Portuguese validation of the Internet Addiction Test: An empirical study

Abstract Background and aims Research into Internet addiction (IA) has increased greatly over the last decade. Despite its various definitions and general lack of consensus regarding its conceptualisation amongst researchers, instruments for measuring this phenomenon have proliferated in a number of countries. There has been little research on IA in Portugal and this may be partly due to the absence of standardised measurement tools for assessing IA. Methods This study attempted to address this issue by adapting a Portuguese version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) via a translation-back translation process and Confirmatory Factor Analysis in a sample of 593 Portuguese students that completed a Portuguese version of the IAT along with questions related to socio-demographic variables. Results The findings suggested that the IAT appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring IA among Portuguese young adults as demonstrated by its satisfactory psychometric properties. However, the present findings also suggest the need to reword and update some of the IAT's items. Prevalence of IA found in the sample was 1.2% and is discussed alongside findings relating to socio-demographic correlates. Limitations and implications of the present study are also discussed. Conclusions The present study calls for a reflection of the IAT while also contributing to a better understanding of the basic aspects of IA in the Portuguese community since many health practitioners are starting to realise that Internet use may pose a risk for some individuals

Evaluation of the Beck Depression Inventory in a Nonclinical Student Sample

Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders in individuals seeking psychiatric treatment, and a frequent psychological disorder among patients who seek primary healthcare. There-fore, it is vitally important to employ reliable and valid diagnostic instruments and norms, both in clinical and research work to investigate this problem. This article is part of a larger study which has been conducted for ten years now with the aim to create a clearer picture about the level of depression which may be expected in the nonclinical population in Serbia, and in that way provide a basis for comparisons when diagnosing the clinical population. The subsidiary aims were to monitor potential changes in level of depressive reactions within the set time and to examine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale. The sample consisted of 782 students (40% male, 60% female), mean age = 23.10 years, SD = 1.782. Mean score on the BDI-IA scale was 6.69; SD = 6.412. The study showed no significant relationships between the BDI scores and sociodemographic variables such as age, economic status, and educational profile, but showed significant differences within gender (t (780) = 3.222, p = 0.001). There was also a relatively stable level of depressive reactions in this population over the previous ten years. The Cronbach’s coefficient of the BDI scale was α = 0.860, with the majority of item-total correlations above 0.37. The three-factor structure represents cognitive aspect, affective component of depression, and somatic problems attached to depression. The cognitive factor prevails in the entire sample, which is in accordance with the Beck theory about dysfunctional attitudes, ie cognitive vulnerability is a psychological predisposition to depression. Keywords: Beck Depression Inventory, nonclinical student population, psychometric properties "Evaluación del Inventario de la Depresión Beck en una Muestra No Clínica de Estudiantes" RESUMEN La depresión es uno de los desórdenes psicológicos más comunes en los individuos que buscan tratamiento psiquiátrico, y un trastorno psicológico frecuente entre los pacientes que buscan atención primaria de la salud. Por consiguiente, es sumamente importante emplear normas e instrumentos de diagnóstico confiables y válidos en el trabajo investigativo o en el clínico, para investigar este problema. Este artículo es parte de un estudio mayor, llevado a cabo por espacio de diez años, con el objetivo de crear un cuadro más claro del nivel de depresión que puede esperarse en la población no clínica de Serbia, y de esa manera proveer una base para las comparaciones a la hora de diagnosticar la población clínica. Los objetivos secundarios fueron monitorear los cambios potenciales a nivel de las reacciones depresivas dentro del tiempo establecido y examinar las propiedades psicométricas y la estructura factorial del Inventario de Depresión de Beck (escala de BDI). La muestra estuvo formada por 782 estudiantes (40% varones, 60% hembra), edad M = 23.10, SD = 1.782. La puntuación media en la escala de BDI-IA fue 6.69; SD = 6.412. El estudio no mostró una relación significativa entre las puntuaciones de BDI y las variables sociodemográficas tales como la edad, la condición económica, y el perfil educacional, pero mostró diferencias significativas dentro del género (t (780) = 3.222, p = 0.001).  Hubo también un nivel relativamente estable de reacciones depresivas en esta población en los últimos diez años. El coeficiente de Cronbach en la escala de BDI fue = 0.860, hallándose la correlación ítem-total por encima de 0.37. La estructura trifactorial representa el aspecto cognitivo, el componente afectivo de la depresión, y los problemas somáticos vinculados con la depresión. El factor cognitivo prevalece en toda la muestra, lo cual concuerda con la teoría de Beck sobre las actitudes disfuncionales, es decir, la vulnerabilidad cognitiva es una predisposición psicológica a la depresión. Palabras claves: Inventario de Depresión de Beck, población estudiantil no clínica, propiedades psicométrica

