Gravidez e parentalidade na adolescência: perspetivas teóricas

Empirical research grounded on ecological perspectives challenge the view of adolescent motherhood has necessarily having deleterious consequences to the later development of young mothers and their offspring; nonetheless it is still irrefutable that the occurrence of an early pregnancy may amplify previous vulnerabilities, making it more difficult for the adolescent mother and her child to develop along a favorable path. The present work reviews some of the current theoretical perspectives on this subject, looking to highlight the importance of understanding not only individual or family variables of the young girls who get pregnant, but also relational, social, cultural, legal and political contexts in which they develop. Knowledge of these multiple dimensions and of their complex interactions is crucial to design more specific and effective preventive interventions

Developing statistical literacy: Student learning and teacher education

Recent international and national mathematics curriculum guidelines indicate the development of students’ statistical literacy, at different levels of schooling, as a major educational aim. In Portugal, the mathematics syllabus for basic education, which began to be implemented in 2009, gave a greater emphasis on statistics, presenting more demanding learning goals, since the elementary levels. This represented a challenging situation for practicing teachers, requiring them to develop new perspectives about the teaching and learning of statistics. In this context, the project Developing statistical literacy: Student learning and teacher education was planned aiming to study the development of statistical literacy from elementary to secondary education, with special attention to two main issues: i) the characterization of key aspects of students’ statistical literacy, particularly regarding the ability to formulate questions, collect data and represent them to answer those questions, and ii) the development of statistical and didactical knowledge for teaching in different schools levels. As the project unfolded, another research strand associated with students’ statistical reasoning and the necessary conditions for its development emerged

The importance of family context in alcoholism

In the present study, 56 chronic alcoholics were compared with 56 controls with no excessive drinking habits, all of them male. The drinking habits of their parents were studied, as were parental rearing, dyadic relations with the spouses, attachment to significant people, and the education they gave to their own children. It was noted that the alcoholics' parents had heavier drinking habits and could have acted as learning models. As regards the other characteristics, the dyadic cohesion, the global score of the education received from the father and the personal style of criticism/rejection in the education of their own children were underline

The indirect effect of contextual factors on the emotional distress of infertile couples

Few studies were dedicated to study the role of contextual factors, such as the socioeconomic status and urban rural residence in emotional distress of infertile couples. This study aimed to explore the impact of contextual factors on emotional distress, either directly or by affecting the importance of parenthood in one’s life which in turn affects emotional distress. In this cross-sectional study, 70 couples recruited during hormonal stimulation phase prior to IVF completed clinical and sociodemographic forms and self-report questionnaires assessing representations about the importance of parenthood and emotional distress. Path analysis using structural equation modelling was used to examine direct and indirect effects among variables. Results indicated that social economic status and Urban-Rural residence had an impact in emotional distress by affecting the representations about the importance of parenthood in one’s life. Gender differences were found regarding model paths, suggesting that the social context may contribute more to women’s emotional distress than to their partners’ distress. When delineating psychological interventions, health care providers should consider that cultural values about children and parenthood contribute to shape the infertility experienc

A cumulative risk model of child physical maltreatment potential: findings from a community-based study

"Published online before print November 20, 2015"Previous studies have identified the predictive risk factors of child physical maltreatment (CPM). However, a significant number of these studies assessed risk factors in isolation. The cumulative risk hypothesis postulates that health problems are caused by the accumulation of risk factors, independently of the presence or absence of specific risk indicators. Few studies examined the effect of cumulative risk on CPM potential. This study aimed to test two concurrent models of cumulative risk of CPM potential by investigating whether CPM potential was better predicted by a threshold cumulative risk model or a linear cumulative risk model. Data from the National Representative Study of Psychosocial Context of Child Abuse and Neglect in Portugal were used. Parents of school-age children (N = 796) answered to self-report measures regarding sociodemographic variables, history of child maltreatment, psychological distress, and CPM potential. A cumulative risk index was computed, comprising 10 dichotomized risk factors. Evidence for a threshold cumulative effect was found. Additional bivariate logistic regressions revealed that the odds for high-potential CPM were dramatically higher for those parents with six or more risk factors when compared with parents with any one risk factor. By testing and confirming a threshold cumulative effect on CPM potential, it was possible to find a "trigger point" from which a dramatic increase in child physical maltreatment potential occurs.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology through a research grant to the second author (POCTI/PSI/14276/1998

Qualidade de vida nas pessoas com esquizofrenia: a influência das características sociodemográficas e clínicas e da satisfação com o suporte social

