Psychometric properties of the Coping Response Inventory with Brazilian adolescents

To analyze the psychometric properties of the Coping Response Inventory-Youth Form (CRI-Y) and its applicability, 426 Brazilian adolescents (43.3% boys, 56.7% girls), ages 12 to 18 years (M = 16.5, SD = 1.6), completed the authorized Brazilian/Portuguese version of the 1993 original. Analysis showed higher use of Approach coping and Emotional Discharge by the girls. The inventory showed internal consistency reliability was similar to that of the original scale. A two-factor structure reflecting Approach and Avoidance coping was found; however, the distribution of loadings of specific coping scales on this two-factor structure did not fit the original Moos model. The criterion validity analyzed by the use of the Youth Self-Report showed significant positive relation between the Avoidance dimension and Psychopathological symptoms for boys and girls. Data were discussed with respect to coping theory, assessment, and cultural influences.     

Effects of providing advance cues during a soccer penalty kick on the kicker's rate of success

The effect of explicitly providing goalkeeper's movement advanced cue to the kicker during a real penalty kick task was assessed. 32 expert soccer players (M age= 23.2 yr.), who were divided into four groups: an experimental group, a discovery group, a placebo group, and a control group, participated. Rate of success in the task was assessed, as well as goals, decision times, and ball flight times. Providing an advance cue significantly improved the players' rate of success relative to players without the advance cue; this difference was still present after 1 and 7 days without training. The experimental group adapted better to the time range within which the response could be effective, while the discovery group showed adaptations. Explicit instructions about the advance cues available from goalkeepers' actions before the dive during practice can improve penalty kick performance.     

Predictors of healthcare resource use in fibromyalgia

This work identifies which psychosocial, clinical and perceived health status factors predict health-resource use in Fibromyalgia (FM), considering the patients' assistance level. Participants were 315 FM patients from Primary Care (PC: n=101) and Rheumatology Services (RS: n=214). Stepwise regression analysis showed that self-efficacy variables were significant predictors of medication intake in PC, and, along with Illness-focused coping, of the health service use. In RS, perceived health status was the best predictor of medication intake. In any case, Pain intensity significantly predicted the use of health resources. These data offer a new perspective for intervention in these patients, taking into account the level of assistance.     

Quality of life in patients with alcohol dependence disorder with personality disorders: relation to psychological adjustment and craving

The purpose of this study is to determine the self-perceived quality of life of abstinent patients with alcohol dependence disorder during the first month of treatment, and how the presence of personality disorders, psychological adjustment, and the level of craving affect this perception. For this purpose, a sample was used comprising 65 participants with mean age of 43.26 years, of whom 70.8% were male and 29.2% female, with a mean duration of addiction to alcohol consumption of 11.83 years. The results show that quality of life is not related to the duration of abstinence or the course of the addiction. Moreover, the patients who present a personality disorder perceive poorer quality of life in areas such as health status, mood, and social relations. Self-perception of quality of life is affected by psychological adjustment and beliefs about craving. These data should be taken into account when considering quality of life as a measurement of the effectiveness of a treatment for drug addicts with personality disorders.     

Relationship between perceived health care quality and attitude toward substance abuse treatment

Despite the considerable investment made in recent years in Spain in substance abuse care, treatment adherence remains one of the aspects that determine the effectiveness of programs. Several authors have noted the importance of perceived service quality in this context. This paper is presented with dual purpose of highlighting the role that management of the quality of care for drug addicts has, both as a modulator of users' attitudes and perceptions about the treatment, and as a work philosophy, typical of an organization committed to continuous improvement. Conducting personal interviews with 670 users of drug abuse care services in Galicia and through the application of covariance structure analysis, the close relationship between two factors (perceived quality and attitude toward treatment) was revealed. This research also provides professionals and researchers with a new scale for service evaluation that is short, easy to use and with adequate psychometric properties.     

Comorbidity between SCARED anxiety factors and depressive symptomatology in 8- to 12-year-old children

The aim of this study was to examine the comorbidity between the SCARED anxiety factors and depressive symptoms in 8-12-year-old children. Participants were 792 girls and 715 boys, who completed: the 41-ítem version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorder (SCARED), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and a Socio-demographic questionnaire. Of the sample, 47% showed anxiety symptoms and 11.5% showed depressive symptoms. Heterotypic comorbidity was 82% in children at risk of depression and 20% in children at risk of anxiety. Homotypic Comorbidity between anxiety factors was 87%. Homotypic comorbidity and heterotypic comorbidity were high; their early detection will prevent the continuity of an anxious disorder and the development of depression.     

Psychological care demand in clinical practice: treatment and results

With the aim of describing the usual clinical context as opposed to the academic or research context, the characteristics of patients and psychological treatments applied in a sample of 856 patients from the Clinic of Psychology of the Complutense University is analyzed. The disorders that require attention, the characteristics of the therapists and their interventions are identified. Out of the total patients, 24.3% withdrew from treatment; 68.3% of the patients who started treatment completed it with therapeutic success. 83% of patients were assessed in 4 sessions or fewer (median=4). 75.3% of patients who finished the treatment received 18 or fewer treatment sessions (median=11). The generalization of the results and their implications for professional clinical practice and for training clinical psychologists are discussed.     

Successful aging: criteria and predictors

In the Anglo-Saxon scientific literature, successful aging has been consolidated during the last four decades. Nevertheless, several terms have been used as synonymous: healthy, active, productive, optimal, positive aging. Although, all these terms have been described through a broad set of bio-psycho-social factors, usually, research in this field reduces successful aging to daily life functioning and physical health. Also, in spite of the fact that authors consider that determinants might be multi-domain, empirical research usually reduces them to life styles. Logically, the prevalence of this kind of ageing found empirically is not very consistent and research of its determinants or predictors refers to biomedical conditions. In this study, data from 458 participants (170 males and 288 females; mean age: 66.47, range: 55-75) from ELEA ("Longitudinal Study of Active Aging") were examined. The results show (depending on the simple or multidimensional definitions used) a very varied range of proportions of successfully aging older persons as well as a large number of multi-domain predictors of successful ageing, among which are intelligence, personality and motivational psychological characteristics.     

Incidence of anovulatory menstrual cycles among dysmenorrheic and non-non-dysmenorrheic [corrected] women: effects on symptomatology and mood

The incidence of spontaneous anovulatory (SA) menstrual cycles among dysmenorrheic and non-dysmenorrheic women and their effects on symptomatology and mood were examined in 52 university students distributed into two groups (18 dysmenorrheic women and 34 non-dysmenorrheic women) according to the presence or absence of symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea. Women were tested in menstrual, ovulatory and premenstrual phases. In order to estimate the proportion of ovulatory and SA cycles the basal body temperature (BBT) method was used. Results indicated that the percentage of SA cycles found in dysmenorrheic women does not confirm that primary dysmenorrhea only occurs in ovulatory cycles. In addition, the ovulatory cycles did not present greater symptomatology than the anovulatory cycles in self-rating of negative affect. In fact, menstrual symptomatology was not associated with ovulatory cycles. These data confirm that primary dysmenorrhea does not only depend on the endocrine factors which regulate the menstrual cycle but also on other factors such as social or psychological ones.     

Effect of a retention interval between pre-exposure and conditioning on latent inhibition in humans using a blink conditioning procedure

Latent inhibition, retarded learning after pre-exposure to the to-be-conditioned stimulus, was examined using a blink conditioned procedure in humans. Experiment 1 showed that the procedure is suited to inducing the latent inhibition effect. In Experiment 2, the introduction of a 3-minute interval between pre-exposure and conditioning phases attenuated latent inhibition. These results contribute to identify the mechanisms involved in pre-exposure and subsequent conditioning of a stimulus, which is particularly important if we bear in mind that latent inhibition has been used repeatedly as an instrument to analyze the course of attentional processes in normal and pathological populations.