Experiencing anxietyin breast cancer survival: Does perceived emotional intelligence matter?

Background: The specialized literature shows that breast cancer (BC) survivors have a certain vulnerability to express anxiety about the changes that the disease entails in their lives. Breast cancer is a specific adverse circumstance, but women who have not experienced this disease may also be exposed to other anxiety-provoking life crises. In both cases, perceived emotional intelligence (PEI)—consisting of emotional attention (EA), emotional clarity (EC), and emotional repair (ER)—seems to impact on such emotional distress. Objective: To identify the mechanism through which PEI may mediate the relationship between BC survivorship, compared to a controlled group, and anxiety. Methods: 636 women were divided into two groups: 56 BC survivors and 580 healthy controls. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale were administered. Results: BC survivors differed from the control group in showing lower levels of EA and higher levels of ER. The global mediation model showed an explanatory capacity of 27% on anxiety (p = 0.000). Four significant indirect effects were obtained: two acted as risk pathways and the other two as protective pathways. The strongest effect indicated an increase in anxiety in BC survivors due to the mediated effect of low EA and EC. Conclusions: Knowing the impact of PEI on anxiety on disease survival could be the empirical basis for developing interventions to improve psychological adjustment at the end of treatments. © 2023 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Resilience and workability among breast cancer survivors

El cáncer de mama es la neoplasia más común en mujeres de todo el mundo. Los avances médicos en el pronóstico y los tratamientos han mejorado las tasas de supervivencia; sin embargo, muchas mujeres comunican problemas físicos y psicológicos derivados del impacto y los tratamientos administrados que pueden socavar la viabilidad de las sobrevivientes del cáncer de mama. Dado que el cáncer de mama se presenta en edad laboral (35-65 años) y dada la importancia que tiene el trabajo en su proceso de recuperación, es crucial determinar los recursos psicológicos que las sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama pueden utilizar para restablecer su capacidad laboral. En este sentido, la resiliencia entendida como la capacidad de adaptarse con éxito ante el estrés y la adversidad puede desempeñar un papel importante. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este estudio es explorar los niveles de resiliencia en sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama y estudiar su relación con la viabilidad. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 44 supervivientes de cáncer de mama de España, con una edad media de 51,93 (DE = 8,77). Las participantes completaron la Escala de Resiliencia de Wagnild y Young (versión en español adaptada por Novella, 2002) y el Índice de Capacidad para el Trabajo (WAI, Tuomi et al., 1997). Los resultados de las estadísticas descriptivas revelaron que las sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama mostraron altos niveles de resiliencia. Además, los resultados de la correlación de Pearson indicaron que hubo una asociación positiva significativa entre resiliencia global y trabajabilidad (r = .33, p = .03), así como entre las dimensiones autoconfianza (r = .37, p = .01) y satisfacción personal (r = .33, p = .03). La edad no se correlacionó con la resiliencia ni con la trabajabilidad. Por tanto, la identificación de los factores que influyen positivamente en la adaptación de las supervivientes de cáncer de mama a la vida laboral puede ayudar a desarrollar intervenciones con el objetivo de restablecer la capacidad laboral en esta población. Además, dada la importancia que tiene la reincorporación laboral en esta población, esta investigación puede contribuir a ampliar el conocimiento sobre el proceso de recuperación en sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama.Breast cancer is the most common neoplasia in women worldwide. Medical advances in prognosis and treatments have improved survival rates, however, many women report physical and psychological problems derived from the impact and the administered treatments that can undermine breast cancer survivors’ workability. Given that breast cancer occurs at working age (35-65 years) and due to the importance that work has in their recovery process, it is crucial to determine the psychological resources that breast cancer survivors may use to reestablish their ability to work. In this sense, resilience understood as the ability to successfully adapt in the face of stress and adversity may play an important role. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore resilience levels in breast cancer survivors and to study its relationship with workability. The sample was comprised of 44 breast cancer survivors of Spain, with a mean age of 51.93 (SD = 8.77). Participants completed the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale (Spanish version adapted by Novella, 2002) and Work Ability Index (WAI, Tuomi et al., 1997). The results of the descriptive statistics revealed that breast cancer survivors displayed high levels of resilience. Moreover, the results of the Pearson correlation indicated that there was a significant positive association between global resilience and workability (r = .33, p = .03), as well as between the dimensions self-confidence (r = .37, p = .01) and personal satisfaction (r = .33, p = .03). Age did not correlate with resilience nor with workability. Thus, identifying the factors that positively influence breast cancer survivors’ adjustment to working life can help to develop interventions with the aim to restore working ability in this population. Besides, given the importance that return-to-work have in this population, this research may contribute to expanding knowledge regarding the recovery process in breast cancer survivors.peerReviewe

