Spanish validation of the self-evaluation of negative symptoms scale SNS in an adolescent population

Background: Negative symptoms (NS) may be observed in the general population in an attenuated form and in high-risk mental states. However, they have been less studied in the general population than positive symptoms, in spite of their importance at the insidious onset of schizophrenia and their appearance before positive symptoms. This study aimed to analyze the empirical structure of the Spanish version of the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS) Scale and find its psychometric properties and invariance of measurement across sex and age in a sample of adolescents. Methods: The sample consisted of 4521 adolescents (53.6% female) from 11 to 18 years of age. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the SNS confirmed an internal structure of five first-order factors by the characteristic dimensions of NS: avolition, social withdrawal, diminished emotional range, anhedonia, alogia, and one second-order factor which includes the total NS score. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale was invariant across sex and age. Total scale reliability was adequate. A strong relationship was found between the SNS with depressive symptomatology, moderate with ideas of reference and low with aberrant salience. Conclusion: The results back use of the Spanish version of the SNS scale for detection of NS in the general population of adolescents

Validation of Spanish Language Evaluation Instruments for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and the Dysmorphic Concern Construct

Dysmorphic concern (DC) refers to excessive preoccupation with a slight or imagined defect in physical appearance with social avoidance and behavior directed at controlling the defect in appearance. This study attempted to adapt the factor structure of two instruments that cover the DC construct, the Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ) and the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination Self-Report (BDDE-SR), to Spanish and establish their psychometric properties. A total of 920 subjects (62.7% women, Mage = 32.44 years) participated. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of both scales found adequate goodness of fit indices. A one-dimensional structure was found for the DCQ and two first-order factors (dissatisfaction/preoccupation with body image (BI) and BI avoidance behavior) were identified for the BDDE-SR. The psychometric test–retest reliability and validity properties (content, convergent, and discriminant) were satisfactory. It is suggested that the DC construct includes both cognitive and behavioral aspects and may represent a continuum of severity with Body Dysmorphic Disorder at the end.European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under [grant agreement no 31674

Nosocomial Infection Outbreak due to SARS-COV-2 in a Hospital Unit of Particularly Vulnerable Patients

[Abstract] Objectives: To report a COVID-19 outbreak among workers and inpatients at a medical ward for especially vulnerable patients. Methods: Descriptive study of a nosocomial COVID-19 outbreak registered in March-April 2020 at medical ward of onco-hematological patients in an Spanish hospital. Confirmed cases were hospitalized patients, healthcare and non-healthcare workers who tested positive by PCR on a nasopharyngeal swab. Results: Twenty-two COVID-19 cases (12 workers and 10 inpatients) were laboratory-confirmed. Initial cases were a healthcare provider and a visitor who tested positive. The median patients age was 73 years (range 62-88). The main reason of admission was haematological in 8 patients and oncologic in 2. All patients followed an immunosuppressive treatment, 5/10 with high-flow oxygen nebulizations. Five patients presented a moderate/serious evolution, and 5 patients died. The mean workers age was 42.1±10.9. One healthworker required Intensive Care Unit admission, and all of them recovered completely. Conclusions: In the hospital setting, close patients surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 is essential, especially in immunosuppressed patients. Replacing nebulizations or high-flow oxygen therapies, when other equivalent options were available, to reduce dispersion, and controlling ventilation ducts, together with hygiene measures and an active follow-up on inpatients, visitors and workers appear to be important in preventing nosocomial outbreaks

El papel de la autoconciencia en la preocupación por la imagen corporal en población general

