Impact of early memories and current experiences of warmth and safeness on adolescents' psychological distress.

A variable-centered and a person-centered approach were performed to examine the role of early memories of warmth and safeness (EMWS) and current experiences of warmth and safeness (CEWS) on depressive and anxious symptoms among adolescents from community and residential youth care (RYC) settings. Variable-centered results revealed EMWS were only indirectly (through CEWS) associated with depressive and anxious symptoms. Person-centered outcomes allowed to identify four different profiles based on EMWS and CEWS, which differed on depressive and anxious symptoms. EMWS and CEWS seem to play an important role in psychological distress during adolescence. CEWS seem to have a protective role on RYC adolescents' psychological distress, even when EMWS were poor.

The difficulties in emotion regulation scale: Dimensionality, measurement invariance, and physiological correlates in community adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Emotion regulation is a central construct for the study of mental health in adolescence. Although the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) has been vastly used, several issues remain unanswered (e.g., factor structure/dimensionality). This study aimed to validate the 36-items DERS in a sample of 989 Portuguese community adolescent (460 boys; 529 girls; age ranged from 14 to 18). METHOD: A bifactor-ESEM model, comprising a general and six specific factors (nonacceptance; goals; impulses; strategies; clarity; awareness) was explored and considered the best fitting model. RESULTS: Gender measurement invariance was established. When compared with boys, although differences were small in magnitude, girls presented higher emotion regulation difficulties. Evidence for reliability and construct/temporal validity were found, and significant associations between the DERS and physiological measures of emotion regulation (i.e., Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability) were established. CONCLUSION: Findings support the use of the DERS in adolescent samples.

The Prevalence, Directionality, and Dyadic Perpetration Types of Intimate Partner Violence in a Community Sample in Portugal: a Gender-Inclusive Inquiry.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major concern across the world, and its prevalence assessment has been a priority in numerous countries. However, data about IPV prevalence in Portugal is scarce and not up-to-date. This study aims to estimate IPV prevalence in Portugal. A community sample of 1392 adults (77.4% female, mean age = 34.95 years, SD = 12.80) was collected through a web-based survey, between March and June of 2020. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Conflict Tactic Scales-2 (CTS-2). Accounting for all forms of IPV, a past-year prevalence of 64.4% and 64.6% were found, for victimization and perpetration, respectively. Regarding gender or sexual orientation, no significant differences were found in the past-year or the lifetime prevalence, neither concerning frequency. Directionality and dyadic concordance types were analyzed and showed that most violence was bidirectional. Having perpetrated violence in previous intimate relationships was the most influential factor when predicting past-year perpetration or victimization. Other significant predictors were age, being victimized before 15 years old, cohabitation with the intimate partner, and drug use, but the last two were only significant for victimization. Findings support the idea that IPV is a relevant phenomenon, regardless of gender and sexual orientation. It is the first nationwide, gender-inclusive study to do so in Portugal. Studies based on different samples might provide important evidence to prevent hasty conclusions about IPV prevalence and patterns and to guide empirically driven policies.

The Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale: Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance in a Sample of Children and Adolescents Exposed to Wildfires.

Natural disasters are potentially traumatic events due to their disruptive nature and high impact on social and physical environments, particularly for children and adolescents. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-13) in a sample of Portuguese children and adolescents exposed to a specific type of natural disaster (i.e., wildfire). The sample was recruited at six school units of the Central region of Portugal following wildfires in the summer of 2017 and included children and adolescents without a clinical diagnosis of a psychopathological condition associated with exposure to the traumatic event (i.e., nonclinical sample, n = 486) and those with a clinical diagnosis of a trauma- and/or stress-related disorder (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], adjustment disorder, separation anxiety disorder, or grief; clinical sample, n = 54). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a two-factor model (i.e., Intrusion/Arousal and Avoidance) provided a better fit than a three-factor model (i.e., Intrusion, Arousal, and Avoidance) and was found to be invariant across gender and age groups. The CRIES-13 showed good reliability for all subscales, with Cronbach's αs > .79. Higher CRIES-13 scores were associated with poorer health and well-being and more internalizing and externalizing problems. The clinical sample presented with significantly higher CRIES-13 scores than the nonclinical sample, ηp 2 = .13. These results contribute to the cross-cultural validation of the CRIES-13 and support its use as a reliable and valid measure for assessing posttraumatic symptoms in children and adolescents.

