Predicting harsh discipline in at-risk mothers: the moderating effect of socioeconomic deprivation severity

Socioeconomic disadvantage is an important predictor of maternal harsh discipline, but few studies have examined risk mechanisms for harsh parenting within disadvantaged samples. In the present study, parenting stress, family conflict, and child difficult temperament are examined as predictors of maternal harsh discipline among a group of 58 mothers from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and their young children between the ages of 1- to 4-years-old. Maternal harsh discipline was measured using standardized observations, and mothers reported on parenting stress, family conflict, and child temperament. Severity of socioeconomic deprivation was included as a moderator in these associations. Results showed that parenting stress and family conflict predicted maternal harsh discipline, but only in the most severely deprived families. These findings extend prior research on the processes through which socioeconomic deprivation severity and family functioning impact maternal harsh discipline within a high-risk sample of low-income families. They suggest that the spillover of negative parental functioning into parent–child interactions is particularly likely under conditions of substantial socioeconomic deprivation. Severity of socioeconomic stress seems to undermine maternal adaptive forms of coping, resulting in harsh disciplining practices. Intervention efforts aimed at improving parenting and family relations, as well as an adaptive coping style assume especial relevance.

Quality of life in women with urinary incontinence

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship among psychological, clinical and sociodemographic variables, and quality of life in women with urinary incontinence. The sample consisted of 80 women diagnosed with urinary incontinence (UI) followed in a Northern Central Hospital in Portugal. Participants answered the Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL); Satisfaction with Sexual Relationship Questionnaire (SSRQ); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS) and the Brief Cope. The results revealed that women with higher quality of life considered their symptoms of urine loss as mild or moderated compared to those with severe urine loss. The less severe urine loss was associated with greater sexual satisfaction and less use of religion and self-blame as coping strategies. In terms of coping, women who considered the loss of urine as severe expressed more feelings regarding UI. Stress urinary incontinence, high sexual satisfaction, and less use of denial, distraction, and religion as coping strategies, predicted higher quality of life. According to the results, UI has an impact on women’s sexual satisfaction and quality of life. Therefore, intervention programs should target these women, including their partners, helping them to adjust to their condition and teaching effective coping strategies in order to improve their sexual satisfaction and quality of life.

Qualidade de vida, otimismo, enfrentamento, morbidade psicológica e estresse familiar em pacientes com cancer colorretal em quimioterapia

Este estudo avaliou as relações entre a qualidade de vida, otimismo, enfrentamento, morbidade psicológica e estresse familiar, os preditores da qualidade de vida e da morbidade psicológica e analisou as diferenças nestas variáveis em função do sexo, do tipo e da duração do tratamento, idade e nível de escolaridade em pacientes com câncer colorretal. Uma amostra de 100 pacientes em tratamento de quimioterapia participou no estudo. Os resultados revelaram que as mulheres, os pacientes diagnosticados nos últimos 12 meses e os que realizaram cirurgia/quimioterapia apresentam maior risco de desenvolver morbidade psicológica. A depressão mostrou ser um preditor da qualidade de vida. A idade e a escolaridade mostraram ser relevantes particularmente ao nível das estratégias de enfrentamento utilizadas e na qualidade de vida. Os resultados enfatizam a necessidade das intervenções focarem a morbidade, otimismo e ter em consideração o gênero, a duração do diagnóstico e o tipo de tratamento, em particular.

The mediator role of psychological morbidity in patients with chronic low back pain in differentiated treatments

This study analyzed the mediating role of psychological morbidity and the variables that discriminated low versus high disability, in patients receiving physiotherapy and acupuncture. A total of 203 patients answered measures of illness and medication representations, coping, depression, anxiety, quality of life, and functional disability. Morbidity was a mediator between functional disability and quality of life. Treatment consequences and quality of life, in the acupuncture group, and emotional representations, quality of life, depression, anxiety, and active strategies for pain relief, in the physiotherapy group, discriminated patients with low versus high disability. These results have important implications for identifying high-risk patients.

