Psykhe

Internal Contextual Elements that Facilitate and Hinder the Implementation of a School Mental Health Program

Loreto Leiva, Daniela Barría, Gloria Zavala-Villalón — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The purpose of this research was to identify those dimensions of the Internal Implementation Context that facilitated or hindered the implementation of a community-based public school mental health (SMH) program. Fifty-one members of the educational communities in which the program is implemented were interviewed. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative content analysis. The results made it possible to (1) identify three main categories: organizational scenario, information management and organizational receptivity, which accounted for the main contents highlighted by those participating in the program and (2) establish, according to the positive or negative evaluation given, those dimensions operated as facilitators or hinderers in the implementation of the program, which were pointed out as central and critical aspects to understand the performance and effectiveness of the program studied. Implications, limitations and projections of the findings are discussed.

Parental Involvement, Life Satisfaction and Achievement Orientation in High School Students in Chile

Alejandra Paz Yáñez-Cancino, Mauricio Salgado, Luis González — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

This study investigates the mediating effect of life satisfaction between parental involvement and academic achievement orientation in a sample of Chilean adolescents. Life satisfaction is conceptualised as a family resource that adolescents utilise to manage their school life. Two statistical models were adjusted using data from a subsample of 426 students in 9th to 11th grade, derived from the National Survey on Student Trajectories and Transitions in Chile. The first analysis examines the mediating role of life satisfaction between parental involvement, specifically of both father and mother and achievement orientation. The findings suggest that life satisfaction almost completely mediates the effect of paternal involvement on achievement orientation, while maternal involvement exerts a partial effect through life satisfaction. The second analysis assesses the moderating effect of the adolescent’s gender on the relationship mediated by life satisfaction. The results show that gender moderates the mediation for maternal involvement, but not for paternal. This study highlights the importance of adolescents’ life satisfaction as an essential mediator between family and school contexts, also emphasising the moderating effect that gender composition in relationships between parents and adolescents has on this mediation.

Subjective Well-Being of College Students Explained by Psychological and Sociodemographic Variables

Javier Murillo Muñoz — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The correlational study sought to establish the relationship between life satisfaction and happiness, with self-esteem, extraversion, self-actualization and resentment, identifying whether the latter could predict well-being and comparing their impact on well-being with the impact of sociodemographic variables. The sample, non-probabilistic by convenience, consisted of 392 male and female students (16 to 49 years old) of the Universidad del Valle, Palmira campus. The results showed that all psychological variables were related to the components of well-being. Except for extraversion, the other variables predicted life satisfaction. The four variables (self-esteem, extraversion, self-actualization and resentment) predicted happiness. Psychological variables, and especially those nurtured by achievements, explained the variance of well-being much better than sociodemographic variables. The main conclusions were: (a) people construct a basic and stable way of relating to life, which contributes more to well-being than situational and sociodemographic factors; (b) subjective well-being depends on various factors, so that other relationship of well-being beyond traditional ones, (self-esteem, the Big Five) should be studied.

Teacher-School from the Perspective of University Students in the Program for Access and Accompaniment to Higher Education (PACE)

Eduardo Guzmán Utreras, Mario Morales Navarro, Carmen Gloria Baeza Ugarte — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

A qualitative research is presented whose objective was to know the meanings about teachers and high school in a purposive sample of twenty university students belonging to the Program of Access and Accompaniment to Higher Education (in Spanish, PACE), who participated through semi-structured interviews and discussion group. As a result, a differentiation between the school –as an institution and community– and the teaching staff was appreciated, valuing their professors/teachers according to their role and practices. They are considered positive when they articulate academic demands with the recognition of trust, incentive, and student motivation. On the contrary, they are considered negative when they are associated with the institution/school as a result of its delegitimization and excessive academic consideration over personal student aspects.

Prosocial Behavior, Moral Disengagement and Empathy in Bystanders in School Violence Situations

Gildardo Bautista Hernández, José Ángel Vera Noriega, Jesús Tánori Quintana — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Bullying is an extreme form of violence between students in the process of school socialization. The aim of the study was to explain how prosocial behavior, empathy and moral disengagement influence the role that students assume as observers, defenders, and/or reinforcers in an hypothetical bullying situation. 1,212 students of 10 public high schools in the State of Sonora participated in the study, who were selected through a non-probabilistic convenience sampling. 54.4% were women, while 45.6% were men. The average age of the total sample was 13.11 (SD = 0.99). Students responded five instruments, which were made up of the identification sheet and the variables prosocial behavior, moral disconnection, empathy and scale of observers in situations of school violence. Analysis of frequencies, comparisons with Student’s t test and logistic regression analysis, found that prosocial behavior and empathy were more closely related to being the defender of the victim, while moral disconnection was related to assuming the role of encouraging aggression. These results are relevant to advance in the discussion of school violence as a group process and evidencing the need to improve intervention designs given the high prevalence of this problem at schools.

