Smartphone-based safety plan for suicidal crisis: The SmartCrisis 2.0 pilot study.

Here we present the findings of the pilot phase of the SmartCrisis 2.0 Randomized Clinical Trial. This pilot study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a safety plan contained in a smartphone app. Our sample consisted patients with a history of recent suicidal behaviour who installed a smartphone-based safety plan. To explore the satisfaction with of the safety plan, two patient satisfaction surveys were conducted: one qualitative and one quantitative. To explore the objective use of the safety plan, we gained access to texts contained in the safety plans completed by the patients. Participation rate was 77%, while 48.9% patients completed both satisfaction surveys at the end of the pilot phase. N = 105 successfully installed the safety plan. In a scale from 1 to 10, users rated the usefulness of the security plan at 7.4, the usability at 8.9, the degree to which they would recommend it to others at 8.6 and the overall satisfaction with the project including evaluations at 9.6. The most widely completed tab was warning signs. Feeling sad or lonely was the warning sign most commonly reported by patients. The second most completed tab was internal coping strategies. Walking or practicing any other exercise was the strategy most commonly resorted to. Our smartphone-based safety plan appears to be a feasible intervention. Data obtained from this pilot study showed high participation rates and high acceptability by patients. This, together with the general satisfaction with the project, supports its implementation in the clinical practice.

The links of subjective and psychological well-being with the Dark Triad traits: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the specific links that the Dark Triad traits have with subjective and psychological well-being through a meta-analysis of the existing literature. BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, associations between the Dark Triad traits and well-being have been a stimulating but understudied topic in personality research. METHOD: Cross-sectional, correlational studies examining these relationships were searched in the PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Meta-analyses were performed at the dimension- and facet-level to account for the multidimensional structure of the Dark Triad traits. RESULTS: A total of 55 studies were included (n = 26,252). In general, grandiose narcissism and boldness/dominance related to higher well-being, while vulnerable narcissism, antagonism, disinhibition, and Machiavellianism related to lower levels of well-being. Age and gender moderated few of these associations. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend including multidimensional measures of the Dark Triad traits as an essential step to move the field forward.

Positive psychology interventions can improve mental health for chronic pain patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the efficacy of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) for patients with chronic pain through a systematic review and meta-analysis. PPIs are defined as strategies that involve focusing on positive emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that improve mental health by increasing mental well-being and reducing psychological distress. DESIGN: The search was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library databases. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjective, psychological, and social well-being were used as indicators of mental well-being, and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were used as indicators of psychological distress. Results: Nine studies were included. Eight studies evaluated subjective well-being, seven evaluated depression, and three evaluated anxiety symptoms. No studies examined psychological well-being, social well-being, or stress. PPIs were found to be effective in promoting subjective well-being post-treatment (Hedges' g = 0.40; 95% CI [0.06, 0.73]) and reducing anxiety (Hedges' g = -0.32, 95% CI [-0.59, -0.06]), but no significant results were found for depression (Hedges' g = -0.23, 95% CI [-0.50, 0.04]). CONCLUSION: The included investigations, while limited, suggest the utility of PPIs in mitigating the psychological consequences of chronic pain. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to implement PPI practices.

The Third Half: A Pilot Study Using Evidence-Based Psychological Strategies to Promote Well-Being among Doctoral Students.

Over the last few years, various studies have reported decreasing well-being levels among doctoral students, who show a higher risk of suffering from psychological distress than the general population. Accordingly, European policies in higher education encourage well-being promotion programs among doctoral studies to enhance young researchers' well-being. However, programs using evidence-based practices for well-being promotion are not yet generalised in public universities. The present study describes a pilot experience designed to evaluate the efficacy of a well-being program among doctoral candidates of a public European university, the Autonomous University of Barcelona. 25 doctoral students (67% women) participated in a pre-post study consisting of six sessions of 3 h each and structured by the big five criteria coming from evidence-based practices for well-being promotion: outdoor green spaces exposure, physical activity, gamification, mentoring, positive and coaching psychology techniques. Results showed how participants experienced significant increases in several indicators of emotional well-being and decreased psychological distress after the Third Half program. These positive pilot results encourage further research and future replications to assess the impact of this evidence-based psychological program among the academic community. Results also lead the way towards the creation of healthier academic workplaces by implementing cost-effective interventions that improve researchers' psychosocial support and their overall well-being.

