Riesgo de suicidio, inteligencia emocional y necesidades psicológicas básicas en adolescentes tutelados en centros residenciales

Suicide risk, emotional intelligence and basic psychological needs in adolescents in residential care. For decades the literature has demonstrated multiple psychological and emotional implications resulting from maltreatment in childhood. The present study aims to describe and analyze the relationship between suicide risk, perceived emotional intelligence (PEI) and the basic psychological needs (BPN) of adolescents in residential care. The sample was consisted of 61 adolescents (50.82% were boys) aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 14.61; DT = 1.61) living in residential care centers in the province of Barcelona. A series of questionnaires was administered that included demographic data and PEI, suicide risk and BPN's satisfaction scales. Twenty-six adolescents (42.6%) reported high levels of suicide risk. Significant correlations were found between suicide risk, PEI (Attention, Clarity and Repair) and BPN (Autonomy, Competence and Relatedness). Competence was their main psychological need, which proved to be the one with the closest inverse relationship with suicide risk. Adolescents in residential care present suicide risk indicators that must be addressed, notably their marked difficulty in dealing with emotions. Emotional intelligence may be a protective factor against suicide risk in this group.