Introduction:

Depression in teenagers has been associated with different factors and those of familiar type are gaining greater relevance. Few research works on this topic are known in the department of Quindío.

Objective:

To analyze the association between depression and family functioning in schooled teenagers in the municipality of Circasia, Quindío.

Material and Methods:

A total of 240 male and female adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age who received schooling in Educational Institutions of that region were evaluated. They were selected through a simple random sampling. The Beck Depression Inventory, the Smilkstein, G family APGAR and a survey about sociodemographic, family and health data were applied.

Results:

Different depression levels were identified in 45,8% of the participants; family dysfunction was found in 46,3% of them. A statistically significant association between moderate and severe depression and mild and severe family dysfunction (p <0.001) was found. Depression was also associated with personal and family history of suicidal behavior, regular or poor family relationships, and family conflicts.

Conclusions:

Family dysfunction is associated with moderate and severe depressive symptoms in adolescents. Future research is needed to analyze different family variables.

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