Changes in the network structure of mental health after a multicomponent positive psychology intervention in adolescents: A moderated network analysis.

The effectiveness of multicomponent positive psychology interventions (MPPIs) on adolescents' mental health has been studied with the use of standard procedures throughout the scientific literature. However, little is known about the potential mechanisms underlying the network structure of mental health following the dual-factor model after an MPPI. We relied on network analysis to explore the reorganization of the connections between mental health indicators after a school-based MPPI. Adolescents from two high schools in Spain were randomly allocated to the 6-week intervention group (n = 85) or to the control group (n = 135). Network analysis showed that the relations between the two differentiated network dimensions of mental health (i.e. well-being and psychological distress) changed after the intervention. Unlike control participants, emotional well-being was negatively associated with depression and stress, while psychological well-being was positively related to stress after the intervention. The present study supports the viability of the network approach in analyzing the connections between mental health indicators as defined by the dual-factor model and the contribution of MPPIs to change the complex pattern of relations between the dimensions of well-being and psychological distress.

Mental health among the general population and healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of well-being and psychological distress prevalence.

The COVID-19 pandemic has constituted a global health crisis that has threatened the mental health of individuals worldwide. The present paper sought to systematically review and meta-analyze studies reporting the prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic of well-being and psychological distress as defined by the dual-continua model, which includes (absence of) psychological distress and (presence of) well-being among the general population and healthcare workers. Systematic searches were conducted in various databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception until 6 December 2020. From a total of 158 studies (N = 880,352) included in the meta-analysis, only seven reported the prevalence of well-being. A random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence among the general population and healthcare workers on depression (25%; 31%), anxiety (27%; 31%), stress (35%; 32%), and well-being (52%; 45%), respectively. Sub-group analyses based on region, income, percentage of women, preparedness of country to respond to COVID-19, and economic vulnerabilities were conducted in order to examine sources of heterogeneity in psychological distress. Results revealed differences among the two groups and indicated that disparities in terms of preparedness to fight the pandemic can distinctly affect mental health in the general population and healthcare workers. Addressing mental health during and after a health crisis should be in the spotlight of the international and national public health agenda. Considering the protective role of well-being to minimize psychological symptoms, mental health policies during the COVID-19 should include strategies to combat the psychological consequences of the pandemic by promoting well-being practices. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-02913-6.

Impact of a School-Based Multicomponent Positive Psychology Intervention on Adolescents' Time Attitudes: A Latent Transition Analysis.

Time attitudes, which refer to positive and negative feelings towards the past, present, and future, are a salient phenomenon in the developmental stage of adolescence and have been related to better well-being. Positive feelings towards time can be promoted in the school setting through empirically validated positive psychology interventions. However, the extent to which these interventions impact the time attitudes of adolescents remains unknown. The current study investigated the influence of a multicomponent positive psychology intervention on adolescents' transitions between time attitude profiles and how these transitions are related to their emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Participants consisted of 220 (M = 14.98; 47.3% female) adolescents from two Spanish high schools who participated in the six-week Get to Know Me+ program. Adolescents' time attitudes and well-being were measured via the Adolescents and Adult Time Inventory-Time Attitudes and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form, respectively, at pre- and postintervention. Participants were clustered in different profiles through a latent profile analysis, and the transitions were analyzed using a latent transition analysis. Five profiles were identified (negative, present/future negative, past negative, optimistic, and positive), and results indicated that adolescents who participated in the intervention were more likely to transition to positive profiles (optimistic and positive) and generally reported higher well-being, especially those in the negative, present/future negative, and optimistic profiles. Preliminary evidence showed that school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions can have a positive impact on adolescents' feelings towards time and well-being.

In-Vehicle Alcohol Detection Using Low-Cost Sensors and Genetic Algorithms to Aid in the Drinking and Driving Detection.

Worldwide, motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of death, with alcohol-related accidents playing a significant role, particularly in child death. Aiming to aid in the prevention of this type of accidents, a novel non-invasive method capable of detecting the presence of alcohol inside a motor vehicle is presented. The proposed methodology uses a series of low-cost alcohol MQ3 sensors located inside the vehicle, whose signals are stored, standardized, time-adjusted, and transformed into 5 s window samples. Statistical features are extracted from each sample and a feature selection strategy is carried out using a genetic algorithm, and a forward selection and backwards elimination methodology. The four features derived from this process were used to construct an SVM classification model that detects presence of alcohol. The experiments yielded 7200 samples, 80% of which were used to train the model. The rest were used to evaluate the performance of the model, which obtained an area under the ROC curve of 0.98 and a sensitivity of 0.979. These results suggest that the proposed methodology can be used to detect the presence of alcohol and enforce prevention actions.

