ABSTRACT
The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) inventory investigates the different ways in which people respond to stressful situations. Knowledge is lacking regarding the coping strategies and styles of people in developing countries, including Brazil. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Brief COPE to Brazilian Portuguese (named COPE Breve) by focusing on dispositional coping. For the cross-cultural adaptation, the original Brief COPE in English (28 items grouped into 14 subscales) was adapted according to a universalistic approach, following these steps: translation, synthesis, back-translation, analysis by an expert panel, and pretest with 30 participants. Then, 237 adults from the community health service responded to the COPE Breve. Psychometric analyses included reliability and exploratory factor analysis. Most of the 14 subscales from the original Brief COPE exhibited problems related to internal consistency. A Velicer's minimum average partial test (MAP) was performed and pointed out 3 factors. Exploratory factor analysis produced a revised 20-item version with a 3-factor solution: religion and positive reframing, distraction and external support. The psychometric properties of the COPE Breve with three factors were appropriate. Limitations of this study as well as suggestions for future studies are presented. The COPE Breve should be used in Brazilian clinics and investigations, but divergences in its psychometrics should be further explored in other contexts.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Brazil , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Female , Humans , Male , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and Questionnaires , TranslatingABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Working memory impairment is common in schizophrenia and is possibly a cause of multiple features of the disorder. However few studies have replicated such findings of impairment patterns in Brazilian samples. The main target of this study was to assess auditory and visual working memory in patients with schizophrenia, to assess if they work as separate systems, and to correlate working memory deficits with executive functions. METHOD: Twenty subjects with schizophrenia and twenty healthy subjects matched by gender, age, and schooling have participated. The abilities assessed were auditory and visual working memory, selective attention, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and planning. RESULTS: Patients showed declines in all measures evaluated, except for a measure reaction time of inhibitory control. Auditory working memory was correlated to selective attention, inhibition, flexibility and planning while Visual working memory to planning and flexibility. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that working memory and executive functions deficits are present in patients with schizophrenia in the Brazilian sample evaluated. Alterations in executive functions may lead to incapacity of operation of processes of working memory. These findings may contribute to delineate and develop new strategies of schizophrenia treatment in the Brazilian population.
Subject(s)
Executive Function/physiology , Memory, Short-Term/physiology , Schizophrenia , Schizophrenic Psychology , Acoustic Stimulation , Adolescent , Adult , Auditory Perception/physiology , Brazil , Case-Control Studies , Educational Status , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neuropsychological Tests , Reaction Time , Schizophrenia/physiopathology , Visual Perception/physiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Working memory impairment is common in schizophrenia and is possibly a cause of multiple features of the disorder. However few studies have replicated such findings of impairment patterns in Brazilian samples. The main target of this study was to assess auditory and visual working memory in patients with schizophrenia, to assess if they work as separate systems, and to correlate working memory deficits with executive functions. METHOD: Twenty subjects with schizophrenia and twenty healthy subjects matched by gender, age, and schooling have participated. The abilities assessed were auditory and visual working memory, selective attention, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and planning. RESULTS: Patients showed declines in all measures evaluated, except for a measure reaction time of inhibitory control. Auditory working memory was correlated to selective attention, inhibition, flexibility and planning while Visual working memory to planning and flexibility. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that working memory and executive functions deficits are present in patients with schizophrenia in the Brazilian sample evaluated. Alterations in executive functions may lead to incapacity of operation of processes of working memory. These findings may contribute to delineate and develop new strategies of schizophrenia treatment in the Brazilian population.