Community Involvement in Child Development Support Systems and Programs: A Systematic Literature Review

Rodrigo Quiroz Saavedra, Ximena Riesco Muñoz — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

In the last decade, early childhood policies and programs at the international level have given a central place to community participation, however, little is known about how this occurs and what changes it achieves. This article aims to identify evidence on community participation in child development support systems, programs and services and their effects on participants through a systematic review of scientific and gray literature. The findings show the presence of diverse categories of participants within the community, the adoption of participation strategies predominantly conducted by organizations external to the community, and the occurrence of mainly positive effects associated with community participation. The discussion addresses the introduction of new analytical dimensions for understanding participatory processes, the importance of fostering community influence in programs, and the need to consider the conditions that favor effective participation. Valuable information is offered to decision makers, researchers, and civil society organizations seeking to formulate, implement, and early childhood policies, programs, and services based on community participation.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Chilean Teachers

Vanessa Orrego — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

COVID-19 changed routines and affected health, economic and educational systems. Unfortunately, insufficient attention has been paid to its effects on mental health, particularly on teachers. In this framework, this research aimed to describe the self-reported general health of Chilean teachers during the physical isolation and quarantine measures imposed after COVID-19 in Chile. Methodologically, through a non-probabilistic sampling, the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire in its 12-item version (GHQ-12) was applied to 4,109 educators, teachers and principals between July 9 and August 6, 2020. Using frequencies and chi-square, the results show that 68.8% of the respondents self-reported mental health problems, especially critical in women, young people and those who practiced in in the classroom in elementary and middle school, caregivers and those with –or in their family– symptoms or diagnosis of COVID-19. The conclusions highlight the vulnerability of the profession to mental health problems as an effect of the outbreak, distance education and the precariousness of their pre-pandemic working conditions.

Predictors of Self-Care Behaviors to Prevent the Contagion of COVID-19 in Chile

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The COVID-19 pandemic has become the main epidemiological crisis of the century, leading to the adoption of various self-care behaviors. The effectiveness of these preventive strategies depends on the adherence of the population. The objective was to establish predictors of adherence to self-care behaviors for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission in the Chilean population aged 18 and above. A non-probabilistic sample of 1,033 individuals completed a virtual questionnaire using a cross-sectional design. Self-report scales were used to assess risk perception, pro-care norms, and self-care behaviors against COVID-19. Using hierarchical multiple regressions, it was found that gender, risk perception, and pro-care norms against COVID-19 significantly and directly predicted the use of masks, hygiene behaviors, and social distancing. Age only predicted higher adherence to hygiene behaviors, and socioeconomic status only predicted the use of masks and social distancing. In all self-care behaviors, the interaction between risk perception and pro-care norms suggested that at low levels of pro-care norms, risk perception enhances the adoption of these behaviors. Based on these findings, it is suggested to develop strategies that promote self-care behaviors based on risk perception, considering variables such as gender, age, and socioeconomic status, through the creation and maintenance of pro-care norms that take into account the relationships between individuals and significant others in the perception of the positive evaluation of their health behaviors.

Work Flexibility in Pandemic and its Effects on Stress, Insecurity, and Job Satisfaction

Jesús Yeves, Mariana Bargsted, Eduardo Orlandini, Santiago Ureta — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The flexible work arrangements (FWA) have been crucial during the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The accelerated implementation of these measures has advantages and risks, and they are worth studying since they can increase vulnerability. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects that the FWA have on levels of job stress, job insecurity, and job satisfaction, considering that some of them are oriented to employers, and others, to employees. Additionally, it was sought to identify if these measures affect people differently according to age, gender, education degree, and type of organization. To achieve this, a telephone survey was applied to a national probabilistic sample (N=748). Results showed that FWAs oriented to employees, such as flexible scheduling, were positively related to job satisfaction and negatively to job stress and job insecurity. On the contrary, FWA oriented to employers, such as the suspension of the contract and reduction of salary, were associated with greater job insecurity and job stress, and lower job satisfaction. Moderations were observed for sociodemographic variables. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Mental Health in Pregnant Women and COVID-19: A Comparative Study