Impulsivity, Emotional Intelligence, and Alcohol Consumption in Young People: A Mediation Analysis

Alcohol consumption in young people is a public health problem. Due to the harmful consequences and the large population using alcoholic substances, it would be important to determine the biological, psychological, and social factors associated with alcohol use and abuse. The main object of this study is to explore which components of impulsivity, according to the main theoretical models, have predictive power regarding alcohol consumption in young people. A secondary objective is to determine if emotional intelligence has a mediating role between the components of impulsivity and alcohol consumption, and thus specifically contribute to the knowledge about the mediation processes between those variables that are involved in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol consumption. For this purpose, 384 participants were recruited (83.1% females, n = 319), with mean age of 20.46 years (SD = 1.90; range 18-25). All participants were alcohol consumers at the beginning of the study. Data collection was conducted via online survey; impulsivity was evaluated by several questionnaires (Sensation Seeking Scale Form V, Barratt Impulsivity Scales 11, and Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward), and emotional intelligence was evaluated by the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. The results reveal that the dimension of disinhibition (a dimension of the sensation search scale) significantly has the highest predictive value on alcohol consumption. Moreover, our data show that the total effect and direct effect of disinhibition on frequency of alcohol consumption were both significant. The mediating role of emotional intelligence in this process was also significant. These findings show which variables should be considered to prevent alcohol consumption in young peopl

Personal relations in virtual social networks society

Colección ReSed. Es un artículo de ReSed Nº 3, perteneciente al monográfico Crisis Social, Educación y Desarrollo Profesional. Coordinación del Monográfico: Dra. Montserrat Vargas Vergara Dirección de ReSed: Dra. A-Beatriz Pérez-GonzálezLas redes sociales virtuales se han convertido en los últimos años en el fenómeno tecnológico-humano que ha marcado un antes y un después en la sociedad. Las relaciones comerciales y laborales, la transmisión de la información, la adquisición de conocimiento, pero también las interacciones grupales y personales han experimentado una regeneración que obliga a plantearse si los viejos paradigmas pueden seguir siendo útiles para comprender las reglas sociales. En el presente artículo expondremos el surgimiento de las redes sociales virtuales, cómo estas se diferencian de las redes tradicionales o clásicas y cuáles son los aspectos que en este nuevo modelo de interacción, permiten mejorar nuestras relaciones con los demás y nuestra propia satisfacción

The Key Role of Emotional Repair and Emotional Clarity on Depression among Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast cancer is the malignancy with the highest incidence in women worldwide. The empirical evidence is inconsistent with the prevalence of depression among breast cancer survivors (BCS), pointing to emotional competencies as protective factors against affective disorders. However, the mechanisms through which these competencies favor a more adaptive emotional state are unknown. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between the experience of having survived the disease and depression levels in a group of BCS, and the mediating role of Perceived Emotional Intelligence (PEI) in this relation. This was a cross-sectional study with 237 women divided into two groups: 56 BCS and 181 healthy controls who completed the Trait Meta-Mood Scale 24 (TMMS-24) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results showed that Survivorship and PEI explained and predicted 37.8% of the variance of depression, corresponding the 11.7% to the direct and/or the indirect effect of the PEI dimensions (Emotional Attention, Emotional Clarity, and Emotional Repair). In conclusion, interventions aimed at promoting an adequate PEI in this population-and in the Psycho-oncology field, in general-with a particular focus on the development of Emotional Clarity and Repair need to be implemented. Limitations and future research lines are discussed

