Psychometric Properties of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) in Spanish Population.

BACKGROUND: The Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) is the reference instrument for measuring anxiety sensitivity. The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the ASI-3 have been examined in university students but not in adults from the general population. Whether the ASI-3 subscales provide relevant information has not yet been examined either. METHOD: The ASI-3's factor structure, internal consistency, temporal stability, and relationship with neuroticism were examined in a Spanish community sample of 919 adults. RESULTS: In two subsamples of participants, the ASI-3 presented a structure of three correlated factors (physical, cognitive, and social concerns) that loaded on a higher-order factor, but the three factors did not explain much item variance. The total scale and subscales of the ASI-3 showed excellent or good indices of internal consistency (alphas and omegas = .81 ­ .91), and adequate indices of test-retest reliability at two months ( r = .57 ­ .73) and the relationship with neuroticism and its facets ( r = .19 ­ .52). CONCLUSIONS: The ASI-3 provides reliable, valid measures of anxiety sensitivity in Spanish adults, but its subscales are not very useful beyond the information provided by the total scale.

Psychometric Properties of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) in Spanish Population / Propiedades Psicométricas del Índice de Sensibilidad a la Ansiedad-3 (ASI-3) en Población Española

Background: The Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) is the reference instrument for measuring anxiety sensitivity. The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the ASI-3 have been examined in university students but not in adults from the general population. Whether the ASI-3 subscales provide relevant information has not yet been examined either. Method: The ASI-3’s factor structure, internal consistency, temporal stability, and relationship with neuroticism were examined in a Spanish community sample of 919 adults. Results: In two subsamples of participants, the ASI-3 presented a structure of three correlated factors (physical, cognitive, and social concerns) that loaded on a higher-order factor, but the three factors did not explain much item variance. The total scale and subscales of the ASI-3 showed excellent or good indices of internal consistency (alphas and omegas = .81 – .91), and adequate indices of test-retest reliability at two months (r = .57 – .73) and the relationship with neuroticism and its facets (r = .19 – .52). Conclusions: The ASI-3 provides reliable, valid measures of anxiety sensitivity in Spanish adults, but its subscales are not very useful beyond the information provided by the total scale.(AU)

Antecedentes: el Índice de Sensibilidad a la Ansiedad-3 (ASI-3) es el instrumento de referencia para medir la sensibilidad a la ansiedad. Las propiedades psicométricas de la versión española del ASI-3 se han examinado en estudiantes universitarios, pero no en adultos de la población general. Tampoco se ha examinado si las subescalas del ASI-3 aportan información relevante. Método: se examinó la estructura factorial del ASI-3, su consistencia interna, estabilidad temporal y relación con neuroticismo en una muestra comunitaria española de 919 adultos. Resultados: en dos submuestras de participantes, el ASI-3 presentó una estructura de tres factores correlacionados (preocupaciones físicas, cognitivas y sociales) que saturaban en un factor de orden superior, pero los tres factores no explicaban mucha varianza de los ítems. La escala total y las subescalas del ASI-3 mostraron índices excelentes o buenos de consistencia interna (alfas y omegas = .81 – .91) y adecuados de fiabilidad test-retest a los dos meses (r = .57 – .73) y de relación con el neuroticismo y sus facetas (r = .19 – .52). Conclusiones: el ASI-3 proporciona medidas fiables y válidas de la sensibilidad a la ansiedad en adultos españoles, pero sus subescalas no son muy útiles más allá de la información proporcionada por su escala total.(AU)

Dysfunctional Attitudes and Long-Term Posttraumatic Growth in Victims of Terrorist Attacks / Actitudes Disfuncionales y Crecimiento Postraumático a Largo Plazo en Víctimas de Atentados Terroristas

Background: The theoretical models of posttraumatic growth (PTG) assume that a change in core beliefs or attitudes about the world and oneself is at the root of PTG. However, there are few studies on the relationship between these attitudes and PTG and their results are contradictory. The contradictions could be clarified using an instrument that assesses attitudes more specifically related to the traumatic event (traumatic dysfunctional attitudes) and analyzing whether said relationship is linear or an inverted U. Methods: A sample of 210 adults directly exposed to terrorist attacks in Spain completed diagnostic measures of emotional disorders and measures of PTSD and depression symptomatology, optimism, traumatic and depressive dysfunctional attitudes, and PTG a mean of 29.6 years after the attacks (range: 2-47 years). Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that some long-term PTG dimensions were significantly associated in a linear or inverted-U fashion with traumatic dysfunctional attitudes, such that the most extreme levels of spiritual change were associated with the highest total levels of traumatic dysfunctional attitudes while the highest levels of appreciation of life were associated with moderate levels of total traumatic dysfunctional attitudes and, especially, attitudes of perpetual suffering. However, long-term PTG was not associated with depressive dysfunctional attitudes. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of core attitudes for PTG and offer support for the hypothesis that, over time, the positive basic attitudes of many people who have experienced a traumatic event are reconstructed, but incorporating negative or dysfunctional attitudes, which means that a certain amount of traumatic dysfunctional attitudes may be a necessary condition for long-term PTG.(AU)

