Differences in psychological distress, resilience and cognitive emotional regulation strategies in adults during the Coronavirus pandemic: A cross-cultural study of Poland and Spain

El objetivo de este estudio transcultural fue analizar las diferencias en resiliencia, estrategias de regulación cognitiva de las emociones (CERS) y distress psicológico durante la pandemia del COVID-19 en Polonia y España. Método. Se realizó una encuesta online en una muestra de 1,182 adultos. Se llevó a cabo un análisis MANOVA para examinar las diferencias en las variables estudiadas entre estos países. Esto fue seguido de un análisis MANCOVA controlando el sexo y la edad. Se realizaron análisis de regresión lineal segmentados por país con el fin de identificar modelos predictivos de distrés psicológico. Resultados. La población polaca se caracterizó por niveles más altos de ansiedad, menos resiliencia y más uso de CERS desadaptativas durante el confinamiento. La población española sufrió más estrés pero utilizó CERS adaptativas y fue más resiliente. La edad y el sexo femenino aparecieron como factores de riesgo de malestar psicológico en España. Se encontró que los modelos de predicción de distrés psicológico fueron diferentes en ambos países: las CERS adaptativas fueron predictivas en España y la resiliencia fue predictiva en Polonia. Conclusiones. Este estudio podría guiar en iniciativas para la promoción del bienestar psicológico como vía para prevenir trastornos psicopatológicos durante la pandemia.(AU)

Background.The objective of this cross-cultural study was to ana-lyze the differences in resilience, cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS), as well as psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic between Poland and Spain. Method.An online survey was conducted on a sample of 1,182 adults. A MANOVA analysis was carried out to examine the differences in the studied variables between these countries. This was followed by MANCOVA analysis to control for gender and age. Linear re-gression analyses segmented by country were conducted in order to identi-fy psychological distress prediction models. Results.Polish population was characterized by higher levels of anxiety, less resilience and more maladap-tive CERS during the lockdown. Spanish population was more affected by stress but used more adaptable CERS and was more resilient. Age and fe-male gender appeared as risk factors of psychological distress in Spain. The psychological distress prediction models were found to be different be-tween both countries: adaptive CERS was predictive only in Spain, and re-silience was predictive only in Poland. Conclusions.This study could guide in initiatives for the promotion of psychological well-being as a way to pre-vent psychopathological disorders during the pandemic.(AU)

Personal Variables of Protection against Cannabis Use in Adolescence: The Roles of Emotional Intelligence, Coping Styles, and Assertiveness as Associated Factors.

(1) Background: Many public bodies have warned of the increased consumption of cannabis, particularly among adolescents. From the Positive Youth Development approach, the promotion of personal protective factors takes on special importance against some risks, such as the consumption of addictive substances. (2) Methods: This research is one of the first to study the role of trait and ability emotional intelligence in relation to cannabis use and with respect to other personal variables of protection, such as coping styles and assertiveness. For this purpose, a final sample of 799 schoolchildren was obtained. (3) Results: After controlling for age and gender, the results of the regression analyses revealed that emotional perception, emotional facilitation, emotional clarity, emotional repair, active coping style, and assertiveness were inversely and significantly associated with cannabis use behaviors. On the other hand, the emotional attention and avoidant coping style factors were positively and significantly associated with these behaviors. (4) Conclusions: These findings provide new evidence that could be useful in terms of guiding health-promoting clinical and educational interventions at an early age.

¿Qué Aporta la Inteligencia Emocional al Estudio de los Factores Personales Protectores del Consumo de Alcohol en la Adolescencia? / How does emotional intelligence contribute to the study of personal protective factors for alcohol consumption in adolescence?