The Compass of Shame Scale: Dimensionality and Gender Measurement Invariance in a Portuguese Sample.

Different shame coping strategies directly influence shame experience. However, the assessment of these strategies has received little attention. The Compass of Shame Scale (CoSS-5) was developed to assess shame-coping styles and has proven to be a valid measure. In this study, the CoSS-5 dimensionality was examined throughout confirmatory analysis and its measurement invariance across gender was investigated for the original (four-factor) and a new recently proposed measurement model (five-factor). The sample consisted of 605 Portuguese adults (57.5% female; Mean age = 35.43) recruited from the community. In addition to the CoSS-5, participants completed other measures relevant for construct validity. Both the four and the five-factor measurement models revealed a good fit to the data. Good reliability values were found for all factors, with Cronbach's alphas ranging between .79 and .90. The CoSS-5 also proved to be gender invariant, regardless of the measurement model. The subscales of CoSS-5 associated in the expected direction with measures of external shame, self-critical and self-reassuring responses, psychological flexibility/inflexibility, and psychopathology symptoms. This study highlights the relevance of the CoSS-5 in advancing knowledge on the impact of shame-coping styles on psychopathological outcomes, making it available for use in research and clinical settings.

Development and Validation of the Current Experiences of Warmth and Safeness Scale in Community and Residential Care Adolescents.

Interpersonal experiences of warmth and safeness have a key role on emotion regulation and social development during childhood and adolescence. This paper presents a new and brief scale designed to assess the adolescents' perception of current experiences of warmth and safeness (CEWSS-A). Its dimensionality and psychometric properties were investigated using a Portuguese sample of 453 adolescents from the community and 319 adolescents from residential care facilities. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 12-item scale has a one-factor measurement model. The CEWSS-A showed adequate internal consistency in the different samples (α > .92) and construct validity in relation to external variables. The CEWSS-A proved to be group invariant. Community adolescents reported a higher frequency of current experiences of warmth and safeness in comparison with residential care participants, and boys showed significantly higher scores than girls, within both samples. The CEWSS-A is an appropriate self-report measure for clinical and research purposes.

Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive global health crisis with damaging consequences to mental health and social relationships. Exploring factors that may heighten or buffer the risk of mental health problems in this context is thus critical. Whilst compassion may be a protective factor, in contrast fears of compassion increase vulnerability to psychosocial distress and may amplify the impact of the pandemic on mental health. This study explores the magnifying effects of fears of compassion on the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety and stress, and social safeness. METHODS: Adult participants from the general population (N = 4057) were recruited across 21 countries worldwide, and completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, fears of compassion (for self, from others, for others), depression, anxiety, stress and social safeness. RESULTS: Perceived threat of COVID-19 predicted increased depression, anxiety and stress. The three flows of fears of compassion predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress and lower social safeness. All fears of compassion moderated (heightened) the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on psychological distress. Only fears of compassion from others moderated the effects of likelihood of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. CONCLUSIONS: Fears of compassion have a universal magnifying effect on the damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness. Compassion focused interventions and communications could be implemented to reduce resistances to compassion and promote mental wellbeing during and following the pandemic.

Fluctuation in the assimilation of problematic experiences: A comparison of two contrasting cases of Emotion Focused Therapy.

