Prevención frente a la depresión en estudiantes de educación básica media en una unidad educativa de la ciudad de Guayaquil

Abstract

During my pre-professional internship at an educational institution in the city of Guayaquil, I noticed a disturbing emotional situation among middle school students. Many showed unmistakable signs of chronic sadness, social withdrawal, and apathy; many developed excessive fatigue or showed excessive dependence on others, which was too much for any group, especially with the resources we had available. Upon delving deeper into their narratives, these emotional outcomes were clearly related to different family narratives that were oppressive, related to domestic violence, lack of emotional support, financial burden, and poor communication between parents and children. This prompted the need to systematize an approach that would allow me to recover, reflect on, and critically interpret the life experiences lived during the intervention. The main objective was to describe the psychosocial factors related to the onset of depressive symptoms, as well as to suggest preventive interventions that could be carried out in the school environment to promote emotional well-being in students. This systematization was qualitative in nature, implemented in the form of semi-structured interviews and focus groups with teachers, students, counselors, and families. In terms of the main findings, concern was evident among teaching staff and the DECE, and institutional responses were limited by the absence of specific protocols, lack of resources, and overload. Similarly, it was found that many teachers lacked the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize or respond 4 appropriately to signs of emotional distress. As for families, they were not involved in the same way: some were interested or committed, while others were distant or indifferent. Psychoeducational interventions were designed and implemented, based on safe emotional environments, social-emotional strength, and emotional health bonds among students, teachers, and families, to combat these limitations. This experience helped me understand that the fight against depression in schools is not the task of any particular section or agent of the educational system, but of all its elements.