Type A personality and heart rate perception

The present study sought to replicate previous findings on the discrepancy between Type A's self-reporting of stress and their physiological arousal. An attempt was also made to clarify whether this discrepancy was due to A's inability to detect their heart rate changes, or simply due to their "attentional style". Twenty-eight A's and twenty-eight B's were selected from 200 male Introductory Psychology students on the basis of extreme scores on the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). After a 5-minute rest period, subjects were asked to estimate their heart rates, after which they were given feedback. Two minutes later, they were again asked to estimate their heart rates. The subsequent session was the limit period where the subjects were presented with taperecorded string of digits of increasing length until they reached their own limit. Subjects then performed a digit recall task twice: under instructions to concentrate hard on the task to maximize performance or to focus on their heart rate during the task performance. The order of these two instructions was randomly assigned to each subject. Upon completion of each task, the subjects estimated their heart rates during the digit recall. They also completed the anxiety scale from the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL) and a self-report questionnaire. Actual heart rate was recorded throughout the experimental session. The results indicated that A*s manifested greater heart rate increases than B's during the task, but no differences were noted in their anxiety scores on the MAACL, thus, replicating the previous reported discrepancy. Contrary to expectation. Type A subjects were found to significantly over-estimate their heart rates, compared to Type B's, both at rest and during the task performance. Feedback significantly improved Type A's accuracy of their heart rate estimation, although attention-directing instructions had no effect in either A's or B's. The findings of the present study are difficult to reconcile with the suggestion that A's do not report higher stress because they under-estimate their level of physiological arousal

The impact of the initial COVID-19 lockdown on the mental health and lifestyle of children in Turkey

The COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent school closures increased children’s mental health difficulties and associated risk of school exclusion. The present study examined the changes in children’s daily habits, and emotional and behavioral symptoms during the first national lockdown in 2020 as compared to before. A total of 854 caregivers living in Turkey with children aged 5 to 12 years completed a survey. The results showed that children spent significantly more time using screens, and less time engaging in physical activity during the lockdown compared to before. Additionally, one in three children were reported as feeling bored. Approximately half of the children were reported to show signs of nervousness, anger, anxiety, worry, restlessness, irritability, argumentativeness, and fear of infection. The children whose caregivers reported more family coexistence difficulty, higher risk of COVID-19 infection, poorer mental health, and high parenting role stress experienced higher levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties during the lockdown as compared to before. Children’s pandemic-related emotional symptoms increased with age. Our findings suggested that the COVID-19 lockdown in Turkey had a negative impact on children’s socioemotional and behavioral wellbeing with pre-adolescents being at higher risk of emotional change during the lockdown. These findings can guide early prevention and intervention programs to address child mental health symptoms in Turkey.Impacto del confinamiento por COVID-19 en los cambios de salud mental de los niños en Turquía. La pandemia de la COVID-19 y el posterior cierre de las escuelas aumentaron las dificultades de salud mental de los niños y el riesgo asociado de exclusión escolar. El presente estudio examinó los cambios en los hábitos diarios de los niños y los síntomas emocionales y conductuales durante el primer cierre nacional de 2020 en comparación con el anterior. Un total de 854 cuidadores que viven en Turquía con niños de 5 a 12 años completaron una encuesta. Los resultados mostraron que los niños pasaron significativamente más tiempo usando pantallas y menos tiempo realizando actividades físicas durante ese tiempo en comparación con el anterior. Además, el 78,5% de los niños fueron reportados por sus cuidadores como aburridos. Aproximadamente la mitad de los niños mostraron signos de nerviosismo, enfado, ansiedad, preocupación, inquietud, irritabilidad, discusiones y miedo a las infecciones. Los hijos de los cuidadores que declararon tener más dificultades de convivencia familiar, peor salud mental y un elevado estrés en el rol de padres experimentaron mayores niveles de dificultades emocionales y de comportamiento durante el encierro en comparación con los anteriores. El alto riesgo de infección por COVID-19 por parte de los cuidadores se asoció con mayores niveles de dificultades emocionales y conductuales en los niños durante el encierro que antes. Nuestros resultados sugieren que el bloqueo por COVID-19 en Turquía tuvo un impacto negativo en el bienestar socioemocional y conductual de los niño

O impacto de um protocolo transdiagnóstico de prevenção de ansiedade e depressão em adolescentes

