Personality Profiles Associated with Long-Term Success in Bariatric Surgery: 24-Month Follow-Up.

(1) Background: Bariatric surgery (BS) is highly effective for treating severe obesity in the long term. However, studies investigating predictors and personality profiles linked to BS success yield inconsistent results due to varying methodologies and limited research. This paper aims to identify personality profiles associated with BS success. (2) Method: The study involved 67 patients undergoing bariatric surgery, evaluated through clinical and personality measures. Weight loss was monitored at 6, 12, and 24 months post-surgery. Hierarchical case cluster analysis and iterative k-means cluster analysis identified distinct groups based on excess body mass index loss (%EBL) at these intervals. ANOVA was employed to compare personality profiles between groups. (3) Results: Average weight loss after 24 months was 67.2%. Two success profiles emerged: 46.5% showed very good success, achieving 90% EBL in 24 months, while 55% in the second cluster had less than 40% EBL throughout follow-up. The successful profile correlated with greater self-efficacy and improved emotional adjustment. (4) Conclusions: Successful BS outcomes were linked to personality traits promoting sustained weight loss post-surgery.

The role of women's resources in the prediction of intimate partner violence revictimization by the same or different aggressors.

The literature studying the characteristics associated with revictimization in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is heterogeneous and inconclusive. The absence of studies on the role of the emotional variables of the victims and the failure to distinguish revictimization by the same or different aggressors are two of the main limitations in this area of research. The aim of this work was to study the relative contribution of the material, social, and emotional resources available to IPV victims in predicting revictimization by the same or different perpetrators. The sample consisted of 290 women registered in the city of Madrid who had filed at least one police report for intimate partner violence. The material resources of the victims were evaluated through their level of monthly income and employability status, the social resources through perceived social support, and the emotional resources through emotional regulation and coping strategies. Hierarchical multinomial logistic regression models were estimated to predict single-offender victimization (SRV), same-offender revictimization (VSRSA), and multiple-offender revictimization (VSRDA). The results revealed that: (1) differentiating between revictimization by the same and different aggressors improved the fit of the model by 50.8% compared to when only differentiating between victimized and revictimized women; (2) material resources had no significant weight in the prediction of any type of revictimization; (3) SRV women had more social support than VSRDA women (ExpB = 1.027; p < 0.011); (4), those victims who had made several reports to the authorities of violence by different aggressors (VSRDA), had worse emotional regulation than those victims who had made a single report to the authorities (VSRs; ExpB = 2.934; p < 0.026); and (5) VSRDA obtained the worst mental health indexes and they used more coping strategies based on positive reappraisal than the VSR women (ExpB = 0.863; p < 0.009) and those victims with several reports by the same aggressor (VSRSA; ExpB = 0.891; p < 0.028). These results show that being a victim of several episodes of intimate partner violence by different aggressors should be understood as a form of revictimization of great severity associated with worse emotional regulation and less social support.

Las ganas de vivir como expresión del bienestar de las personas mayores / Will to live as an expression of the well-being of older people

INTRODUCCIÓN: Las ganas de vivir, concepto central en las teorías del bienestar, representa un componente actitudinal positivo hacia la propia vida. Se ha identificado como un mediador entre la autopercepción del envejecimiento y la longevidad y la salud. El objetivo de este estudio es caracterizar a las personas mayores que tienen elevados niveles de ganas de vivir en las principales dimensiones de la psicología positiva. MÉTODO: Participaron de forma voluntaria 165 adultos mayores con edades comprendidas entre 54 y 89 años, usuarios de centros de mayores de la Comunidad de Madrid. Se evaluaron las ganas de vivir y otras dimensiones del bienestar y la salud. Se analizaron las correlaciones entre las distintas dimensiones evaluadas, se establecieron comparaciones entre ellas en función de distintos niveles de ganas de vivir, y se analizó qué dimensiones contribuyen en mayor medida a las ganas de vivir. RESULTADOS: Las correlaciones entre variables han resultado estadísticamente significativas en su mayor parte; se ha observado una disminución de los coeficientes al controlar el efecto de las ganas de vivir. En las comparaciones de medias, se hallaron diferencias significativas entre los 3grupos con diferente nivel de ganas de vivir en prácticamente todas las dimensiones de la psicología positiva. Gratitud, afecto positivo y depresión son las dimensiones que mejor predicen las ganas de vivir. CONCLUSIÓN: Los adultos mayores que conforman el grupo con elevadas ganas de vivir se caracterizan por tener mayores niveles de optimismo, gratitud, resiliencia, afecto positivo, sentido de la vida, prosperidad psicológica, felicidad y satisfacción con la vida y menores niveles de depresión y autopercepción del envejecimiento negativa. Las implicaciones de estos resultados apuntan hacia la relevancia de las ganas de vivir en el envejecimiento con éxito