Accuracy comparison of implant impression techniques: A systematic review

Background Several studies link the seamless fit of implant-supported prosthesis with the accuracy of the dental impression technique obtained during acquisition. In addition, factors such as implant angulation and coping shape contribute to implant misfit. Purpose To identify the most accurate impression technique and factors affecting the impression accuracy. Material and Methods A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted analyzing articles published between 2009 and 2013. The following search terms were used: implant impression, impression accuracy, and implant misfit. A total of 417 articles was identified, 32 were selected for review. Results All 32 selected studies refer to in vitro studies. Fourteen articles compare open and closed impression technique, 8 advocate the open technique and 6 report similar results. Other 14 articles evaluate splinted and non-splinted techniques; all advocating the splinted technique. Polyether material usage was reported in 9; 6 studies tested vinyl polysiloane and 1 study used irreversible hydrocolloid. Eight studies evaluated different copings designs. Intra-oral optical devices were compared in 4 studies. Conclusions The most accurate results were achieved with two configurations: (1) the optical intra-oral system with powder; and (2) the open technique with splinted squared transfer copings, using polyether as impression material.

The role of IFNγ in higher brain function: in health and under chronic stress

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Saúde

Emotional and behavioral problems in preschoolers: risk factors and assessment Issues

Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia Aplicada.

Desenvolvimento de talentos no desporto : aspectos psicológicos

A presente investigação tem como principal objetivo compreender a relevância de diversos fatores sociodemográficos e psicossociais inerentes ao desenvolvimento do talento em contexto desportivo, numa perspectiva multidimensional. Procedeu-se a uma avaliação quantitativa de jogadores de futebol, integrados num clube de elite, com idades compreendidas entre os 13 e os 19 anos. No sentido de avaliar os construtos psicológicos considerados no presente estudo (motivação, perfecionismo, suporte parental, resiliencia, coping e compromisso) foram utilizados os seguintes questionários: Sport Motivation Scale - SMS (Pelletier et al., 1995); Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale – MPS (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990); Own Memories of Parental Rearing – EMBU (Perris, Jacobson, Lindstörm, Von Knorring, & Perris, 1980); Resilience Scale – RS (Wagnild & Young, 1993); Athletic Coping Skills – ACSI 28 (Smith, Schutz, Smoll, & Ptacek, 1995); e Elite Athlete Commitment Scale – EACS (Ramadas, Serpa, Rosado, Gouveia & Maroco, 2013). A significância da variável nível de prestação (elite/sub-elite; dispensados/retidos) sobre os diversos constructos psicológicos foi avaliada através da análise da covariância multivariada (MANCOVA), da análise de equações estruturais (CBSEM) e da técnica de míninos quadrados parciais (PLS). Os jogadores mais bem sucedidos (jogadores de elite e jogadores retidos) percecionaram maior suporte parental, demonstraram níveis mais elevados de compromisso, resiliência, autodeterminação, capacidade de adaptação e confronto, assim como um perfeccionismo ajustado. No que concerne às variáveis sociodemográficas, constatou-se que os jogadores retidos jogam predominantemente no segundo ano do respetivo grupo de idade e têm uma idade inferior aos jogadores dispensados. Os resultados obtidos poderão constituir um relevante suporte para futuros programas educacionais que incidam sobre temáticas relacionadas com os compromissos necessários à prossecução e manutenção de níveis de elite, estratégias de coping, gestão da rotina diária, e o papel dos pais no processo de formação do jovem desportista.

Enfoques sobre la ciudadanía. Philosophical Perspectives on Citizenship.

