The Role of Developmental Assets in Gender Differences in Anxiety in Spanish Youth

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders during emerging adulthood. Some consistent gender differences have been reported in anxiety with women suffering more anxiety than men, which has detrimental consequences in most life spheres in the youth and later life stages. The understanding of the development of anxiety in emerging adulthood requires a developmental perspective. The Developmental Assets Theory was postulated to describe the individual and the contextual resources which may foster positive youth development and mental health. The present study aims to analyze to what extent the gender differences in anxiety may be partly explained by gender differences in developmental assets. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was conducted in which a sample of 1,044 youths (75.5% women; age range = 18–28; M age = 20.47, SD = 3.08) enrolled in 11 universities from different regions in Spain filled in self-report measures of developmental assets and anxiety symptoms. The participants completed an online survey with the scales, Developmental Assets Profile developed by the Search Institute (1) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) (2). The results showed more anxiety in the female subsample (at both the symptoms and clinical levels). Some gender differences in developmental assets were also observed. A partial mediation model, based on regression analyses, indicated that gender differences in anxiety were partly explained by gender differences in developmental assets. Thus, higher anxiety in the women was partly due to lower scores in positive identity and higher scores in positive values. These results suggested the need to design programs to prevent anxiety with specific measures for women youth to nurture positive identity and promote strengths and coping skills that allow them to get the benefits of well-being derived from positive values, thus, preventing worry and stress overload, which may lead to anxiety.This research received funding from Research, Development and Innovation Projects of European Regional Development Fund in Andalusia 2014–2020. Grant number UHU-1259711, awarded to the first and last authors

El factor de socialización escolar en la carrera delictiva: análisis psicosocial diferencial en una muestra penitenciaria de españa

El objetivo del estudio fue investigar la importancia del nivel de estudios como factor protector en la historia legal y penitenciaria y de drogodependencia y estado de salud de un grupo de presos. Los participantes fueron 87 personas, todos hombres, siendo la edad media de 29 años. Se utilizó un formato de historia de vida adaptado a la población penitenciaria (Paíno, 1995) para obtener la información sobre diversas variables penales y psicosociales. Los resultados confirman que el nivel de estudios del preso resulta ser una variable protectora, tanto en la historia legal y penitenciaria del preso (conducta delictiva, ingreso en centros de menores, edad de ingreso, etc.) como en la edad de inicio de consumo de drogas, lo que nos lleva a plantear la necesidad y la urgencia de la intervención socioeducativa desde el inicio del proceso de inadaptación

Victimization and Perception of Abuse in Adolescent and Young Homosexual and Heterosexual Couples in Spain

Currently, violence in adolescent and young couples has a significant social impact on young people’s physical and psychological health. However, the study of violence in homosexual couples must also be addressed. This research analyzes the levels of violent victimization and the perception of abuse in both homosexual and heterosexual couples. Participants’ ages ranged between 14 and 29 years (M = 20.14, SD = 3.464). We used The Dating Violence Questionnaire-Revised (CUIVNO-R), which was applied in two consecutive studies. The results indicate high levels of victimization, especially in the sample of homosexual participants. The scores generally show a low perception of couple violence but high victimization rates. The results of this study reveal the importance of the issue of violence in couples from minority groups and suggest that couple violence should not be understood as unidirectional, i.e., exclusively from men to women. These findings show the need for education in healthy relationships and consideration of different types of couples in these relationships.This work was supported by the European Regional Development Funds (European Union and Principality of Asturias) through the Science, Technology and Innovation Plan (AYUD/2021/51411) and the State Research Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation (MCI-21-PID2020-114736GB-100)

