Parental unemployment and youth life satisfaction: The moderating roles of satisfaction with family life

Abstract While Europe is slowly recovering from the economic recession, its effects on labour markets are still visible. The number of jobless families has increased and previous research has shown that unemployment can affect the wellbeing of both parents and their children. In this study we explored the links between parental unemployment and youth life satisfaction by considering the potential moderating roles played by satisfaction with family life and perceived family wealth. We used descriptive statistics, correlations, simple moderation and moderated moderation models of regression on data from a representative sample of 3937 Portuguese students (Mage = 13.9 years; SD ± 1.7; 48 % boys). Results showed that the negative effects of parental unemployment on youth life satisfaction were moderated by youth perceived satisfaction with family life but not by perceived wealth. This suggested that during family unemployment, young people satisfied with their family life are less vulnerable to the negative effects of parental unemployment on their life satisfaction. The relationship between parental unemployment and youth well-being requires further research, especially during periods of labour market crisis.

Teste de um modelo preditor de satisfação com a vida em adultos idosos

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário

Bem-estar subjetivo em idosas com e sem cancro da mama em remissão

O aumento exponencial da população idosa e da sua esperança média de vida em consonância com o aumento da incidência do cancro da mama nesta faixa etária constituem uma problemática a nível mundi al. Objetivos: Averiguar se os dois grupos amostrais de idosas, com e sem cancro da mama em remissão, apresentam diferenças significativas nos totais de Bem - Estar Subjetivo (BES) e das suas dimensões afetiva e cognitiva. Método: A amostra é composta por 38 7 idosas, não institucionalizadas, com idades compreendidas entre os 75 e os 100 anos ( M = 85,27; DP = 6,59; intervalo 75 - 100) e que foram distribuídas em dois grupos: com cancro da mama em remissão e sem cancro da mama. Foram aplicados o questionário demo gráfico foi aplicado, a Escala de Satisfação com a Vida (ESV) e a Escala de Afeto Positivo e de Afeto Negativo (PANAS). Resultados: O grupo com cancro da mama em remissão apresentou resultados médios da escala e subescalas de BES superiores aos resultados médios do grupo sem cancro da mama, principalmente na subescala dos Afeto Positivo (AP). Estas diferenças foram estatisticamente significativas. Conclusão: Apesar do diagnóstico do cancro da mama representar uma ameaça importante ao BES das idosas, estas p articipantes apresentaram um total significativamente mais elevado o que as restantes.

“Não sou apenas funaná e cachupa” – um estudo sobre integração e sentimento de comunidade dos jovens cabo-verdianos na sociedade de acolhimento

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário

Factors predicting the importance of sex in old age

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário

Satisfação sexual: Como e para quê? Um estudo sobre diferenças de género nos determinantes e contributos da satisfação sexual

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Clínica.

Qualidade de vida, percepção de saúde, resiliência, auto-regulação e suporte social nos adolescentes portugueses com a doencça crónica

Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia na área de especialidade Psicologia da Saúde

Contextual factors related to chronic condition in portuguese adolescents: Highlights from the HBSC/WHO study

Adolescence’s changes may become more pronounced when living with a chronic condition (CC). This study aims to examined the differences in satisfaction with family life, perception of school competence and “pressure with homework” of Portuguese adolescents’ 1) living with CC; 2) how living with CC affects school participation; taking into account age, gender and family socioeconomic status (SES). Five thousand fifty Portuguese adolescents (mean age 14 ± 1.85) of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC/WHO) were included. Results showed increased vulnerability in adolescents living with CC, presenting a lower satisfaction with family life and poor school outcomes. Younger boys, having a higher SES and not having CC are significantly associated with satisfaction with family life. Older girls, having a lower SES and living with CC were associated with more stress related to school work. Future interventions should include these features combined with ‘listening’ to adolescents and their needs, allowing their participation in the promotion of personal health.

Young people's well-being and the economic crisis: How does parental unemployment and family wealth affect the downturn experience?

