Dimensionalidad del Penn State Worry Questionnaire y sus versiones breves.

Worry, a form of experiential avoidance, has been studied using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). The aim of the present study was to assess the dimensionality of the PSWQ and three of its brief versions. The full PSWQ was administrated to 290 Peruvian undergraduate students. In order to achieve that goal, we examined the factor structure and reliability of six models: one-dimensional, oblique, bifactor, the PSWQ-11, the PSWQ-A and the PSWQ-5. The results suggest that the PSWQ is an essentially one-dimensional measure and it functions better without reversed items. Likewise, brief versions were found to have similarly adequate psychometric properties.La preocupación, una forma de pensamiento negativo repetitivo, ha sido estudiada mediante el Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la dimensionalidad del PSWQ y de tres versiones breves en estudiantes universitarios de Lima, Perú. El PWSQ completo fue administrado a 290 participantes. A fin de lograr el objetivo, se examinó la estructura factorial y confiabilidad de diversos modelos: unidimensional, oblicuo, bifactor, así como las versiones breves. Los resultados sugieren que el PSWQ es una medida esencialmente unidimensional y que funciona mejor sin ítems inversos. Igualmente, las versiones breves tienen propiedades psicométricas similarmente adecuadas

Questionário Breve de Evitação Experiencial: uma alternativa viável para o aaq-ii?

Introduction: Experiential avoidance ( ea ) is a central concept in the study of psychopathology from acontextual-behavioral perspective. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire ii ( aaq - ii ) has become themost commonly used measure of ea . However, some authors have seriously questioned its validity. Inthis context, the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire ( beaq ) is a promising alternative.Aim: The present study intended to translate the beaq into Spanish and analyze its psychometric prop-erties in a Peruvian sample. Materials and methods: The beaq was back-translated and a group of experts assessed the quality ofthe items. The questionnaire was responded by 376 Peruvian university students. The beaq - ii itemswere then subjected to an exploratory factorial analysis. Reliability estimators (H, α, ωT, ωTR) werealso calculated. Results: The results did not support the supposed unidimensional nature of the beaq . Moreover, theysuggested the presence of two factors called Avoidance of Suffering and Disconnection and Deacti-vation. Only the Avoidance of Suffering factor showed good reliability and could be easily interpreted. Conclusion: Future research should develop a new measure of ea based on the items of the Avoidanceof Suffering factor. It is suggested that researchers continue to use aaq - ii until better measures of ex-periential avoidance are available.Introducción: La evitación experiencial (EE) es un concepto central para el estudio de la psicopatología desde una perspectiva contextual-conductual. El Cuestionario de Aceptación y Acción II (AAQ-II) se ha convertido en la medida más utilizada de EE. Sin embargo, algunos autores han cuestionado seriamente su validez. En este contexto, el Cuestionario Breve de Evitación Experiencial (BEAQ) constituye una alternativa prometedora. Objetivo: El presente estudio buscó traducir al español el BEAQ y analizar sus propiedades psicométricas en una muestra peruana. Método: Se realizó una traducción inversa del BEAQ y un grupo de expertos evaluó la calidad de los ítems. Trescientos setenta y seis estudiantes universitarios peruanos contestaron el cuestionario. Los ítems del BEAQ-II fueron luego sometidos a un análisis factorial exploratorio. Se calcularon, además, estimadores de la confiabilidad (H, α, ωT, ωTR). Resultados: Los resultados no brindaron apoyo a la supuesta unidimensionalidad del BEAQ. Más aún, sugirieron la presencia de dos factores, llamados Evitación del sufrimiento y Desconexión y desactivación. Solo el factor de Evitación del sufrimiento mostró buena confiabilidad y pudo ser fácilmente interpretado. Conclusión: Investigaciones futuras deben desarrollar una nueva medida de la EE a partir de los ítems del factor Evitación del sufrimiento. Se sugiere que los investigadores continúen utilizando el AAQ-II hasta que se hallen disponibles mejores medidas de la evitación experiencial.Introdução: a evitação experimental (ee) é um conceito central para o estudo da psicopatologia sob uma perspectiva contextual-comportamental. O Questionário de Aceitação e Ação ii (aaq-ii) converteu-se na medida mais utilizada de ee. Contudo, alguns autores têm indagado sobre sua validade. Nesse contex- to, o Questionário Breve de Evitação Experimental (beaq) constitui uma alternativa promissora.   Objetivo: este estudo procurou traduzir o beaq a espanhol e analisar suas propriedades psicométricas numa amostra peruana.   Método: realizou-se uma tradução inversa do beaq, e um grupo de especialistas avaliou a qualidade dos itens. 376 estudantes universitários peruanos responderam ao questionário. Em seguida, os itens do beaq-ii foram submetidos a uma análise fatorial exploratória. Além disso, foram calculadas as esti- mativas da confiabilidade (H,α,ωT,ωTR).   Resultados: os resultados não ofereceram apoio à suposta unidimensionalidade do beaq. Mais ainda, sugeriram a presença de dois fatores chamados Evitação do sofrimento e Desconexão e desativação. Somente o fator Evitação do sofrimento mostrou boa confiabilidade e pôde ser facilmente interpretado.   Conclusão: pesquisas futuras devem desenvolver uma nova medida da ee a partir dos itens do fator Evitação do sofrimento. Sugere-se que os pesquisadores continuem utilizando o aaq-ii até que existam disponíveis melhores medidas da ee

Las Escalas de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés (DASS-21): ¿miden algo más que un factor general?