INTRODUCTION: Will-to-live, a central concept in well-being theories, represents a positive attitudinal component towards one's own life. It has been identified as a mediator between the self-perception of aging and longevity and health. The objective of this study is to characterise elderly people with high levels of will-to-live in the main dimensions of positive psychology. METHOD: The study included the voluntary participation of 165 adults, aged between 54-89 years, users of senior centres in the Community of Madrid. Will-to-live and other dimensions of well-being and health were evaluated. The correlations between the different evaluated dimensions were analysed, and comparisons made in terms of different levels of will-to-live, as well as an analysis of the dimensions that contribute most to the will-to-live. RESULTS: Correlations among the majority of variables were statistically significant, with a decrease in the coefficients being observed when controlling the effect of the will-to-live. When groups with different levels of will-to-live are compared with well-being and health, there are statistically significant differences in practically all of the dimensions. Gratitude, positive affect, and depression are the dimensions that best predict will-to-live. CONCLUSION: Older adults that make up the group with high will-to-live are characterised by higher levels of optimism, gratitude, positive affect, sense of life, psychological prosperity, resilience, happiness, and satisfaction with life, as well as lower levels of depression and negative self-perception of aging. The implications of these results point towards the relevance of will-to-live in successful aging

[Will to live as an expression of the well-being of older people]. / Las ganas de vivir como expresión del bienestar de las personas mayores.

INTRODUCTION: Will-to-live, a central concept in well-being theories, represents a positive attitudinal component towards one's own life. It has been identified as a mediator between the self-perception of aging and longevity and health. The objective of this study is to characterise elderly people with high levels of will-to-live in the main dimensions of positive psychology. METHOD: The study included the voluntary participation of 165 adults, aged between 54-89 years, users of senior centres in the Community of Madrid. Will-to-live and other dimensions of well-being and health were evaluated. The correlations between the different evaluated dimensions were analysed, and comparisons made in terms of different levels of will-to-live, as well as an analysis of the dimensions that contribute most to the will-to-live. RESULTS: Correlations among the majority of variables were statistically significant, with a decrease in the coefficients being observed when controlling the effect of the will-to-live. When groups with different levels of will-to-live are compared with well-being and health, there are statistically significant differences in practically all of the dimensions. Gratitude, positive affect, and depression are the dimensions that best predict will-to-live. CONCLUSION: Older adults that make up the group with high will-to-live are characterised by higher levels of optimism, gratitude, positive affect, sense of life, psychological prosperity, resilience, happiness, and satisfaction with life, as well as lower levels of depression and negative self-perception of aging. The implications of these results point towards the relevance of will-to-live in successful aging.

The association of age, sense of control, optimism, and self-esteem with emotional distress.

The aim of this study was to test a model of emotional distress, which incorporates the potential mediator role of positive resources (sense of control, self-esteem, and optimism) in the association of age with emotional distress. The study used a cross-sectional design with intentional sampling and the voluntary participation of 325 adults between 18 and 87 years (M = 46.8 ± 19.10). The results show that emotional distress was negatively associated with age. Psychological resources also varied according to age, with older subjects presenting higher optimism and external control as well as lower internal control. The association between internal control and emotional distress was mediated by optimism and self-esteem. Moreover, the combined association of these 3 personal resources significantly increased the relationship between age and lower emotional distress. The results suggest that optimism and self-esteem are powerful resources in relieving emotional distress. The data provide potentially useful information for the design of psychological interventions aimed at reducing emotional distress. (PsycINFO Database Record

