The increasing use of digital platforms by adolescents has brought to light critical vulnerabilities related to online grooming. This study explores the risk factors associated with grooming among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years enrolled in a Reparative Program for Abuse in Chile. Using a non-experimental, quantitative, exploratory cross-sectional design, a sample of 50 adolescents was evaluated. Data collection employed validated instruments, including the Okasha Scale for Suicidality (EOS), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), the Subjective Well-being Scale (EBS-8), and the Online Grooming Risk Scale (OGR-S). Findings revealed significant associations between grooming and variables such as excessive cellphone use, number of virtual social networks, lack of social connections, economic hardships, and depressive symptoms. Regression analysis highlighted that adolescents with unrestricted internet access, poor social interaction skills in face-to-face contexts, and exposure to environmental risk factors exhibit a heightened likelihood of experiencing grooming. These results underscore the necessity for targeted preventive interventions and policy enhancements to safeguard adolescents in vulnerable circumstances.

Introduction: The Chilean child and adolescent population have serious mental health problems. Therefore, the ability to regulate emotions becomes a critical skill. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the psychometric properties of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24) in its abbreviated version in a Chilean child and adolescent population. Method: Cross-sectional validation was carried out on 636 Chilean children and adolescents. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to examine the scale's factor structure in this population. Results: Internal consistency showed robust results (α = 0.931; ω = 0.932) indicating high reliability. Using a Varimax rotation, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified three significant factors explaining 57.95% of the total variance. The results of the CFA suggested a good model fit with an RMSEA (0.061), CFI (0.934), and TLI (0.923). Parsimony indices indicated adequate fit PCFI (0.802) and PNFI (0.781). Convergent validity was also supported by significant correlations between the TMMS-24 dimensions and depression, anxiety, and stress factors measured with the DASS-21. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the TMMS-24 has adequate and validated psychometric properties, allowing its use as a reliable tool to assess the most relevant variables of emotional intelligence such as Emotional Attention (EA), Emotional Clarity (EC), and Emotional Regulation (ER) in Chilean children and adolescents in educational and mental health contexts.

Mental health among higher education students is a growing public health concern in Chile, where 58 universities host a diverse student population facing significant academic and emotional challenges. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of suicidal risk, ideation, and attempts, as well as associated risk factors in Chilean university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1511 participants (72.3% women, 27.7% men; mean age = 25.7 ± 7.82 years), using a digital self-administered questionnaire that included the Okasha’s Suicidality Scale (OSS), Depression, the Anxiety, and Stress Scale—21 items (DASS-21), the Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE), and sociodemographic variables. Logistic regression identified key factors associated with suicide attempts, such as being female (OR = 1.418, 95% CI [1.037, 1.939]), belonging to sexual minorities (OR = 2.539, 95% CI [1.899, 3.396]), being aged 26–30 (OR = 1.952, 95% CI [1.344, 2.836]), and being in the third year of university (OR = 1.483, 95% CI [1.097, 2.005]). Depression (OR = 7.065, 95% CI [5.307, 9.407]) and anxiety (OR = 1.895, 95% CI [1.400, 2.565]) were the strongest predictors, while substance use, including marijuana (OR = 2.107, 95% CI [1.620, 2.740]), cocaine (OR = 1.575, 95% CI [1.193, 2.078]), and non-prescribed antidepressants (OR = 6.383, 95% CI [1.524, 26.733]), significantly increased risk. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions and policy actions in Chilean higher education to address post-pandemic increases in suicide-related behaviors.