 The overlap between depression and anxiety is a widely-replicated finding in mental health research. The Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales (DASS-21) were developed to maximize the discrimination between these constructs. However, research suggests that DASS-21 predominantly measure an overall factor of emotional distress. In this study, DASS-21 were translated and applied to 353 university students (Mage = 20.42; 61% women) from Lima, Peru. The confirmatory factorial analysis supported a bifactor model, but additional analyses revealed that the data were essentially one-dimensional. Moreover, when the items were subjected to a bifactor exploratory analysis, some did not load into their original specific factors. The conclusion was that DASS-21 must be interpreted as a global dimension of emotional distress. El solapamiento entre depresión y ansiedad es un hallazgo ampliamente replicado en la investigación sobre salud mental. Las Escalas de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés (DASS-21) fueron desarrolladas para maximizar la discriminación entre estos constructos. Sin embargo, la investigación sugiere que las DASS-21 miden predominantemente un factor general de malestar emocional. En este estudio, se tradujo las DASS-21 y se aplicaron a 353 universitarios (Medad = 20.42; 61 % mujeres) de Lima, Perú. El análisis factorial confirmatorio apoyó un modelo bifactor, pero análisis adicionales mostraron que los datos eran esencialmente unidimensionales. Más aún, cuando los ítems fueron sometidos a un análisis exploratorio bifactor, algunos no cargaron en sus factores específicos originales. Se concluye que las DASS-21 deben ser interpretadas como una dimensión global de malestar emocional

Dysfunctional grief related to COVID-19 in Latin America

The characteristics associated with COVID-19-related dysfunctional grief suggest that we are most likely facing a “dysfunctional grief pandemic” due to COVID-19. Thus this preliminary study reports frequencies of dysfunctional grief in ten Latin American countries that varied between 7.3% in Brazil and 14.6% in El Salvador. This highlights a greater need for Latin American countries to work together to improve the accessibility of treatment for dysfunctional grief

Experiential Avoidance and Hyperreflexivity as Variables Associated with Depression: A Process-Based Approach

Depression is a major public health problem that affects a significant proportion of young adults, such as college students. A process-based approach has been proposed for its study, which seeks to identify transdiagnostic psychological variables that can be the target of change in psychotherapeutic interventions. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the interre-lation between a set of process variables (cognitive fusion, rumination, and experiential avoidance), as well as to examine the relationship between each of these variables and depression in 368 college students aged 18–29 years (M = 21.35, SD= 2.36, 77.7% female). Cognitive fusion and rumination were found to comprise an overarching variable termed hyperre-flexivity, while experiential avoidance constituted a different construct. By analyzing a structural equation model, it was found that only hyperreflexivity predicted depression significantly. These findings and their possible implications for clini-cal practice are discussed. Further study of hyperreflexivity as a superordinate variable of relevance to psychopathology is recommended

Development of a Retrospective Measure of Child Abuse for Heterosexual and LGBTQ Mexican Adults

Child abuse is a phenomenon that affects a large proportion of the world’s population and has important effects on their mental health. Although several instruments exist to measure it, they present some difficulties that require improvement. The present study started from an instrument previously developed for Mexican population (Esparza-Del Villar et al., Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2020) to construct a new retrospective measure of abuse: the Child Abuse Scale for Adults (EAIA, Spanish initials). We worked with a total sample of 810 individuals, consisting mainly of women (> 70%) and young adults (mean age around 23 years). We conducted both traditional (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis) and advanced (exploratory graph analysis, item response theory) procedures to obtain a short self-report measure of child abuse experiences. The EAIA evidenced a clear factor structure (CFI = .96, RSMEA = .06), as well as adequate reliability for its three subscales: sexual (ω = .91), physical (ω = .88) and emotional abuse (ω = .93). In addition, it showed partial scalar invariance between sexes. At the item level, it was observed that the items of the sexual and physical abuse subscales had greater informative capacity at high levels of maltreatment, while the items of the emotional abuse subscale showed better psychometric quality at average levels of the construct. Finally, associations were found in the expected direction between the three subscales of the EAIA and a set of psychopathological variables (depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation). In conclusion, the EAIA constitutes a promising alternative to retrospectively measure child abuse in the Mexican adult population

Beliefs in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines in the Andean Community of Nations

Los estudios sobre aceptación y rechazo hacia las vacunas, así como la creencia en teorías conspirativas, y la falta de confianza en los gobiernos y la ciencia, han sido importantes para analizar el proceso de vacunación contra el COVID-19 a nivel mundial, pero han sido bastante limitados, hasta el momento, para el caso de América Latina. En este sentido, el objetivo de este trabajo consiste en describir el grado de aceptación o no a ciertas creencias de conspiración sobre las vacunas contra la COVID-19 en una muestra de países miembros de la Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN): Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú. Se diseñó un estudio transversal descriptivo en el que participaron 1835 personas de Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú. Para la evaluación de estas creencias se utilizó la Escala de Creencias de Conspiración de Vacunas COVID-19 (ECCV-COVID, Caycho-Rodríguez et al., 2022a). Los resultados indican que, el Perú presenta el mayor puntaje promedio de creencias de conspiración sobre las vacunas contra la COVID19. Además, en los 4 países el menor grado de aceptación es con la creencia sobre “Vacunar a los niños contra la COVID-19 es perjudicial y este hecho está ocultado”. En Colombia, Ecuador y Perú el mayor grado de aceptación está referida a la creencia conspirativa referida a que “La información sobre la seguridad de las vacunas contra la COVID-19 a menudo se inventan”. Finalmente, en Bolivia, el mayor grado de aceptación es con la creencia de que “Las empresas farmacéuticas ocultan los peligros de las vacunas contra la COVID-19”. Los resultados presentados en este estudio son los primeros que se conoce de forma genérica en población latinoamericana, y particularmente, en la población Andina.Studies on the acceptance and rejection of vaccines, as well as the belief in conspiracy theories, and the lack of trust in governments and science, have been important to analyze the vaccination process against COVID-19 worldwide, but they have been quite limited, so far, in the case of Latin America. In this sense, the objective of this work is to describe the degree of acceptance or not of certain conspiracy beliefs about vaccines against COVID-19 in a sample of countries members in the Andean Community of Nations (CAN): Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed in which 1835 people from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru participated. To evaluate these beliefs, the COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Belief Scale (ECCV-COVID, Caycho-Rodríguez et al., 2022a) was used. The results indicate that Peru has the highest average score of conspiracy beliefs about vaccines against COVID-19. In addition, in the 4 countries, the lowest degree of acceptance is with the belief that "Vaccinating children against COVID-19 is harmful and this fact is hidden". In Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, the highest degree of acceptance is related to the conspiratorial belief that "Information on the safety of vaccines against COVID-19 is often invented." Finally, in Bolivia, the highest degree of acceptance is with the belief that "Pharmaceutical companies hide the dangers of vaccines against COVID-19". The results presented in this study are the first known generically in the Latin American population, and particularly in the Andean population.Fil: Caycho Rodríguez, Tomás. Universidad Privada del Norte; PerúFil: Gallegos de San Vicente, Miguel Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Valencia, Pablo D.. Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala; MéxicoFil: Vilca, Lindsey W.. Universidad Norbert Wiener; PerúFil: Moreta Herrera, Rodrigo. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; EcuadorFil: Puerta Cortés, Diana Ximena. Universidad de Ibagué; ColombiaFil: Tapia, Bismarck Pinto. Universidad Catolica Boliviana; Bolivi

Sociodemographic and health predictors of concern about COVID-19 infection in Cuban patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Introduction: Concern about becoming infected is a particularly relevant psychological aspect in the context of a pandemic, as it is associated with social reactions and behavioral changes. Objectives: The present study sought to determine some sociodemographic and health factors associated with concern about COVID-19 infection in Cuban patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: 203 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who attended nine primary care areas of four Cuban provinces belonging to different regions of the country (65.52% female, mean age 57.5, SD=19.2), selected through non-probabilistic sampling, participated in the study. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the COVID-19 contagion concern scale (PRE-COVID-19) and an evaluation of blood glucose level were applied. Bivariate associations were examined with a series of analyses of variance (ANOVA). Adjusted (multiple) regression with all predictors running simultaneously was also used. Results: Bivariate analyses showed that age, sex, education, occupation, having comorbidities, and having a family member or friend who had COVID-19 were significantly related to COVID-19 contagion concern. However, when all variables were included simultaneously, only age, technical education, having comorbidities, and having a friend or family member who had COVID-19 remained significant predictors of concern about COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: Male patients, with a technical level of education, with comorbidities and those who had infected family members or friends presented greater concern for the contagion of COVID-19. The public health policies should develop strategies to assess the mental health of people belonging to vulnerable groups and provide interventions to promote mental health in those who show concern about infection