The assimilation model suggests that therapeutic change occurs through a gradual assimilation of problematic experiences. Previous case studies have suggested that both good- and poor-outcome cases exhibit a fluctuating pattern of assimilation progress, characterized by advances and setbacks. Our study examined more closely how this fluctuating pattern is related to symptom change across therapy. We analyzed the longitudinal relations among assimilation ratings, instability (fluctuation) in assimilation ratings, and clinical symptom intensity in two contrasting cases of emotion-focused therapy for depression, one good and one poor outcome. We used the assimilation of problematic experiences scales (APES) to measure assimilation and the outcome- questionnaire (OQ-10) to measure clinical symptom intensity. To assess assimilation instability, we used a fluctuation measure that calculated the amplitude and the frequency of changes in assimilation levels. The results showed that in the good-outcome case, assimilation levels and instability tended to increase and symptom intensity tended to decrease, particularly in the final phase of treatment. In the poor-outcome case, assimilation levels and instability did not change much across sessions.

Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the Child Post-traumatic Cognitions Inventory in a Sample of Children and Adolescents Following a Wildfire Disaster.

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Child Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI) in a sample of Portuguese children and adolescents, following the exposition to a wildfire disaster. The sample included 533 children and adolescents living in regions exposed to the wildfire disaster (non-clinical sample: n = 483; clinical sample: n = 50). The short form of the instrument (CPTCI-SF) including two correlated factors ('Sense of Disturbing and Permanent Change' and 'Sense of Being a Fragile Person in a Scary World') showed good model fit and was invariant across gender and age-groups. Good internal consistency (> .70) was found, and higher CPTCI scores were associated with poorer adjustment indicators. The clinical sample presented significantly higher CPTCI scores than the non-clinical sample. These results contribute to the cross-cultural validation of the CPTCI and support the adequacy of its short form as a reliable and valid measure to be used with Portuguese children and adolescents.

Promoting emotion and behavior regulation in male prison inmates: A secondary data analysis from a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of the growing pro-social program.

This article describes a secondary data analysis collected from inmates who participated in an independent randomized controlled trial, testing the efficacy of the Growing Pro-Social (GPS) Program. The current study aimed to test the program's ability to increase, on one hand, cognitive reappraisal (adaptive emotion regulation strategy) and, on the other hand, decrease expressive suppression (maladaptive emotion regulation strategy) over time. It was also assessed if the GPS was capable of reducing disciplinary infractions committed by inmates over time. Participants were randomized to the GPS treatment (n = 121) or the control group (n = 133). The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was completed at baseline, at mid-treatment, at post-treatment and at 12-months' follow-up. Disciplinary infractions were collected from prison records during the 12 months before the beginning of the program, during the GPS's 12-month length and during the 12 months after treatment completion. Treatment effects were analyzed with latent growth curve models. Concerning cognitive reappraisal, while treatment participants showed a significant increase, controls presented a decrease over time. For expressive suppression, the treatment group presented a significant decrease, and the control group showed no change over time. Treatment participants also presented a significant decrease in the number of disciplinary infractions and in the number of days in punishment, while controls showed no change or an increase over time. This study showed the GPS's ability to promote emotion and behavior regulation, which contributes not only to inmate's interpersonal adjustment, but also to a more efficient management of the prison system. (PsycINFO Database Record

Does assimilation of problematic experiences predict a decrease in symptom intensity?

The assimilation model describes therapeutic change as an integration of experiences that had previously been problematic, distressing, avoided, or warded off. This study assessed whether assimilation was associated with treatment outcome in a sample of psychotherapeutic treatments for depression. Further, it assessed the direction of the association-whether increasing assimilation predicted decreases in symptom intensity or decreasing symptom intensity predicted increases in assimilation. METHOD: Participants were 22 clients with mild to moderate depression drawn from a clinical trial comparing cognitive behavioral therapy with emotion-focused therapy. The direction of prediction between assimilation progress and changes in self-reported symptom intensity was assessed. RESULTS: The assimilation progress was shown to be a better predictor of decreases in symptom intensity than the reverse. CONCLUSION: The results supported the assimilation model's suggestion that assimilation progress promotes decreases in symptom intensity in the treatment of clients with major depressive disorder.

The Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale for adolescents: Cross-Sample Validation of the Complete and Brief Versions.

This work presents psychometric analyses on the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale, which intends to evaluate the subjective perception of ones' early rearing experiences. Factor structure, measurement invariance, latent mean comparisons and validity in relation to external variables (i.e., forms of self-criticism/self-assurance, experiential avoidance and depressive, anxious and stress symptoms) were investigated. A sample of 1464 adolescents (52.3% male adolescents, mean age = 16.16, standard deviation = 1.51) was used, including 1064 participants recruited from schools, 192 participants recruited from foster care facilities and 208 boys recruited from juvenile justice facilities. A shortened version of the scale was also developed and subjected to the same psychometric analyses. A one-factor measurement model was a good fit for the data taken from both the complete and brief versions of the instrument. Such measures showed to be internally consistent with alpha values higher than 0.89. Evidence for their construct validity in relation to external variables was also found, with correlation values ranging from 0.19 to 0.45 for the complete version and from 0.18 to 0.44 for the brief version of the instrument. The brief version was the only one proving to be gender and sample invariant. Boys and girls scored similarly in their account of early memories, whereas community boys presented significantly higher scores when compared with referred and detained boys. Thus, the brief version of the instrument may be an appropriate alternative for use with diverse adolescent samples and may serve to advance knowledge on how early experiences impact on psychopathological outcomes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEY PRACTITIONERS MESSAGES: The Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale (EMWSS), assessing early memories of warmth and safeness, was studied across community, referred for behavioural problems and detained Portuguese adolescent samples. A brief version of this instrument was also developed and studied in these same samples. Both versions of the EMWSS revealed a one-factor structure, good internal consistency and construct validity in relation to external variables; the brief version was also found to be invariant across gender and groups. Boys and girls were found to report similar levels of experienced warmth and safeness, whereas community boys reported significantly more of those experiences, followed by detained boys, and, lastly, referred boys. The brief version of the EMWSS represents a quick and valid measure to assess early memories of warmth and safeness in youth, providing for insights into the subjective experience of adolescents with diverse rearing experiences. Early memories of warmth and safeness, as assessed by the brief version of the EMWSS, may serve to advance knowledge on how early experiences impact on psychopathological outcomes in diverse youth samples.

Changes in symptom intensity and emotion valence during the process of assimilation of a problematic experience: A quantitative study of a good outcome case of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

The assimilation model describes the change process in psychotherapy. In this study we analyzed the relation of assimilation with changes in symptom intensity, measured session by session, and changes in emotional valence, measured for each emotional episode, in the case of a 33-year-old woman treated for depression with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Results showed the theoretically expected negative relation between assimilation of the client's main concerns and symptom intensity, and the relation between assimilation levels and emotional valence corresponded closely to the assimilation model's theoretical feelings curve. The results show how emotions work as markers of the client's current assimilation level, which could help the therapist adjust the intervention, moment by moment, to the client's needs.

How to Evaluate Reports of Intimate Partner Violence? Examining Interpartner Agreement in a Forensic Sample of Different-Sex Couples Where Men are Accused of Intimate Partner Violence.

Research about interpartner agreement on intimate partner violence (IPV) is mainly based on community and clinical samples, with forensic or court-related samples being overlooked. This study assesses interpartner agreement on IPV reports based on the Revised Conflict Tactic Scales, aiming to explore if the proxy method would be reliable in a court-related setting. The study sample comprised 62 different-sex couples identified in the Portuguese judicial system due to an IPV-related crime perpetrated by men. Agreement was assessed based on different indexes: percent agreement and Gwet's AC1 for occurrence, and Tau-b and intraclass correlations for frequency. Men's and women's perpetration were considered. Results showed that interpartner agreement on IPV occurrence (ranging from poor-to-very good) tended to be higher and more consistent among indexes than agreement on IPV frequency (ranging from non-existent to strong). This study highlights the need to collect both partners' reports in court-related settings.

Psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Personality Assessment Inventory: normative data and reliability.

Introduction: Originally published in the United States of America in 1991, the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) has been translated and adapted to a growing number of countries, but Portugal had yet to study its adequacy to the Portuguese population. Methods: The current study aimed to investigate the Portuguese normative data, the predictive effect of sociodemographic variables on the PAI scores, and the reliability of the Portuguese version of the PAI. Additionally, results were compared with other international versions of the PAI. The sample was comprised of 900 participants (age: M = 43.13, SD = 14.28, range = 18-75), recruited from various regions of Portugal. Results: Findings showed that the Portuguese sample scored higher than the U.S. and other international versions of the PAI in most scales. Sociodemographic variables (e.g., gender, age, and educational level) were significant predictors on PAI scores. The internal consistency of the Portuguese sample revealed lower values on the validity scales, but adequate on the clinical, treatment, and interpersonal scales. Overall, the Portuguese PAI revealed adequate psychometric properties, with normative results often superior to other international versions of the inventory. Discussion: It is a crucial step into the Portuguese adaptation and validation of this instrument, a measure with considerable potential in clinical, forensic, and research contexts. This adaptation may lead to the growth and development of the psychological assessment field in Portugal, and the opportunity to develop future cross-cultural studies with other international versions of the PAI.

Personality assessment inventory (PAI) in forensic and correctional settings: A comprehensive review.

As Forensic Psychology continues to expand as an independent field, professionals regularly resort to psychological assessment tools to assess people involved within the justice system. The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is a 344-item, self-report inventory that aims to provide meaningful information for diagnosis and clinical decision-making, specifically relating to psychopathology, personality, and psychosocial environment. Its applicability in forensic settings has been increasingly recognized on account of its benefits in comparison to other self-report inventories (e.g., MMPI-2, MCMI-III), since it includes scales that are relevant to forensic settings (e.g., violence risk levels, psychopathy, substance abuse), and the existence of profile distortion indicators is useful when dealing with highly defensive and/or malingering populations. The goal of this paper is to conduct a thorough review of the PAI's utility in forensic settings, by focusing on the relevant forensic constructs assessed by the PAI (e.g., personality disorders, psychosis, substance abuse, aggression, recidivism risk, and response distortion), as well as its application to offender and inmate populations, intimate partner violence contexts, family law cases, and forensic professionals. Overall, the PAI continues to gather international recognition and its relevance and usefulness in forensic settings is generally accepted and acknowledged.

Fostering an affiliative environment in residential youth care: A cluster randomized trial of a compassionate mind training program for caregivers enrolling youth and their caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Affiliation has a positive role on well-being and human development. Most children and youth living in residential youth care (RYC) experienced maltreatment from significant others, becoming a particularly vulnerable group. Their complex needs require well trained caregivers who help them to heal and thrive. OBJECTIVE: This cluster randomized trial sought to test the Compassionate Mind Training program for Caregivers (CMT- Care Homes) effectiveness on affiliative outcomes across time. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A sample of 127 professional caregivers and 154 youth from 12 Portuguese residential care homes (RCH) participated on this study. METHODS: RCHs were randomized to treatment (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups. Caregivers and youth completed self-report measures at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up on social safeness and emotional climate. Caregivers were also evaluated on compassion outcomes. RESULTS: MANCOVA indicated large multivariate time X group effects. Univariate results suggested that caregivers from the treatment group showed improvements in compassion towards others and in self-compassion across time, while the control group gradually deteriorated in both variables. Youth and caregivers from the treatment group noticed a more soothing and safer RCH emotional climate, as well as feeling safer within relationships. At 6-month follow-up, improvements were retained by caregivers, but not by youth. CONCLUSIONS: The CMT- Care Homes brings a new model to RYC, that represents a promising approach in promoting safe relationships and affiliative environments in RCHs. Supervision should be provided to monitor care practices and sustain change across time.

Interpartner Agreement on Intimate Partner Violence Reports: Evidence From a Community Sample of Different-Sex Couples.

An accurate assessment of intimate partner violence (IPV) is crucial to guide public policy and intervention. The Conflict Tactic Scales Revised (CTS-2) is one of the most widely used instruments to do so. Despite its good psychometric properties, research on interpartner agreement has pointed to low-to-moderate estimates, which generated some concerns about the validity of the results obtained through single-partner reports. This cross-sectional study introduces indexes that have not previously been used to assess interpartner agreement. Both partners' reports on perpetration and victimization were analyzed in a community sample of 268 different-sex couples. Our results generally pointed to better agreement levels on IPV occurrence than frequency, suggesting that the proxy method (i.e., using a single-partner report) could be a reliable method for assessing IPV occurrence but not its frequency in this population. Findings are discussed as well as the advantages and constraints of different IPV assessment practices.

The Effects of the Compassionate Mind Training for Caregivers on Professional Quality of Life and Mental Health: Outcomes from a Cluster Randomized Trial in Residential Youth Care Settings.

Background: Psychological distress is highly noticeable among caregivers working in residential youth care (RYC). Maintaining and enhancing caregivers' professional mental health and quality of life is crucial to achieve effective outcomes in RYC. Nevertheless, trainings to protect caregivers' mental health are scarce. Considering the buffering effect over negative psychological outcomes, compassion training could be beneficial in RYC. Objective: This study is part of a Cluster Randomized Trial examining the effects of the Compassionate Mind Training for Caregivers (CMT-Care Homes), looking at professional quality of life and mental health of caregivers working in RYC. Method: The sample was composed of 127 professional caregivers from 12 Portuguese residential care homes (RCH). RCHs were randomly allocated at experimental (N = 6) and control group (N = 6). Participants were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3 and 6-month follow-ups, answering to the Professional Quality of Life Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Program effects were tested using a two-factor mixed MANCOVA, with self-critical attitude and education degree as covariates. Results: MANCOVA showed a significant Time × Group interaction effects (F = 1.890, p = .014; ηp2 = .050), with CMT-Care Homes participants presenting lower scores on burnout, anxiety, and depression at 3 and 6-months follow-ups, when compared with controls. Participants that received CMT-Care Homes considered the program useful to deal with pandemic threats and with youth during lockdowns. Conclusion: This study shows the benefits of the CMT-Care Homes in helping professional caregivers reducing burnout, anxiety and depression, and dealing with pandemic challenges in RYC.Trial registration: This cluster randomized trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (TRN: NCT04512092) on 6th August 2020.

Intimate Partner Violence: A New Cognitive, Interpersonal and Motivational Framework for the Rehabilitation of Perpetrators in Portugal.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been targeted as a significant concern worldwide, but evidence for the efficacy of perpetrators' interventions is not undisputable. This article briefly summarizes the evidence about perpetrators' intervention efficacy, factors associated with recidivism, and evidence-based recommendations, before outlining the assumptions of a new community-delivered intervention aiming to rehabilitate IPV perpetrators: the CONTIGO Program. This program uses an innovative framework, focused on early maladaptive schemas, and combining cognitive, interpersonal, and motivational interview principles. The features of this intervention are discussed, and exploratory results regarding drop-out rates (8%) and recidivism (15.4%) in a sample of 162 court-mandated males are exposed. The detailed presentation of the CONTIGO Program and its intervention model represents a novel contribution that is sorely lacking in the IPV literature and could foster further research and debate about what can be done to effectively intervene with IPV perpetrators.