Programa para la mejora del bienestar de las personas mayores. Estudio piloto basado en la psicología positiva / An intervention program to enhance the wellbeing of the elderly. Pilot study based on positive psychology

El objetivo de este trabajo fue probar la eficacia de un programa piloto basado en la psicología positiva y destinado a incrementar el bienestar emocional de las personas mayores. El diseño de investigación fue experimental, con grupos de intervención y control. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 67 adultos de 60 a 89 años de edad. El programa consistió en nueve sesiones de 1.5 horas de duración y frecuencia semanal. Los temas incluyeron fortalezas de carácter, emociones positivas y regulación emocional. Se evaluó el afecto, el nivel de felicidad, el nivel de preocupación, el optimismo y la presión arterial. Los resultados indicaron que los participantes del programa incrementaron significativamente su nivel de felicidad y disminuyeron el nivel de preocupación y la presión arterial sistólica. El incremento del nivel de felicidad en personas mayores favorece la construcción de recursos personales y la implicación con objetivos y proyectos que les acercan al envejecimiento activo y saludable. Los resultados, limitaciones y mejoras de este trabajo son discutidos en el contexto de la psicología positiva y la psicología de la vejez.

The aim of this study was to show the efficacy of a pilot program based on positive psychology to enhance the well-being of the elderly. The experimental design included intervention and control groups. The sample consisted of 67 adults aged 60-89. The program included nine 1.5 hour weekly sessions. The program topics included character strengths, positive emotions, and emotional regulation. The variables assessed were affection, happiness level, concern level, optimism, and blood pressure. The results show that participants in the program significantly increased the happiness level and decreased the concern level, and systolic blood pressure. Increasing the level of happiness in the elderly favours the construction of personal resources and involvement with goals and projects that bring them to active and healthy aging. Results and limitations are discussed on the basis of the positive psychology and ageing psychology.

Differential effectiveness of two anxiety induction procedures in youth and older adult populations / Eficacia diferencial de dos procedimientos de inducción de la ansiedad en poblaciones de jóvenes y adultos

In this study, we tested in older and younger adults the efficacy of two well-known procedures to experimentally induce anxiety: a) Velten self-statements combined with music; b) film scenes. We extended the previous findings in this field to the understudied area of mood induction in older adults. Fifty-seven older adults and 94 college students were randomly assigned to one of the experimental conditions or to a control group. Results indicated that both procedures were effective, according to a series of ANOVAs for several self-report, physiological, and behavioral measures. Likewise, the highest effect sizes were observed for the Velten procedure (g = .81 vs. g = .71), and the effects were significantly higher in younger (g = 1.0 in the Velten condition) than in older adults (g = .62), Q = 4.25, χ2(1), P = .0392. Both procedures were effective to induce inducting anxiety in both age groups, especially the Velten procedure in younger adults. Therefore, Velten self-statements combined with music may be very useful anxiety induction procedure for further research in controlled situations of emotions across the life-span

En este estudio se comparó la eficacia en personas mayores y jóvenes de dos procedimientos habituales para inducir experimentalmente ansiedad: a) frases auto-referenciales Velten combinadas con música; b) escenas de películas. Así, este trabajo extendió hallazgos previos en este campo a la poca estudiada área de la inducción de estados de ánimo en la edad avanzada. Se asignó aleatoriamente a 57 personas mayores y 94 estudiantes universitarios a una de las dos condiciones experimentales o aun grupo control. Los resultados mostraron que ambos procedimientos eran efectivos, de acuerdo con el cambio en varios ANOVAs para diferentes autoinformes y medidas fisiológicas y conductuales. Asimismo, los tamaños del efecto más elevados se encontraron en el procedimiento Velten (g = .81 vs. g = .71) y los efectos fueron significativamente mayores en jóvenes que en personas mayores (g = 1.0 vs. g = .62 en la condición Velten; Q=4.25, χ2(1), p = .0392). Los dos procedimientos fueron efectivos para inducir ansiedad en ambos grupos de edad, aunque especialmente en el caso del procedimiento Velten en los jóvenes. Por tanto, el uso de frases Velten combinadas con música parece un procedimiento útil para inducir ansiedad en investigaciones en situaciones controladas sobre las emociones a lo largo del ciclo vital

