Academic stress, coping, emotion regulation, affect and psychosomatic symptoms in higher education

This study aimed to examine the associations between perceived stress, coping, emotion dysregulation, affect and psychosomatic symptoms in higher education. Participants were 183 first-year undergraduates (84% female) that completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Brief-COPE, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the PANAS, and the Manifestations of Physical Discomfort Questionnaire. Significant gender differences were found in perceived stress and psychosomatic symptoms (both higher in women), and in coping (emotional vs. humour support strategies higher for women and men, respectively).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The response of the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas to a summer Mistral event: A coupled atmosphere–ocean approach

In this paper the effect of a summer Mistral event on the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas in the northwestern Mediterranean is discussed, using a coupled numerical model and satellite and in situ observations. The focus is on the spatial and temporal distribution of the ocean mixed layer response to the strong winds, and on how this is affected by atmosphere–ocean coupling. The model used is the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS®1), developed at the Naval Research Laboratory. This system includes an atmospheric sigma coordinate, non-hydrostatic model, coupled to a hydrostatic sigma-z level ocean model (Naval Coastal Ocean Model), using the Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF). The model is run at high (km scale) resolution to capture the fine structure of wind jets and surface cooling. Two non-assimilating numerical experiments, coupled and uncoupled, are run for a 3-day period of a Mistral event, to examine more closely the impact of coupling on the surface flux and sea surface temperature (SST) fields. The cooling of SST up to 3 °C over 72 h in the coupled run significantly reduced the surface momentum and heat fluxes, relative to the uncoupled simulation, where the SST was kept fixed at the initial value. Mixed layer depths increase by as much as 30 m during the event. A heat budget analysis for the ocean is carried out to further explain and investigate the SST evolution. Shear-induced mixing in inertial waves is found to be important to the surface cooling. Effects of coupling on the atmospheric boundary layer are found to be significant, but overall the effect of coupling on the synoptic low pressure system is small

Perceived cognitive functioning in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy compared to matched healthy women: Evidence from a Portuguese study

Aim: Cognitive concerns are one of the most frequently reported symptoms by breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to evaluate perceived cognitive functioning in Portuguese women with breast cancer treated with chemotherapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolling 146 women (73 with breast cancer and 73 healthy) was conducted from August to October 2017, invited to participate through online dissemination. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires to collect sociodemographic and clinical data and assess perceived cognitive functioning and psychological adjustment variables (anxiety and depression). Results: Compared to healthy women, women with breast cancer showed significantly lower scores on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-Cog) subscales and higher levels of depression. Both groups showed significant negative correlations between perceived cognitive functioning and anxiety and depression. Health status and depression seem to better explain perceived cognitive functioning, with health status adding significantly more explained variance beyond sociodemographic and psychological adjustment variables. Conclusion: The current findings provide evidence for the existence of more cognitive complaints among Portuguese women with breast cancer, compared to healthy individuals. Anxiety, depression, age and education also explain perceived cognitive functioning. Considering that health status and psychological adjustment seem to significantly explain perceived cognitive functioning, special attention should be given by health-care professionals, including nurses, to designing clinical interventions for breast cancer patients to help manage cognitive impairment

Impacto psicológico e fisiológico do cancro parental: um estudo comparativo

A investigação sugere que a prestação de cuidados em oncologia pode produzir activação emocional com características aversivas nos cuidadores. A literatura sustenta que os filhos adultos cuidadores, particularmente, podem perceber a experiência de cancro parental como uma experiência traumática. Este estudo incidiu sobre as consequências psicológicos e fisiológicos da prestação de cuidados em situação de cancro parental. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, com dois grupos (cada um com N=78) de filhos adultos (com cancro parental vs. com pais sem doença crónica). Os participantes foram avaliados nas variáveis de distress, sintomas de stress traumático, exaustão do cuidador e medidas psicofisiológicas (ritmo cardíaco e condutância da pele). Foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os grupos nas variáveis psicológicas e fisiológicas. A resposta de pico no ritmo cardíaco, no grupo de cancro parental, destacou-se como um importante preditor da severidade de sintomas de stress traumático, após controladas as variáveis de distress e exaustão do cuidador. Este estudo sublinha o papel fundamental das medidas psicológicas e fisiológicas no estudo de factores de stress associados à prestação de cuidados em oncologia. Existe uma relevância clínica do foco de intervenções no distress e na reactividade fisiológica destes cuidadores.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The portuguese version of the Emotion Regulation of Others and Self (EROS) in a clinical sample: psychometric properties and measurement invariance across sex

The Emotion Regulation of Others and Self Scale (EROS) is commonly used to measure individual differences in the use of strategies to regulate one’s own and other people’s emotions. This study aimed to examine its psychometric properties and measurement invariance across sex in a Portuguese clinical sample. For this purpose, we tested the factorial structure of the EROS in a sample of 390 adults (259 women; Mage = 34.33; SD = 9.99) undergoing active psychotherapy in a private clinic. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the four-factor solution proposed by the original authors (intrinsic affect-improving, intrinsic affect-worsening, extrinsic affect-improving and extrinsic affect-worsening) fitted well to our data. Invariance across sex was determined by using multi-group analyses. Additionally, reliability analysis indicated good coefficients for all the dimensions. The pattern of associations of the EROS subscales with dispositional mindfulness, ruminative thinking, psychological inflexibility, emotional intelligence, and psychopathological symptoms were examined. As expected, small to moderate correlations were found evidencing the convergent construct validity of the EROS. Findings suggest that the EROS is a psychometrically sound approach for assessing individual differences in emotion regulation in clinical samples

Interference of difficulties in mindful acceptance and emotional intelligence, added to perseverative negative thinking, in emotional balance: A study with a low/high emotional symptomatology clinical sample.

Background: Mental health conditions, that exhibit high prevalence within the Portuguese population, can impact individuals' functioning and adversely affect their performance across various aspects of life. Thus, it is crucial to enhance our comprehension of the psychological processes that contribute to the onset or persistence of mental health problems. Recent studies have indicated that mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and perseverative negative thinking could potentially influence emotional symptomatology. However, their relationships and the extent of their association with psychopathology symptoms remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between mindfulness, perseverative negative thinking, emotional intelligence, sociodemographic factors, and the symptoms reported by patients attending a Portuguese mental health clinic. We expect that lower levels of mindfulness and emotional intelligence along with the presence of perseverative negative thinking would contribute to explain the emotional symptomatology experienced by these patients. Participants and procedure: The clinical sample included 390 individuals (M age = 34.33; SD = 9.99; 66.4% women) receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy at a Portuguese mental health clinic. They completed a self-report questionnaire with scales assessing mindfulness (Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale), perseverative negative thinking (Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire), emotional intelligence (Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale), and emotional symptomatology (Brief Symptom Inventory). Results: The results of the logistic regression model revealed two important findings. Firstly, a negative association between mindfulness (specifically acceptance) and emotional intelligence (particularly the use of emotions and emotion regulation) with emotional symptoms among the patients. Secondly, higher levels of perseverative negative thinking (specifically interference and unproductivity) were linked to a greater manifestation of emotional symptoms. Conclusions: The incorporation of mindfulness, emotional regulation and management of perseverative negative thinking might be considered as contributes to improve results on clinical interventions for patients dealing with emotional symptomatology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The design and evaluation of travelling gun irrigation systems: enrolador software

Technical Paperinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio