Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychology

Revista de Psicologia da Criança e do Adolescente. - ISSN 1647-4120. - v. 6, n. 2 (Julho-Dezembro 2015). - p. 9-11

Práticas de assédio moral em empresas portuguesas

Neste artigo são apresentados os resultados de uma investigação que visa identificar (1) os comportamentos hostis que caracterizam as práticas de assédio moral no trabalho em empresas portuguesas e (2) as estratégias de coping usadas pelas vítimas para lidarem com as agressões que lhes são dirigidas. O assédio moral no trabalho define-se como o conjunto de comportamentos hostis dirigidos, sistematicamente, contra um ou mais indivíduos causando um efeito de humilhação, intimidação e angústia. As vítimas têm dificuldade em defender-se, o seu desempenho profissional diminui e o seu emprego é posto em causa. Realizou-se um estudo exploratório qualitativo com recurso à metodologia das entrevistas narrativas, tendo sido entrevistados dez sujeitos, selecionados entre clientes de advogados especializados em direito do trabalho e de consultores da área de recursos humanos e da formação. Os resultados obtidos revelam que estes sujeitos foram submetidos a todas as categorias de comportamentos hostis, confirmando que se inscrevem no fenómeno que se pretendia estudar, com o destaque de que todos foram alvo de atentados às condições de trabalho e a isolamento e recusa de comunicação. Os atentados à dignidade foram os comportamentos hostis mais praticados, em segundo lugar, pelos agressores. Só um sujeito foi alvo de violência verbal, com gritos e ameaças de violência física. Os mesmos resultados indicam que as vítimas de assédio moral utilizam, preferencialmente e de forma combinada, as estratégias de confrontação e de distanciamento, seguida da procura de suporte social. A aceitação e a reinterpretação são as estratégias menos utilizadas e nenhum dos sujeitos utilizou a estratégia de fuga. A nível prático, os resultados obtidos podem dar indicações de atuação a diversos grupos profissionais quer na identificação da ocorrência de comportamentos hostis típicos do assédio moral em meio laboral quer no apoio às vítimas e às organizações onde ele ocorre

Patterns of psychotherapy development: A mixed-method analysis using assimilation indices

Understanding how assimilation develops is essential in promoting personal change. By attending to signs or indices of assimilation in the speech of clients, therapists can use this process to assess how the therapy is developing and to tailor intervention. The system of assimilation indices was developed to use assimilation to understand the process of change. This system signals five sub-processes of assimilation: external distress, pain, noticing, decentring, and action. This study consisted of a longitudinal mixed-method analysis, following a multiple cases embedded design. The system of assimilation indices was applied to the recordings of nine psychotherapies and contrasted with both the outcome of the therapy and the perspectives of the therapists and clients about their therapy process. The results show that the system of indices is useful in understanding multiple pathways for assimilation. The system of indices is seen as a useful tool for understanding assimilation and as having clinical value in anticipating challenges to the success of the therapy. This study also shows how the indices are sensitive to the nuances in the change process observed in clinical settings.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Portuguese version of the family resilience questionnaire – short form (FaRE-SF-P) in women with breast cancer

Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge clinicians from the Breast and Neuropsychiatry Units of the Champalimaud Clinical Centre (Champalimaud Foundation), for assistance in patient recruitment and assessment, and the BOUNCE and FAITH Consortium members for their contributions to this study. Funding Information: RL is supported by the 2018 Scientific Employment Stimulus from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (CEECIND/04157/2018). DF, BC, BS, and AO-M were supported by the BOUNCE project (grant agreement number 777167), and DS and AO-M are supported by the FAITH project (grant agreement number 875358), both funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. AO-M is supported by grants FCT-PTDC/MEC-PSQ/30302/2017-IC&DT-LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER, and FCT-PTDC/MED-NEU/31331/2017, both funded by FCT/MCTES and the former co-funded by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement Lisboa 2020 – Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Almeida, Rodrigues da Silva, Frasquilho, Costa, Sousa, Mourinho Baptista, Grácio, Lemos and Oliveira-Maia.Background: A diagnosis of cancer, and the resulting treatment process, can be perceived as a life-threatening event, affecting not only patients but also their social network and, more specifically, their relatives. While the ability to cope and adjust to difficult health situations may be challenging, family resilience may optimize a positive adaptation to adversity and contribute to enhance the patient’s quality of life. The Family Resilience Questionnaire (FaRE) is a self-report measure of family resilience that assesses this construct systematically. We aimed to validate the Portuguese version of a short form of the FaRE (FaRE-SF-P) in a sample of women with breast cancer. Methods: 147 women recently diagnosed with early breast cancer were recruited at the Champalimaud Clinical Centre in Lisbon. Participants completed psychometric assessment including the Portuguese version of the FaRE-SF-P, composed by two subscales of the original version – the FaRE Perceived Family Coping (FaRE-PFC) and the FaRE Communication and Cohesion (FaRE-CC). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess the factor structure of the FaRE-SF-P. Construct validity was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for divergent validity, and the Modified Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (mMOS-SS) as well as the social functioning subscale from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) for convergent validity. Results: The CFA results confirmed a correlated two-factor structure model consistent with the Perceived Family Coping and the Communication and Cohesion subscales. Internal consistency reliability indicated good values both for Perceived Family Coping and Communication and Cohesion subscales. The results for construct validity showed acceptable convergent and divergent validity. Discussion: The FaRE-SF-P showed good psychometric properties demonstrating to be a valid and reliable family resilience measure to use in Portuguese women diagnosed with breast cancer. Since FaRE-SF-P is a short instrument it may be a useful screening tool in an oncological clinical practice routine.publishersversionpublishe