Prevalencia de malos tratos hacia personas mayores que viven en la comunidad en España / Prevalence of elder abuse in Spanish dwelling in community

Fundamento y objetivo: Aunque los malos tratos hacia las personas mayores no son un fenómeno nuevo, continúa estando oculto. A pesar de que se han realizado diversos estudios sobre prevalencia en diferentes países, los resultados de estos solo pueden ser utilizados como datos orientativos. El objetivo de este estudio es estimar la prevalencia de malos tratos en personas mayores sin deterioro cognitivo residentes en el ámbito comunitario que acudían a Centros de Atención Primaria o de Servicios Sociales. Pacientes y método: Se realizó un estudio transversal en el que participaron 340 personas mayores. Resultados: Se ha encontrado una prevalencia de malos tratos del 12,1%, siendo el tipo más frecuente el psicológico y siendo frecuente la presencia simultánea de diferentes tipos (maltrato psicológico y físico y sexual). Los malos tratos son más frecuentes en mujeres y los responsables son con mayor frecuencia los cónyuges. Conclusiones: Los datos obtenidos permiten avanzar en el conocimiento de los malos tratos hacia personas mayores en España, donde los precedentes de investigación en este área son aislados. No obstante, la cifra estimada de prevalencia de malos tratos no debe caer dentro del alarmismo social ni, por el contrario, en una «dejadez social» (AU)

Background and objective: Although elder abuse is not a new phenomenon , remains hidden. There have been several preliminary studies on the prevalence of elder abuse in different countries. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of suspected abuse of older persons without cognitive impairment , living in the community, who were seen in primary health care or social service centers . Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study involving 340 elderly was conducted.Results: A prevalence of 12.1% of suspected abuse was found . Suspected psychological abuse was the most common type and it was very common simultaneous presence of different types of abuse ( psychological , physical and sexual ) . Suspicion of abuse is more common in women and husbands were responsible for a large high frequency. Conclusions: The information obtained can advance knowledge of elder abuse in Spain , where research on this topic is scarce. However, the prevalence is found should not be considered as a social alarm or as a social weakness (AU)

[Prevalence of elder abuse in Spanish dwelling in community]. / Prevalencia de malos tratos hacia personas mayores que viven en la comunidad en España.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although elder abuse is not a new phenomenon, it remains hidden. There have been carried out various preliminary studies about the prevalence of elder abuse in different countries. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of suspicion of elder abuse in old persons without cognitive impairment, dwelling in community, who were attended in Primary Health Care or Social Services Centres. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We carried out a transverse study in which 340 elders participated. RESULTS: We found a 12.1% prevalence of suspicion of elder abuse. Psychological abuse suspicion was the most frequent type and it was very common the simultaneous presence of different types of abuse (psychological and physical and sexual). The suspicion of elder abuse was more frequent in women and spouses were responsible in a high great frequency. CONCLUSIONS: The information obtained allows advancing in the knowledge of elder abuse in Spain, where the research about this issue is poor. However, the prevalence found neither has to be considered as a social alarm nor as a social slackness.

Discrepancy between radiographic damage and functional disability in elderly people with osteoarthritis: the role of pain coping strategies

The aim of this study is twofold. First, to assess the level of agreement between radiographic damage and functional disability in older people with osteoarthritis. And second, to assess the role of coping skills and sensory pain parameters as sources of disagreement between these variables. To achieve this objective we assess, in a sample of 104 older people with osteoarthritis, the following variables: functional capacity, radiographic damage, pain coping strategies, pain intensity, pain frequency and pain duration. The results show a non-linear relationship between radiographic damage and functional disability, modified by the levels of the two variables. There was maximum agreement between low levels of radiographic damage and of functional impairment, whilst agreement decreased for moderate and high levels of radiographic damage. Certain coping strategies may help to explain this disparity (AU)

