Perceived emotional intelligence as a predictor of depressive symptoms after a one year follow-up during adolescence

Research to date has identified various risk factors in the emergence of depressive disorders in adolescence. There are very few studies, however, which have analyzed the role of perceived emotional intelligence in depressive symptoms longitudinally during adolescence. This work aimed to analyze longitudinal relationships between perceived emotional intelligence and depressive symptoms in adolescence, developing an explanatory model of depression following a one-year follow-up. A longitudinal study was carried out with two waves separated by one year, with a sample of 714 Spanish adolescents. The instruments consisted of self-report measures of depressive symptoms and perceived emotional intelligence. Results underlined gender differences in depressive symptoms and emotional intelligence, and indicated that greater emotional intelligence was associated with a lower presence of depressive symptoms after a one year follow-up. A multiple partial mediation model was developed to explain longitudinally depressive symptoms based on perceived emotional intelligence skills and depressive symptoms. These contributions underscore the need to design programs to prevent depression in adolescence through the promotion of emotional intelligence.peer-reviewe

Perceived Emotional Intelligence as a predictor of Depressive Symptoms after a one year follow-up during Adolescence

Research to date has identified various risk factors in the emergence of depressive disorders in adolescence. There are very few studies, however, which have analyzed the role of perceived emotional intelligence in depressive symptoms longitudinally during adolescence. This work aimed to analyze longitudinal relationships between perceived emotional intelligence and depressive symptoms in adolescence, developing an explanatory model of depression following a one-year follow-up. A longitudinal study was carried out with two waves separated by one year, with a sample of 714 Spanish adolescents. The instruments consisted of self-report measures of depressive symptoms and perceived emotional intelligence. Results underlined gender differences in depressive symptoms and emotional intelligence, and indicated that greater emotional intelligence was associated with a lower presence of depressive symptoms after a oneyear follow-up. A multiple partial mediation model was developed to explain longitudinally depressive symptoms based on perceived emotional intelligence skills and depressive symptoms. These contributions underscore the need to design programs to prevent depression in adolescence through the promotion of emotional intelligence

Experiencias psicóticas atenuadas, problemas emocionales y comportamentales y estrategias de afrontamientos en adolescentes no clínicos

Individuals who reported psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are at increased risk for future clinical psychotic disorders. Furthermore, those with PLES report more emotional problems and less effective coping strategies. The main goal of the present study was to compare the emotional and behavioral problems and the coping strategies used by adolescents with and without PLEs. In addition, the relationship between the emotional and behavioral problems and the coping strategies in adolescents with PLEs was explored. A total of 1,713 nonclinical adolescents participated in the study, 832 males (48.6 %), with a mean age of 14.7 years (SD=1.7). Participants with PLEs presented a greater number of behavioral and emotional problems in comparison to those participants who did not report such experiences. Likewise, adolescents with PLEs used Avoidance coping strategies more frequently and Positive coping strategies less frequently in comparison to the adolescents without PLEs. The emotional and behavioral problems were found to be positively related to Avoidance coping and negatively related to Positive coping strategies in the adolescents with PLEs. These findings converge with data found in previous studies of both patients with schizophreniaand psychosis-prone individuals and have clear implications toward the establishment of prevention and early detection strategies in high-risk individualsIndividuos que informan de experiencias psicóticas atenuadas presentan un mayor riesgo futuro de transitar hacia los trastornos psicóticos. Además, aquellos que informan de este tipo de experiencias también presentan problemas emocionales y estrategias de afrontamiento menos efectivas. El principal objetivo de este estudio fue comparar los problemas emocionales y comportamentales y las estrategias de afrontamiento en adolescentes que informaron o no de síntomas psicóticos atenuados. También se examinó la relación entre los problemas emocionales y de comportamiento y las estrategias de afrontamiento en adolescentes que autoinformaron de experiencias alucinatorias. Un total de 1.713 adolescentes no clínicos participaron en el estudio, 832 hombres (48,6%), con una edad media de 14,7 años (DE=1,7). Los participantes con experiencias pseudopsicóticas presentaron un mayor número de problemas de conducta y emocionales en comparación con aquellos participantes que no informaron de tales experiencias. Del mismo modo, los adolescentes que informaron de esta sintomatología utilizaron estrategias de afrontamiento evitativas con mayor frecuencia y estrategias de afrontamiento positivas con menor frecuencia en comparación con los adolescentes del grupo control. Los problemas emocionales y de comportamiento se relacionaron de forma positiva con el afrontamiento evitativo y negativamente con las estrategias positivas de afrontamiento en el grupo de adolescentes con experiencias psicóticas subclínicas. Estos resultados convergen con los datos encontrados en estudios previos de pacientes con psicosis y en individuos adultos sanos con propensión de psicosis y tienen claras implicaciones hacia el establecimiento de estrategias de prevención y detección precoz en individuos de alto riesgo teórico

