Promoting a compassionate motivation in detained youth: A secondary analysis of a controlled trial with the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program.

This study aims to assess the efficacy of the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP in promoting a compassionate motivation among male detained youth, also testing its role as a potential mechanism of change on the reduction of psychopathic traits. A treatment group (n = 58) and a control group (n = 61) answered a set of self-report measures on psychopathic traits, shame, fears of compassion, social safeness, self-compassion, and compassion for others at three timepoints: baseline, posttreatment, and 6 months' follow-up. Treatment participants attended the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP. Controls received the treatment as usual delivered at juvenile detention facilities. The treatment effects were tested with latent growth curve models. At baseline, no significant differences between groups were found. Results from latent growth curve models showed that condition was a significant predictor of change over time observed in all outcome measures, even after controlling for psychopathic traits scores. When compared with the control group, the treatment group showed a significant decrease on shame and fears of compassion and a significant increase on social safeness, self-compassion, and compassion for others over time (medium-to-large effect sizes; growth modeling analysis d ranging from .57 to .96). It was also observed that increases in self-compassion and, in some cases, decreases in fears of receiving compassion, were crucial to the decrease of psychopathic traits. These findings suggest that the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP is a promising approach to promote a compassionate motivation in these youth, strengthening their rehabilitation odds. Increasing self-compassion and decreasing fears of receiving compassion should be considered when designing intervention programs for detained youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychometric Properties of the Sexually Aggressive Behaviors Scale: Factor Structure, Reliability, and Construct Validity in a Sample of Portuguese Female College Students.

This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Sexually Aggressive Behaviors Scale (SABS) in a sample of 1,632 heterosexual Portuguese female college students, aged between 18 and 39 years old (M = 22.40; SD = 4.31). The internal structure of the scale was investigated, along with analyses of the internal consistency, and validity evidence in relation to external variables. Participants completed an online survey that was disseminated using Portuguese universities' mailing lists and social networks. Results supported a single factor solution consisting of 10 items. Evidence was gathered in favor of the internal consistency and convergent/discriminant validity in relation to other variables, such as rape myths, psychopathic traits, and perception of intimacy. This study adds to the evidence of the SABS being an appropriate evaluation tool with female college students, allowing the rigorous assessment of sexual violence as committed by community women against a reluctant male partner.

Dimensionality and measurement invariance of the Social Safeness and Pleasure Scale in adolescents from community and residential youth care.

BACKGROUND: Social safeness has been proposed as the individual's perception of the social world as being warmth and soothing. The lack of social safeness has been suggested as a transdiagnostic socio-emotional vulnerability for several mental health difficulties. To date there was no study addressing experiences of social safeness in adolescents. OBJECTIVE: To validate and study the psychometric properties of the Social Safeness and Pleasure Scale to Portuguese adolescents from community and residential care homes. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A total of 731 Portuguese adolescents from community and residential youth care homes participated on this study. The community sample was composed of adolescents recruited from regular schools (208 boys; 224 girls). The residential youth care sample was composed of adolescents placed in residential care homes (145 boys; 154 girls). METHODS: A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and measurement invariance investigated. RESULTS: A one-factor solution presented a good fit across all samples and proved to be invariant (configural, metric, scalar and strict measurement invariance). Moreover, internal consistency values were excellent for all samples (α > 0.93) and evidence for construct validity in relation to external variables was found. Means comparisons revealed significant differences between all tested groups. Community adolescents reported higher social safeness in comparison to the adolescents placed in residential care. Within both samples, boys scored higher in the SSPS-A when compared to girls. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence on the SSPS-A validity and its use across diverse adolescent samples.

Measuring compassion toward others: Dimensionality of the compassion scale in community adolescents and in adolescents with behavioral disorders.

Compassion toward others has been defined as the sensitivity to the suffering of others with the genuine commitment to relieve/prevent it. The Compassion Scale (CS) measures this construct and despite its relevance during adolescence, studies have been mostly conducted with adults. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Compassion Scale-Adolescents (CS-A) in community adolescents (n = 658; 409 girls) and in boys with behavioral disorders (n = 183), from 14 to 18 years old. Results showed the adequacy of a hierarchical-CFA measurement model, with a general score of compassion and four specific factors (i.e., Kindness, Common Humanity, Mindfulness and Indifference). Measurement invariance was tested across samples. Community girls presented higher levels of compassion when compared to boys. Also, behaviorally disturbed boys presented decreased levels of compassion when compared to community boys. Evidence for reliability and construct validity is also provided. The CS-A allows future research between genders in community adolescents. Additionally, future research exploring compassion using the CS-A, between community boys and samples of behaviorally disturbed boys, is now possible. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The efficacy of the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program in reducing psychopathic traits: A controlled trial with male detained youth.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program in reducing psychopathic traits among male detained youth. METHOD: In this controlled trial, a treatment group (n = 58) and a control group (n = 61) answered the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short (YPIS) and the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) at baseline, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. Treatment participants attended the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP; controls only received Treatment As Usual (TAU). Treatment effects were tested with latent growth curve models (LGCM). RESULTS: At baseline, no significant differences between groups were found. Results from LGCM showed that condition was a significant predictor of change over time observed in almost all outcome measures. Concerning the YPIS, treatment participants presented a significant decrease both in the total score and in the YPIS factors scores when compared with the controls (medium/large effect sizes; growth modeling analysis-GMA d ranging from .58 to 1.12). Considering the PSCD, treatment participants also showed a significant decrease both in the total score and in the PSCD factors scores (except for the grandiose-manipulative factor) when compared with controls (medium effect sizes; GMA d ranging from .53 to .72). Results also showed that treatment effects were maintained 6 months after the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP completion. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP is a promising treatment approach to reduce psychopathic traits among male detained youth, suggesting that interventions targeting these traits should be considered in their rehabilitation, as the absence of tailored interventions may increase the levels of psychopathic traits and their associated risks. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality Pathology Profiles as Moderators of the Growing Pro-Social Program: Outcomes on Cognitive, Emotion, and Behavior Regulation in Male Prison Inmates.

This study consisted of secondary data analysis of information collected from inmates who had participated in an earlier independent randomized controlled trial testing the effects of the Growing Pro-Social (GPS) program. The current study assessed personality disorders as moderators of the GPS effects in cognitive malfunctioning, emotion regulation strategies, and prison misconduct in male prison inmates. Participants were 254 inmates randomly assigned to either the GPS (n = 121) or the control group (n = 133). Participants completed self-report measures at four time points, and were interviewed with the SCID-II at baseline. Prison misconduct information was collected from prison records. Latent profile analysis identified four different personality pathology profiles. Mixed ANOVAs showed non-significant time × condition × personality pathology profiles effects, indicating that change on the outcome measures was not affected by personality pathology. Findings suggested that severely disturbed inmates could benefit from the GPS program, which stresses the need to provide appropriate treatment to offenders.

The Effects of the Growing Pro-Social Program on Early Maladaptive Schemas and Schema-Related Emotions in Male Young Offenders: A Nonrandomized Trial.

This study aimed to test the effects of a 25-session version of the Growing Pro-Social (GPS-25) program over schemas and schema-related emotions in male young offenders. Participants included 123 youth aged between 14 and 19 years, placed in eight Portuguese detention facilities. Youth were allocated to receive GPS (n = 63) or treatment as usual (n = 60), and answered a self-report measure assessing schemas and schema-related emotions at baseline and posttreatment. Two-factor mixed multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA; group change) and the Reliable Change Index (individual change) revealed nonsignificant differences between groups for the schema's endorsement. Significant differences between groups were found for the schema-related emotions: Treatment participants presented lower scores and/or higher clinical improvements after GPS, when compared with controls. GPS-25 produced change at an emotional level but not in schema's endorsement, suggesting that longer interventions should be tested in their capability to promote cognitive and emotional change in young offenders.

The Centrality of Events Scale in Portuguese Adolescents: Validity Evidence Based on Internal Structure and on Relations to Other Variables.

We explored the measurement model of the adolescent version of the Centrality of Event Scale and its invariance across community ( n = 1,079; 42.8% male), referred for foster care ( n = 205; 58.0% male), and detained ( n = 206 male) adolescent participants. Results indicated a three-factor measurement model, including all three functions that memories of significant life events may have, as a good fit to our data, particularly for male participants. This measurement model was invariant across boys taken from those different samples but not across gender. As for the short version of the instrument, a one-factor solution was the best fit to our data. It was invariant across boys taken from those different samples and across gender. Boys and girls expressed similar experiences, whereas community male adolescents reported the lowest impact of a meaningful event, in comparison with referred and with detained boys. These findings provide evidence on the validity of the scale for use with diverse adolescent samples, which may contribute for a better understanding of the impact that significant life events may have on the development of gender-specific and group-specific vulnerabilities.

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

The effects of the growing pro-social program on cognitive distortions and early maladaptive schemas over time in male prison inmates: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial aimed to assess the efficacy of a structured cognitive-behavioral group program, Growing Pro-Social (GPS), in reducing cognitive distortions and early maladaptive schemas over time in male prison inmates. METHOD: A total of 254 participants were recruited from nine Portuguese prisons and allocated to receive GPS (n = 121) or treatment as usual (n = 133). Participants were assessed with self-report measures on cognitive distortions and early maladaptive schemas at baseline, during intervention, at post-treatment and at 12 months' follow-up. Assessors were blind to group allocation. Treatment effects were tested with latent growth curve models. RESULTS: At baseline, no significant differences between conditions were found. Results from latent growth curve models showed that condition was a significant predictor of change observed in all outcome measures over time. When compared with the control group, the treatment group showed a significant increase on adaptive thinking, and a significant decrease of cognitive distortions and early maladaptive schemas over time. Results also showed that treatment effects were maintained over time (12 months after GPS completion). Additionally, participants who completed the program presented higher improvements on cognitive distortions and early maladaptive schemas over time than noncompleters. CONCLUSION: This study showed that a structured cognitive-behavioral group program can have positive effects on the cognitive functioning of male prison inmates, by reducing cognitive distortions and the prominence of early maladaptive schemas. (PsycINFO Database Record

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.

Mental health problems in male young offenders in custodial versus community based-programs: implications for juvenile justice interventions.

BACKGROUND: Young offenders are known to be a population with high prevalence of mental health disorders. In most cases, these disorders are neither identified nor treated properly, with the majority of them being chronic and difficult to treat. In many countries, the prevalence rates of psychopathology in male young offenders are still unknown and no psychotherapeutic interventions are delivered. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to assess mental health problems in Portuguese male young offenders placed in either custodial or community-based programs and discuss treatment implications within the juvenile justice interventions. METHODS: Participants in this study included 217 male young offenders aged between 14 and 20 years old that were randomly selected using a random number table. From the total sample, 122 (56.3 %) participants were placed in juvenile detention facilities, and 95 (43.7 %) were receiving community-based programs. Participants were interviewed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents, a structured interview that assesses DSM-IV Axis I Mental Disorders. Participants aged 18 years or older were also assessed with the antisocial personality disorder section from the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders. RESULTS: Results showed a high prevalence of mental health disorders, with a global prevalence of 91.2 % in the total sample. In both groups, global prevalence rates were equally high (93.4 % in youth in custodial versus 88.4 % in youth in community-based programs). Substance-related disorders were more prevalent in youth placed in juvenile facilities, whereas anxiety and mood disorders were more often found in the community-based group. Moreover, oppositional defiant disorder was more prevalent in youth from the community, whereas antisocial personality disorder and conduct disorder were less prevalent than expected in this same group. A high comorbidity rate was also found, with the majority of participants from both groups' fulfilling criteria for two or more disorders. Additionally, participants with conduct disorder were over four times more likely to fulfill criteria for substance abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings inform about specific needs concerning mental health intervention that should be taken into account when deciding and planning rehabilitation programs for male young offenders, either from custodial or community-based programs.