El presente trabajo persigue un doble objetivo. Primero, evaluar el grado de concordancia entre el deterioro radiológico y el nivel de capacidad funcional en las personas mayores con artrosis. En segundo lugar, analizar las fuentes de disparidad de tal concordancia, para lo que se estudia el papel de los parámetros sensoriales del dolor y de las estrategias de afrontamiento ante el mismo. Para ello se evaluaron, en una muestra de 104 personas mayores con artrosis, la capacidad funcional, el grado de deterioro físico -afectación radiológica-, las estrategias de afrontamiento al dolor y los parámetros sensoriales del dolor de intensidad, frecuencia y duración. Los resultados mostraron que la relación entre el deterioro radiológico y funcional no varía linealmente, sino que depende de los niveles de ambas variables, existiendo una concordancia máxima entre niveles bajos de deterioro funcional y de deterioro radiológico, mientras que disminuye para niveles moderados o elevados de deterioro radiológico. Ciertas estrategias cognitivas y conductuales de afrontamiento evaluadas parecen ayudar a explicar tal disparidad (AU)

Discrepancy between radiographic damage and functional disability in elderly people with osteoarthritis: the role of pain coping strategies.

The aim of this study is twofold. First, to assess the level of agreement between radiographic damage and functional disability in older people with osteoarthritis. And second, to assess the role of coping skills and sensory pain parameters as sources of disagreement between these variables. To achieve this objective we assess, in a sample of 104 older people with osteoarthritis, the following variables: functional capacity, radiographic damage, pain coping strategies, pain intensity, pain frequency and pain duration. The results show a non-linear relationship between radiographic damage and functional disability, modified by the levels of the two variables. There was maximum agreement between low levels of radiographic damage and of functional impairment, whilst agreement decreased for moderate and high levels of radiographic damage. Certain coping strategies may help to explain this disparity.

Adaptación lingüística y cultural de dos instrumentos para la detección de sospecha de maltrato hacia las personas mayores / Linguistic and cultural adaptation of two tools for the detecting suspected elder abuse

Este trabajo constituye la continuación natural del proyecto llevado a cabo por la Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología y el Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales y auspiciado por la OMS y la Universidad de Ginebra, denominado «respuesta global al maltrato hacia las personas mayores incluyendo la negligencia: capacitación de los servicios de atención primaria para el abordaje de un problema mundial». Su realización ha sido posible gracias a la financiación del Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales en el marco del Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica 2004–2007. El objetivo general de este proyecto era la validación tanto de un instrumento para la detección de sospecha de maltrato hacia las personas mayores denominado índice de sospecha de maltrato hacia las personas mayores (EASI) como del formulario de evaluación de trabajo social (FETS) cuyo objetivo era la confirmación de casos de sospecha de maltrato. Tras los resultados obtenidos, en este trabajo se presentan los cuestionarios obtenidos como resultado de la adaptación lingüística y cultural del índice de sospecha de maltrato hacia las personas mayores y del formulario de evaluación de trabajo social(AU)

This work is the natural continuation of the project conducted by the Spanish Geriatrics and Gerontology Society (SEGG) and the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (IMSERSO) and under the auspices of the World Health Organisation and Geneva University, called “Global response to abuse and neglect of the elderly: Building Primary Health Care Services capacity to deal with a worldwide problem”. The carrying out of this work has been made possible due to funding by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (IMSERSO) in the framework of the National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and Technological Innovation 2004–2007. The general aim of this project was the validation of the tool for detecting suspected elder abuse, called (Elder Abuse Suspicion Index, EASI) as well as the Social Worker Evaluation Form (FETS) which is used for the confirmation of suspected abuse cases. After obtaining the results, the questionnaires obtained as a result of the linguistic and cultural adaptation of EASI and FETS are presented(AU)

Optimising the diagnostic performance of the Geriatric Depression Scale.