OBJETIVO: Prejuízos em memória de trabalho são comuns na esquizofrenia e possíveis causas de múltiplas características do transtorno. Entretanto, poucos estudos reproduziram achados de padrões específicos de déficits em amostras brasileiras de pacientes com esquizofrenia. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a memória de trabalho auditiva e visual na esquizofrenia, verificar se estas habilidades operam como dois sistemas separados, e relacionar possíveis déficits de memória de trabalho com habilidades de funções executivas. MÉTODO: Foram incluídos 20 indivíduos com esquizofrenia e 20 indivíduos saudáveis pareados quanto a sexo, idade e escolaridade. As habilidades avaliadas foram memória de trabalho auditiva e visual, atenção seletiva, controle inibitório, flexibilidade cognitiva e planejamento. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes demonstraram prejuízos em todas as medidas dos testes, exceto em tempo de reação de controle inibitório. Pacientes apresentaram significante correlação entre MT auditiva com medidas de atenção seletiva, controle inibitório, flexibilidade e planejamento. Memória de trabalho visual apresentou correlações com planejamento e flexibilidade. CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo sugere que déficits em memória de trabalho e funções executivas estão presentes em pacientes esquizofrênicos na amostra brasileira avaliada. Alterações nas funções executivas podem levar a incapacidade de adequadas operações de memória de trabalho. Esses achados podem contribuir no delineamento de novos procedimentos de intervenção na esquizofrenia em populações brasileiras.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Executive Function/physiology , Memory, Short-Term/physiology , Schizophrenia , Schizophrenic Psychology , Acoustic Stimulation , Auditory Perception/physiology , Brazil , Case-Control Studies , Educational Status , Neuropsychological Tests , Reaction Time , Schizophrenia/physiopathology , Visual Perception/physiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
A habilidade de nomeação tem sido relatada como fundamental para o desenvolvimento da linguagem oral e relacionada à aquisição da linguagem escrita. Também tem sido apontada como um aspecto importante a ser considerado na avaliação de linguagem em pré-escolares. Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar as características psicométricas de precisão e validade de um teste de nomeação de figuras. Participaram 122 crianças, de 3 a 5 anos de idade, avaliadas com o Teste de Nomeação de Figuras (TNF) e Escala de Maturidade Mental Colúmbia, individualmente, em duas sessões. Resultados evidenciaram boa precisão do TNF, com coeficiente alfa de 0,96 e Spearman-Brown de 0,76. Ancova do efeito de idade, controlando inteligência não-verbal, revelou que o escore no TNF aumentou com a progressão da idade. Desta forma, o estudo proveu evidências de precisão e validade do TNF e contribuiu para a futura disponibilização de testes para avaliação da habilidade de nomeação em pré-escolares.(AU)
Naming ability has been reported as fundamental for oral language development and it has been related to written language acquisition. It also has been pointed out as an important aspect of language evaluation on pre-school. This study had as an objective verify the psychometric characteristics of validity and reliability of picture naming test. Participated in this study 122 children, from age 3 to 5 years old. They were evaluated individually, on two sections, on a Picture Naming Test (PNT) and Columbia Metal Maturity Scale. Results show good reliability scores on the PNT with Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0,96 and Spearman-Brown coefficient of 0,76. The Ancova of age effect, controlling for non-verbal intelligence, revealed that the PNT score increased with age. This way, this study offered evidence of reliability and validity of the PNT and contributed for in the future picture naming evaluation tests be available for evaluation of pre-schoolers.(AU)
ABSTRACT
O presente estudo teve como objetivo, verificar a presença de sintomas de ansiedade em uma população não-clínica de uma área definida da cidade de São Paulo-SP. Foram avaliadas 69 pessoas de ambos os sexos e com idade superior à 18 anos. Utilizou-se o Inventário Beck de Ansiedade (IBA) para a identificação dos sintomas de ansiedade. Segundo o inventário, 25 (36,25 por cento) pessoas foram afetadas moderadamente e gravemente pelos sintomas de ansiedade, sendo as mulheres (21,75 por cento) mais afetadas do que os homens (14,50 por cento). Apenas 07 (10,15 por cento) das pessoas afetadas moderadamente e gravemente pelos sintomas de ansiedade, estavam atualmente em tratamento adequado em saúde mental