Portal das Publicações Periódicas do ISPA-Instituto Universitário (- Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida)
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Parental experiences of grief after perinatal loss: A qualitative systematic review
Get PDFPerinatal loss disrupts the journey to parenthood, halting dreams and expectations surrounding the child and family. This study presents a systematic review of qualitative research on parental grief following perinatal loss, exploring emotional responses, gender differences, relational impacts, and the role of healthcare professionals. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches in Web of Science and Scopus identified 23 qualitative studies published between 2013 and 2023. Findings show that perinatal loss triggers profound distress, initially marked by shock, denial, and numbness, followed by guilt, envy, and isolation. Gender differences emerged: mothers more openly expressed grief, while fathers tended to suppress emotions. Healthcare professionals played a crucial role, with empathetic communication easing distress and insensitivity worsening grief. These results underscore the need for gender-sensitive and relationship-focused interventions to support parents coping with perinatal loss
Intervention mediated by the arts with a group of institutionalized young Angolan females
Get PDFSub-Saharan Africa faces immense challenges at various levels, including in mental health. We aim to understand the effectiveness of an arts-based intervention with particularly vulnerable populations. In this quasi-experimental study, with pre and post-tests, and non-randomized experimental and control groups, we describe an intervention with institutionalized female adolescents from Angola and report changes in anxiety and depression levels, and on their subjective experiences.Quantitative data shows that the post-test anxiety and depression levels of experimental group participants were lower than all the other groups/moments. Qualitative data shows: (1) that participantsexperienced personal growth, understood in terms of self-cceptance, responsibility and self confidence; hope, expressed by the desire to continue developing skills and to live a purposeful life; and a greater interconnectedness with the broader system of the reception center; (2) an increase in focus, dynamism and spontaneity, results that are seldom reported in the literature.This study reflects the importance of offering arts-based programs for adolescents from vulnerable backgrounds, namely residents of institutional care units and that this programs should be guided bythe principles of freedom of expression and non-judgement
Reputation in social perception: Validation of trustworthy and untrustworthy behavioural descriptions in European Portuguese
Get PDFReputation is an important cue for person perception and adequate behaviour. Its influence on behaviour might override first impressions from faces and constitutes an important information forintegrating person perception and creating predictions of other’s behaviour. The purpose of the present study was to create and validate a set of sentences describing “trustworthy” and “untrustworthy” previous behaviour (reputation). We generated a set of 97 sentences that were divided into three groups: trustworthy, untrustworthy and neutral. Trustworthy sentences elicited higher perceived trustworthiness compared to both neutral and untrustworthy sentences. Untrustworthy sentences elicited lower perceived trustworthiness compared to neutral sentences. This material seems to be effective in manipulatingperceived trustworthiness and could be used as stimuli in the study of Spontaneous Trait Inferences
Parental reactions to children’s negative emotions and their emotion regulation in the early school years: The mediating role of parental competence
Get PDFParents are the primary agents of emotion socialization and play a crucial role in their children’s emotion regulation. In this context, it is important to investigate how parents’ reaction to children’s negative emotions are related to their children’s emotional regulation, as well as possible mechanisms in this association, such as parental competence. The present study aimed to analyse the association between parental reactions to children’s negative emotions and their emotional regulation, mediated by parental competence. Parents (129 mothers and 45 fathers) of a child (n = 174) who attended the first cycle of basic education (M = 7.89; SD = 1.32; 50.6% girls) reported about their perception of reactions to children’s negative emotions, parental competence, and children’s emotion regulation. Data was collected online. Mediation analysis revealed that supportive reactions were related to children’s greater emotion regulation, whereas nonsupportive ones were related to children’s greater emotional lability/negativity. Importantly, these direct effects were differently mediated by parental self-efficacy and satisfaction (i.e., parental competence). The findings highlight the influence of parenting on children’s socioemotional adjustment and may inform intervention programs targeting parents and young children
Exploring the impact of anxiety and depression symptoms on cognitive functions throughout aging