Assessing the ability to perceive basic and complex emotions in deaf people with the PERVALE-S

Un aspecto poco conocido de las personas sordas es su manejo de las emociones como habilidad cognitiva. Software PERVALE-S es una herramienta para la evaluación de la percepción, la expresión y la evaluación de emociones básicas y complejas de las personas sordas, con diferente código de comunicación (verbal y gestual). PERVALE-S presenta imágenes visuales e instrucciones (a través de un intérprete), en el que el sujeto debe identificar lo que la imagen transmite tanto la percepción de la emoción correcta como su nivel de intensidad. A pesar de la pequeña muestra que tenemos, se han encontrado algunos resultados los cuales indicaron que la edad (.555**), el género (.438**) y el sordo no oralizante (.556**)- cuando nuestra hipótesis era lo contrario; rindieron significativamente en la prueba de emociones sociales. La explicación a éste último se debe a que los sordos oralizantes están más entrenador a fijarse en la boca de la otra persona que los de LSE, y por lo tanto no captan parte de la imagen visual que los de LSE, y por tanto no captan parte de la imagen visual para reconocer la emoción con la misma eficacia que los no oralizantes.A poorly understood aspect in deaf people is their cognitive emotion information processing abilities. Deaf people have more difficulties to distinguish the tone, intensity and rhythm of the language that listener people. When deaf people that they acquired deafness oral communication system, so they achieve a greater development of self and understanding of own and others’ emotions than deaf people who develop a gestural (LSE). PERVALE-S software is a tool for assessing perception, expression and evaluation both basic and complex emotions in deaf people with different communication codes (verbal and gestural). PERVALE-S presents visual images and instructions (by an interpreter), where the subject must identify what the image conveys both emotion and intensity level. Though the small simple, initial finding indicated that age (.556**), gender (.438**) and just gestural deaf people (.556**, 1: oral; 2: gestural)- last one, the assessment (all of them did not show interaction effect). An alternative explanation, for the better performance among gestural, in that oral deaf people he been training focus his visual perception in the mouth under social context situation, while just gestural spend more time paying attention on the rest of body when they need to accurate a social emotion. Eye tracking instrument will be used to test this hypothesis.peerReviewe

Relaciones personales en la sociedad de las redes sociales virtuales

Virtual social networks have become in recent years the technological-human phenomenon that has marked a before and after in society. Commercial and labour relations, the transmission of information, the knowledge acquisition, but also the group and personal interactions have experienced a regeneration which raises the question whether the old paradigms can still be useful in understanding social rules.In this article we will discuss the rise of virtual social networks, how they differ from traditional or classical networks and which aspects in this new model of interaction can improve our relationships with others and our own satisfaction.Las redes sociales virtuales se han convertido en los últimos años en el fenómeno tecnológico-humano que ha marcado un antes y un después en la sociedad. Las relaciones comerciales y laborales, la transmisión de la información, la adquisición de conocimiento, pero también las interacciones grupales y personales han experimentado una regeneración que obliga a plantearse si los viejos paradigmas pueden seguir siendo útiles para comprender las reglas sociales.En el presente artículo expondremos el surgimiento de las redes sociales virtuales, cómo estas se diferencian de las redes tradicionales o clásicas y cuáles son los aspectos que en este nuevo modelo de interacción, permiten mejorar nuestras relaciones con los demás y nuestra propia satisfacción