Objective: To evaluate the relationship of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and satisfaction with social support with the quality of life of schizophrenic patients. Methodology: This study included a sample of 268 participants. An interview was conducted to obtain sociodemographic and clinical data, supplemented with two assessment tools used to evaluate quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument-Abbreviated version – WHOQOL-Bref) and satisfaction with social support (Social Support Satisfaction Scale – SSSS). Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. Results: Most individuals were male (63.4%), with a mean age of 45.4 years, single (85.4%), living with their family (62.3%) and unemployed (90.3%). As for clinical characteristics, most had the disease for less than 20 years (50.7%), and 55.6% had at least one hospitalization within the last 5 years. Being employed and having had no hospitalization within the last 5 years were positively correlated with one or more WHOQOL-Bref domains. The results of the variables intimacy (p<0.001) and satisfaction with friends (p<0.001) were independently related to the total WHOQOL-Bref score. Conclusion: Having a job, having had no hospitalization within the last 5 years and having greater satisfaction with social support are factors that positively influence quality of life among schizophrenics. It is therefore crucial that the psychosocial rehabilitation of patients with schizophrenia take these factors into account, increasing the support network, preventing relapses and promoting occupational activities.Objetivo: Avaliar a relação entre as características sociodemográficas e clínicas e a satisfação com o suporte social com a qualidade de vida dos doentes com esquizofrenia. Métodos: A amostra do estudo é de 268 participantes. Foi realizada uma entrevista para obter os dados sociodemográficos e clínicos e aplicados dois questionários para avaliar a qualidade de vida (World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument-Abbreviated version – WHOQOL-Bref) e a satisfação com o suporte social (Escala de Satisfação com o Suporte Social – ESSS). Foram efetuadas análises descritivas e inferenciais. Resultados: A maioria dos indivíduos era do gênero masculino (63,4%), com uma média de idade de 45,4 anos, solteiros (85,4%), vivendo com a família (62,3%) e desempregados (90,3%). Relativamente às características clínicas, 50,7% tinham a doença há menos de 20 anos, e 55,6% estiveram internados pelo menos uma vez nos últimos 5 anos. Os resultados demonstraram que estar empregado e não ter sido internado nos últimos 5 anos estão positivamente relacionados com um ou mais domínios da WHOQOL-Bref. A satisfação com a intimidade (p<0,001) e a satisfação com os amigos (p<0,001) foram independentemente associados ao escore total da WHOQOL-Bref. Conclusão: Ter emprego, não ter hospitalizações nos últimos 5 anos e estar satisfeito com o suporte social são fatores que influenciam positivamente a qualidade de vida dos doentes com esquizofrenia. Por conseguinte, é crucial que esses fatores sejam levados em conta nos programas de reabilitação com o suporte social, aumentando a rede de suporte, evitando recaídas e promovendo atividades ocupacionais.publishe

The other side of recovery: validation of the Portuguese version of the subjective experiences of psychosis scale.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a Portuguese version of The Subjective Experiences of Psychosis Scale (SEPS) for use in Portuguese-speaking populations in order to provide a self-report instrument to assess and monitor dimensions of psychotic experiences, translating patient's perspective and experience in terms of recovery from psychosis. METHODS: The sample consisted of 30 participants with psychotic disorders who had recently experienced delusions or hallucinations. The SEPS was completed along with other observer-based assessments and self-report questionnaires, such as the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire and the Function Assessment Short Test. RESULTS: Two main factors representing the positive and negative components of each subscale were identified. We obtained good internal consistency and test-retest reliability for the positive and negative components of all subscales. The subscales of SEPS correlated with observer-based assessments and self-report questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: The Portuguese version of the SEPS is a useful tool in the assessment and monitoring of psychotic symptoms

History of adversity, health and psychopathology among prisoners: comparison between men and women

Adversity in childhood, risk behaviors and psychopathology are highly prevalent phenomena in inmate populations and have a strong impact on health. Knowing the differences in these variables between the sexes is most important in order to develop appropriate intervention strategies in a prison context. By administering the Socio-demographic and Life History Questionnaire and the Brief Symptoms Inventory, we sought to characterize adverse childhood experiences and relate them to risk behaviors and to psychopathological symptoms, and study the differences between the 65 male and 42 female detainees in Portuguese prison establishments. Men and women report a complex web of adversity in childhood. In a range of ten possible categories, a medium value of 5.05 (DP = 2.63) in total adversity for women and 2.63 (DP = 2.18) for men was encountered, with the prevalence being significantly higher within the female population (Z = -4.33; p = .000). A high prevalence of risk behaviors and psychopathological symptoms was found in both groups, the latter being higher among females. We concluded that the differences between men and women calls for in depth studies in order to provide guidelines for intervention projects in specific populations.Adversidade na infância, comportamentos de risco e psicopatologia são fenómenos muito prevalentes na população reclusa e com forte impacto na saúde. Conhecer as diferenças entre sexos, no que diz respeito a tais variáveis, é de elevada importância no sentido de adequar estraté- gias de intervenção em contexto prisional. Utilizando o Questionário Sociodemográfico e Histó- ria de Vida, o Questionário de Adversidade na Infância e o Brief Symptons Inventory, procuramos caracterizar a adversidade na infância, os comportamentos de risco e as dimensões psicopatológicas, e averiguar as diferenças entre 65 homens e 42 mulheres reclusos em estabelecimentos prisionais Portugueses. Homens e mulheres relatam um quadro complexo de adversidade na infância. Num total possível de dez categorias, verificamos uma média de adversidade total de 5.05 (DP = 2.63) para as mulheres e de 2.63 (DP = 2.18) para os homens, sendo a prevalência significativamente mais elevada junto da população feminina (Z = -4.33; p = .000). Foi ainda encontrada uma elevada prevalência de comportamentos de risco e de sintomatologia psicopatológica em ambos os grupos, sendo esta última superior nas mulheres. Concluímos que as diferenças entre sexos devem ser estudadas para guiarem a adequação dos projetos