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Portuguese version of the family resilience questionnaire – short form (FaRE-SF-P) in women with breast cancer

Background: A diagnosis of cancer, and the resulting treatment process, can be perceived as a life-threatening event, affecting not only patients but also their social network and, more specifically, their relatives. While the ability to cope and adjust to difficult health situations may be challenging, family resilience may optimize a positive adaptation to adversity and contribute to enhance the patient’s quality of life. The Family Resilience Questionnaire (FaRE) is a self-report measure of family resilience that assesses this construct systematically. We aimed to validate the Portuguese version of a short form of the FaRE (FaRE-SF-P) in a sample of women with breast cancer. Methods: 147 women recently diagnosed with early breast cancer were recruited at the Champalimaud Clinical Centre in Lisbon. Participants completed psychometric assessment including the Portuguese version of the FaRE-SF-P, composed by two subscales of the original version – the FaRE Perceived Family Coping (FaRE-PFC) and the FaRE Communication and Cohesion (FaRE-CC). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess the factor structure of the FaRE-SF-P. Construct validity was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for divergent validity, and the Modified Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (mMOSSS) as well as the social functioning subscale from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) for convergent validity. Results: The CFA results confirmed a correlated two-factor structure model consistent with the Perceived Family Coping and the Communication and Cohesion subscales. Internal consistency reliability indicated good values both for Perceived Family Coping and Communication and Cohesion subscales. The results for construct validity showed acceptable convergent and divergent validity. Discussion: The FaRE-SF-P showed good psychometric properties demonstrating to be a valid and reliable family resilience measure to use in Portuguese women diagnosed with breast cancer. Since FaRE-SF-P is a short instrument it may be a useful screening tool in an oncological clinical practice routineinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The contribution of somatic items

Funding Information: JO is supported by the NARSAD 2018 Young Investigator Award from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation , (Grant ID: 27595 ). RL is supported by the 2018 Scientific Employment Stimulus from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (CEECIND/04157/2018). DF, BS and AJO-M are supported by the BOUNCE project (grant agreement number 777167 ), and RL and AJO-M are supported by the FAITH project (grant agreement number 875358 ), both funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. JBB-C and AJO-M are supported by grant FCT-PTDC/MEC-PSQ/30302/2017-IC&DT-LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER, funded by national funds from FCT/MCTES and co-funded by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement Lisboa 2020 - Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa. AJO-M is supported by grant FCT-PTDC/MED-NEU/31331/2017, funded by FCT/MCTES. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The AuthorsBackground/Objective: Screening for depression in patients with cancer can be difficult due to overlap between symptoms of depression and cancer. We assessed validity of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) in this population. Method: Data was obtained in an outpatient neuropsychiatry unit treating patients with and without cancer. Psychometric properties of the BDI-II Portuguese version were assessed separately in 202 patients with cancer, and 376 outpatients with mental health complaints but without cancer. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis suggested a three-factor structure model (cognitive, affective and somatic) provided best fit to data in both samples. Criterion validity was good for detecting depression in oncological patients, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76–0.91). A cut-off score of 14 had sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 73%. Excluding somatic items did not significantly change the ROC curve for BDI-II (difference AUCs = 0.002, p=0.9). A good criterion validity for BDI-II was also obtained in the non-oncological population (AUC = 0.87; 95% CI 0.81–0.91), with a cut-off of 18 (sensitivity=84%; specificity=73%). Conclusions: The BDI-II demonstrated good psychometric properties in patients with cancer, comparable to a population without cancer. Exclusion of somatic items did not affect screening accuracy.publishersversionpublishe

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Portuguese version of the family resilience questionnaire – short form (FaRE-SF-P) in women with breast cancer

BackgroundA diagnosis of cancer, and the resulting treatment process, can be perceived as a life-threatening event, affecting not only patients but also their social network and, more specifically, their relatives. While the ability to cope and adjust to difficult health situations may be challenging, family resilience may optimize a positive adaptation to adversity and contribute to enhance the patient’s quality of life. The Family Resilience Questionnaire (FaRE) is a self-report measure of family resilience that assesses this construct systematically. We aimed to validate the Portuguese version of a short form of the FaRE (FaRE-SF-P) in a sample of women with breast cancer.Methods147 women recently diagnosed with early breast cancer were recruited at the Champalimaud Clinical Centre in Lisbon. Participants completed psychometric assessment including the Portuguese version of the FaRE-SF-P, composed by two subscales of the original version – the FaRE Perceived Family Coping (FaRE-PFC) and the FaRE Communication and Cohesion (FaRE-CC). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess the factor structure of the FaRE-SF-P. Construct validity was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for divergent validity, and the Modified Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (mMOS-SS) as well as the social functioning subscale from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) for convergent validity.ResultsThe CFA results confirmed a correlated two-factor structure model consistent with the Perceived Family Coping and the Communication and Cohesion subscales. Internal consistency reliability indicated good values both for Perceived Family Coping and Communication and Cohesion subscales. The results for construct validity showed acceptable convergent and divergent validity.DiscussionThe FaRE-SF-P showed good psychometric properties demonstrating to be a valid and reliable family resilience measure to use in Portuguese women diagnosed with breast cancer. Since FaRE-SF-P is a short instrument it may be a useful screening tool in an oncological clinical practice routine

The effectiveness of psychotherapy in changing life’s narratives

Tese de doutoramento em Psicologia (Psicologia e Aconselhamento), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, 2001Howard (1991) states that "part of the work between client and therapist can be seen as life-story elaboration, adjustment or repair". Therapies are provided to help people to change. So, whether they recognize it explicitly or not, therapists are dealing with a person's narrative. In the present study, Treatment group participants received therapy, and thus it was expected diat Ae life narrative o f these clients changed. Participants in the Control group were asked about a problem that they had in die present. The study followed a Group (Treatment versus Control) by Time ( Pretest versus Post-test) factorial design. It was hypothesized that a group by time interaction would be found on GSI and Narrative Health Measures.Treatment participants' narratives were hypothesized to change more from pre-test to post-test than would the problem narrative of their Control group counterparts. The results of the present study do not corroborate the initial hypotheses that a group by time interaction would be found on the GSI and the Narrative Health Measures. However, with the GSI, although a statistically significant difference could not be reached, the trends were in the expected direction. The Control group was becoming slighdy less healthy over time while the Treatment group was becoming healthier. No significant interaction Group by Time was found in any of the presentation conditions. Comparisons between the Treatment and Control groups showed a marked difference between the two. Members of the Treatment and Control groups were clearly different from one another beginning their entry point in this study. The narratives of the people in the Treatment group were consistently less healthy that those of the Control group. The implications of these results are explored from a narrative approach and suggestions are made for further research.Desde o nascimento que o ser humano é confrontado com o mundo que lhe chega sob a forma de narrativas. Tanto as histórias vividas pelo próprio, como as contadas por outros, seguem o formato de narrativas que se desenvolvem num contínuo temporal. O mundo constitui-se como um fluxo de histórias e, como diz Howard (1991) "as histórias estão em todo o lado". Desde as histórias com que nos iniciámos no género e que seguem o modelo do "era uma vez...", às diversas histórias de amor que são repositório de uma cultura e da Humanidade, até aos elogios fúnebres. Do berço à sepultura o mundo constitui-se sob a forma de histórias. Como afirmou Roland Barthes (1966) "não existe, nem nunca existiu, um povo sem narrativas". Parte-se do pressuposto apresentado por Howard (1991) de que "se puder ser demonstrado que a ciência é um caso de construção de significado através do contar de histórias, então a hipótese mais geral de que a maior parte das formas de pensamento reflecte instâncias de elaboração de histórias, torna-se plausível". Vários investigadores têm destacado os aspectos narrativos na criação de significado pelo ser humano, tanto nas atribuições de significado mais correntes, como nas construções mais elaboradas, como é o caso do conhecimento científico. Sarbin (1986) fala de um princípio narrativo em que supõe que os seres humanos "pensam, percepcionam, imaginam e fazem escolhas morais de acordo com estruturas narrativas". Para Polkinghorne (1988), que sintetizou a importância do conhecimento-narrativo nas ciências humanas, a narrativa é um esquema que os seres humanos usam para dar sentido às suas experiências de temporalidade e de acção. Vários domínios do conhecimento têm adoptado posições narrativas, como é o caso da análise literária, da história, da economia ou mesmo a literatura de auto-ajuda. Muitas das questões levantadas pela adopção de uma posição narrativa em psicologia resultam da discussão em tomo da modernidade e da pós-modernidade. A tendência globalizante da modernidade, a crença na possibilidade de um conhecimento geral, o optimismo tecnológico, ou a crença na ciência como resposta para muitas das necessidades do homem características do pensamento moderno - têm sido postas em causa. As posições pós-modernas têm exercido uma forte crítica face às possibilidades exageradas supostas pelos defensores das posições modernas. A psicologia, como sub-produto da época moderna, não escapa às contradições das suas condições iniciais de produção. Numa cultura pós-moderna existe uma maior consciência do self como relacional e fragmentado, por oposição a um self unitário. A qualidade relacional do self revela-se também na abordagem do conhecimento como uma construção social, em que a participação de muitos actores é essencial para a criação do significado. A importância das formas de conhecimento local, substitui-se aos grandes sistemas de psicoterapia; a dedicação ao pluralismo leva a um reconhecimento de que não existe uma verdade fixa. Esta epistemologia anti-realista (como definiu Barbara Held) passa a ser uma imagem de marca de muitas das posições pós-modernas e construtivistas em psicologia e psicoterapia. No entanto, existe também quem denuncie as posições pós-modernas como insustentáveis (como é o caso de Sokal e Bricmont) ou como incoerentes face às práticas demonstradas (Held). Para Barbara Held, proponente de um realismo moderado em psicoterapia, é possível divisar três sistemas de investigação em psicoterapia que podem resolver alguns dos problemas criados pelas posições anti-realistas. George Howard vai mais longe ao considerar que a escolha não tem de ser feita entre as posições realistas e construtivistas, dado que ambas as posições podem servir propósitos diferentes conforme o campo de aplicação. Assim, certos problemas do conhecimento seriam melhor servidos pela adopção de uma epistemologia realista e outros por uma epistemologia construtivista. A proposta de Howard, que se pode inserir na continuidade das posições pragmáticas, defende o que chamou de realismo construtivo. (...

Fibromyalgia characterization in a psychosocial approach

This study aimed to characterize a group of women diagnosed with fibromyalgia, evaluating the relationship between personality and psychopathology, health status (disability, physical health, mental health, and pain), and potentially traumatic life events (PTLE) before the onset of the syndrome. The disability caused by fibromyalgia, physical and mental health status, pain, PTLE in childhood and in the course of life, and personality were assessed in a sample of 50 women with fibromyalgia, age 25–70 years (M= 46.96; SD = 10.96). A multiple correspondence analysis with all the variables identified two types of profiles and a K-Means cluster analysis confirmed two groups of patients: cluster 1 (n = 36), with better health and less psychopathological problems, named “Better adjustment” and cluster 2 (n = 14), with less health and more personality problems, named “Disorder and disability.” Pertaining to personality only, a K-Means cluster analysis replicated the three classic personality profiles (normal, neurotic, and psychopathological) identified in chronic pain patients; and the normal profile was the more prevalent (n = 22). The results enhance the importance of recognizing the heterogeneity of fibromyalgia population and the great closeness between personality and physical health, with the PTLE having a less important role than expected.This work was supported by grants from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [SFRH/BD/44141/2008]

The role of weight perceptions and their impact on health and well‐being: A multiple mediation model

Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTThe present study analyses the role of weight distortion and weight self-criticism in explaining the relationship between actual weight and perceived health, well-being, body satisfaction and emotional eating. Eight hundred and six individuals were selected from a national study on nutrition. They were divided into two groups according to self-reported dieting. A questionnaire measuring the outcome variables was implemented. Weight distortion and self-criticism were calculated using actual, estimated and desired BMI. A multiple mediation model was estimated using structural equation modelling. A valid model was obtained in which weight self-criticism is a partial mediator of the relationship between weight and body satisfaction and a full mediator of the relationship between weight and emotional eating for the non-dieter group. For the dieter group, full mediation of weight self-criticism is observed in the relationships between weight and health, well-being and body satisfaction. For weight distortion, no mediation effect is found in either group. The results highlight the importance of weight perceptions in understanding the influence of body weight on several aspects of health and well-being. The type of weight perception is also relevant. A critical attitude towards weight is more determinant than the distortion in weight appraisal.FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio