The Examination of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and Perceived Adulthood in Emerging Adults.

Emerging adults differ in terms of the extent to which they perceive themselves as adults. We examined how the ability to perform activities related to independent living (i.e., instrumental activities of daily living [IADLs]) was associated with perceived adulthood. Data were collected from 236 emerging adults in college. Results suggested that IADL scores were positively related to perceived adulthood and achieved criteria of adulthood even after controlling for race, year in school, age, and sex. Results are discussed in terms of the development and importance of IADLs during emerging adulthood.

Childhood Psychosocial Adversity and Adult Neighborhood Disadvantage as Predictors of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood adverse psychosocial factors (eg, parental divorce, long-term financial difficulties) and adult neighborhood disadvantage have both been linked to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, their combined effects on disease risk are not known. METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants were 37 699 adults from the Finnish Public Sector study whose data were linked to a national neighborhood disadvantage grid with the use of residential addresses between the years 2000 and 2008 and who responded to a survey on childhood psychosocial adversities and adult CVD risk behaviors in 2008 to 2009. Survey data were also linked to national registers on hospitalization, mortality, and prescriptions to assess CVD risk factors in 2008 to 2009 and to ascertain incident CVD (coronary heart disease or cerebrovascular disease) between the survey and the end of December 2011 (mean follow-up, 2.94 years; SD=0.44 years). Combined exposure to high childhood adversity and high adult disadvantage was associated with CVD risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, and physical inactivity) and with a 2.25-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.39-3.63) hazard of incident CVD compared with a low childhood adversity and low adult disadvantage. This hazard ratio was attenuated by 16.6% but remained statistically significant after adjustment for the CVD risk factors (1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-3.16). Exposure to high childhood adversity or high adult neighborhood disadvantage alone was not significantly associated with CVD in fully adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that individuals with both childhood psychosocial adversity and adult neighborhood disadvantage are at an increased risk of CVD. In contrast, those with only 1 of these exposures have little or no excess risk after controlling for conventional risk factors.

Some ideas on the emerging future of developmental research.

We are somewhat critical of the concept of emerging adulthood as a new developmental stage in modern industrial societies, and prefer the idea of systemic mechanisms and processes as the forces and factors that influence the transitions and transformations of human change across the life course. For this reason, we are pleased to see this volume is entirely dedicated to the life-phase of emerging adulthood in Mediterranean countries, suggesting that researchers are not convinced that the characteristics of emerging adulthood would be the same for young people from different cultures. While we are very positive towards this series of articles showing that emerging adulthood in Mediterranean countries has similarities, and, yet differences to other cultures, and appreciate the diverse findings of these research projects, we would want to suggest some new and more radical strategies for future developmental research. Concretely, a move away from age-bound, stage models towards a more dynamic and systemic approach to lifespan research, simply because we cannot ignore both the past and the future, whilst contemplating the present.

Identity formation of Italian emerging adults living with parents: a narrative study.

This study examines the links between family and identity processes of Italian emerging adults living with their parents. Examining the impact of family is important in the countries of Mediterranean area where also emerging adults live with parents for a prolonged time. In Italy living with parents is associated with a specific "delay syndrome" in the transition to adulthood. Participants consisted of 20 Italian emerging adults attending second and last years of university, in a large Italian city (Naples). All participants were subjected to an open interview, based on the thematic life story. Our findings indicate that parents are perceived as active agents of identity, responsive and supportive of autonomy; they encourage the active involvement of young people in the work of identity formation. Despite this, parental impact produces different configurations that could shed light on the pathways of Italian emerging adults' transition to adulthood. The above configurations are discussed using exemplars.

Individuation in Slovene emerging adults: its associations with demographics, transitional markers, achieved criteria for adulthood, and life satisfaction.

The study investigated associations of Slovene emerging adults' age, gender, living situation, romantic relationship, and employment status with aspects of individuation in relation to mother and father. Controlling for demographic variables and transitional markers of adulthood, we further explored the contribution of individuation measures to individuals' perceptions of achieved criteria for adulthood and life satisfaction. The participants provided self-reports on the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the list of Achieved Criteria for Adulthood. Age and living out of parental home were positively associated with self-reliance in relation to both parents, whereas female gender was related to higher levels of connectedness and seeking parental support. Along with age and involvement in a romantic relationship, connectedness and self-reliance predicted adulthood criteria attainment and life satisfaction. The results support the models of individuation that emphasize growing autonomy and retaining connectedness to parents as pathways towards personal adjustments.

Greek adolescents' intimate relations before their transition to adulthood.

The study examined whether the characteristics of the other partner in a dyad could reveal some unique intimate relationships regardless of the commonalties in the intimate relationships adolescents and emerging adults endorse with four important partners (mother, father, female and male peers). Six hundred and thirteen (56.8% female) Greek adolescents and emerging adults participated in the study. Participants endorsed their agreement to nine items addressing issues of intimacy and companionship. The intimate relationships with the four important partners share some common characteristics reflecting the person who endorses the intimate relationships and are also reciprocal, depending on who is the other partner in the dyad. The intimacy participants endorsed with their parents contributed to the intimate relationship with their peers of the same sex with the parent. The way Greek youth is gendered could explain the characteristics of the intimate relationships they endorse with the other partners in the dyads.

Family support in the transition to adulthood in Portugal--its effects on identity capital development, uncertainty management and psychological well-being.

In a familistic southern European society such as the Portuguese, the family has historically played a prominent role in supporting the negotiation of transition pathways into adulthood. The present study aimed at capturing (1) the relative weight of parental financial support and autonomy support in contributing to the youngsters' psychological well-being (PWB), and (2) the mediating role of identity capital and uncertainty management in this relationship. A total of 620 participants completed measures of parental support, identity capital, uncertainty management and PWB. Autonomy support was found to be the strongest predictor of PWB, both directly and indirectly through its effects on identity capital and the use of target focused uncertainty management strategies. Conversely, financial support evidenced only a minor indirect impact through the mediation of tangible identity capital. Autonomy stimulation may constitute one of the most developmentally determinant family challenges in assisting the process of coming of age in Portugal.

[Adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, associated symptoms and comorbid psychiatric disorders: diagnosis and pharmacological treatment]. / Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung bei Erwachsenen mit assoziierter Symptomatik und komorbiden psychiatrischen Erkrankungen: Diagnostik und medikamentöse Behandlung.

Adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterised by inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity and is a frequent psychiatric disorder with childhood onset. In addition to core symptoms, patients often experience associated symptoms like emotional dysregulation or low self-esteem and suffer from comorbid disorders, particularly depressive episodes, substance abuse, anxiety or sleep disorders. It is recommended to include associated symptoms and comorbid psychiatric disorders in the diagnostic set-up and in the treatment plan. Comorbid psychiatric disorders should be addressed with disorder-specific therapies while associated symptoms also often improve with treatment of the ADHD core symptoms. The most impairing psychiatric disorder should be treated first. This review presents recommendations for differential diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD with associated symptoms and comorbid psychiatric disorders with respect to internationally published guidelines, clinical trials and expert opinions.

Network analysis of affect, emotion regulation, psychological capital, and resilience among Chinese males during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Previous studies have confirmed that both affect and emotion regulation strategies are closely associated with psychological capital (PsyCap) and resilience. These factors are assumed to buffer the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, especially among males. However, these interactions have not been closely examined to date. To fill this gap, this paper explores the dimension-level relationships of these psychological constructs among Chinese males during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and identified critical bridge dimensions using network analysis. Methods: A total of 1,490 Chinese males aged 21-51 years completed self-report scales assessing emotion regulation strategies, affect, PsyCap, and psychological resilience. Two regularized partial correlation networks, namely the affect and emotion regulation-PsyCap network and the affect and emotion regulation-psychological resilience network, were then constructed to examine links between the dimensions of these constructs. The bridge expected influence (BEI) index was also calculated for each node to identify important bridge nodes. Results: Positive affect, negative affect, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression showed distinct and complex links to various dimensions of PsyCap or psychological resilience. In both networks, positive affect, cognitive reappraisal, and negative affect were identified as critical bridge nodes, with the first two having positive BEI values and the third having a negative value. Conclusion: The findings elucidate the specific role of the dimensions of emotion regulation or affect in relation to PsyCap and psychological resilience, which facilitates further understanding of the mechanisms underlying these interrelationships. These findings also provide implications for developing effective intervention strategies to increase PsyCap and psychological resilience.

Demographic, Behavioural and Anthropometric Correlates of Food Liking: A Cross-sectional Analysis of Young Adults.

The degree to which foods are liked or disliked is associated with dietary intake and health behaviours. However, most food liking research has focused on single foods and nutrients and few studies have examined associations with demographics and health behaviours. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between food liking and socio-demographics, health behaviours, diet quality and body mass index (BMI) in a sample of young Australian adults. Data from 1728 undergraduate students (21.8 (standard deviation [SD] 6.0) years; 76% female) were used. Food liking scores and a diet quality index (Dietary Guideline Index, DGI) were estimated from a Food Liking Questionnaire and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), respectively. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to assess the association between food liking and correlates. Young adults with higher liking for encouraged core foods were older, female, did their own food shopping, consumed less packaged foods and had better diet quality. Higher liking for discretionary foods and beverages was associated with less healthy behaviours, such as smoking, higher BMI and lower diet quality. These results suggest that food liking measures may offer an appropriate methodology for understanding influences on young adults' food choices, adding to the body of literature investigating the potential for food liking scores to assess diet-disease relationships.

The Role of Current Family Relationships in Associations Between Childhood Abuse and Adult Psychological Functioning.

OBJECTIVES: Childhood abuse has long-term negative effects on adult psychological well-being. This study examined whether and how adults with a history of childhood abuse may experience poor psychological functioning partly due to aspects of current family relationships. METHOD: We estimated multilevel mediation models using 3 waves of longitudinal data from 3,487 participants in the study of Midlife Development in the United States. Outcomes measured included negative affect, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being. We included aspects of family relationships as mediators: perceived support, perceived strain, frequency of contact, and hours of providing instrumental and emotional support. RESULTS: Multilevel mediation models showed that childhood verbal and physical abuse negatively affected diverse aspects of family relationships in later adulthood (i.e., less perceived support, more perceived strain, less frequent contact, and fewer hours of providing instrumental support). We also found that less perceived support and more family strain significantly mediated the associations between childhood abuse and all 3 psychological functioning outcomes. DISCUSSION: Childhood abuse appears to hinder perceived availability of family support in adulthood, which may undermine the psychological functioning of adults with a history of childhood abuse. To improve their psychological health, interventions should focus on facilitating supportive and functional family relationships.

Education and health promotion in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

The increasing numbers of long-term adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and their well-established risk of cancer-related morbidity strongly support the need for effective health promotion programs that motivate and sustain positive lifestyle changes. To date, the priority of these initiatives has been relatively low as only a handful of studies have been organized that prospectively evaluate lifestyle interventions and health education curricula with these aims. To effectively integrate lifestyle interventions into pediatric oncology care, prioritization and funding of health promotion research efforts must be comparable to that of disease control in frontline cancer trials.

The relation of power and well-being in Korean adults.

The researchers examined the relation of power and well-being in a sample of 881 men and women living in South Korea. Rogers' science of unitary human beings, Barrett's theory of power, and Gueldner's theoretical perspective of well-being served as the theoretical rationale. The hypothesis was supported by a significant positive correlation between power and well-being (r = .52, p < .001). Reliabilities by Cronbach's alpha were .96 for the Power as Knowing Participation in Change Tool and .84 for the Well-Being Picture Scale. Well-being can be facilitated by enhancing person's power as knowing participation in change.

Factors associated with perception of the current silhouette and body image dissatisfaction in adults with obesity / Fatores associados à percepção da silhueta atual e à insatisfação da imagem corporal em adultos com obesidade

ABSTRACT Objective To verify the factors associated with the perception of current silhouette and body image dissatisfaction in adults with obesity. Methods Cross-sectional study derived from the baseline of a randomized clinical trial. The perception of current silhouette and dissatisfaction with body image, defined by the difference between the perception of current and ideal silhouette, were obtained from a scale that ranged from one (smallest silhouette) to nine (largest silhouette). The independent variables investigated as associated factors (crude and adjusted linear regression) were: sex, age, skin color, body mass index (kg/m2), percentage of body fat, level of physical activity, and food intake. Results Sixty-nine obese individuals (body mass index ≥30kg/m2) were studied, 42 of whom were female and with the following mean values: 34.7 (±7.2) years; 33.5 (±2.8) kg/m2, and current silhouette of 6.6 (±0.9). All were dissatisfied with their excess body weight. The categories associated with a perception that matched the current silhouettes were male sex, white skin color, and higher body mass index values when compared to female sex, non-white, and lower body mass index values, respectively. Regarding body image dissatisfaction, white people had lower scores than those with other skin colors. Conclusion Being male, having white skin color, and having a higher body mass index were risk factors for the perception of larger body silhouettes, while only non-white skin color was associated with dissatisfaction with body image.

RESUMO Objetivo Verificar os fatores associados à percepção da silhueta atual e à insatisfação com a imagem corporal em adultos com obesidade. Métodos Estudo transversal derivado da linha de base de um ensaio clínico randomizado. A percepção de silhueta atual e a insatisfação com a imagem corporal, definida pela diferença entre a percepção da silhueta atual e da ideal, foram obtidas a partir de uma escala variando de um (menor silhueta) a nove pontos (maior silhueta). As variáveis independentes investigadas como fatores associados (regressão linear bruta e ajustada) foram: sexo, idade, cor da pele, índice de massa corporal (kg/m2), percentual de gordura corporal, nível de atividade física e ingestão alimentar. Resultados Foram investigados 69 obesos (índice de massa corporal ≥30kg/m2), sendo 42 do sexo feminino e com os seguintes valores médios: 34,7 (±7,2) anos; 33,5 (±2,8) kg/m2 e silhueta atual de 6,6 (±0,9). Todos estavam insatisfeitos pelo excesso de peso corporal. As categorias que se associaram à percepção da silhueta atual foram o sexo masculino, a cor de pele branca e maiores valores de índice de massa corporal quando comparados os dados referentes ao sexo feminino, a pessoas de cor da pele não branca e a menores valores de índice de massa corporal, respectivamente. Quanto à insatisfação com a imagem corporal, pessoas consideradas brancas tiveram escores mais baixos que aquelas com outras cores de pele. Conclusão Ser do sexo masculino, ter cor da pele branca e ter maior índice de massa corporal foram fatores de risco para a percepção de silhuetas corporais maiores, enquanto apenas a cor da pele não branca esteve associada à insatisfação com a imagem corporal.

Experiences of adult cancer patients receiving counseling from nurses: a qualitative systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Counseling is a brief psycho-educational intervention that is useful in facilitating personal growth and adaptive resolution of life stresses. With increased recognition on the psycho-emotional needs of patients with cancer, it is prudent to consider the possibility of expanding the role of nurses in the provision of counseling. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative systematic review aimed to establish the best available evidence on the experiences of adult cancer patients receiving counseling provided by nurses. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review included studies on adult cancer patients of at least 18 years of age who were diagnosed with oncological malignancies of any type and staging. The phenomena of interest were the experiences of adult cancer patients who received nurse counseling (patient education, psycho-education and/or supportive counseling) that was conducted face-to-face or via other communication modes. The review included studies done in institutional and community settings. Qualitative data including, but not limited to, designs of phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research, feminist research and mixed methods research were considered. SEARCH STRATEGY: A three-step search strategy was utilized to find both published and unpublished studies in the English language. Databases searched included CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, JSTOR, PsycINFO, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. Two reviewers independently appraised the 14 included studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. The studies were of moderate to high quality, mostly, falling short in quality due to lack of statements locating the researchers and their influence on the research. Data were extracted from included papers using the standardized JBI data extraction tool. DATA SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers independently reviewed and pooled similar findings into categories. All three reviewers then collaborated in finalizing these derived categories to generate a meta-synthesis. RESULTS: Five synthesized findings were generated during the meta-synthesis: (1) Nurses provide tailored information and teaching to enhance patients' coping; (2) Nurses attend to patients' emotional needs; (3) Nurses assume the role of a significant person in the patients' journey; (4) Patients feel valued as a whole person and the ready availability of nursing interactions; and (5) Nursing role ambiguity and time constraints limit nurse counseling. CONCLUSION: Overall, cancer patients' experiences with nurse counseling are positive and beneficial to them. Despite some nursing role ambiguity and time constraints impeding nurse counseling, this review has established the diverse instrumental roles nurses have played in enhancing adaptive coping in patients across their illness trajectory. In particular, the nurses' presence and availability, a trusting nurse-patient relationship, use of psychotherapy techniques, a holistic approach, human touch and continuity of care were highlighted as key factors in enhancing healing. The role of the nurse navigator and the use of expressive writing warrant more attention when tending to patients' psycho-emotional distress.

"If you want me to treat you like an adult, start acting like one!" Comparing the criteria that emerging adults and their parents have for adulthood.

The purpose of this study was (a) to identify the criteria parents of emerging adults consider necessary and important for their children to achieve adulthood, (b) to compare parents' criteria for adulthood with the criteria espoused by emerging adults, and (c) to examine how these criteria might differ on the basis of gender of the parent and gender of the child. Participants included 392 unmarried college students, ages 18-25, and at least 1 of their parents (271 fathers, 319 mothers). Results revealed that (a) as did their children, most parents did not yet view their children as adults, (b) there was disagreement between children and their parents in the emphasis they placed on various criteria for adulthood, (c) mothers and fathers did not always agree on the importance of various criteria, and (d) the gender of both the parent and the child played a role in the criteria parents deemed important for adulthood. Taken together, the findings suggest that parents and children view the transition to adulthood differently, which might have implications for the parent-child relationship during this period of development.

Do autoconhecimento ao autoconceito: revisão sobre construtos e instrumentos para crianças e adolescentes / Del auto conocimiento al auto concepto: revisión sobre constructos e instrumentos para niños y adolescentes / From self-knowledge to self-concept: review on constructs and instruments for children and adolescents

RESUMO. O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar o que há na literatura sobre o autoconhecimento e encontrar instrumentos disponíveis para avaliar tal construto voltado para o público de crianças e adolescentes, embasados na Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental. Como método, foi desenvolvida uma revisão de literatura nas bases de dados PubMed, PsycINFO, Lilacs e Scielo. Durante a escolha dos descritores notou-se uma justaposição entre os conceitos autoconhecimento e autoconceito. A partir disso, ambos os conceitos foram tratados como sinônimos, adotando o termo autoconceito para se referir aos dois conceitos. A busca resultou em 11 artigos que atenderam aos critérios de seleção. Sobre os estudos, os anos de publicação variaram de 2008 a 2018, com objetivos variados, englobando desde problemas envolvidos com a saúde até sintomas e transtornos psíquicos na infância e/ou adolescência. O autoconceito mostrou se relacionar ao maior bem-estar e qualidade de vida. Além disso, foram encontrados sete instrumentos que avaliam o autoconceito na infância e/ou adolescência, sendo dois com adaptação para a população brasileira. Concluiu-se que ainda há poucos estudos na literatura sobre esse assunto, como também uma lacuna de instrumentos para avaliá-lo na população brasileira infanto-juvenil. Dessa forma, este estudo confirmou que o autoconhecimento é construto complexo e multidimensional e que há a necessidade de mais estudos na área.

RESUMEN. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar qué hay en la literatura sobre el autoconocimiento y encontrar instrumentos disponibles para evaluar este constructo dirigido al público de niños y adolescentes, basado en la terapia cognitivo-conductual. Como método, se desarrolló una revisión de la literatura en las bases de datos PubMed, PsycINFO, Lilacs y Scielo. Durante la elección de los descriptores, hubo una yuxtaposición entre los conceptos de autoconocimiento y autoconcepto. A partir de esto, ambos conceptos fueron tratados como sinónimos, adoptando el término autoconcepto para referirse a ambos conceptos. La búsqueda arrojó 11 artículos que cumplieron con los criterios de selección. Con respecto a los estudios, los años de publicación oscilaron entre 2008 y 2018, con objetivos variados, desde problemas de salud hasta síntomas y trastornos psíquicos en la infancia y / o adolescencia, se demostró que el autoconcepto se relaciona con un mayor bienestar y calidad de vida. Además, encontramos siete instrumentos que evalúan el autoconcepto en la infancia y / o adolescencia, dos con adaptación a la población brasileña. Resulta que todavía hay pocos estudios en la literatura sobre este tema, así como una brecha de instrumentos para evaluarlo en la población juvenil brasileña. Por lo tanto, este estudio confirmó que el autoconocimiento es una construcción compleja y multidimensional y la necesidad de realizar más estudios en el área.

ABSTRACT. This study aimed to identify the material available in the literature about the self-knowledge and to find instruments to assess this construct aimed at the audience of children and adolescents, based on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. As a method, a literature review was performed in the PubMed, PsycINFO, Lilacs and Scielo databases. During the choice of descriptors, there was an overlap between the concepts self-knowledge and self-concept. From this, both concepts were treated as synonyms, adopting the term self-concept to refer to the two concepts. The search resulted in 11 articles that met the selection criteria. The studies were published from 2008 to 2018, with varied objectives, ranging from health problems to psychic symptoms and disorders in childhood and/or adolescence; self-concept was shown to be related to greater well-being and quality of life. In addition, seven instruments were found to assess self-concept in childhood and/or adolescence, two of which were adapted to the Brazilian population. In conclusion, there are still few studies in the literature on this subject, as well as a lack of instruments to assess it in the Brazilian population of children and adolescents. Thus, this study confirmed that self-knowledge is a complex and multidimensional construct and the need for further studies in the area.

Cloninger's temperament dimensions and threat, stress, and performance appraisals during different challenges among young adults.

We examined the relationship of Cloninger's temperament factors-Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence, and Persistence-to perceived threat and stress and performance appraisals during different challenges, i.e., mental arithmetic, the reaction time task, and three public speaking tasks, among 97 young adult men and women. Temperament was measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory. The results showed that, although some of the predictions made by Cloninger's model were confirmed, some were unsupported. The results revealed also some associations between temperament and cognitive appraisals that were intelligible, but not predicted by Cloninger's model. There were considerable domain specificity and gender differences in the associations found. Cloninger's temperament dimensions are related to threat, stress, and performance appraisals, thereby influencing individual's stress vulnerability, adjustment, and personal functioning.

Information and involvement preferences of women in their 40s before their first screening mammogram.

BACKGROUND: Informed decision making regarding screening mammography is recommended for women in their 40s; however, what information women want and how much involvement in decision making they prefer are not known. METHODS: Surveys were mailed to women aged 40 to 44 scheduled for their first screening mammogram. Women were members of a large New England health maintenance organization and received medical care at a multispecialty practice in the greater Boston area. Outcome measures included information needs and decisional control preferences. RESULTS: Ninety-six women responded. Of 93 identifying their ethnicity, 62 (67%) were white, 18 (19%) were black, 10 (11%) were Asian, 2 (2%) were Hispanic, and 1 (1%) was other. Most (91% [85/93]) wanted their primary care provider to be the source of information regarding screening mammography. Information needs included the next steps to take if the mammogram result was abnormal (89%), how the woman would be contacted (75%), and how quickly (71%). Women also wanted to know about the harms of false-positive (84%) and false-negative (82%) results, benefits of screening in prolonging life (73%), and risk of getting breast cancer (69%). Most women preferred to make the screening decision after considering their medical provider's opinion (38%) or together with their medical provider (46%); fewer than 10% preferred that the decision be made by the woman or her provider alone. CONCLUSIONS: Women cited specific information needs before initiating screening mammography, including screening logistics and potential harms and benefits of screening. They also wanted to participate in the decision-making process. Effective methods should be developed for communicating desired information before screening.

Characteristics of Empathy in young people measured by the Spanish validation of the Basic Empathy Scale.

BACKGROUND: Empathy is a personality feature that can play a major role in predicting the emotional and social functioning of adolescents (Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006). Recent research confirms the existence of two fundamental dimensions embedded within this construct, Affective Empathy (experiencing a congruent emotional response with another person) and Cognitive Empathy (understanding rationally the emotions of another person). The Basic Empathy Scale (Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006) is an up-to-date instrument which has been reported to satisfactorily measure these two dimensions. METHOD: We used a sample of 752 adolescents (339 males, 413 females) aged 14-25 who completed the Spanish adaptation of BES. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Spanish adaptation of the scale had the same bi-factorial structure as the original (CFI = .93). This adaptation also showed both satisfactory reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient > .92) and discriminant and convergent validity with regard to measurements of Narcissism, Psychoticism and Agreeableness. Females were found to have higher scores than males both in Affective and Cognitive Empathy. Both subscales show a direct significant correlation with age. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggested that this revised scale possessed good psychometric properties for evaluating empathy in Spanish young people.