The aim of this work is to empirically generate a shortened version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), with the intention of maximising the diagnostic performance in the detection of depression compared with previously GDS validated versions, while optimizing the size of the instrument. A total of 233 individuals (128 from a Day Hospital, 105 randomly selected from the community) aged 60 or over completed the GDS and other measures. The 30 GDS items were entered in the Day Hospital sample as independent variables in a stepwise logistic regression analysis predicting diagnosis of Major Depression. A final solution of 10 items was retained, which correctly classified 97.4% of cases. The diagnostic performance of these 10 GDS items was analysed in the random sample with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Sensitivity (100%), specificity (97.2%), positive (81.8%) and negative (100%) predictive power, and the area under the curve (0.994) were comparable with values for GDS-30 and higher compared with GDS-15, GDS-10 and GDS-5. In addition, the new scale proposed had excellent fit when testing its unidimensionality with CFA for categorical outcomes (e.g., CFI=0.99). The 10-item version of the GDS proposed here, the GDS-R, seems to retain the diagnostic performance for detecting depression in older adults of the GDS-30 items, while increasing the sensitivity and predictive values relative to other shortened versions.

[Linguistic and cultural adaptation of two tools for the detecting suspected elder abuse]. / Adaptación lingüística y cultural de dos instrumentos para la detección de sospecha de maltrato hacia las personas mayores.

This work is the natural continuation of the project conducted by the Spanish Geriatrics and Gerontology Society (SEGG) and the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (IMSERSO) and under the auspices of the World Health Organisation and Geneva University, called "Global response to abuse and neglect of the elderly: Building Primary Health Care Services capacity to deal with a worldwide problem". The carrying out of this work has been made possible due to funding by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (IMSERSO) in the framework of the National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and Technological Innovation 2004-2007. The general aim of this project was the validation of the tool for detecting suspected elder abuse, called (Elder Abuse Suspicion Index, EASI) as well as the Social Worker Evaluation Form (FETS) which is used for the confirmation of suspected abuse cases. After obtaining the results, the questionnaires obtained as a result of the linguistic and cultural adaptation of EASI and FETS are presented.

Dysfunctional thoughts about caregiving questionnaire: psychometric properties of a new measure.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the psychometric properties of the Dysfunctional Thoughts about Caregiving Questionnaire (DTCQ). METHODS: DTCQ was administered to 227 dementia family caregivers. RESULTS: Principal components analyses resulted in a two-factor solution: Perception of Sole Responsibility and Perfectionism. The DTCQ has a strong internal consistency and an adequate temporal stability. The DTCQ score differentiated between depressed and non-depressed caregivers, although only in the female group. Construct validity was also supported by significant relationships between DTCQ scores and global dysfunctional attitudes, social support, seeking social support and number of hours per day engaged in caring. The dysfunctional thoughts about caregiving specify rigid and inappropriate contingencies to guide and assess behavior while acting as cognitive barriers that make healthy care difficult. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that such dysfunctional thoughts have a significant relationship to variables identified as mediators in caregiving stress models. The DTCQ has potential uses for both research and clinical purposes.

[Age-related differences in the effect of social desirability on self-reported emotional state]. / Diferencias asociadas a la edad en el efecto de la deseabilidad social en el autoinforme del estado emocional.

INTRODUCTION: It is usually assumed that social desirability increases with ageing, correlates with measures of emotional well-being, and represents a potential threat to research in older adults, and should therefore be systematically controlled. However, this assumption is controversial and lacks a strong empirical basis. The present study aimed to analyze the association between social desirability and measures of emotional well-being, as well as to test for age-related differences in the changes produced in emotional state after experimental anxiety induction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We randomly assigned 149 individuals (92 university students and 52 older adults) to one of three groups: a control group and two intervention groups in which anxiety was experimentally induced. RESULTS: Social desirability scores were significantly higher in older persons (Hedges'g=1.22). No statistically significant correlations were found in any age group between social desirability and measures of emotional well-being. Likewise, in a series of univariate ANOVAs, no differences were found according to the degree of social desirability in changes in emotional state after anxiety induction. Overall, social desirability was not related to the changes produced by experimental anxiety induction. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirms the association between social desirability and age. However, social desirability did not seem to correlate with emotional well-being in any age group. Moreover, social desirability was not related to changes in emotional state after experimental anxiety induction. These results do not support the view that social desirability is a threat to the validity of experimental studies in the elderly.

