A Spanish version of the athens insomnia scale

Objectives To develop and validate a Spanish version of the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Methods The AIS is designed to assess sleep difficulty and comprises eight items: the first five refer to the sleep disturbance and the last three to the daytime consequences. Either the full eight-item scale (AIS-8) or the brief form (AIS-5) can be administered. The adaptation used a backtranslation design. The validation process was based on a sample of 323 participants (undergraduates, community sample and psychiatric outpatients), which completed the AIS and other questionnaires: anxiety (BAI), depression (BDI) and psychological well-being (GHQ-12) scales. Results The internal consistency coefficients for both versions were above 0.80. The study of dimensionality revealed a single factor with high loadings and a percentage of explained variance above 50% in both versions. Test-retest reliability was above 0.70 (AIS-5) and over 0.80 (AIS-8) at a one-month interval. The correlation between the AIS and the previously mentioned scales was for both the AIS-5 and the AIS-8 above 0.40 and 0.50, respectively

Weighting strategies in the meta-analysis of single-case studies

Establishing the evidence base of interventions taking place in areas such as psychology and special education is one of the research aims of single-case designs in conjunction with the aim of improving the well-being of participants in the studies. The scientific criteria for solid evidence focus on the internal and external validity of the studies, and for both types of validity, replicating studies and integrating the results of these replications (i.e., meta-analyzing) is crucial. In the present study we deal with one of the aspects of meta-analysis, namely the weighting strategy used when computing an average effect size across studies. Several weighting strategies suggested for single-case designs are discussed and compared in the context of both simulated and real-life data. The results indicated that there are no major differences between the strategies and, thus we consider that it is important to choose weights with a sound statistical and methodological basis, while scientific parsimony is another relevant criterion. More empirical research and conceptual discussion are warranted regarding the optimal weighting strategy in single-case designs, alongside investigation of the optimal effect size measure in these types of design

Desarrollo y Validación de la Brief Math Anxiety Scale (BMAS) en Estudiantes Universitarios

Background: This study developed the Brief Math Anxiety Scale (BMAS), a brief version of the Shortened Math Anxiety Rating Scale (sMARS), maintaining its original three-factor structure, by applying item response theory. Method: The sMARS was administered to 1,349 undergraduates, along with other questionnaires to measure their math ability, trait and test anxieties, and attitudes toward mathematics. Results: Results showed that the original scale could be reduced to nine items (three for each subscale). We provided evidence of good psychometric properties: strong internal consistency, adequate 7-week test-retest reliability, and good convergent/discriminant validity. Conclusions: In conclusion, the BMAS provides valid interpretations and reliable scores for assessing math anxiety in university students, and is especially useful in situations with time constraints where the longer form is impractical

The prevalence and severity of teen dating violence victimization in community and at-risk adolescents in Spain

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and severity of teen dating violence victimization in Spanish adolescents from both community and at-risk samples. The sample comprised 1,105 community adolescents from secondary schools, 149 adolescents from child, and adolescent mental health centers, 129 from residential care centers associated with the child welfare system, and 101 from centers in the juvenile justice system. The participants, aged between 14 and 17 years, were interviewed using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. The lifetime prevalence of victimization in dating relationships ranged from 2.5% to 33.7%. The prevalence of physical victimization was slightly higher in boys, while sexual and electronic victimization and injuries were more prevalent in girls. In conclusion, teen dating violence is a prevalent problem in Spain that needs to be addressed to prevent adolescents from developing risk behaviors and to avoid adverse consequences on mental health, especially in at-risk adolescents

Exposición indirecta a violencia en adolescentes del sistema de justicia juvenil de Cataluña

La exposición indirecta a violencia o ser testigo de violencia(EIV )es un concepto clave para explicar el origen de la conducta antisocial y delictiva de los jóvenes. El concepto EIV incluye las experiencias en las que la víctima es testigo presencial (ve, oye), toma conocimiento o se ve implicada en episodios reales de violencia ejercida sobre otra persona o grupo. El objetivo del estudio es presentar las tasas de victimización por EIV de un grupo de adolescentes del sistema de justicia juvenil de Cataluña. La muestra consta de 101 jóvenes (82 chicos y 19 chicas) en edades entre 14 y 17 años (M = 16,08 años; DT = 0,99), bajo medidas de justicia juvenil en tres centros cerrados (77,2%) y cinco centros abiertos(22,8%) de la provincia de Barcelona. Habiendo aplicado el Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (Finkelhor, Hamby, Ormrod, y Turner, 2005), en formato de entrevista estructurada, la prevalencia de la victimización por EIV a lo largo de la vida es del 97%, cifra similar a las obtenidas en estudios internacionales. En el ámbito comunitario y familiar, la tasa de victimización por EIV es del 95% y del 43,6%, respectivamente. Los tipos de experiencias más frecuentes son las agresiones con y sin armas (82,2% y 81,2% respectivamente). Los chicos afirman haber experimentado signicativamente más agresiones con arma que las chicas. Los resultados ilustran la elevada EIV que estos jóvenes experimentan a lo largo de sus vidas en los contextos familiar y comunitario, e instan a balancear los recursos destinados a castigar las conductas infractoras con otros, dirigidos a ayudarlos a recuperarse de sus experiencias de victimización. Se recomienda implementar políticas de prevención de EIV, especialmente en el ámbito comunitario, propiciando el cambio conductual tras el cumplimiento de la medida de justicia juvenil