Cognitive mechanisms in risky decisionmaking in cannabis users

Se exploraron las relaciones entre consumo de cannabis y los procesos de toma de decisiones. Se empleó una versión informática de la Iowa Gambling Task (programa Cartas) en sus versiones normal e inversa y se aplicó el modelo Prospect Valence Learning (PVL) que caracteriza el proceso de toma de decisiones en base a los parámetros: Recencia, Consistencia, Aversión a las pérdidas y Regla de utilidad. Participaron 73 consumidores de cannabis y 73 no-consumidores como grupo control. En la versión normal el grupo control obtuvo mejores puntuaciones que los consumidores. Ambos grupos se mostraron consistentes y con aversión a las pérdidas. Los controles estuvieron más influenciados por la frecuencia de las ganancias-pérdidas, mientras que los consumidores por su magnitud. La influencia de las elecciones inmediatas fue mayor en consumidores que presentaron un olvido rápido mientras que en los controles fue gradual. En la versión inversa, la ejecución de la tarea fue mejor en los controles. Ambos grupos mostraron consistencia, aversión a las pérdidas, más influenciados por la magnitud de las pérdidas-ganancias y con baja influencia de las elecciones inmediatas. Los resultados mostraron las relaciones entre consumo de drogas y el proceso de toma de decisiones, en consonancia con los obtenidos en otros trabajos, donde consumidores presentan peores resultados que controles, además, los parámetros del PVL nos permitieron caracterizar adecuadamente la toma de decisiones. Esto confirma la relación entre el consumo de drogas y la toma de decisiones, bien por la vulnerabilidad previa al consumo, bien por la neurotoxicidad de la drogas.The relationship between the use of cannabis and the decisionmaking processes was explored. A computerized version of the Iowa Gambling Task (Cards Software) in its normal and reverse version was used, and the Prospect Valence Learning (PVL) model, which characterize the process of decision-making based on the parameters: Recency, Consistency, Loss aversion and Utility shape, was applied. Seventy-three cannabis consumers and a control group with 73 nonconsumers participated in the study. In the normal mode, subjects in the control group scored higher than cannabis consumers. Both groups showed consistent responses and aversion to loss. Nonconsumers showed greater influence of the gain-loss frequency, while consumers were more influenced by the magnitude of the gain-loss. The influence of immediate choices was higher among consumers who showed a quick oblivion while in the control group this process was more gradual. In the reverse mode, task performance was better among control group participants. Both groups showed consistency, loss aversion, more influenced by the magnitude of the gain-loss, and low influence of immediate elections. The results show the relationship between drug use and the decisionmaking processes, being consistent with the results obtained in other studies where consumers had worse results than control group. Moreover, the PVL parameters allow to adequately characterize decision-making. This confirms the relationship between drug use and decision-making by either the vulnerability prior to consumption or the neurotoxicity of drugs

Validation of dating violence questionnarie-R (DVQ-R)

ANTECEDENTES / OBJETIVO: A pesar del creciente interés en el estudio de la violencia en el noviazgo, relativamente pocos instrumentos psicométricos están disponibles para los investigadores. Proporcionar un instrumento a investigadores y profesionales para evaluar la victimización en las relaciones de pareja, con propiedades psicométricas adecuadas. MÉTODO: Los participantes fueron 6.138 adolescentes procedentes de la población general, el 25% de los cuales eran estudiantes universitarios. Los participantes respondieron al Cuestionario original sobre violencia de pareja (DVQ). RESULTADOS: Los resultados de los análisis confirmatorios proporcionaron evidencia de una estructura factorial clara que fue invariable a través de los grupos sexuales. El DVQ-R mide con 20 ítems cinco dimensiones de abuso en las relaciones interpersonales afectivas de adolescentes y jóvenes: Desprendimiento, Humillación, Coerción, Violencia física y sexual. Los índices de consistencia interna fueron adecuados tanto para cada una de las cinco dimensiones como para la escala general. CONCLUSIONES: El DVQ-R es una evaluación útil para ser aplicada en adolescentes y jóvenes. Las implicaciones para la investigación y la intervención se discuten a la luz de los resultados obtenidos.BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Despite the growing interest in the study of dating violence, relatively few psychometrically sound instruments are available to researchers. To provide an instrument to researchers and professionals to assess victimization in dating relationships, with adequate psychometric properties. METHOD: Participants were 6,138 adolescents drawn from the general population, 25% of which were university students. Participants responded to the original Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ). RESULTS: Confirmatory analyses results provided evidence of a clear factorial structure that was invariant through sex groups. The DVQ-R measures with 20 items five dimensions of abuse in affective interpersonal relationships of adolescents and youth: Detachment, Humiliation, Coercion, Physical and Sexual violence. Internal consistency indexes were adequate for both each one of the five dimensions as well as for the general scale. CONCLUSIONS: The DVQ-R is an useful assessment to be applied in adolescents and youth. Implications for research and intervention are discussed in light of the results obtained.• Ministerio de Salud, Política Social e Igualdad. Proyecto SUBMINMU012/009 • Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo. Proyecto AP/035718/11peerReviewe