Get PDFAbstract: Objective: Examine the correlation between depressive and anxiety symptoms and cognitive performance across adulthood, with particular attention to differences observed across age groups. Methods: 154 participants (45 young adults, 61 middle-aged adults, and 48 older adults) underwent neuropsychological assessment to evaluate cognitive performance and psychopathological symptomatology. Multivariate analyses were conducted with age group as the between-subject factor and sex and years of education as covariates. Partial correlations, controlling for sex and education, were used to examine the associations between emotional symptoms and cognitive performance in the total sample and by age group. Results: Young and middle-aged adults outperformed older adults across multiple domains, confirming the pattern of age-related cognitive decline. No significant differences were found in verbal fluency. Depressive and anxiety symptoms did not differ significantly between groups. Correlational analyses revealed no significant associations between depressive symptoms and cognitive performance in any group. Anxiety symptoms were negatively associated with executive functions and global cognition in the total sample, and these associations were stronger among older adults, extending to marginal associations with visuospatial working memory and cognitive flexibility. Conclusion: These findings suggest that anxiety symptoms, even below diagnostic thresholds, can negatively impact cognitive functioning, highlighting a modifiable vulnerability factor. Subclinical depressive symptoms showed no measurable impact. The results underscore the importance of investigating anxiety symptoms as a potential risk factor for cognitive performance across the lifespan and of developing strategies to promote cognitive health and preserve autonomy
Agir rapidamente com base nos sentimentos!: Teorias ingénuas dos jogadores de futsal sobre o uso dos sentimentos no decorrer das suas ações
No full textAbstract: Athletes often report relying on their gut feelings to guide their decisions. This paper examines this reliance through a social-cognitive approach, focusing on players’ beliefs about how they use feelings, thoughts, or a simple assessment of the situation when making decisions. In Study 1, we first asked athletes about how they define “actions” and “changes of action” in a sports context and then inquired them about how they would justify their decisions to make such changes – whether through feelings, thinking, or a simple apprehension of the situation. Study 2 replicates these questions and explores whether the justifications for changes of action vary in different contextual characteristics (ambiguity, dynamism, or complexity) represented through a set of futsal game scenarios (photos). The results of both studies clearly show that, although athletes believe they make decisions based on all three sources of information, they predominantly rely on their feelings to guide most of their action decisions, particularly when the actions are fast-paced, dynamic, and complex. These findings are discussed in relation to theories that highlight the role of feelings as a valuable source of information in decision-making and action.Resumo: Frequentemente ouvimos atletas relatar que tomaram as suas decisões com base no que estavam a sentir. Este artigo parte de uma abordagem sociocognitiva para analisar a confiança que os atletas depositam nesses seus sentimentos, explorando as crenças que os jogadores têm sobre como usam os seus sentimentos, pensamentos ou meras avaliações das situações para tomar decisões. No Estudo 1, começámos por questionar atletas sobre como definem “ações” e “mudanças de ação” no contexto desportivo, e em seguida indagámo-los sobre possíveis justificações para mudanças de ação – se estas ocorrem com base em sentimentos, pensamentos ou numa avaliação da situação no imediato. O Estudo 2 replica estas questões e explora se as justificações para mudanças de ação variam consoante diferentes características contextuais (como a ambiguidade, o dinamismo ou a complexidade), representadas num conjunto de cenários (fotografias) de jogo de futsal. Os resultados de ambos os estudos mostram que, embora os atletas relatem tomar as suas decisões com base nas três fontes de informação, tendem a confiar predominantemente nos seus sentimentos para orientar a maioria das suas decisões, sobretudo quando estas dizem respeito a ações rápidas, dinâmicas e complexas. Estes resultados são discutidos à luz das teorias que salientam o papel dos sentimentos como uma fonte valiosa de informação na tomada de decisão e na ação
O papel da dependência digital e da auto-eficácia na procrastinação académica: Um caso de professores Turcos em pré-serviço