Victimización infanto-juvenil en España: Una revisión sistemática de estudios epidemiológicos

Con el objetivo de conocer el estado de la investigación en España sobre la victimización de menores, se ha llevado a cabo una revisión sistemática de aquellas publicaciones que hayan proporcionado tasas de victimización de menores españoles, a partir de los propios reportes de éstos. Se realizó una búsqueda electrónica en las bases de datos Medline, PsycINFO, SciELO, Scopus y Latindex mediante terminología relativa a la infancia, la victimización y la procedencia geográfica de la muestra de estudio. Se seleccionaron 61 artículos, publicados entre el año 1994 y el 2010, en diversas revistas nacionales y, principalmente, sobre experiencias de victimización por iguales. Los trabajos españoles se centran, de forma mayoritaria, en una única forma de victimización, evaluada con instrumentos diversos y no adaptados a nuestro contexto sociocultural, lo que dificulta conocer la incidencia de otros tipos de violencia y la comparativa con trabajos internacionales

Assessing resilience in adolescence: The Spanish adaptation of the Adolescent Resilience Questionnaire

The concept and assessment of resilience have attracted considerable attention in recent years, but none of the instruments developed to measure resilience in adolescents have been adapted to the Spanish context. The Adolescent Resilience Questionnaire (ARQ) provides a comprehensive and multidimensional assessment of the resources associated with resilience in adolescents. This study analyzes the psychometric properties of the ARQ. Participants included a community sample of 1101 Spanish adolescents (53.5 % boys) aged 1217 years (M = 14.51; SD = 1.755). Results confirm the factor structure based on 12 scales. Internal consistency was generally adequate (between .60 and .84), although the unacceptable coefficient for the Empathy/Tolerance scale (α = .38) means that this scale needs to be revised for the Spanish context. Relationships between ARQ scales and psychopathology were in the expected direction and magnitude. Some gender differences were observed, with higher scores for boys on Confidence and Negative cognition. The Spanish version of the ARQ can help to identify personal characteristics associated with resilience and signs of positive engagement with family, peers, school, and the community. It can identify those adolescents most likely to show resilience in response to adversity, as well as those who may be vulnerable under situations of stress

The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse: a continuation of Finkelhor

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to compare the prevalence rates of child sexual abuse reported by [Finkelhor, D. (1994). The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18 (5), 409-417] with those found in recent publications in order to confirm the widespread prevalence of child sexual abuse. Methods: Relevant articles about prevalence of child sexual abuse were identified through searches of computerized databases and a handsearch of Child Abuse & Neglect and the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. Results: Thirty-eight independent articles were identified, corresponding to 39 prevalence studies; these articles report the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse in 21 different countries, ranging from 0 to 53% for women and 0 to 60% for men. Conclusions: Comparison of the present study with that of [Finkelhor, D. (1994). The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18 (5), 409-417] shows a similarity between prevalence distributions; there appears to be a general pattern that remains more or less constant over the years, especially in women. Practice implications: Twelve years after the first revision study about the international prevalence of child sexual abuse, there is still a need for new data about this topic. The present study shows child sexual abuse is still a widespread problem in the society. In this research, carried out on 38 independent studies, there is new data for 21 countries over the world, being especially relevant the results obtained from other countries different from those pertaining toNorth America or Europe. It is important to point out the high prevalence found in most of the countries, so this information could be a new warning to make society and governments aware of this problem and undertake actions to prevent sexual abuse in childhood

Identification of problems in the functioning of individuals with schizophrenia from the expert perspective: An internet-based survey

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify aspects of functioning and related environmental factors that are relevant to schizophrenia from the perspective of health professionals experienced in treating individuals with this disorder using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Method: An international pool of experts from diverse health care disciplines was surveyed to identify problems in functioning experienced by individuals with schizophrenia and the environmental factors that impact their functioning. On the basis of established rules, all answers were translated to the ICF by two independent researchers. Results: One-hundred and eighty-nine experts from all six World Health Organization regions identified 4776 meaningful concepts, of which 92% were linked to 347 different ICF categories. Of the 347 categories, 194 were second-level categories, 151 were third-level categories and 2 were fourth-level categories. Ninety-five second-level ICF categories, 43 third-level categories and 1 fourth-level category reached percentage frequency of at least 5%. The majority of the categories were attributed to body functions, activities and participation, and environmental factors. Conclusions: Health professionals identified a wide range of problems in functioning that reflect the complexity and breadth of schizophrenia, specifically activity limitations and participation restrictions that are particularly relevant for individuals with schizophrenia. Knowing these functioning problems can guide the design of patient-oriented rehabilitation programmes. Implications for rehabilitation: Schizophrenia may result in impaired functioning in multiple daily life activities. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) can help in identifying the needs and problems of these individuals. The reported list of ICF categories can facilitate a systematic application of the ICF in schizophrenia and can help to design and implement coordinated and patient oriented rehabilitation programmes with a biopsychosocial approach. According to health professionals surveyed, activity limitations and participation restrictions are broadly affected in this population and are highly influenced by neurocognitive and social cognitive deficits and environmental factors