differentiated according to sex in this group of
it is verified, for the total sample, that there was no elderly people.
significant statistical differences between the
average values of the evaluated dimensions
by the SCL-90-R list. Discussion and Conclusions
If those three groups are taken into account
ages and the variable gender (male and female) The study conducted allows for data to be available.
it is noted that when calculating the significance of corresponding to urban adults, she-
the difference between average values with the test brought about by the administration of a
bat, only one difference was found with signifi- technique for evaluating psychopathological symptoms
statistical significance (p =< 0.01) in the Positive Index gicos.
of discomfort, being greater among women The information obtained indicates that only in
from 48 to 60 years old. In the total sample of men three of the total dimensions studied do not exist
only one difference has also been found differences by sex: hostility, ideas
significant statistic (p = < 0.01) in the dimen- paranoids and psychoticism, except among women
session that evaluates obsessive-compulsive symptoms. from older ages where the level is higher
The average values were higher for the high of psychotic symptoms differs from the
group that is between 25 to 36 years old, the youngest- males of their same age and among males of 25
comes. at 36 years old where obsessive compulsive symptoms
Out of the total subjects evaluated aged between they are higher. It is also verified
25 and 36 years old, it was the women who recognized
54 Women Males
Symptoms N: 381 N: 379
T50 T63 T75 T50 T63 T75
Somatizations 0.85 1.65 2.40 0.57 1.20 1.78
Obsessions, compulsions 1.11 2.02 2.87 1.0 1.89 2.72
Interpersonal sensitivity 0.85 1.67 2.43 0.69 1.46 2.17
Depression 1.05 1.94 2.76 0.81 1.58 2.29
Anxiety 0.96 1.78 2.55 0.74 1.47 2.14
Hostility 0.80 1.67 2.46 0.78 1.62 2.40
Phobic anxiety 0.41 1.08 1.70 0.29 0.80 1.27
Paranoid ideations 0.90 1.92 2.85 0.85 1.76 2.61
Psychoticism 0.53 1.17 1.76 0.46 1.07 1.63
Global Severity Index 0.16 0.27 0.38 0.13 0.23 0.31
Total Positive Symptoms 38.78 60.49 80.57 33.8 55.98 76.46
Positive Distress Index 1.90 2.52 3.09 1.81 2.39 2.93
that the average values are higher in the they are solely housewives manifest
sample of women. having more negative physical health symptoms
The presented data must be interpreted headaches, rheumatism, insomnia, and flu) and in-
taking into account that psychopa- three who work outside the home
human technologies have a systematic nature symptoms of depression, sadness, dejection appear
ca, non-linear. The quantification of a phenomenon lie and solitude. Women acknowledge having
the psychological process is always based on ope- more health problems, but they live longer than the
reasons underlying primary distinctions men (Sánchez López, 2003).
of a qualitative type. When interpreting the data that is It is necessary to create a theoretical perspective
they have presented it is necessary to take into account enriching from which they are analyzed and inter-
the social and cultural dimensions that pretend the presented data and avoid simply-
guide the subjects to respond to an inventory or you will select a very established or consolidated one.
questionnaire in a certain manner (Mat- It is a whole challenge to stop being mere with-
sumoto, 2003). The psychopathological dimensions sinks of current theoretical models and being
evaluated reflect both subjective variations capable of transforming or recreating them, in order to
as interindividual. Like any psychological process- interpret and apply the information obtained from
Ecological require different levels of analysis culturally and socially valid ways. As already
and they must be studied from some theoretical model the most important differences have been noted
rich. found in the study conducted are given among
As Valsiner (2004) correctly points out, it is possible the sexes and few according to chronological age. If you
differentiate two implicit functions in all the take the punctuation as a reference point
psychological theories: transformation T 63 (table 5) indicating presence
of moderate pathology, for somatizations, ob-
They are tools that allow you to look at a sessions and compulsions, interpersonal sensitivity
novel way the data that is analyzed nal, depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, index
in order to be able to understand them and global severity, total positive symptoms and
explain them or, positive distress index, the value is always
2. They reflect mental positions (and socio-ideo- higher in the female population. The data with-
logics) that are sustained for the simple reason the signatories in table 1 show that women
to adhere to the hegemonic epistemic market they recognize a greater presence of symptoms in new
nico. I see the twelve evaluated dimensions. Possible-
mind that greater recognition is due to the
In scientific work, it is preferable that existence of current cultural regulations that
the first of the mentioned positions predominates they associate certain types of psychological discomforts
nothing, although the history of the emergence and man- with the feminine identity or to the suffering
maintenance of psychological theories puts in some of those discomforts are part of the con-
evidence that some theoretical systems such as the construction of such identity and not of the masculine.
conductism, psychoanalysis or psychometrics – a On the other hand, the analysis of percentages of beef
example mode – have come to become higher rated posts on the list of 55
orthodoxies in specific historical moments. symptoms by sex reveal that both men and
Empirical research is essential for the women point out more frequently concern
construction of a theoretical system; it is that cons- tion for what is happening, but next-
struction that makes up the knowledge one hundred- nuancing and taking decreasing percentages, the
scientific and not merely the accumulation of data. women pointing to back pain, having to
Sexual genders are shaped in the strive too much in your daily chores
context of values that guide the construction us and feel very nervous and agitated, meanwhile
of identities. Masculinity and femininity that men locate nervousness, eating
dads are associated with different forms of too much and worries about health corpo-
manifest some psychological and physical discomforts It is important to note that 1%
In the last twenty years, agreements have been made. the evaluated Argentine women admitted to having
studies that reveal differences thinking about taking his own life, an answer that I don't know
significativas en la forma de enfermar y morir register in the male responses. The data
between men and women. Another important factor they were relieved during the year 2003, a time when
it is the age: adult women from 45 to 65 years old that Argentina started to try to recover from
an important economic and political crisis begins In a study on correlates of affects
in December 2001. (Rodríguez and Church, 2003) state that although
Human ontogenesis is necessarily a there is empirical support to admit the
product of endoculturation in which both the cross-cultural comparability between affects, exis-
historical-cultural context as the human mind ten differences in the content of affections more
are mutually constitutive (Kashima, 1998). specifics whether positive or negative (discomfort-
If a comparison is made with the values res) between subcultures, such as rural and urban
obtained in the United States (see Table 6), country in to me, even if they integrate the same cultural region.
the one who designed the list is verified that: The values obtained in the study present-
in this article differ from the corresponding ones
you are to the general population sample that appears
Table 6. Direct scores
corresponding to T-63 (indicator in the English manual of the SCL-90-R, therefore
of moderate pathology) in women the use of statistical standards is essential
and males from Argentina and the US locations to validly interpret the pun-
situations obtained when lis is administered
Women Males symptom survey to urban Argentine subjects.
Dimensions
EU Argentina EU Argentina
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Obsessions 1.83 2.02 0.91 1.89
Sensitivity I. 2.23 1.67 0.70 1.46
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57