Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents Accompanying a Parent in Recyclable Trash Collection

Abstract

The relationship between mental health and poverty has been well documented in adults. However, few studies have addressed how low socioeconomic status and psychosocial vulnerabilities may influence depressive symptoms in adolescents. The current study was carried out in a non-randomly selected sample of 239 adolescents whose parents work as ragpickers (waste collectors for recycling) in Brazil. In-person interviews were conducted, and the presence of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). We observed that 23% (CI ± 5.34) of the adolescents presented with depressive symptoms and 35% (CI ± 6.05) had suicidal ideation. Fatigue or loss of energy (p = .012) and irritable mood (p = .013) were significantly higher among boys than girls according to DSM-IV criteria. However, we found no gender differences in DSM-IV criteria for Major Depressive Disorders (MDD) or Dysthymic Disorder (DD) in diminished interest or pleasure, weight loss or weight gain, decreased appetite, sleep problems, feelings of worthlessness, diminished concentration or ability to think, recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, or low self-esteem. There were no significant gender differences in total CDI score, however a greater percentage of girls presented with depressed mood than boys (29.9% vs. 17.1%, p < .05).

Rag-Pickers as Benefactors and Beneficiaries of the Sustainable Development Goals: A Brief Literature Review

“…Table 1. Categorisation on the basis of temporality of data analysed (italicisation used as identifier of publications belonging to more than group) (2016( ), Florin (2015, Etcheverry et al (2014), Gothoskar (2014), Gigengack (2014), Ojha et al (2014), Kandasamy et al (2013), Kulshrestha (2011), Chandramohan et al (2010), Wachukwu et al (2010), Thapa et al (2009), da Silva et al (2006a), da Silva et al (2006b), Gupta and Boojh (2006), da Silva et al (2005), Ray et al (2004), Purohit et al (2001), Joshi, S (1998), Singh (1999), Sharma (1995) 5-20 Coledam et al (2022), Rajendiran et al (2022), Prihandoko et al (2021), Venkiteela (2020), , Aricat et al (2020), Hillenbrand (2019), Khatoon et al (2019), Saikia (2019), Joshi et al (2016), Florin (2015, Uplap et al (2014), Gigengack (2014), Kulshrestha (2011), Malik et al (2002 >20 Moll (2020), Venkiteela (2020), Hillenbrand (2019), Sainsbury (2019), Craig (2019), Le Roy (2017), Berg (2015), Florin (2015),…”

“…While religion has been divisive in these instances, it has been an enabler in Brazil, helping people in general to find hope even in times of despair. In this backdrop, Etcheverry et al (2014) had written that depressive behaviour among adolescent ragpickers in Brazil, can be allayed by regular church attendance.…”

“…Thapa et al (2009) exhorted NGOs in Nepal to work in unison to improve the access of ragpickers' children to vocational training, education, recreation and healthcare, while Gigengack (2014) appealed to policymakers to design treatment and employment opportunities for those addicted to inhalants and drugs. In Brazil, da Silva et al (2005) and Etcheverry et al (2014) highlighted depressive disorders in young rag-picking adults, and while both have emphasized the important role counsellors and psychologists could play in improving their mental health, the former also hinted at the importance of improving the economic prospects of the ragpickers so that they would be able to encourage their children to attend school.…”

“…al 2014;Thakur et al 2018), whooping cough and asthma(Chandramohan et al 2010), tinnitus, diarrhoea, constipation and anorexia(Thapa et al 2019), sinusitis and leucocytosis(Ray et al 2004), and scabies(Khatoon et al 2019) amplifies the risk of psychiatric disorders (daSilva et al 2006a;Etcheverry et al 2014). It is very much understandable that both adults and adolescents (and even children at times) enduring these travails day in and day out easily fall prey to alcohol and tobacco(Thapa et al 2009;Uplap et al 2014), drugs and inhalants like toluene-containing typewriter fluid(Gigengack 2014;, which provide them with a temporary reprieve from their suffering, while leading them down a perilous, health-damaging trail.…”

Ideación suicida en adolescentes del área rural: estilo de crianza y bienestar psicológico

“…Aunque estudios previos señalan que es más frecuente la depresión en mujeres con ideación suicida (43,44) o que tienen puntuaciones más altas que los hombres (12,45), tal comportamiento no es del todo concluyente, porque también señalan ausencia de relación entre género y depresión en población con comportamiento suicida (46).…”