Diferencias asociadas a la edad en el efecto de la deseabilidad social en el autoinforme del estado emocional / Age-related differences in the effect of social desirability on self-reported emotional state

Introducción: Se asume habitualmente que la deseabilidad social se incrementa con la edad, correlaciona con medidas de bienestar emocional y supone una fuerte amenaza potencial a las investigaciones con personas mayores, por lo que debería controlarse de modo sistemático. Tal asunción, sin embargo, es controvertida y tiene una base empírica débil. Este trabajo se dirige a analizar la relación de la deseabilidad social con medidas de bienestar emocional y las diferencias en función de la edad en su relación con el cambio producido tras una inducción experimental de ansiedad. Material y métodos: Se asignaron de forma aleatoria a 149 sujetos (92 estudiantes universitarios y 52 personas mayores) a uno de tres posibles grupos: control y dos procedimientos de inducción experimental de ansiedad. Resultados: Las personas mayores presentaron grados significativamente superiores de deseabilidad social (g de Hedges=1,22). No hubo correlaciones estadísticamente significativas entre deseabilidad social y medidas del bienestar emocional en ninguno de los dos grupos de edad. Una serie de ANOVA univariados demostró asimismo la ausencia de efectos del grado de deseabilidad social en el cambio tras la inducción. La deseabilidad social no se asoció, en general, al cambio producido por la inducción experimental de ansiedad. Conclusiones: Se confirma la relación entre deseabilidad social y edad, pero la deseabilidad social no parece relacionarse con el bienestar emocional en ningún grupo y, sobre todo, no está vinculada al efecto experimental. Estos resultados no apoyan la idea de que la deseabilidad social es una amenaza para la validez de los estudios experimentales en la edad avanzada (AU)

Introduction: It is usually assumed that social desirability increases with ageing, correlates with measures of emotional well-being, and represents a potential threat to research in older adults, and should therefore be systematically controlled. However, this assumption is controversial and lacks a strong empirical basis. The present study aimed to analyze the association between social desirability and measures of emotional well-being, as well as to test for age-related differences in the changes produced in emotional state after experimental anxiety induction. Material and methods: We randomly assigned 149 individuals (92 university students and 52 older adults) to one of three groups: a control group and two intervention groups in which anxiety was experimentally induced. Results: Social desirability scores were significantly higher in older persons (Hedges¿g=1.22). No statistically significant correlations were found in any age group between social desirability and measures of emotional well-being. Likewise, in a series of univariate ANOVAs, no differences were found according to the degree of social desirability in changes in emotional state after anxiety induction. Overall, social desirability was not related to the changes produced by experimental anxiety induction. Conclusions: The present study confirms the association between social desirability and age. However, social desirability did not seem to correlate with emotional well-being in any age group. Moreover, social desirability was not related to changes in emotional state after experimental anxiety induction. These results do not support the view that social desirability is a threat to the validity of experimental studies in the elderly (AU)

Method of recruitment and the scores of self-report measures: the example of worry in the elderly.

Due to the difficulties in recruiting elderly people for psychological studies, a wide range of recruitment methods has been used. The underlying assumption that the recruitment method does not seriously affect the results has to be tested. Results in different worry measures are compared between three samples which were recruited with different strategies: (i) randomization sampling from the census of an urban area (random sample; n=97); (ii) people involved in leisure activities in senior centers (convenience sample; n=142); and (iii) people from the close environment of psychology students (snowball sample; n=60). People from those samples, aged 65 and more, completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (trait-worry), and the Worry Scale (contents of worry). Differences were found for several demographic characteristics. There were marked differences between samples in the percentage of individuals endorsing cut-score criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), with a very high percentage for the snowball sample. For all of the worry measures, analyzes of variance revealed significantly higher total scores for the non-randomly selected samples (p<0.01). Comparing the latter samples, higher trait worry (p<0.01) and more worrying about health and personal competencies (p<0.01) was found in the snowball sample. These results suggest that the sample recruitment method can specifically and seriously affect the outcomes of studies with elderly people, thus limiting the generalization of their results.