It is not enough understanding the anxiety but also managing it

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a concept that has been proved with different outcomes (including health). Sometimes, the findings are been promising but also controversial – especially because investigations do not explain how EI can help to increase the mental health, among other reasons. EI is a set of 4 abilities (perceiving, using, understanding and managing) emotions with oneself and others (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). In a sample of 200 undergraduates, the participants filled the MSCEIT – which encompassing the four abilities described – and EAE (scales of appraisal of stress) – which measures whether the anxiety was overcome or not, and how several experiences related with the anxiety is still affecting to participants. After regression analysis, this investigation shows how people with an existential experience with the anxiety can help them to understanding the anxiety but not to managing it. This research claims the necessity for increasing cognitive-emotional managing ability for overcoming anxious experiences

Estrategias de afrontamiento y crecimiento postraumático en mujeres con y sin cáncer de mama

Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG now on) can be understood as the positive change that an individual experiences as a result of a traumatic event. Breast cancer can be considered as a traumatic situation due both to the diagnosis impact and to the administered treatments. However, regardless of suffering a serious illness, all people face traumatic situations in their lives through which they can obtain –or not- certain benefits and/or PTG. Likewise, the experimented growth derived from these events could be promoted or hindered by the use of different coping strategies (CS from this point on). In this sense, the objectives of this study are: 1) to examine whether there are statistically significant differences in the levels of PTG and the CS used among women with and without breast cancer, 2) to explore the existence of statistically significant correlations between the used CS and the levels of PTG; and 3) to analyze the prospective explanatory and predictive capacity of the use of various CS and the development of PTG, controlling for the possible effect of age and the disease.The sample was comprised of 110 women, 45 of them with breast cancer (40.9%) and 55 without cancer (59.1%). Two instruments were administered: The Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) (Tedeschi and Calhoum, 1996) and the Spanish version of the Coping Strategies inventory (Cano et al, 2007). The results reported that both groups differed in the use of CS emotional expression; that PTG correlates with different CS, being social support and problems solving those CS that explain and predict the PTG, regardless of age and illness. We conclude that both CS should be included in interventions aimed at promoting PTG in women who have suffered a traumatic experience, being this clinic or not.Entendemos por Crecimiento Postraumático (CPT en adelante) el cambio positivo que un individuo puede llegar a experimentar tras un suceso traumático. Padecer cáncer de mama constituye una experiencia traumática, tanto por el impacto del diagnóstico, como por los tratamientos administrados. No obstante, toda persona vivencia momentos traumáticos a lo largo de sus vidas, pudiendo obtener a partir de ellos ciertos beneficios y/o CPT, o no. Consideramos que el desarrollo de CPT a partir de experiencias traumáticas puede verse promovido, o dificultado, por el uso de diferentes estrategias de afrontamiento (EA en adelante). Es por ello que en el presente estudio nos planteamos como objetivos: 1) comprobar si existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los niveles de CPT y las EA empleadas entre mujeres con cáncer de mama y sanas, 2) explorar la existencia de correlaciones estadísticamente significativas entre las EA empleadas y el nivel de CPT; y 3) analizar la posible capacidad explicativa y predictiva del uso de diversas EA y el desarrollo de CPT, controlando el posible efecto de la edad y la enfermedad. Participaron un total de 110 mujeres, 45 con cáncer de mama (40.9%) y 55 sin cáncer (59.1%). Se administraron el Inventario de Crecimiento Postraumático (PTGI) de Tedeschi y Calhoum (1996) y la versión española del Coping Strategies Inventory (Cano y cols, 2007). Los resultados informan que ambos grupos de mujeres se diferenciaron en el uso de la EA expresión de emociones; que el CPT correlaciona con distintas EA, siendo las EA apoyo social y la resolución de problemas las que explican y predicen el CPT, con independencia de la edad y la enfermedad. Concluimos en la necesidad de que ambas EA deberían ser incorporadas en intervenciones dirigidas a la promoción del CPT en mujeres que han padecido una experiencia traumática, sea esta clínica o no