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Tratamientos psicológicos empíricamente apoyados para adultos: Una revisión selectiva

Antecedentes: los tratamientos psicológicos han mostrado su eficacia, efectividad y eficiencia para el abordaje de los trastornos mentales; no obstante, considerando el conocimiento científico generado en los últimos años, no se dispone de trabajos de actualización en español sobre cuáles son los tratamientos psicológicos con respaldo empírico. El objetivo fue realizar una revisión selectiva de los principales tratamientos psicológicos empíricamente apoyados para el abordaje de trastornos mentales en personas adultas. Método: se recogen niveles de evidencia y grados de recomendación en función de los criterios propuestos por el Sistema Nacional de Salud de España (en las Guías de Práctica Clínica) para diferentes trastornos psicológicos. Resultados: los resultados sugieren que los tratamientos psicológicos disponen de apoyo empírico para el abordaje de un amplio elenco de trastornos psicológicos. El grado de apoyo empírico oscila de bajo a alto en función del trastorno psicológico analizado. La revisión sugiere que ciertos campos de intervención necesitan una mayor investigación. Conclusiones: a partir de esta revisión selectiva, los profesionales de la psicología podrán disponer de información rigurosa y actualizada que les permita tomar decisiones informadas a la hora de implementar aquellos procedimientos psicoterapéuticos empíricamente fundamentados en función de las características de las personas que demandan ayuda. Background: Psychological treatments have shown their efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency in dealing with mental disorders. However, considering the scientific knowledge generated in recent years, in the Spanish context, there are no updating studies about empirically supported psychological treatments. The main goal was to carry out a selective review of the main empirically supported psychological treatments for mental disorders in adults. Method: Levels of evidence and degrees of recommendation were collected based on the criteria proposed by the Spanish National Health System (Clinical Practice Guidelines) for different psychological disorders. Results: The results indicate that psychological treatments have empirical support for the approach to a wide range of psychological disorders. These levels of empirical evidence gathered range from low to high depending on the psychological disorder analysed. The review indicates the existence of certain fields of intervention that need further investigation. Conclusions: Based on this selective review, psychology professionals will be able to have rigorous, up-to-date information that allows them to make informed decisions when implementing empirically based psychotherapeutic procedures based on the characteristics of the people who require help

Dimensionality of hallucinatory predisposition: Confirmatory factor analysis of the Launa-Slade Hallucination Scale-revised in college students

Hallucinatory predisposition, as measured by the Launay-Slade Hallucination scale-revised (LSHS-R) (Bentall & Slade, 1985), is a multi-dimensional construct, although its factor structure is not yet well estab-lished. The purpose of this work was to analyze the dimensional structure of hallucinatory predisposition in nonclinical population. The sample comprised 807 young adults, 562 female (63.3%), with a mean age of 20.19 (SD = 2.98). The results showed that the LSHS-R presented ade-quate psychometric properties. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient reached 0.90. The confirmatory factor analyses conducted indicated that Waters et al. ‘s (2003) three-factor model and Levitan et al.‘s (1996) four-factor model were those that showed the best fit to the data in comparison to the alter-native proposed models. These data confirm the multidimensional nature of hallucinatory predisposition as measured by the LSHS-R. Future studies should continue to investigate the dimensions underlying the LSHS-R in clinical and nonclinical populations and examine its invariance across participants’ gender and age.La predisposición alucinatoria, medida a través de la Escala de Alucinaciones de Launay-Slade-Revisada (LSHS-R) (Bentall y Slade, 1985), constituye un constructo multidimensional, si bien su estructura factorial no se encuentra todavía bien establecida. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la estructura dimensional de la predisposición alucinatoria en población no-clínica. La muestra la formaron 807 adultos jóvenes, 562 mujeres (63,3%), con una edad media de 20,19 (DT = 2,98). Los resultados mostraron que la LSHS-R presentó un adecuado comportamiento psi-cométrico. El coeficiente alfa de Cronbach ascendió a 0,90. Los análisis factoriales confirmatorios realizados indicaron que el modelo tridimensio-nal de Waters et al. (2003) y el modelo tetradimensional de Levitan et al. (1996) fueron los que mejor se ajustaron a los datos en comparación con los modelos alternativos propuestos. Estos datos confirman la naturaleza multidimensional de la predisposición alucinatoria medida a partir de la LSHS-R. Futuros estudios deberían seguir investigando las dimensiones subyacentes a la LSHS-R en poblaciones clínicas y no-clínicas, así como examinar su invarianza a través del sexo y la edad de los participantes