Antecedentes: La autoconciencia se contempla de manera dicotómica; por un lado, como un estado transitorio inducido por estímulos contextuales y por otro, como una predisposición del individuo a focalizar su atención sobre aspectos internos o externos. Hay estudios que señalan que las personas con alta autoconciencia pública se preocupan en mayor medida por cómo son percibidas por los demás y, consecuentemente, realizan conductas que según ellas, atenúan las valoraciones negativas por parte de otros. Objetivo. Se pretende estudiar el papel que tiene la autoconciencia y sus dimensiones (privada, pública y ansiedad social) en la preocupación por la imagen corporal. Se predice que tanto la autoconciencia pública, como la privada y la ansiedad social, tienen un peso importante en la preocupación por el cuerpo, especialmente entre las mujeres. Método: La muestra la componen 475 participantes de ambos sexos (307 mujeres y 168 hombres) con edades comprendidas entre 18 y 65 años (Media=37,85 y DT=13,37). ara la evaluación se utilizó el Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ Cuestionario de preocupaciones dismórficas) y Self-Consciousness Scale - Revised (SCS-R Escala de Autoconciencia). Se empleó un diseño transversal (una medida) para un método relacional. Ancova de la Autoconciencia (teniendo en cuenta sus tres componentes), preocupación dismórfica, edad y género. Resultados: Se obtienen relaciones significativas entre las preocupaciones dismórficas y la autoconciencia, tanto globalmente como por factores. Se obtiene un patrón diferenciado para estos criterios en función del género y la edad. Conclusiones: La identificación de los niveles de autoconciencia asociados a la preocupación por la imagen corporal puede ser relevante para la salud física y psicológica por su repercusión en el trastorno dismórfico corporal.Background: Self-consciousness, is contemplated dichotomously; on the one hand, as a transitory state induced by contextual stimuli and secondly, as a predisposition of the individual to focus attention on internal or external aspects. Studies show that people with high public self-consciousness are concerned more by how they are perceived by others and consequently perform behaviors that, according to them, attenuate the negative evaluations by others. Objective : The aim is to study the role of the self - consciousness and its dimensions (private, public and social anxiety) in concern with body image. It is predicted that both public self - consciousness, and private and social anxiety, have an important role in the body concern, particularly in women. Method: 475 male and female participants (307 women and 168 men) aged between 18 and 65 years (average = 37,85 and SD = 13,37). For the evaluation used the Dysmorphic concern questionnaire (DCQ) and Self - Consciousness Scale (SCS-R). Background: Self-consciousness, is contemplated dichotomously; on the one hand, as a transitory state induced by contextual stimuli and secondly, as a predisposition of the individual to focus attention on internal or external aspects. Studies show that people with high public self-consciousness are concerned more by how they are perceived by others and consequently perform behaviors that, according to them, attenuate the negative evaluations by others

Clinical characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in never-smokers: A systematic review

Introduction Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third cause of death worldwide. While tobacco smoking is a key risk factor, COPD also occurs in never-smokers (NS). However, available evidence on risk factors, clinical characteristics, and natural history of the disease in NS is scarce. Here, we perform a systematic review of the literature to better describe the characteristics of COPD in NS. Methods We searched different databases following the PRISMA guidelines with explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria. A purpose-designed quality scale was applied to the studies included in the analysis. It was not possible to pool the results due to the high heterogeneity of the studies included. Results A total of 17 studies that met the selection criteria were included, albeit only 2 of them studied NS exclusively. The total number of participants in these studies were 57,146 subjects, 25,047 of whom were NS and 2,655 of the latter had NS-COPD. Compared to COPD in smokers, COPD in NS is more frequent in women and older ages, and is associated with a slightly higher prevalence of comorbidities. There are not enough studies to understand if COPD progression and clinical symptoms in NS are different to that of ever-smokers. Conclusions There is a significant knowledge gap on COPD in NS. Given that COPD in NS account for about a third of all COPD patients in the world, particularly in low-middle income countries, and the decrease in tobacco consumption in high income countries, understanding COPD in NS constitutes a public-health priorityThis work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)/PI20/00476/Cofinanciado Unión Europea (UE-FEDER) and Grupo de referencia competitiva Xunta de GaliciaS