Feeling positive towards time: How time attitude profiles are related to mental health in adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Time attitudes refer to the way individuals feel about their past, present, and future and have been associated with adolescent-specific developmental, social, and emotional changes. The dual-factor model of mental health proposes that optimal functioning entails high levels of emotional, social, and psychological well-being, as well as low levels of psychopathology. Since previous research has suggested that time attitudes can assist in understanding the development of adolescents, the primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between time attitudes and mental health according to the dual-factor model. METHODS: A total of 317 Spanish high school students aged between 14 and 16 years (45.1% females) participated in the study. Time attitudes were assessed with the Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory-Time Attitudes Scale, and profiles were identified through person-centered analysis. Data were also gathered on well-being and psychological distress measures, which were analyzed as distal outcomes. RESULTS: Four time attitude profiles were identified - negatives, positives, past negatives, and present/future negatives. Adolescents belonging to the positive profile reported higher scores on well-being and lower scores on psychological distress. The psychological well-being and depression constructs had higher (positive and negative, respectively) scores across all profiles. These results suggested an association between time attitude profiles and mental health according to the dual-factor model. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that positive psychology interventions may nudge adolescents towards a more positive appraisal of the past, present, and future and promote their mental health and positive development. Further practical implications are discussed.

Effects of School-based Multicomponent Positive Psychology Interventions on Well-being and Distress in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Multicomponent positive psychology interventions are increasing in the general population but the study of its effectiveness in adolescents is still scarce, especially in the school context. Previous meta-analyses have reported that multicomponent positive psychology interventions increase well-being and reduce distress outcomes. However, the results on these outcomes limit their samples to adult populations. The aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate and compare the immediate but also long-lasting effects of school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions aimed at increasing well-being indicators of mental health (i.e., subjective and psychological well-being) and reducing the most common psychological distress indicators (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) in adolescents. A total of 9 randomized and non-randomized controlled trials from the searched literature met inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The results showed small effects for subjective well-being (g = 0.24), psychological well-being (g = 0.25), and depression symptoms (g = 0.28). Removing low-quality studies led to a slight decrease in the effect sizes for subjective well-being and a considerable increase for psychological well-being and depression symptoms. The relevant moderation analyses had an effect on subjective well-being and depression symptoms. The present systematic review and meta-analysis found evidence for the efficacy of school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions in improving mental health in the short and long-term. Small effects for subjective well-being, psychological well-being, and depression symptoms were identified. Effects for psychological well-being and depression symptoms remained significant over time. In light of our results, education policy-makers and practitioners are encouraged to include positive practices within the schools' curriculum as effective and easily implemented tools that help to enhance adolescents' mental health. Further research is needed in order to strengthen the findings about school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions in adolescents.

Uso de la evaluación en 360 grados para medir competencias en residentes de programas de postítulo de especialidades médicas: Revisión de la literatura / Use of the 360-degrees assessment tool to assess competencies in residents of postgraduate programs of medical specialties: A literature review

En distintos países, han surgido modelos educacionales que definen el marco de competencias necesarias para que todomédico espe-cialista pueda dar respuesta a los constantes cambios que está viviendo la sociedad. Para estos modelos es fundamental que cada rol y competencia sea evaluado correctamente para garantizar su óptima adquisición. Uno de los instrumentos propuestos en la literatura internacional para realizar esto es la evaluación en 360°, que además entrega una retroalimentación oportuna al residente. El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar un artículo de revisión de la literatura sobre la evaluación en 360°. La evaluación en 360º es una de las nuevas herramientas que permite dar una evaluación global de las competencias médicas en residentes de programas de especialidades a nivel de posgrado. Consiste en una pauta de observación estructurada que entrega al residente una retroalimentación desde distintos puntos de vista de su práctica cotidiana, al incluir la información obtenida de diferentes grupos de interés para el residente. Este artículo incluye aspectos relacionados con los componentes y racionalidad educacional del instrumento de evaluación, proceso de elección de los evaluadores incluyendo médicos, profesionales de la salud, personal administrativo, pacientes y familiares. Adicio-nalmente se analizan aspectos del diseño y aplicación de la evaluación en 360° o retroalimentación de múltiples fuentes.