La necesidad que da origen al presente proyecto se relaciona con la ausencia de un tratamiento de la cuestión de la ciudadanía que haga interactuar distintos enfoques filosóficos -el principal indicador de esta carencia es la ausencia de producciones académicas que den cuenta de la complejidad que adquiere la temática si se la aborda desde los problemas que nos proporcionan otras perspectivas filosóficas y políticas-. En este sentido, el problema general del proyecto apunta a hacer discutir diferentes abordajes conceptuales para pensar la ciudadanía. Específicamente, trabajamos a partir de dos enfoques: 1) la discusión entre liberales y comunitaristas y sus actuales derivas y 2) la cuestión de la biopolítica y su relación con la temática de la ciudadanía. Se procura revisar la discusión liberales-comunitaristas propia de las ciencias políticas, interpelándola a partir de conceptos como los de dominación, relaciones de poder, control sobre la vida, disciplina, entre otros provenientes de la filosofía práctica, la teoría social, las ciencias de la educación, etc. Nuestra investigación parte de la hipótesis de que hacer discutir las problemáticas que se disputan liberales-comunitaristas, con la Teoría Crítica de la Escuela de Frankfurt y con los recientes fenómenos biopolíticos, permite un abordaje que atiende a la efectiva complejidad de las prácticas de ciudadanía en nuestra vida en común en las sociedades democráticas contemporáneas. Esto permitirá complejizar los presupuestos con los que tradicionalmente se ha pensado la ciudadanía, a partir sobre todo de los fenómenos socio-políticos más recientes, como los nuevos movimientos sociales, las discusiones acerca de la legislación del aborto y la eutanasia, los esfuerzos de los estados nacionales por incrementar medidas de seguridad que van desde la imposición de fuertes barreras a la inmigración hasta la realización de guerras preventivas. Entendemos que estos, entre otros fenómenos, desafían la hermenéutica tradicional sobre la ciudadanía. Es de esta manera que se buscará comprender los límites y alcances de las ideas de ciudadanía, entendiéndola como un concepto histórico formador de subjetividades. La metodología se basa en una perspectiva interdisciplinaria que proporciona las herramientas para un análisis conceptual de la temática de la ciudadanía. Esta metodología está orientada al desarrollo de un marco teórico que resulte productivo para investigaciones de campo en las ciencias sociales, así como también para la elaboración de un material bibliográfico destinado a docentes abocados a la ciudadanía. Otro de los propósitos fundamentales es el de formar una red entre diferentes equipos de investigación a nivel nacional a partir de las “I Jornadas Nacionales sobre Ciudadanía” y de la organización de un seminario especializado con un profesor visitante. As far as the general topic of citizenship concerns philosophy, the theoretical problem of how to reconcile the different perspectives, assuming that this is an enterprise that can be done, remains an open question. Furthermore, the absence of academic material dealing with the problem seems to be a good indicator of this tendency. The main focus of the present Project aims at coping with some of the most notorious theoretical approaches to citizenship. More specifically, we will analyze the next two approaches: 1) the debate libertarians-communitarians and 2) the relationship between biopolitics and citizenship. Our purpose is to revise the discussion libertarians-communitarians incorporating concepts such as domination, power-relationships, life-control, among others that find their roots in practical philosophy, social theory, education and so on. To the extent that theories of citizenship are only provided with the usual conceptual machinery, some of the most remarkable phenomena of our democratic societies will stand for them out of reach: the existence of new social movements, abortion and euthanasia, inmigration, etc. Our hypothesis is that by making the debate libertarians-communitarians interact with the Critical Theory as well as with biopolitical concepts, we will be in a better position to try to understand these diverse phenomena. With the development of some sort of a new hermeneutics, we expect to criticize the old ideas related to citizenship and to re-elaborate them in a way that allows us to understand this concept in a less-fundamental, historical sense. Methodologically, we will adopt a multi-dimensional approach which expects to be fruitful to many other investigations in the area of social sciences. The Project pretends to be useful as a consultation resource for educators in a bibliographical index to design their curricula. At the same time,a seminar with a visiting profesor, the organization of a Congres will be our main objectives.

Percepción de riesgo, estrés y consumo de drogas. Estudio transcultural entre adolescentes de Barcelona y Bogotá