The role of psychological variables in explaining depression in older people with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVES: Depression is commonly associated with chronic pain, and is also a common condition in the elderly. However research in the area of depression and pain is scarce. The aim of the present work was to analyse how cognitive-behavioural and perceptual variables help to explain the presence or absence of depression in older people with chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis. METHOD: A total of 104 older adults were evaluated using a protocol that measured depression, perceptual characteristics of pain (intensity, frequency and duration), beliefs about pain, self-efficacy beliefs, coping style, coping strategies and pain behaviours. RESULTS: Using Student's t-tests and discriminant analysis, we found that psychological variables such as catastrophizing, passive coping, complaint behaviour, avoidance, coping self-statements, ignoring pain sensations and stability and mystery beliefs help to explain depressive symptomatology. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the important role of cognitive-behavioural variables in the discrimination between older adults who suffer pain with and without symptoms of depression. Moreover, certain variables that in young adults had been seen to play a non-adaptive role, such as ignoring pain sensations, were seen to have an adaptive function in the elderly. Also, our results are in support of depression models - such as Abramson's Hopelessness Model - proposing that depression in chronic pain patients, unlike in other groups of depressed people, is characterized by absence of self-blame feelings.

Comparación de la sensibilidad y la especificidad entre diferentes versiones de la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica / Comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of distinct versions of the Geriatric Depression Scale

Introducción: la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica (GDS) ha sido ampliamente utilizada como instrumento de cribado para detectar depresión en personas mayores. Debido a su longitud (30 ítems), se han propuesto versiones reducidas. El objetivo de este trabajo es comparar la capacidad diagnóstica de 3 versiones de la GDS (GDS-30, GDS-15 y GDS-5) para identificar la presencia de depresión en personas mayores. Material y métodos: la muestra estuvo compuesta por 246 personas reclutadas en centros de día y hogares para personas mayores. La edad media ± desviación estándar fue de 74,1 ± 9,5 años; el 68,7% eran mujeres. La presencia de depresión (20,2%) se estableció utilizando una entrevista diagnóstica semiestructurada basada en los criterios del DSM-IV. Resultados: la GDS-30 demostró altas sensibilidad (95,7%) y especificidad (92,4%) para un punto de corte de 13. La capacidad diagnóstica de la GDS-15 disminuyó; presentó una sensibilidad del 95,7% y una especificidad del 84,3% para un punto de corte del 5. Finalmente, para la GDS-5 la sensibilidad obtenida fue del 78,7% y la especificidad del 77,3% para un punto de corte de 2. Conclusiones: la versión original (GDS-30) parece ser una buena medida de cribado para detectar depresión en personas mayores, aunque la capacidad de diagnóstico disminuye cuando se reduce la longitud de la escala. Se sugiere que la GDS debería revisarse con el objetivo de desarrollar nuevas versiones reducidas que no pierdan capacidad diagnóstica

Introduction: the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) has been widely used as a screening instrument for detecting depression in older adults. Given its length (30 items), several abbreviated versions have been proposed. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of three versions of the GDS (GDS-30, GDS-15, and GDS-5) in screening for depression in older adults. Material and methods: the sample was composed of 246 persons recruited in day centers and homes for older adults. The mean age was 74.1 years (SD = 9.5) and 68.7% were women. Depression (20.2%) was diagnosed with a semi-structured interview based on DSM-IV criteria. Results: the GDS-30 demonstrated high sensitivity (95.7%) and specificity (92.4%) for a cut-score of 13. The performance of the GDS-15 was somewhat worse with a sensitivity of 95.7% and a specificity of 84.3% for a cut-score of 5. For the GDS-5, the sensitivity was 78.7% and the specificity was 77.3% for a cut-score of 2. Conclusions: the original version (GDS-30) seems to be a good screening measure for depression in older adults, but the diagnostic performance of the scale suffers when the length of the scale is reduced. We suggest that the GDS should be revised with the goal of developing new abbreviated versions that do not lose diagnostic performance