Antecedentes: Los modelos teóricos del crecimiento postraumático (CPT) suponen que un cambio en las creencias o actitudes básicas sobre el mundo y uno mismo es la raíz del CPT. Sin embargo, existen pocos estudios sobre la relación entre esas actitudes y el CPT y sus resultados son contradictorios. Las contradicciones podrían aclararse utilizando un instrumento que evalúe las actitudes más específicamente relacionadas con el acontecimiento traumático (actitudes disfuncionales traumáticas) y analizando si dicha relación es lineal o en forma de U invertida. Método: Una muestra de 210 adultos expuestos directamente a atentados terroristas en España completaron medidas de trastorno emocional y medidas de sintomatología de TEPT y depresión, optimismo, actitudes disfuncionales traumáticas y depresivas y CPT una media de 29.6 años después de los atentados (rango: 2-47 años). Resultados: Análisis de regresión múltiple revelaron que algunas dimensiones del CPT a largo plazo se asociaron significativamente de forma lineal o de U invertida con las actitudes disfuncionales traumáticas, de manera que un mayor nivel de crecimiento espiritual se asociaba con un mayor nivel total de actitudes disfuncionales traumáticas y un mayor nivel de nueva valoración de la vida se asociaba con un nivel moderado total de actitudes disfuncionales traumáticas y, especialmente, de actitudes de cronificación del malestar. Sin embargo, el CPT a largo plazo no se asoció con las actitudes disfuncionales depresivas. Conclusión: Los resultados subrayan la importancia de las actitudes básicas en el CPT y ofrecen apoyo a la hipótesis de que, con el paso del tiempo, las actitudes básicas positivas de muchas de las personas que han experimentado un acontecimiento traumático se reconstruyen, pero incorporando actitudes negativas o disfuncionales, lo que supone que un cierto nivel de actitudes disfuncionales traumáticas podría ser una condición necesaria para el CPT a largo plazo.(AU)

Relationships of the Big Five facets and dysfunctional attitudes with depression.

There are two parallel lines of research on the relationship between personality and depression, one based on the Big Five personality model and one on Beck's cognitive theory of depression. However, no study has jointly examined the dimensions and facets of the Big Five and the dysfunctional attitudes of Beck's theory. This was the objective of the present study. The Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R), the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-A), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-IA) were applied to 221 adults from the Spanish general population (53.7% females; mean age: 38.3 years). Various multiple linear regression analyses revealed that only the facet of depression was significantly related to depressive symptomatology. The different associations of the broad and specific personality traits and the need to control as many third variables as possible to prevent the finding of spurious relationships are discussed.

An Exploratory Study on Mental Health and Burnout in Social Care Workers of an Emergency Shelter for Homeless Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic / Un estudio exploratorio sobre la salud mental y el agotamiento emocional en los trabajadores sociales de un albergue de emergencia para indigentes durante la pandemia del COVID-19

The aim of the current research is trying to fill in the gap that exists in regard with the lack of knowledge about the psychological status of social care professionals who worked in an emergency social service for homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study measured work sastisfaction, burnout, fatigue, depression, and anxiety symptoms in a sample of 44 Spanish social care professionals who worked in the IFEMA Pabellón 14 Social Emergency Centre for Homeless People in Madrid, Spain. The study was carried out in four measurement moments (between April and May), and results showed that, overall, workers displayed good levels of psychological adaptation to their workplace during the two months and a half that the emergency centre was running, in spite of all the uncertainty and risks existing throughout that time.

El objetivo de la presente investigación es tratar de llenar el vacío existente por la falta de conocimiento sobre el estado psicológico de los profesionales del área de atención social que trabajaban en un servicio social de emergencia para personas sin hogar durante la crisis de COVID-19. El estudio midió los síntomas de satisfacción, burnout, fatiga, depresión y ansiedad en una muestra de 44 profesionales españoles de la asistencia social que han trabajado en el Centro de Emergencias Sociales para Personas sin Hogar de IFEMA, Pabellón 14, en Madrid (España). La medición tuvo lugar en cuatro momentos (entre abril y mayo) y los resultados indicaron que, en general, los trabajadores sociales mostraron un buen nivel de adaptación psicológica a su lugar de trabajo durante los dos meses y medio que estuvo funcionando el centro de emergencias, a pesar de toda la incertidumbre y los riesgos existentes a lo largo de este tiempo.