In different countries, educational models have emerged, definning defining a competence framework needed for every medical spe-cialist to respond to the constant changes that society is experiencing. For these models, it is essential that each role and competence be evaluated correctly to guarantee their optimal acquisition. One of the instruments proposed in the international literature to do this is the 360-degree assessment, which also provides timely feedback to the resident. The 360-degree assessment is one of the new tools that allows giving a global evaluation of the medical competences in residents of specialty programs at the postgraduate level. It consists of a structured observation guide that gives the resident feedback from different points of view of their daily practice, by including the information obtained from different groups of interest for the resident. This article includes aspects related to the components and educational rationale of this assessment instrument,the selection process of examiners including medical doctors, health professions, and administrative personnel, patients and their relatives additionally, it analyzed aspects related the design and administration of the 360-degree assessment or multisource feedback

Verifiability on the run: an experimental study on the verifiability approach to malingered symptoms.

Several studies on the verifiability approach found that truth-tellers report more verifiable details than liars. Therefore, we wanted to test whether such a difference would emerge in the context of malingered symptoms. We obtained statements from undergraduates (N = 53) who had been allocated to three different conditions: truth-tellers, coached malingerers and naïve malingerers. Truth-tellers carried out an intensive physical exercise and after a short interval wrote a report about their experience and elicited symptoms. The two malingering groups had to fabricate a story about the physical activity and its symptoms. Truth-tellers did not generate more verifiable details than malingerers. However, malingerers reported more non-verifiable details than truth-tellers. Coached and naïve malingerers did not differ in this respect. Relative to truth-tellers, naïve malingerers reported more symptoms-related non-verifiable details, while coached malingerers reported more exercise-related non-verifiable details. Focusing on non-verifiable details may inform the detection of malingered symptoms.

Normative data for the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery of Reading, Writing and Cognitive Functions (ENLEF) / Datos normativos para la batería de evaluación neuropsicológica de lectura, escritura y funciones cognitivas (enlef)

Resumen Las dificultades de aprendizaje constituyen una problemática frecuente en las escuelas. Aunque diversos instrumentos de evaluación neuropsicológica han sido creados, la mayoría se han desarrollado y estandarizado para población no colombiana, o no están diseñados para niños menores de seis años y no permiten relacionar claramente las habilidades académicas y los procesos cognitivos subyacentes a ellas. El objetivo de este estudio es construir los datos normativos de la batería ENLEF en población infantil colombiana a partir de la evaluación de la influencia de las variables sociodemográficas en el desempeño de la prueba. Participaron 516 niños y niñas escolarizados de entre cuatro y siete años, quienes fueron evaluados por psicólogos entrenados con la batería ENLEF. Los resultados mostraron una influencia de la edad y el estrato sobre el desempeño de los participantes en la mayoría de las pruebas. Sin embargo, en algunas pruebas de lenguaje y de lectura se observó solo una influencia del estrato socioeconómico. Los resultados del presente estudio permiten el uso de la ENLEF en la población infantil colombiana como una alternativa culturalmente contextualizada para la evaluación de funciones cognitivas y habilidades de lectoescritura. Además, se confirma la influencia de la edad y el nivel socioeconómico sobre el desarrollo cognitivo.

Abstract Learning disabilities are a frequent problem identified at school. Although there are several neuropsychological tests available, most of them have been developed and standardized for non-Colombian population, haven't been designed for children below six years old, and don't allow to clearly relate academic skills with cognitive process. The aim of this study was to develop normative data for the ENLEF test for Colombian children, by assessing the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on the test performance. Trained psychologists assessed 516 school-children aged from four to seven years using the ENLEF test. Results showed an influence of age and socioeconomic status on the participants' performance in most of the subtest. Nevertheless, in some language and reading subtests, only the influence of socioeconomic status showed an influence on the performance. These results allow the use of the ENLEF test for children in Colombia, as a culturally-contextualized option to assess cognitive functions and reading and writing skills. Furthermore, influence of age and socioeconomic status on cognitive development is also confirmed.