Este estudio explora las diferencias en los hábitos de consumo de sustancias psicoactivas, entre jóvenes de Barcelona y Bogotá. Evalúa la influencia de la percepción de riesgo sobre hábitos de consumo y estrategias de afrontamiento. Adicionalmente examina la influencia de la gravedad percibida de una situación estresante sobre estas últimas. Participaron 865 jóvenes de ambas ciudades, entre los 15 y los 18 años. Se utilizaron las variables de riesgo estudiadas por Benthin, Slovic y Severson (1993) para evaluar la percepción de riesgo. Los hábitos de consumo se evaluaron mediante la frecuencia, la intención de consumo, así como la edad de inicio. Se utilizó el CRI:Youth de Moos (1992) para determinar las estrategias de afrontamiento y la valoración del problema estresante. Se encontró que existen diferencias en la edad en que se inicia el consumo de alcohol y en la que se embriagan por primera vez según el género, la ciudad donde residen y la edad del adolescente. Los jóvenes de Barcelona tienen una propensión y un consumo real de marihuana y tabaco mayor que los jóvenes de Bogotá. Percibir placer o beneficios predice un incremento en la intención y la frecuencia de consumo de la mayoría de las sustancias. La facilidad para acceder a éstas sólo presenta una asociación con el uso frecuente del tabaco. Los datos sugieren que la gravedad percibida de estresores relativos a las drogas y la ciudad de residencia tienen un efecto sobre la utilización de las estrategias de evitación y aproximación cognitiva. Adicionalmente no se detectaron diferencias en función de las estrategias de afrontamiento empleadas según las variables de percepción de riesgo a excepción de la presión percibida, la cual aumenta el uso de la reevaluación del problema y la búsqueda de recompensas.

La influència del dolor i els factors relacionats amb el dolor sobre el nivell de funcionament dels joves entre 8 i 16 anys d'edat

Projecte de recerca elaborat a partir d’una estada al Pain Management Unit de la University of Bath-Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Disease, a Gran Bretanya, entre juliol i octubre del 2006. El dolor i la discapacitat que hi va associada són experiències comunes. Les relacions entre variables de tipus biològic, social i psicològic han estat rarament investigades en mostres de nens que informen de dolor però extrets de contextos no clínics. L’objectiu d'aquest estudi va ser identificar els predictors de funcionament ens nens escolaritzats, que informaven que el dolor era una experiència força freqüent. Mig miler de nens d'entre 8 i 16 anys i els seus pares van participar en aquest estudi de disseny transversal. Informació de tipus biològic, social i psicològic era recollida a través d'entrevistes individualitzades amb els nens i la complementació de qüestionaris auto-informats per pares. El nivell funcionament del nen va ser avaluat a partir de 4 indicadors: auto-informes de qualitat de vida, assistència a l'escola, implicació en activitats físiques i/o esportives fòra de l'escola, i implicació en activitats de tipus sedentari. Es van recollir diversos tipus de variables psicològiques referents a l’afrontament del nen davant del dolor i tipus d'atenció dels pares a les conductes de dolor dels seu fill. Els resultats mostren un patró variable en funció de la mesura de funcionament específica utilitzada. Més específicament, s'ha proposat que la resposta de por a les experiències de dolor diàries pot ser un important predictor de funcionament. Són necessaris més estudis sobre la relació entre dolor i nivell d'implicació en conductes actives o sedentàries en nens.

On the fate of sexual traits under asexuality.

Environmental shifts and life-history changes may result in formerly adaptive traits becoming non-functional or maladaptive. In the absence of pleiotropy and other constraints, such traits may decay as a consequence of neutral mutation accumulation or selective processes, highlighting the importance of natural selection for adaptations. A suite of traits are expected to lose their adaptive function in asexual organisms derived from sexual ancestors, and the many independent transitions to asexuality allow for comparative studies of parallel trait maintenance versus decay. In addition, because certain traits, notably male-specific traits, are usually not exposed to selection under asexuality, their decay would have to occur as a consequence of drift. Selective processes could drive the decay of traits associated with costs, which may be the case for the majority of sexual traits expressed in females. We review the fate of male and female sexual traits in 93 animal lineages characterized by asexual reproduction, covering a broad taxon range including molluscs, arachnids, diplopods, crustaceans and eleven different hexapod orders. Many asexual lineages are still able occasionally to produce males. These asexually produced males are often largely or even fully functional, revealing that major developmental pathways can remain quiescent and functional over extended time periods. By contrast, for asexual females, there is a parallel and rapid decay of sexual traits, especially of traits related to mate attraction and location, as expected given the considerable costs often associated with the expression of these traits. The level of decay of female sexual traits, in addition to asexual females being unable to fertilize their eggs, would severely impede reversals to sexual reproduction, even in recently derived asexual lineages. More generally, the parallel maintenance versus decay of different trait types across diverse asexual lineages suggests that neutral traits display little or no decay even after extended periods under relaxed selection, while extensive decay for selected traits occurs extremely quickly. These patterns also highlight that adaptations can fix rapidly in natural populations of asexual organisms, in spite of their mode of reproduction.