Concordance in the perception of violent behavior in adolescent couples

La violencia entre parejas de adolescentes es un tema de relevancia a nivel social, destacando por sus tasas de prevalencia y graves consecuencias. Como objetivo, se plantea comprobar los niveles de prevalencia de sucesos violentos en parejas adolescentes y jóvenes, y determinar los niveles de concordancia en la ocurrencia de la violencia en base a la información aportada por ambos miembros de la pareja. La muestra se conforma de 106 parejas con un rango de edad entre 18 y 30 años. Se aplicó de forma independiente el cuestionario de violencia entre novios, versión para parejas (CUVINO-VA). Los resultados reflejaron una alta prevalencia de violencia en sus relaciones de noviazgo y elevadas discrepancias en su percepción, estadísticamente significativas, tanto en varones como mujeres tanto en los roles de agresión como de victimización.Violence between adolescent couples is a topic of social relevance, highlighted by its prevalence rates and its serious consequences. As an objective, it is proposed to check the levels of prevalence of violent events in adolescent and young couples and to determine the levels of concordance in the occurrence of violence during courtship based on the information provided by both members of the same couple. The sample consists of 106 couples with an age range between 18 and 30 years, to who was applied independently the questionnaire of violence between dating, in its version for couples (CUVINO-VA). The results reflected a high prevalence of violence in their dating relationships and high discrepancies in their perception, statistically significant,in both men and women in both the roles of aggression and victimization.Fundación para la Promoción de la Investigación Científica Aplicada y la Tecnología en Asturias (becas Severo Ochoa BP13-134 y BP14-153)Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España (MINECO-17- PSI2016-77484-P

Maltreatment and delinquency

El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer, por una parte, la relación de determinadas variables familiares con la manifestación de la conducta de malos tratos; y, por otra parte, la relación entre la existencia de maltrato en la infancia y la posterior conducta delictiva en una muestra de presos del Establecimiento Penitenciario de Villabona (Asturias). Se analizaron variables familiares, escolares, laborales y de salud, historia penitenciaria e historia de drogodependencia; todas ellas recogidas en una historia de vida que se aplicó a una muestra de 87 personas. El tratamiento estadístico de los datos se llevó a cabo mediante el paquete informático SPSS. Los resultados obtenidos parecen indicar, en primer lugar, los antecedentes de adicción del padre (fundamentalmente adicción al alcohol) es una de las variables analizadas que mayor significación muestra ante la variable criterio de maltrato familiar; en segundo lugar, también los antecedentes penales del padre tienen incidencia en la existencia de malos tratos en el ámbito familiar y, finalmente, respecto a la relación entre los antecedentes de la madre, tanto de adicción como penales, con la variable criterio no es significativa. Por otra parte, la relación entre la existencia de maltrato y variables relativas a la historia penitenciaria (edad de ingreso en prisión, reincidencia...) también ha resultado significativa.The objective of this work is to know, on the one hand, the relation of determined familiar variables with the manifestation of the conduct of bad treatments; and, on the other hand, the relation between the existence of maltreatment in the childhood and the later criminal conduct in a sample of prisoners of the Penitentiary Establishment of Villabona (Asturias). Familiar, school, labour variables and of health, penitentiary history and history of drug addiction were analysed; all collected in a life history that was applied to a sample of 87 people. The processing of the data was carried out by means of statistical package SPSS. The results indicate several questions. In the first place, the variable antecedent of addiction of the father (fundamentally alcohol addiction) is one of the analysed variables more significant before the variable criterion of familiar mistreat. Secondly, also the criminal records of the father have incidence in the existence of bad treatments in the familiar scope. Finally, the antecedents of addiction or penitentiaries of the mother with respect to the criterion variable is not significant. On the other hand, the relation between the existence of mistreat and familiar variables to penitentiary history (age to enter in prison, recidivism...)also have been significant

Violencia y desviación social: bases y análisis para la intervención

Desde una perspectiva interactiva, se trata de explicar los comportamientos desviados y las conductas violentas como pautas comportamentales habituales en aquellos jóvenes deprivados social, cultural y económicamente. Trataremos ambos comportamientos como aprendidos y manifestados por un individuo en una situación. Por otra parte, también haremos referencia a tres ámbitos: familiar, educativo y cultural y laboral por ser las tres instancias más importantes por las que pasa el individuo en su proceso de socialización y adaptación a las normas y valores de la sociedad. Finalmente, haremos hincapié en los programas de intervención dentro del ámbito de la inadaptación social basados, sobre todo, en dotar al individuo inadaptado de los mecanismos necesarios para favorecer un proceso de adaptación personal y social, facilitar su desarrollo madurativo e intentar modificar, en la medida de lo posible, el ambiente empobrecedor en que se desenvuelve