No full textThe study examined the relationships between digital addictions, academic self-efficacy, and academic procrastination among pre-service teachers. The sample included 549 pre-service teachers who participated voluntarily, with 412 females and 137 males enrolled in various disciplines. Two models were constructed to investigate these relationships. The initial model showed negative relations between addiction to digital media or tools, academic self-efficacy, and the ability to complete academic tasks on time. Conversely, higher levels of academic self-efficacy decreased academic procrastination. Academic self-efficacy was also found to partially mediate the relationship between digital addiction and academic procrastination. The second model confirmed that addiction to digital media or tools negatively related to pre-service teachers’ ability to complete academic tasks on time. Similar to the first model, higher levels of academic self-efficacy were associated with lower levels of academic procrastination. As a result of the study, strategies based on literature were proposed to help pre-service teachers reduce digital addiction and enhance academic self-efficacy. It is believed that implementing these strategies will help students complete their academic tasks on time and improve their academic performance.O estudo examinou as relações entre as dependências digitais, a auto-eficácia académica e a procrastinação académica entre os professores em formação. A amostra incluiu 549 professores em formação que participaram voluntariamente, sendo 412 do sexo feminino e 137 do sexo masculino, inscritos em várias disciplinas. Foram construídos dois modelos para investigar estas relações. O modelo inicial mostrou relações negativas entre a dependência de meios ou ferramentas digitais, a auto-eficácia académica e a capacidade de concluir as tarefas académicas a tempo. Por outro lado, níveis mais elevados de auto-eficácia académica diminuíram a procrastinação académica. Verificou-se também que a auto-eficácia académica mediava parcialmente a relação entre a dependência digital e a procrastinação académica. O segundo modelo confirmou que a dependência de meios ou ferramentas digitais estava negativamente relacionada com a capacidade dos professores em formação para concluírem as tarefas académicas a tempo. À semelhança do primeiro modelo, níveis mais elevados de auto-eficácia académica foram associados a níveis mais baixos de procrastinação académica. Como resultado do estudo, foram propostas estratégias baseadas na literatura para ajudar os professores em formação a reduzir a dependência digital e a aumentar a auto-eficácia académica. Acredita-se que a implementação destas estratégias ajudará os estudantes a concluir as suas tarefas académicas a tempo e a melhorar o seu desempenho académico
Os princípios éticos dos psicólogos portugueses: Uma avaliação passados onze anos
No full textSeveral changes were implemented in the psychology profession after the Order of Portuguese Psychologists was created. A set of ethical principles to guide psychological practice was established. Eleven years after the several changes have been initiated in the professional practice in Portugal, this study analyzes whether there are changes in the valuation of the fundamental ethical principles of Portuguese psychologists. To this end, data from 2009 and 2020 was compared. On a grading scale from 1 to 5, Portuguese psychologists allotted the importance to each general principle. We found Competence and Responsibility decreased after 11 years, and Integrity and Beneficence and Non-Maleficence increased from 2009 to 2020. We also found that Psychologists with more experience valued more the Respect for people’s rights and dignity, Integrity, and Beneficence and non-maleficence than those with lesser years of experience. Order of Portuguese Psychologists and the existence of an ethics code seems to have improved the professional identityVárias mudanças foram sendo implementadas na profissão de psicólogo com a criação da Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses. Uma das mais importantes foi o estabelecimento de um conjunto de princípios éticos que visam orientar a prática psicológica. Onze anos após o seu estabelecimento e considerando as várias alterações na prática profissional da Psicologia em Portugal, este estudo pretende analisar se houve alterações na valorização dos princípios éticos por parte dos psicólogos portugueses. Deste modo, foram comparados dados de 2009 e 2020. Numa escala de 1 a 5, os psicólogos portugueses atribuíram importância a cada princípio geral. Constatou-se que os princípios da Competência e da Responsabilidade diminuíram na importância relativa atribuída, após 11 anos, quando comparados com a Integridade e a Beneficência e Não Maleficência. Também se verificou que psicólogos com mais experiência atribuem maior importância relativa aos princípios do Respeito pela dignidade e direitos das pessoas, Integridade e Beneficência e Não Maleficência quando comparados com profissionais com menos anos de experiência. A criação da Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses e a existência de um código deontológico parecem ter contribuído para o fortalecimento da identidade profissional
Estrutura fatorial, invariância de medida e fiabilidade da Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC) numa amostra de pais portugueses
No full textEmotion regulation is important for socioemotional and mental health development, with lifelong implications. The Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC; Shields & Cicchetti, 1997) is a widely used tool to assess emotional regulation and dysregulation in children. Despite wide use and translate into several languages, inconsistent findings have been found in its factorial structure across studies. This study addresses this gap by examining the factorial structure, reliability, and measurement invariance of the ERC in a Portuguese sample. A sample of 789 parents (mostly mothers, 90.9%) with children between 3 to 12 years old (49.3% preschoolers and 50.7% School-age) completed the scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed that the original two-factor model (Emotion Regulation and Lability/Negativity) reached an acceptable fit, however three items had to be removed, and two item residuals correlated. Full invariance was achieved regarding boys and girls. While, regarding age, only configural invariance was achieved, meaning that, different loadings should be expected between preschool and school-age children. Considering the final model the Cronbach’s alphas (α) was .66 for Emotion Regulation and .80 for Lability/Negativity. These findings provide some support for the use of the Portuguese parents’ version of the ERC with preschool and school-age children.Resumo: A regulação emocional é fundamental para o desenvolvimento sócio-emocional e da saúde mental, com implicações ao longo da vida. O Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC; Shields & Cicchetti, 1997) é um instrumento amplamente utilizado para avaliar a regulação e a desregulação emocional das crianças. Apesar do seu uso generalizado e de estar traduzido em diversas línguas, os resultados relativamente a estrutura fatorial não são consistentes. Este estudo examina estrutura fatorial, a fiabilidade do ERC, bem como a invariância da medida, numa amostra portuguesa. A amostra incluiu 789 pais (maioritariamente mães, 90.9%) com crianças entre os 3 e os 12 anos de idade (49.3% em idade pré-escolar e 50.7% em idade escolar), que preencheram a escala. A Análise Fatorial Confirmatória (AFC) revelou que o modelo original de dois fatores (Regulação Emocional e Labilidade/Negatividade) apresentou um ajustamento aceitável. No entanto, foi necessário remover três itens e correlacionar os resíduos de dois outros itens. Foi alcançada invariância total em relação ao sexo (rapazes e raparigas). Contudo, relativamente à idade, apenas foi obtida invariância configural, indicando que devem ser esperadas diferenças nos pesos fatoriais entre crianças em idade pré-escolar e escolar. No modelo final, os coeficientes alfa de Cronbach (α) foram de .66 para Regulação Emocional e .80 para Labilidade/Negatividade. Estes resultados suportam a utilização da versão portuguesa para pais do ERC, para crianças em idade pré-escolar e escolar
Intervenção em ideação suicida e prevenção do suicídio: Experiências e perceções de um grupo de psicólogos Portugueses
No full textAbstract: Objective: Suicide represents 800.000 annual deaths, worldwide, and three daily deaths in Portugal. Suicide prevention in a clinical context involves intervening in risk factors such as suicidal ideation. However, this prevention is lacking, given that, globally, 40% of individuals who died by suicide visited emergency services in the previous year. Healthcare professionals face anxiety and difficulties managing at-risk cases, which hinders the effectiveness of their intervention. While psychologists play a crucial role in suicide prevention, there are limited research exploring their experiences in this field. This study aims to explore the experiences of a group of Portuguese psychologists in intervening in suicidal ideation. Method: A qualitative methodology was used, conducting interviews with 10 psychologists with experience in suicidal ideation, followed by a thematic analysis. Results: Participants reported adopting different intervention strategies (e.g., non-adoption of guidelines, emphasis on therapeutic relationship) and facing obstacles (e.g., gaps in academic training, lack of human resources, emotional difficulties). Conclusion: This study highlights the need for specific training and guidelines/protocols, and increased human resources in services. These insights can guide better clinical practices for suicide prevention in Portugal. Further research involving a more diverse range of participants is warranted to draw broader conclusions.Resumo: Objetivo: O suicídio representa cerca de 800.000 mortes mundialmente, por ano, e três mortes diárias em Portugal. A prevenção do suicídio em contexto clínico envolve a intervenção em fatores de risco como a ideação suicida. No entanto, esta prevenção parece insuficiente, considerando que, globalmente, 40% dos indivíduos que morreram por suicídio recorreram aos serviços de urgência no ano anterior. Os profissionais de saúde enfrentam ansiedade e dificuldades na gestão de casos de risco, o que compromete a eficácia da sua intervenção. Apesar de os psicólogos desempenharem um papel crucial na prevenção do suicídio, há uma escassez de estudos que explorem as suas experiências nesta área. Este estudo procura explorar as experiências de um grupo de psicólogos portugueses na intervenção em ideação suicida. Método: Foi utilizada uma metodologia qualitativa, com a realização de entrevistas a 10 psicólogos com experiência em ideação suicida, seguida de uma análise temática. Resultados: Os participantes relataram adotar diferentes estratégias de intervenção (e.g., ausência de diretrizes, ênfase na relação terapêutica) e enfrentar obstáculos (e.g., lacunas na formação académica, falta de recursos humanos e dificuldades emocionais). Conclusão: Este estudo evidencia a necessidade de formação e diretrizes/protocolos específicos, e do aumento de recursos humanos nos serviços. Estes contributos podem orientar melhores práticas clínicas para a prevenção do suicídio em Portugal. Estudos adicionais envolvendo uma maior diversidade de participantes são necessários para possibilitar conclusões mais amplas