QUALITY OF SYMBOLS IN THE DESIDERATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE IN ANSWERS OF ADOLESCENTS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DEPRESSION

Abstract

This research is derived from the master's thesis of the author in partnership, guidance of the co-author, and objective to resort to the Desiderative Questionnaire to approach and understand depression in the adolescent population, through the quality of the desiderative symbols issued by young people who scored for moderate to severe depression compared to those who did not score, in the same instrument. A total of  50 adolescents (n=50) were evalueted, between 17 and 19 years of age, high school students from two schools in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The volunteers answered the Beck Depresion Inventory BDI-II to evaluete possible levels of depression, and the Desiderative Questionnaire. The results were approached through quantitative-qualitative analysis. The data were submitted to the Fischer Exact Test, as well as psychodynamic aspects were scored under psychoanalytic inspiration. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) in the negative cathexia of the symbols emitted in the Desiderative Questionnaire. The Control Group demonstrated responses with original quality, while the Clinical Group tended to conventional or common symbols; may be indicative of the apathy present in the severe depressive state. Allied to the BDI-II, seen from the quantitative-qualitative perspective, the investigation of the quality of desiderative symbols showed promise in the understanding of depression in adolescents.