The present study examined the benefit of a transdiagnostic prevention program, Super Skills for Life – adolescent version (SSL-A), among adolescents with internalizing and externalizing problems in two types of school settings (mainstream school and pupil referral unit) using a randomized waitlist-controlled trial (RCT). The main aims were to examine the effects of the SSL-A in reducing internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents, and to identify the moderating role of gender, age, and school type on the intervention outcome. The RCT involved 112 adolescents aged 11 to 14 years old, randomly allocated to either an SSL-A intervention group or a waitlist-control group (WLC). Adolescents in the intervention group participated immediately in the SSL-A, whereas adolescents in the WLC group received the intervention after the intervention group completed the six months follow-up assessment. Results showed that internalizing and externalizing problems were significantly reduced from pre-test to follow-up assessments. Gender, age and school setting moderated the intervention outcome. Specifically, males, younger adolescents and adolescents from mainstream schools showed a significant reduction over time on both internalizing and externalizing problems. Although SSL was designed to target internalizing problems, this study shows that it also had positive effects on adolescents with internalizing and externalizing problems. This study provides evidence for the benefits of a transdiagnostic prevention program for internalizing and externalizing problems in two types of school settings.O presente estudo explorou a eficácia do programa transdiagnóstico de prevenção, Super Skills for Life – versão adolescente (SSL-A), em adolescentes com problemas internalizantes e externalizantes em dois tipos de escolas (escolas públicas convencionais e pupil referral units) usando um estudo randomizado controlado com lista de espera (RCT). Os objetivos principais consistiram em examinar os efeitos do SSL-A na redução de problemas internalizantes e externalizantes em adolescentes, e identificar o papel moderador do género, idade e tipo de escola nos resultados da intervenção. O RCT envolveu 112 adolescentes, entre os 11 e os 14 anos, distribuídos aleatoriamente para o grupo de intervenção SSL-A ou para o grupo de lista de espera. Os adolescentes do grupo de intervenção participaram imediatamente no programa SSL-A, enquanto os adolescentes do grupo de espera receberam a intervenção após o grupo de intervenção ter completado a avaliação do seguimento de seis meses. Os resultados mostraram que os problemas de internalização e externalização foram significativamente reduzidos do pré-teste para as avaliações de seguimento. O género, a idade e o tipo de escola moderaram os resultados da intervenção. Mais especificamente, rapazes, adolescentes mais novos e adolescentes de escolas convencionais mostraram uma redução significativa de problemas internalizantes e externalizantes ao longo do tempo. Embora o SSL tenha sido desenhado para os problemas de internalização, este estudo mostrou que o programa também teve efeitos positivos nos adolescentes com problemas de internalização e externalização

Poly-Victimization in Polish Adolescents: Risk Factors and the Moderating Role of Coping

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of poly-victimization in Polish adolescents and assess factors associated with poly-victimization risk across different ecological levels. This study further examined whether coping styles could moderate the impact of poly-victimization on emotional well-being. Participants were 454 adolescents, aged between 13 and 19 years, from an urban region of Poland. Adolescents completed self-report measures assessing community, school, and family risks, along with a peer nomination task measuring social preference. Teachers also completed a measure assessing adolescent problem behaviors. Findings revealed that the majority of the sample (70%) experienced more than one type of victimization in the past year, and 35.7% were classified as poly-victims (≥ 6 victimizations). As hypothesized, community disorganization, low commitment to school, poor family management, family conflict, peer social preference, and teacher-rated withdrawn and disruptive behavioral problems were predictive of poly-victimization. In addition, the relationship between poly-victimization and emotional well-being was moderated by problem-solving coping, in that greater use of problem-solving strategies lessened the negative impact of poly-victimization on positive affect and life satisfaction. Other investigated coping strategies (social support-seeking, internalizing, externalizing, and distraction) failed to demonstrate any moderation effect. Findings highlight the high rate of victimization experienced by adolescents in Poland and have implications for the identification of those at risk of poly-victimization, suggesting that there is a need to consider factors related to the adolescent themselves, their relationships with family and peers, and school and community factors. Results also indicate that there may be value in training victims in the use of problem-solving coping styles as a source of resilienc

Adolescent psychopathological profiles and the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Background: According to cross-sectional studies, public health measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 are associated with adverse effects, including high level of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression. Aims: This study explored adolescent psychopathological profiles at age 17, and their role in predicting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at age 19. Methods: The analyses used a sample of 904 participants (mean age = 19.17 years) from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) sweep 7 who completed the mental health questions from January 2018 to March 2019 (mean age = 17.18 years) and the COVID-19 Survey in May 2020. Adolescent psychopathological profiles were identified by means of latent class analysis. Results: Four psychopathological profiles were identified: “low-symptom class” (60.17% of participants), “high-symptom class” (23.01% of participants), “substance/behavioural addictions class” (12.03% of participants), and “emotion-dysregulation class” (4.79% of participants). Adolescents in the high-symptom and emotional-dysregulation classes had the worst outcome during the lockdown. Specifically, they experienced more stress, conflict and loneliness, and lower levels of perceived social support than adolescents in the other psychopathological classes. Adolescents in the emotional-dysregulation class also consumed more alcohol and had worse financial situation during the lockdown compared to pre- lockdown period. Conclusion: Adolescent psychopathological profiles predicted the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.Depto. de Medicina Legal, Psiquiatría y PatologíaFac. de MedicinaTRUEpu

Caregiver-reported changes in the socioemotional wellbeing and daily habits of children with special educational needs during the first COVID-19 national lockdown in the UK

The implementation of social distancing measures (e.g., school closures) by governments worldwide to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has affected millions of children and their families. However, the consequences of such measures on the wellbeing of children with special educational needs (SEN) and their caregivers are not fully understood. The present study examined the socioemotional wellbeing and daily habits of children between 5 and 12 years old with SEN during the first national COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. Participants were 995 caregivers between 18 and 61 years old living in the United Kingdom who completed a 20 -min electronic survey on child and family wellbeing distributed via social networks between July and August 2020. The findings showed that children with SEN were more likely to experience more emotional and behavioral difficulties during the lockdown than children without SEN. Children with SEN but without mental health difficulties did not have more behavior difficulties during the lockdown than children without SEN. There was a significant increase in screen time and decrease in sleep time for children with and without SEN during the lockdown, but children with SEN were using screens more often than children without SEN both before and during the lockdown. Finally, caregivers with children with SEN reported more difficulty with the confinement than caregivers with children without SEN, but caregiver and child poor mental health were likely to explain the difference. The findings show that the wellbeing of children with SEN was more likely to be negatively affected by the lockdown than the wellbeing of children without SEN. Caregiver and child mental health were likely to explain the differences