Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza, División de Biotecnología-Bioterio y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra. Ciudad de México, México
Celia Reyes-Legorreta, Neurosciences Service, Neuroprotection Laboratory. Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-LGII, Mexico City, Mexico
Efrén Alatorre-Miguel, Neurosciences Service, Neuroprotection Laboratory. Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-LGII, Mexico City, Mexico
Alfredo Durand-Rivera, Neurosciences Service, Neuroprotection Laboratory. Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-LGII, Mexico City, Mexico
This paper analyzes the results obtained through evaluation tests for anxiety and depression, carried out in students from 3rd to 6th grade of basic education in a private school, 30 days after the earthquake, in Mexico City, September 2017. The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale and the Child and Adolescent Depression Questionnaire were applied. Thus, the degree of anxiety in the majority of students was rated at the medium and medium-low levels. Girls showed a tendency to suffer from anxiety states, while boys exhibited a greater tendency to suffer depression, in comparison with girls. We conclude that the children evaluated did not show high levels of anxiety or depression. It is suggested that this is a consequence of both the educational level and the information received through the media and preventive programs (such as the implementation of seismic alerts and protection drills), which influence the evaluations of these psychological disorders.
Keywords: Earthquake. México. Child. Adolescent. Depression. Anxiety.