Base emocional das diferenças de género na auto-estima dos adolescentes

Lower self-esteem in adolescent girls than boys confers greater vulnerability to numerous risks in their development towards social adulthood. This research aimed to study the role of perceived emotional intelligence in self-esteem's gender differences. An anonymous questionnaire was applied to 1791 Spanish adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years old, composed of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and a reduced version of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. The results showed that girls presented lower overall self-esteem than boys, as well as lower perceived emotional intelligence. On the one hand, it was found that high perceived emotional attention was related to lower self-esteem in girls; on the other hand, results detected that high perceived emotional attention was linked to higher perceived emotional clarity and repair in boys, which were associated with higher self-esteem. These results suggest the need to design programmes to improve self-esteem in adolescent girls by reducing perceived emotional attention.Uma menor auto-estima em raparigas confere uma maior vulnerabilidade a diversos riscos no desenvolvimento e transição para a idade adulta, comparativamente aos rapazes. Este estudo teve como objetivo estudar o papel da inteligência emocional percebida nas diferenças de género na auto-estima. Foi aplicado um questionário anónimo a 1791 adolescentes espanhóis com idade entre 12 e 17 anos, incluindo a escala de auto-estima de Rosenberg e uma versão reduzida da escala Trait Meta-Mood de inteligência emocional percebida. Os resultados mostram que as raparigas apresentam menor auto-estima geral do que rapazes, bem como menor inteligência emocional percebida. Os resultados constatam que a elevada atenção emocional percebida, nas raparigas, se relaciona com auto-estima mais baixa, enquanto, nos rapazes, se associa a uma maior percepção de clareza emocional e reparação, ambas associadas a uma auto-estima mais elevada. Estes resultados sugerem a necessidade de elaborar programas para melhorar a auto-estima na população feminina, através da redução da atenção emocional percebida

Decision making in cannabis users

Diversos estudios neuropsicológicos han demostrado que los consumidores crónicos de cannabis presentan deterioros cognitivos, incluyendo el proceso de toma de decisiones. Por ello, el presente estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar dicho proceso, a través de la hipótesis del marcador somático, en una muestra de 41 consumidores de cannabis comparándolo con un grupo control de igual tamaño, así como analizar la influencia de la edad, sexo, nivel de estudios, edad de inicio y cantidad de consumo diario. Para ello, se ha utilizado el programa “Cartas” (similar a la Iowa Gambling Task), administrando dos versiones: normal e inversa. Los resultados muestran diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los consumidores de cannabis y el grupo control en la ejecución de la tarea normal e inversa. En el análisis por bloques, el grupo control obtiene puntuaciones superiores en la ejecución de la tarea normal, sin embargo, en la tarea inversa, las diferencias entre ambos grupos se dan en la parte inicial pero no en la final. Ninguna de las variables analizadas (edad, sexo,…) se relaciona significativamente con el rendimiento de la tarea. Estos resultados sugieren la existencia de alteraciones en el proceso de toma de decisiones de los consumidores de cannabis, que pueden relacionarse con la dificultad para generar marcadores somáticos, y no con la insensibilidad a las pérdidas.Several neuropsychological studies have shown that chronic cannabis users have cognitive impairments, including decision-making process. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the process, through the somatic marker hypothesis in a sample of 41 cannabis users compared with a control group of equal size, and to analyze the influence of age, sex, education level, age of onset and amount of daily consumption. In order to do that, the software “Cartas” (similar to the Iowa Gambling Task), was used, implementing its two versions: normal and reverse. The results show significant differences between cannabis users and control group in the normal and reverse task execution. By block analysis, the control group obtained higher scores in the normal task execution, however, in the reverse task, the differences between groups are present in the initial task execution but not final task execution. None of the analyzed variables (age, sex ...) are significantly related to task performance. These results suggest the existence of alterations in the decision making process of consumers cannabis, which may relate to the difficulty in generating somatic markers, and not for insensitivity punishments insensitivity