Psychosocial Factors Linked to Severe Mental Disorders in a Convenience Sample of Teenage Students

Abstract

Students with severe mental disorders (SMDs) are a vulnerable population with higher risks of early school dropout than the general population. Our aim has been to define psychosocial factors of students aged 12–18 years who have been diagnosed with severe mental disorders. So, we have defined the psychosocial factors of a group of students aged 12 to 18 years who have been diagnosed with a SMD. We have made the selection of the sample through an intentional nonprobability sampling. One hundred and nine cases of students were analyzed. We have analyzed the evolution of the student throughout their academic history until the moment in which they are hospitalized in serious condition by means of an exploratory factor analysis, with the application of the KMO sample adequacy of 0.776 and the significance of Bartlett’s test of sphericity p < .001, we have obtained a high correlation between the variables. The factors obtained are study limitations, symptomatology representation, study facilitators, other limitations. The results show that it is necessary to take into account the conditions that prevent them from permanence, inclusion, coexistence, and educational achievement. Likewise, symptomatic expression and family support are key elements in improving the educational process of pupils with SMD. These factors allow us to infer pedagogical practices that are more appropriate to their needs.