Genetics of decayed sexual traits in a parasitoid wasp with endosymbiont-induced asexuality.

Trait decay may occur when selective pressures shift, owing to changes in environment or life style, rendering formerly adaptive traits non-functional or even maladaptive. It remains largely unknown if such decay would stem from multiple mutations with small effects or rather involve few loci with major phenotypic effects. Here, we investigate the decay of female sexual traits, and the genetic causes thereof, in a transition from haplodiploid sexual reproduction to endosymbiont-induced asexual reproduction in the parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica. We take advantage of the fact that asexual females cured of their endosymbionts produce sons instead of daughters, and that these sons can be crossed with sexual females. By combining behavioral experiments with crosses designed to introgress alleles from the asexual into the sexual genome, we found that sexual attractiveness, mating, egg fertilization and plastic adjustment of offspring sex ratio (in response to variation in local mate competition) are decayed in asexual A. japonica females. Furthermore, introgression experiments revealed that the propensity for cured asexual females to produce only sons (because of decayed sexual attractiveness, mating behavior and/or egg fertilization) is likely caused by recessive genetic effects at a single locus. Recessive effects were also found to cause decay of plastic sex-ratio adjustment under variable levels of local mate competition. Our results suggest that few recessive mutations drive decay of female sexual traits, at least in asexual species deriving from haplodiploid sexual ancestors.

Female residents experiencing medical errors in general internal medicine: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Doctors, especially doctors-in-training such as residents, make errors. They have to face the consequences even though today's approach to errors emphasizes systemic factors. Doctors' individual characteristics play a role in how medical errors are experienced and dealt with. The role of gender has previously been examined in a few quantitative studies that have yielded conflicting results. In the present study, we sought to qualitatively explore the experience of female residents with respect to medical errors. In particular, we explored the coping mechanisms displayed after an error. This study took place in the internal medicine department of a Swiss university hospital. METHODS: Within a phenomenological framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight female residents in general internal medicine. All interviews were audiotaped, fully transcribed, and thereafter analyzed. RESULTS: Seven main themes emerged from the interviews: (1) A perception that there is an insufficient culture of safety and error; (2) The perceived main causes of errors, which included fatigue, work overload, inadequate level of competences in relation to assigned tasks, and dysfunctional communication; (3) Negative feelings in response to errors, which included different forms of psychological distress; (4) Variable attitudes of the hierarchy toward residents involved in an error; (5) Talking about the error, as the core coping mechanism; (6) Defensive and constructive attitudes toward one's own errors; and (7) Gender-specific experiences in relation to errors. Such experiences consisted in (a) perceptions that male residents were more confident and therefore less affected by errors than their female counterparts and (b) perceptions that sexist attitudes among male supervisors can occur and worsen an already painful experience. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers an in-depth account of how female residents specifically experience and cope with medical errors. Our interviews with female residents convey the sense that gender possibly influences the experience with errors, including the kind of coping mechanisms displayed. However, we acknowledge that the lack of a direct comparison between female and male participants represents a limitation while aiming to explore the role of gender.

Thérapie cognitive et comportementale pour les hallucinations auditives résistantes au traitement neuroleptique

The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and the efficacy of a cognitive and behavior therapy manual for auditory hallucinations with persons suffering from schizophrenia in a French-speaking environment and under natural clinical conditions. Eight patients met ICD-10 criteria for paranoid schizophrenia, 2 for hebephrenic schizophrenia and 1 for schizoaffective disorder. All were hearing voices daily. Patients followed the intervention for 3 to 6 months according to their individual rhythms. Participants filled up questionnaires at pre-test, post-test and three months follow-up. The instruments were the Belief About Voice Questionnaire--Revised and two seven points scales about frequency of hallucinations and attribution of the source of the voices. Results show a decrease of voices' frequency and improvement in attributing the voices rather to an internal than to an external source. Malevolent or benevolent beliefs about voices are significantly decreased at follow-up as well as efforts at coping with hallucinations. Results should be interpreted with caution because of the small number of subjects. The sample may not be representative of patients with persistent symptoms since there is an over representation of patients with benevolent voices and an under representation of patients with substance misuse