Report of a preventive intervention based on cognitive-behavioural therapy and positive psychology for adolescent athletes

This study aimed to report the experience of a group intervention, with a preventive focus on anxiety and maladaptive behaviours and aimed at improving social and coping skills and at promoting well-being for soccer athletes from basic categories. Eight sessions of intervention were performed, each lasting 90 minutes, structured in the Cognitive-behavioural Therapy model and with weekly frequency. The results indicate that the athletes had a high level of achievement of the meetings that aimed at psychoeducation and practiced management skills of anxiety, social skills and cognitive distortions

Impacto de uma intervenção psicológica para atletas de futebol de categorias de base

This study aimed to develop an intervention based on the Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy and Positive Psychology for high performance soccer athletes, aged between 15 and 16 years. Twenty athletes from the youth teams of a soccer club in the South Region of Brazil were allocated in an intervention group (n =10) and a comparison group (n=10). Both groups were evaluated before and after the intervention with measures of social and coping skills, anxiety, life satisfaction and positive and negative affects. The comparison group did not undergo any form of intervention. The athletes in the intervention group showed significant differences in the coping skills: “Performance under pressure,” “Confidence” and “Freedom from concerns” and significant increase in the overall frequency of social skills and the ability “Emotional approach” after intervention. There was no significant difference between the intervention group and the comparison group after the intervention – in any of the variables. The importance of preventive interventions focused on health promotion for soccer players is emphasized in the discussion.Keywords: Clinical psychology, soccer, intervention studies, Cognitive Therapy, Positive Psychology.Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver uma intervenção baseada na Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental e na Psicologia Positiva para atletas de futebol de alto rendimento, com idades entre 15 e 16 anos. Vinte atletas provenientes das categorias de base de um clube de futebol da região Sul do Brasil foram alocados em um grupo de intervenção (n=10) e um grupo de comparação (n=10). Ambos os grupos foram avaliados antes e após a intervenção em suas habilidades sociais e de coping, ansiedade, satisfação de vida e afetos positivos e negativos. O grupo de comparação não passou por nenhuma forma de intervenção. Os atletas do grupo de intervenção apresentaram diferença significativa nas habilidades de coping “Desempenho sob pressão”, “Confiança” e “Liberdade de preocupações”, e aumento significativo da frequência total das habilidades sociais, bem como da habilidade “Abordagem afetiva” após a intervenção. Não houve diferença significativa pós-intervenção entre os grupos de intervenção e comparação. A importância de intervenções preventivas voltadas para a promoção de saúde para jogadores de futebol é enfatizada.Palavras-chave: Psicologia Clínica, futebol, estudos de intervenção, Terapia Cognitiva, Psicologia Positiva

Systematic review on the use and description of measures to evaluate psychotherapeutic interventions with children and adolescents in Brazil

Abstract Introduction: Psychotherapeutic interventions in childhood and adolescence are recognized as a mental treatment and as a tool to reduce psychological disorders in youth and adulthood. Therefore, there is an increasing concern about evidence of effectiveness of mental disorder interventions and adequacy of measurement. The objectives of this systematic review were to investigate predominant research designs and instruments used in Brazilian studies describing psychotherapeutic interventions with children and adolescents and to examine how these instruments are described regarding evidence of validity and reliability. Method: Five databases were surveyed, and for each one two independent judges performed the selection of records and applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The final database comprised 28 papers, in which 92 instruments were referred. Fifty-seven instruments cited did not have descriptions of evidence of validity for the Brazilian population; for 31 instruments, validity evidence was mentioned, but the study did not detail which validity parameter was used; three studies described content validity evidence for their instruments. Furthermore, information about reliability was described for only two instruments. Conclusion: A lack of studies in the field of child and adolescent psychotherapy was found in Brazil. There is a significant need for the field to attend both the psychometric properties and the quality of description of research instruments. The scientific production of studies focused on the evaluation of psychotherapeutic interventions may promote evidence-based psychotherapy and justify the offer of mental treatment in different contexts

Systematic review of research investigating psychotherapy and information and communication technologies

Introduction:Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are devices, services and knowledge that reproduce, process and distribute information. Psychotherapy has been influenced by these technologies, and there is a tendency for their role to expand.Objective: To describe the current panorama of the scientific literature on psychotherapy and ICTs.Method: This is a systematic and descriptive review. Searches were run on the electronic databases Biblioteca Virtual em Saude (BVS), PsycINFO, Scopus, PePSIC, ScienceDirect and Index Psi, using the Boolean operator AND and the descriptors psychotherapy, computers, Internet, cell phones and social networks.Results: A considerable volume of empirical research was found, published recently in many different parts of the world, especially in the United States. There is very little Brazilian research on the subject. The majority of the studies identified assess the efficacy or describe the development of techniques and psychotherapies, via ICTs, for prevention, diagnosis or treatment of mental and behavioral disorders. The psychopathology most investigated in this area is depression and it was not possible to draw conclusions on a possible trend for research into the subject to increase. The technology most investigated was the Internet and cognitive-behavioral therapy was the most common theoretical approach in these studies.Conclusions:Systematic reviews of published studies can detect gaps in the research agenda within a specific field of knowledge