Background: Portugal is among the European countriesmost severely hit by the economic recession and the fifth with the highest unemployment rate. Given that adolescents' development is highly influenced by their living contexts, monitoring the repercussions of the economic recession is essential for the evaluation and improvement of their current and future public health. Objective: To investigate youth perceived repercussions of the economic recession, its association with life satisfaction, as well as to assess differences across parental employment status and family perceived wealth. Methods: Data were drawn from the Portuguese 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged children survey, aWHO collaborative cross-national study, with a nationally representative sample of 2748 students (Mage = 14.7 years ± 1.2; 48% boys). Descriptive statistics and linear regression models were performed. Results: Levels of life satisfaction are lower when young people perceive that the economic recession generated negative lifestyle changes. Having unemployed parents was found to be significantly associated with perceiving such repercussions and family wealth to decrease the perception of repercussions of the recession. Conclusions: Findings enhance our understanding of how Portuguese youth are being affected by the socioeconomic conditions surrounding them. Such information contributes to improve future research and also allow some considerations about the policies aimed at protecting young people'swellbeing during a period of high unemployment and socioeconomic downturn.

Adolescent’s subjective perceptions of chronic disease and related psychosocial factors: Highlights from an outpatient context study

Background: Adolescents with chronic disease (CD) can be more vulnerable to adverse psychosocial outcomes. This study aims: 1) to identify differences in psychosocial variables (health-related quality of life, psychosomatic complaints, resilience, self-regulation and social support) among adolescents who feel that CD affects or does not affect school/peers connectedness (measured by self-reported participation in school and social activities); and 2) to assess the extent to which psychosocial variables are associated with connectedness in school and peer domains. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 135 adolescents with CD (51.9% boys), average age of 14 ± 1. 5 years old (SD = 1.5). Socio-demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables were assessed, using a self-reported questionnaire, which included the Chronic Conditions Short Questionnaire, KIDSCREEN-10 Index, Symptoms Check-List, Healthy Kids Resilience Assessment Module Scale, Adolescent Self-Regulatory Inventory, and Satisfaction with Social Support Scale. Descriptive statistics, GLM-Univariate ANCOVA and Logistic Regression were performed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22.0. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: Thirteen to eighteen percent of the adolescents felt that CD affected participation at school (PSCH) and participation in leisure time with friends (PLTF). These adolescents presented lower results for all psychosocial study variables, when compared with adolescents who did not feel affected in both areas of participation. From the studied psychosocial variables, the most important ones associated with PSCH (after controlling for age, gender, diagnosis, and education level of father/mother) were self-regulation and psychosomatic health. Concerning the PLTF, social support was the sole variable explaining such association. Conclusions: The present study pointed out the association between psychosocial variables; and living with a CD and school/peers connectedness. The need to focus on the assessment of the effects of a CD on adolescents’ lives and contexts is suggested, as well as on the identification of vulnerable adolescents. Such identification could help to facilitate the maximization of social participation of adolescents with CD, and to plan interventions centered on providing support and opportunities for a healthy youth development. For that purpose, a complex and multifactorial approach that includes clinicians, schools, family, and peers may be proposed.

Aceitação e eficácia de um programa de intervenção psicoeducativa para pais de crianças com asma: Estudo exploratório

Considerando a importância que a educação sobre a asma deve assumir no plano de gestão familiar da doença, e a falta de programas deste tipo em Portugal, construímos uma intervenção psicoeducativa breve para pais de crianças com asma entre os 7 e os 13 anos, visando a aquisição de atitudes mais positivas na gestão da doença. O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a aceitação, eficácia e a satisfação relativa ao programa intervenção. Completaram a intervenção 10 mães, tendo participado nas 3 sessões de grupo e nos 3 momentos de avaliação (linha de base, final da intervenção e follow-up a 9 meses). Para além da recolha de informação sociodemográfica e clínica, aplicaram-se dois questionários, um de conhecimentos sobre a asma e outro de qualidade de vida da criança (DISABKIDS-37, versões pais e criança). Utilizou-se também uma entrevista sobre a gestão da asma pela família (FAMSS) na avaliação inicial e no follow-up. Os resultados evidenciaram uma melhoria moderada no conhecimento dos pais e nas práticas de gestão da asma, confirmando a utilidade de incluir a intervenção psicoeducativa nos cuidados às crianças com asma.

Ideação suicida nos estudantes universitários

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário