Contribuciones teóricas y empíricas al estudio del Desarrollo Positivo Juvenil

Introducción al Monográfico del vol. 10 (2020

Editorial

Revista de Psicologia da Criança e do Adolescente. - ISSN 1647-4120. - V. 10, n. 1 (Janeiro-Dezembro 2019). - p. 11-13.El presente número de la “Revista de Psicologia da Criança e do Adolescente” tiene como objetivo general presentar los resultados más destacados de la última edición del estudio Health behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) en Portugal, cuya recogida de datos se llevó a cabo en 2018

The multilevel analysis of risk and protective factors to promote resilience in development

El estudio de la salud y el bienestar en base al análisis de los factores de riesgo y de protección a lo largo del desarrollo ha ido ganando terreno en las últimas décadas. Recientemente desde la ciencia evolutiva se ha puesto el foco más que en el estudio del riesgo y la psicopatología, en la promoción de competencias y el desarrollo de la resiliencia. La resiliencia viene a ser la capacidad potencial o manifiesta de un sistema dinámico para adaptarse con éxito a los múltiples procesos y a las múltiples amenazas que pueden poner en peligro su funcionamiento, su supervivencia o su adecuado desarrollo. Dado que el individuo se encuentra inmerso y en interacción en diversos contextos sociales, muchos de estos procesos protectores son de carácter interactivo. Entre los modelos que han guiado la intervención que más evidencia han recogido en los últimos años, se encuentran la teoría del desarrollo positivo juvenil y el modelo de educación positiva. En estas intervenciones la construcción de competencias no sólo sirve para la promoción del bienestar, sino que también sirve para la prevención de problemas en el desarrollo.The study of health and well-being based on the analysis of risk and protective factors throughout development has received greater attention in recent decades. Recently, developmental science has been more focused on the promotion of competences and the development of resilience than on the study of risk and psychopathology. Resilience is the potential or manifest capacity of a dynamic system to successfully adapt to multiple processes and threats that may endanger its functioning, survival, or proper development. Since the individual is immersed in and in interaction with various social contexts, many of these protective processes are interactive. Among the models that have guided intervention, the theory of positive youth development and the model of positive education have collected the most evidence in recent years. In these interventions, promoting competences not only serves to foment well-being, but also helps to prevent problems in development

Parents’ attitudes towards inclusive school

La inclusión puede conocerse como la uniformidad de la enseñanza para crear una sociedad igualitaria y sin prejuicios que atienda a la diversidad. Nuestra prioridad como docentes es promover la igualdad entre todos los niños y niñas para hacer posible una educación sin distinciones. Este proyecto examina las actitudes de padres y madres tanto de niños con necesidades educativas especiales, como de padres y madres con niños que presentan un desarrollo normativo. Además, compara las actitudes positivas y negativas de éstos hacia la inclusión. Asimismo, analiza el conocimiento que tienen los padres y madres sobre la forma que tiene los docentes de trabajar con niños con NEE respecto al resto. Para ello, se ha realizado un cuestionario a 36 padres y madres mediante un análisis tanto cualitativo como cuantitativo. El análisis muestra un porcentaje mayor de actitudes positivas que negativas, demandando una mayor formación de los docentes, así como una mayor presencia de personal cualificadoInclusion can be considered as the education´s uniformity to create an equal and non-judgemental society that pay attention to diversity. Our priority as teachers is to promote equality between all children in order to make possible an education without distinction. This plan examines parents´ attitudes of children with special needs, as well as parents with average abilities´ children. Indeed, it compares positives and negatives attitudes of them towards inclusion. Additionally, it analyses parents´ knowledge of how teachers work with children with special needs compared to the rest. To that end, a questionnaire was filled in by 36 fathers and mothers using both qualitative and quantitative analyses. These analyses showed a higher percentage of positives attitudes rather than negatives, underlining the need of more teachers training as well as a greater presence of qualified staf

The Importance of the 5Cs of Positive Youth Development to Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study with University Students from Peru and Spain

Background: Prior research has documented the protective role of the 5Cs of Positive Youth Development (PYD) on adjustment problems, such as depressive symptoms. Nonetheless, more research is needed, especially in non-US contexts. The main objective of the present study was to assess associations between the 5Cs and depressive symptoms in Peru and Spain, considering gender differences across contexts. Methods: Cross-sectional data was collected from undergraduate students from Peru [n = 250] and Spain [n = 1044]. Results: The results revealed significant negative associations of Competence, Confidence, Character and Connection with depressive symptoms, while Caring was positively and significantly related to depressive symptoms in both samples. Regarding gender differences, female undergraduates in both samples reported high levels of Caring, while Competence was predominant among males compared to females in both countries. Likewise, higher scores in Competence and Confidence were registered among Peruvian male undergraduates compared to Spanish students, while Caring and Character were more prevalent in Spanish female undergraduates compared to Peruvian students. Conclusions: These findings confirm the importance of targeting the 5Cs of PYD alongside the role of gender and country context in intervention programs, put together to address the mental health of students in Peru and Spain.The study in Spain received funding from Research, Development and Innovation Projects of European Regional Development Fund in Andalusia 2014–2020 (Grant number UHU-1259711), awarded to the second author

Trait Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Adaptive Responses to Positive and Negative Affect During Adolescence

Introduction and aim : The examination of trait emotional intelligence as an important component of adolescent psychological adjustment and coping has received a great deal of attention. Trait emotional intelligence is expected to reduce the vulnerability to emotional problems by reducing mood deterioration in adverse situations. Most research to date has addressed the regulation of negative affective states, with less attention paid to the responses to positive affect. Thus, the aim of this research was to examine the cross-sectional and prospective associations between trait emotional intelligence dimensions (i.e., trait emotional attention, trait emotional clarity, and trait emotional repair), response styles to negative affect (i.e., depressive rumination and distraction) and response to positive affect (i.e., emotion-focused and self-focused positive rumination and dampening) in adolescence.Methods: A 1-year follow-up study was conducted with a sample of 880 adolescents (52.4% girls) aged 14–17 years old (M = 14.74, SD = 0.68) who were enrolled in 18 high schools in Andalusia (Spain). Participants completed self-report measures of trait emotional intelligence, response to negative affect and response styles to positive affect. To analyse the data, hierarchical regression analyses and path analysis were performed.Results: Our results showed that high trait emotional attention was cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with more dampening of positive affect and more depressive rumination. Furthermore, high trait emotional repair was cross-sectionally and longitudinally related to more distraction to negative affect and more self-focused positive rumination. Some gender differences were also found; girls reported higher trait emotional attention, higher dampening, and higher depressive rumination. Furthermore, boys reported higher trait emotional repair, higher self-focused positive rumination and higher distraction to negative affect.Conclusions and discussion: Our findings provide longitudinal evidence of the relationships between trait emotional intelligence and responses to both positive and negative affect during adolescence. Consequently, interventions designed to promote resilience during adolescence could target the development of more adaptive responses to both negative and positive affect within the framework of school-based emotional education programmes

Dream Teens Project in the Promotion of Social Participation and Positive Youth Development of Portuguese Youth

To present a youth participatory action-research program developed in Portugal - Dream Teens project, focused on promoting social participation and active citizenship, alongside with its impacts. Methodology: In total, Dream Teens brought together 147 participants (girls=66.66%; boys=33.33%). Five studies were conducted to assess its impact: (i) pre and post test assessment of actionresearch skills among participants (feelings and action-oriented competencies, interpesonal skills, problem solving skills, humanitarianism and feelings towards life); (ii) analysis of the most and least prioritized themes of the program. (iii) interpretation of the project’s results by core group of participants (iv) interpretation of the project’s results by stakeholders; (v) actionresearch projects implemented by core group within their community. A multimethod and multiparticipant approach was used. Results: Although in the pre and post-test there are no statistically significant differences in any action-research skill, there is a perception of overall improvement by young people. The most prioritized themes are associated to the cognitive and relational levels (in what society and friends are concerned, respectively); and the least prioritized is the cognitive level but only for school-related topics. When interpreting the results, participants report positive impacts on personal development, actions, feelings of social support and relationships. In turn, stakeholders clarify that the absence of statistically significant impacts is common in programs that aim to promote competencies, that school is not the main concern of this generation, and that bureaucracies in accessing institutions are due to their difficulty in self-reforming. Two main projects and a conference emerged from the core group’s work. Conclusions: results suggest that participatory research programs with young people can constitute important resources to promote the positive development of this populationPresentar un programa de investigación-acción participativa para jóvenes desarrollado en Portugal (Proyecto Dream Teens), centrado en promover la participación social y la ciudadanía activa, junto con sus consecuencias. Metodología: En total, el proyecto Dream Teens reunió a 147 participantes (niñas = 66,66%; niños = 33,33%). Se realizaron cinco estudios para evaluar su impacto: (i) evaluación previa y final de las habilidades de investigación-acción entre los participantes (sentimientos y competencias orientadas a la acción, habilidades interpersonales, habilidades para la resolución de problemas, humanitarismo y sentimientos hacia la vida); (ii) análisis de los temas más y menos priorizados del programa, (iii) interpretación de los resultados del proyecto por parte del grupo principal de participantes (iv) interpretación de los resultados del proyecto por parte de las partes interesadas; (v) proyectos de investigaciónacción implementados por grupos centrales dentro de su comunidad. Se utilizó un enfoque multimétodo y multiparticipante. Resultados: Aunque en la prueba previa y posterior no se hallaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en ninguna habilidad de investigación-acción, hay una percepción de mejora general por parte de los jóvenes. Los temas más priorizados están asociados con los niveles cognitivo y relacional (en lo que a sociedad y amigos se refiere, respectivamente); y el menos priorizado es el nivel cognitivo, pero sólo para temas relacionados con la escuela. Al interpretar los resultados, los participantes informaron de impacto positivo en el desarrollo personal, acciones, sentimientos de apoyo social y relaciones. A su vez, los organizadores indicaron que la ausencia de impactos estadísticamente significativos es común en los programas que buscan promover competencias, que la escuela no es la principal preocupación de esta generación de jóvenes y que las burocracias en el acceso a las instituciones se deben a su dificultad para auto-reformarse. Del grupo principal de participantes surgieron dos proyectos principales y una conferencia. Conclusiones: los resultados sugieren que los programas de investigación participativa con jóvenes pueden aportar recursos importantes para promover el desarrollo positivo de esta població