Leire Legarra, Mar Gómez-Gutiérrez, Natalia Valverde, Encarnación Mollejo — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Depression and anxiety are psychological problems with high prevalence in the perinatal period. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerability of pregnant women has been even greater, making it even more necessary to study the main associated risk factors. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on mental
health in a sample of pregnant women by comparing women who were pregnant before the pandemic and those who experienced pregnancy during the pandemic, as well as evaluate the relationship with the main risk and protective factors, one of them being social support. With this objective, a battery of psychological assessment instruments was administered to women in the general population who were in the third trimester of pregnancy (N=59), with which the following factors were evaluated: sociodemographic variables, stressful situations experienced in the last year and previous history of depression, perinatal depression (EPDS), anxiety (STAI) and social support (MOS). The results partially support the hypotheses proposed, since, although no significant differences were found between the groups evaluated before and after the pandemic, anxiety and depression scores showed negative correlations with social support. These results have clinical implications in that social support, especially from the partner, may be a determinant variable in effective early detection and prevention programs.

Maternal Sensitivity and the Behavioral and Representational Aspects of Attachment in Preschoolers: A Longitudinal Study

Magaly Noblega, Gabriela Conde, Juan Nuñez del Prado, Ramón — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The study explored the relationships between maternal sensitivity, secure base behavior (SBB), and secure base scripts (SBS) in 34 mother-child dyads from Lima, Peru, assessed at two times during preschool years. The hypothesis was that maternal sensitivity would have a direct relationship with the SBS (representational aspect of attachment), however it has an indirect relationship, through the SBB (behavioral aspect of attachment). The selection of the sample was intentional. At time 1 of the study, children were 45.26 months old on average (SD = 7.132) and in time 2 they were 58.09 (DE = 7.025). The Maternal Behavior for Preschoolers Q-Set (MBPQS) was used to measure maternal sensitivity, the Attachment Q-Set (AQS) to assess SBB, and the Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT) to assess SBS. A path analysis was performed. The results indicate that maternal sensitivity, measured at time 1, has a direct relationship with the SBS of the children assesed at time 2, and it has an indirect effect on the SBS through the SBB that was measured at time 1. This study is pioneer in the Peruvian and Latin American context to evaluate these relationships longitudinally and opens a research line to know better the relationship between these attachment theory constructs. However, results are preliminary given the small size of the sample.

Beyond Maternal Sensitivity: Predictive Model of Attachment Quality

Felipe Lecannelier, Humberto Guajardo, Germán Monje-Ojeda — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Studies about attachment between babies and mothers have been the object of medical and social sciences, from genetic to cultural studies. As part of the huge diversity of research on this topic, the predictive explanation of how and if maternal behaviors could explain the quality and styles of attachment in infants, has been a current problematic question of study. This study analyzes if a specific model of maternal behaviors could predict the quality and style of attachment during early infancy, controlling maternal and infant mental health, through a micro-analytic observational methodology. Hundred three dyads were assessed using the experimental procedures of strange situation and AMBIANCE. Multinomial regressions models were used to test the statistic model proposed. The results indicate that maternal behavior related to communication errors could predict both the quality and type of attachment of the infant, controlling the mental health of the mother and child since in 71.5% of cases, communication errors would explain the variance of developed infant attachment (Nagelkerke's r2 = 0.715); p < 0.001). This model may be a promising avenue for developing preventive programs in children's mental health. The present study is the first carried out in Latin-America under this type of microanalytical methodology.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Cognition in Adolescents in a School in Bogota, Colombia

Catalina Moncaleano, Diego A. León-Rodríguez — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Adolescence is a sensitive period for the neurodevelopment of social cognition (SC), and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) can alter these processes. This study investigated the relationship between ACE and SC in 157 adolescents (66 females, 54 males) from a school in Bogota. The level of EAN was assessed through the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale. SC was assessed with mentalization, morality and self-control tasks. In addition, behavioral problems were probed with a scale based on DSM IV-R criteria. The accumulation of ACE was related to alterations in SC in a sex-dependent manner. Specifically: (a) women with high ACEs presented lower accuracy in mental inferences and instrumental moral decisions; (b) men under similar conditions presented self-control problems; (c) exposure to armed conflict correlated with higher latency in moral decisions; and (d) men with ACE accumulation, moral decisions based on immediate rewards and low self-control showed more externalizing behaviors. The social implications of these findings for the design of evidence-based, sectorized psychosocial interventions are discussed.