Body image concerns and involvement in the type-D personality

Antecedentes: La preocupación por la imagen corporal se relaciona con el trastorno dismórfico corporal. La Personalidad Tipo-D (afecto negativo e inhibición social) repercute sobre la presencia/mantenimiento de enfermedades cardiovasculares. Aunque ambos constructos tienen que ver con el cuerpo y su funcionamiento, no se han hallado estudios acerca de cómo ambas afectan a la salud psicológica. Método. Participantes: 331 universitarios (81,9 % mujeres). Edad media de 21.52 años (DT 3,20). Diseño: transversal ex post facto, una medida, relaciones Anova/Ancova de los factores Personalidad Tipo-D (y componentes), preocupación dismórfica, y género. Instrumentos: Cuestionario de Personalidad Tipo-D (afecto negativo e inhibición social), Cuestionario de preocupaciones dismórficas (DCQ), y Cuestionario de Salud General (GHQ-28): somatización, ansiedad, disfunción social, y depresión. Resultados: Se obtienen relaciones significativas entre las preocupaciones dismórficas y la Personalidad Tipo-D, tanto globalmente como por factores. Se obtiene un patrón diferenciado para estos criterios en función del género. Los varones muestran una conexión de la Personalidad Tipo-D con la somatización, las preocupaciones dismórficas se relacionan con la ansiedad, sin interacción significativa con el género. Conclusiones: La identificación temprana de la Personalidad Tipo-D y las preocupaciones dismórficas pueden ser relevante para la salud física y psicológica por su repercusión sobre enfermedades cardiovasculares y el trastorno dismórfico corporal.Background: Concern about body image is related to body dysmorphic disorder. The Type-D Personality (negative affect and social inhibition) impacts on the presence/maintenance of cardiovascular diseases. Although both constructs have to do with the body and its functioning, no studies were found about how these variables affect to psychological health. Method. Participants: 331 students (81.9% women). Average age: 21.52 years (SD 3.20). Design: crosssectional, ex-post-facto, a measure with Anova/Ancova relations, and three factors: Type-D personality (and components), dysmorphic concern, and gender. Instruments: Type-D Personality Questionnaire (negative affect and social inhibition), dysmorphic concern questionnaire (DCQ), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28): somatization, anxiety, social dysfunction, and depression. Results: Significant relationships were obtained between dysmorphic concerns and Type-D personality, both overall scores and factors ones. Differentiated pattern is obtained for these criteria with gender. Males show a connection of Type-D personality with somatization, dysmorphic concerns relate to the anxiety, without significant interaction with gender. Conclusions: Early identification of Type-D personality and dysmorphic concerns may be relevant to the physical and psychological health because of their impact on cardiovascular disease and body dysmorphic disorder

Randomized Clinical Trial to Determine the Effectiveness of CO-Oximetry and Anti-Smoking Brief Advice in a Cohort of Kidney Transplant Patients who Smoke

[Abstract] Background: measure the efficacy of exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) measurement plus brief advisory sessions to reduce smoking exposure and smoking behaviour in kidney transplant recipients. Methods: Randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial at a Spanish hospital.Smoking kidney transplant recipients giving their consent to participate were randomized to control (brief advice, n=63) or intervention group (brief advisory session plus measuring exhaled CO, n=59). Measurements: Sociodemographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, treatment, rejection episodes, infections, self-reported smoking, drug use, level of dependence and motivation to stop smoking (Fagerström's and Richmond's test) and stage of change (Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages). Efficacy was assessed at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months as: cotinine test, CO levels in exhaled air, nicotine dependence, motivational stages of change, motivation to stop smoking, pattern of tobacco use and smoking cessation rates. Logistic regression models were computed. Results: At 12 months of follow-up, differences were found in exhaled CO between the intervention and control group(6.1±6.8vs.10.2±9.7ppm;p=0.028). Carboxyhemoglobin levels were lower in the intervention group as well as the positive cotinine test (1.2±1.2%vs.2.0±2.4%;p=0.039),(53.4%vs.74.2%). At 12 months, intervention reduces the probability of a positive urine test by 28%. Conclusions: Co-oximetry is a clinically relevant intervention for reduction of tobacco exposure in kidney transplant recipients.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI11 /0135