Evaluation of the beck depression inventory in a nonclinical student sample

Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders in individuals seeking psychiatric treatment, and a frequent psychological disorder among patients who seek primary healthcare. Therefore, it is vitally important to employ reliable and valid diagnostic instruments and norms, both in clinical and research work to investigate this problem. This article is part of a larger study which has been conducted for ten years now with the aim to create a clearer picture about the level of depression which may be expected in the nonclinical population in Serbia, and in that way provide a basis for comparisons when diagnosing the clinical population. The subsidiary aims were to monitor potential changes in level of depressive reactions within the set time and to examine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale. The sample consisted of 782 students (40% male, 60% female), mean age = 23.10 years, SD = 1.782. Mean score on the BDI-IA scale was 6.69; SD = 6.412. The study showed no significant relationships between the BDI scores and sociodemographic variables such as age, economic status, and educational profile, but showed significant differences within gender (t (780) = 3.222, p = 0.001). There was also a relatively stable level of depressive reactions in this population over the previous ten years. The Cronbach's coefficient of the BDI scale was a = 0.860, with the majority of item-total correlations above 0.37. The three-factor structure represents cognitive aspect, affective component of depression, and somatic problems attached to depression. The cognitive factor prevails in the entire sample, which is in accordance with the Beck theory about dysfunctional attitudes, ie cognitive vulnerability is a psychological predisposition to depression

The role of affective temperament and character traits in predicting suicidality in depressed patients

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of affective temperaments and personality traits with suicide attempts in patients suffering from depression. A total of 251 patients diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder or major depression episode were divided in groups with previous suicide attempts (n = 168) and without such attempts (n = 83) and given a sociodemographic questionnaire, TEMPS-A, and a personality questionnaire, VP+2-70. In all temperaments other than hyperthymic, higher scores were predominant in the group of patients with previous suicide attempts. The model including affective temperaments and personality traits successfully classified 72.5% of cases. Only depressive temperament was found to be a significant positive predictor with negative valence close to statistical significance. The cross-sectional design limits our ability to draw conclusions about causality and current affective status of the patients was not controlled for. However, our findings further prove the importance of affective temperament as a screening tool for suicide risk in depressed patients

Structure of the attitudes towards cosmetic procedures’ acceptance

© 2019, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved. Introduction/Objectives The objective of our study was to investigate the structure of the cosmetic procedures’ acceptance attitudes and differences in acceptance between persons who had undergone minimally invasive cosmetic procedures and those who had not. Methods The study included 245 subjects (treatment group), 21–73 years old (42.02 ± 12.12). The control group included 250 subjects who had not previously undergone cosmetic procedures, also 21–73 years old (40.19 ± 11.71). The control group was balanced with the treatment group according to category distribution of demographic variables. The Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale, adjusted for cosmetic procedures in general, was used for the evaluation of participants’ attitudes towards these procedures. Results Internal consistency of the scale was α = 0.963, the split-half coefficient of validity was 0.861/0.810, and test–retest correlation coefficient was 0.892. The treatment group has shown overall higher acceptance (t(478) = 27.024, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.6), and higher scores in all three dimensions. No demographic variable has shown significant differences in total or individual factor scores in either group. Conclusion Subjects from both groups had scored higher on items dealing with the advantages of cosmetic procedures on a personal level (Intrapersonal Factor)

Body image dissatisfaction, temperament traits, and self-esteem in patients with multiple minimally invasive cosmetic procedures

© 2019, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved. Introduction/Objective The development of safer cosmetic medical procedures has lead to an increase in the number of minimally invasive esthetic procedures. The main aim of the current paper is to examine the connection of the number/location of esthetic procedures with the overall body image dissatisfaction, affective temperament traits, and the index of self-esteem in persons who have undergone several minimally invasive cosmetic procedures for esthetic reasons. The subsidiary aim is to compare the predominance of the above-mentioned traits in the sample with the results in the general population. Methods The study included 228 participants, aged from 21 to 73 years, who had multiple minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, purely for esthetic reasons. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire, medical documentation, the Body Image Assessment Scale-Body Dimensions, TEMPS-A temperament scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results Overall body image dissatisfaction was moderate in our patients (11.56 ± 11.877). With an increase of dissatisfaction, the number of procedures did not grow (r = 0.075, p = 0.263); however, the number of body parts on which the procedures had been performed did. The patients who had their body parts altered most were found to have deeper dissatisfaction with their overall body image (F(2,225) = 4.963, p = 0.008, η 2 = 0.04), and the most prominent temperament was wound to be hyper-thymic (F(2,225) = 3.408, p = 0.035, η 2 = 0.03), similar to the Serbian general population. Conclusion Through establishing potential relations between physical, social, and psychological variables, like body image dissatisfaction, temperament, and self-esteem, we could provide a better insight into a mental state of individuals who frequently undergo minimally invasive cosmetic procedures