Mujeres Mayores y Agencia Política: Una Revisión Exploratoria de la Literatura

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

La agencia política de las mujeres adultas mayores ha sido escasamente explorada en la literatura científica. En general, este grupo suele ser investigado desde las características del envejecimiento —deterioro, fragilidad, procesos adaptativos— o desde aquellas dimensiones donde su capacidad de agencia aminora los síntomas del envejecer. No obstante, el carácter político e implicativo de sus prácticas suele ser ignorado. Este estudio describe el abordaje de las conceptualizaciones existentes en torno a las mujeres adultas mayores y agencia política desde la producción académica entre los años 1975-2020, que identifica temas clave, las dimensiones desarrolladas, así como los desafíos futuros. Realizamos esta revisión exploratoria, que sigue las orientaciones PRISMA-ScR y la propuesta metodológica de Arksey y O'Malley (2005). Sesenta y cinco artículos fueron incluidos en la revisión y se realizó un análisis de contenido temático del corpus seleccionado. Un 75 % de los artículos incorporaron métodos cualitativos y se concentraron en países como Canadá, Estados Unidos y el Reino Unido. Se identificaron diversas formas para abordar la agencia política, donde destacaron la participación comunitaria, el activismo y las trayectorias de afrontamiento y resiliencia. Las mujeres mayores desarrollan estrategias específicas para enfrentar las transiciones vitales, donde el carácter colectivo y relacional de los procesos de agenciamiento son centrales. La agencia política se realiza en diferentes espacios contextuales; su incidencia destaca tanto a nivel público-social, como a nivel doméstico. La descripción situada de los procesos de agenciamiento político de las mujeres mayores puede orientar y redefinir las acciones públicas, de cara a un mayor reconocimiento de sus experiencias, acciones y contribuciones.

Evolución Emocional y en Calidad de Vida Percibida de Cardiópatas mediante Programa de Rehabilitación Cardíaca

Esperanza Valls Lázaro — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

La enfermedad cardiovascular está relacionada con factores psicosociales, como la ansiedad y la depresión, repercutiendo éstos a su vez en una peor calidad de vida (CV) en los cardiópatas. Sin embargo, no está claro cómo influyen dichas emociones sobre la CV. Este estudio analizó la prevalencia y evolución de dichos factores psicosociales tras una intervención psicológica grupal en una muestra de 905 pacientes cardíacos que habían sido remitidos al programa de rehabilitación cardíaca (PRC) del Hospital Nª Sª Gracia, en Zaragoza (España), analizando la afectación depresiva (mediante BDI-II, Beck) y ansiosa (SAS, Zung) y su influencia sobre la CV (SF-36, Ware et al.). Se realizaron análisis descriptivos, comparación de muestras (ꭕ2), análisis de varianza y análisis de regresión lineal. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron una comorbilidad psiquiátrica en un tercio de la muestra y una CV inferior en los pacientes con comorbilidad psiquiátrica. Respecto a su evolución tras realizar el PRC, aunque todos los pacientes mejoraron, el progreso emocional fue mayor en el grupo de depresivos, especialmente graves, frente al de no depresivos. Finalmente, se encontró que fue la depresión la que más peso mostró en la CV mental, mientras que la ansiedad lo hizo sobre la CV física. Este estudio contribuyó a ratificar no solo la presencia del estado emocional ansiosodepresivo en los problemas cardiovasculares, sino también el beneficio obtenido mediante intervenciones psicológicas grupales en la CV de los pacientes cardiópatas, además de constatar la importancia de diseñar intervenciones diferenciales según el perfil comórbido de los participantes.

Cognitive Interviews as a Technique for Instrument Adaptation in Educational Contexts

Magdalena Sánchez, Begoña Veloso, Joaquín Subercaseaux — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The objective of the study presented in this article was to qualitatively evaluate the cognitive receptivity and general understanding of new questions for the Quality and Context of Education Questionnaires, using the cognitive interviewing technique. The use of this technique to evaluate the receptivity and comprehension to questions on non-academic aspects (school climate, self-esteem and motivation, among others) by different actors is described. A non-probabilistic sample was used, according to predefined quotas, in accordance with heterogeneity variables, which allowed the selection of 20 schools in the Metropolitan, Antofagasta and Biobío regions of Chile. The participants were students of these schools in 4th and 8th grade (78 and 48, respectively), teachers (19) and parents (28) of the same grades, selected by convenience. The 1,059 units of analysis were distributed in 20 cognitive interview guidelines, allowing a limited number of items per application, safeguarding the quality of the guideline and avoiding over-demanding of the interviewees. The analysis of information was organized in three stages: (a) data definition, (b) data processing and (c) identification of findings. The application of cognitive interviews made it possible to identify comprehension difficulties per question and its components (items and statements) in the various actors, and problems of relevance derived from the assumptions that several items or statements contained, providing suggestions for adapting these questions. The process confirms the relevance of the technique for piloting and adapting questionnaire questions in the educational context.