Diversos organismos alertan sobre el incremento del consumo de alcohol y de su uso extendido en los adolescentes. Algunas investigaciones dan cuenta de la relevancia que posee la inteligencia emocional (IE) como nuevo constructo que puede ayudar a explicar esta problemática. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la contribución de la IE rasgo y habilidad a la comprensión del consumo de alcohol respecto a otros factores protectores personales previamente estudiados como la autoestima, la autoeficacia y la asertividad. Esta investigación desarrolla una metodología de corte cuantitativo y de tipo correlacional en una muestra de 799 estudiantes. Los resultados revelan que los factores de percepción emocional, claridad emocional, reparación emocional, autoestima y asertividad se asociaron de manera significativa e inversamente con las conductas de consumo de alcohol, al contrario que el componente de atención emocional. Estos hallazgos proporcionan nueva evidencia empírica que podría orientar intervenciones preventivas a edades tempranas

A lot of public bodies have warned against an increase in alcohol intake and its extended use among adolescents. Some studies have revealed the relevance of emotional intelligence (EI) as a novel construct that may be useful in explaining this problem. The objective of this study is to analyze the contribution of trait and ability EI to the understanding of alcohol consumption with respect to other personal protective factors such as self-esteem, self-efficacy, and assertiveness previously studied. A correlational and quantitative methodology was used on a sample of 799 students. The results suggest that the factors of emotional perception, emotional clarity, emotional repair, self-esteem, and assertiveness were significantly and inversely related to alcohol consumption behaviors, unlike the emotional attention component. These findings offer new empirical evidence that may assist in establishing preventive interventions targeting young people

Cognitive emotion regulation strategies mediate the relationships between Dark Triad traits and negative emotional states experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has become a major source of stress as it puts individuals at risk of a range of mental health problems. Personality traits may predispose people to use adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies that lead to different health-related outcomes. The goal of the present study was to examine whether the use of distinct coping strategies during this stressful COVID-19 outbreak mediates the relationships between Dark Triad (DT) traits and stress, depression, and anxiety. The study was conducted in Poland (N = 1086) and Spain (N = 582), thus cross-culturally validated measures were used to assess depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21), cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERQ) and socially aversive traits covered by DT (Dirty Dozen scale). The study shows that maladaptive CERS mediates the relationships between narcissism/Machiavellianism and stress, anxiety and depression. Additionally, adaptive CERS mediates the relationship between psychopathy and depression. The results provide a better understanding of the mediating role of CERS on the relationships between DT traits and the stress, anxiety and depression experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Development and validation of the Strategic Test of Emotional Intelligence (STEI) in the Spanish population / Desarrollo y validación del Test Estratégico de Inteligencia Emocional (STEI) en población española

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Currently, the assessment of emotional intelligence (EI) ability using performance measures is some what limited. Our study thus describes the development and validation of a new performance measure, known as the Strategic Test of Emotional Intelligence (STEI), to assess EI abilities in Spanish samples based on the Mayer and Salovey (1997) model and Situational Judgment Test paradigm. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Spanish undergraduate students and community participants (N = 504; 64.7% females aged 18-67 years) completed the STEI (consisting of 110 items, 55 of which correspond to the understanding emotions factor and 55 to the managing emotions factor). Different subgroups also completed measures of EI, empathy, personality, and general intelligence. RESULTS: The findings indicate appropriate reliability and convergent and discriminant validity with respect to EI, empathy, personality, and intelligence measures. Further, confirmatory factor analysis supported the existence of a two-factor structure composed of the understanding and managing emotions subscales. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were adequate (.82 understanding emotions, .85 managing emotions, and .90 total STEI). CONCLUSIONS: The STEI could be a promising new measure for assessing EI in Spanish samples, providing a novel tool for researching the construct and enabling the comparison with previous results found in other cultures

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS: En la actualidad, la evaluación de la capacidad de inteligencia emocional (IE) que utiliza medidas de rendimiento es algo limitada. Nuestro estudio describe el desarrollo y la validación de una nueva medida de rendimiento, conocida como Test Estratégico de Inteligencia Emocional (STEI), para evaluar las habilidades de IE en muestras españolas basada en el modelo de Mayer y Salovey (1997) y en el paradigma de Prueba de Juicio Situacional. MATERIALES Y MÉTODO: ESTUDIANTES universitarios, así como muestra de población general (n = 504; 64.7% mujeres; rango de edad de 18 a 67 años) de España completaron el STEI (con un total de 110 ítems, 55 pertenecientes al factor comprensión y 55 al factor manejo de las emociones). Diferentes subgrupos también completaron medidas de IE, empatía, personalidad e inteligencia general. RESULTADOS: Los resultados indican una fiabilidad apropiada y una validez convergente y discriminante con respecto a las medidas de IE, empatía, personalidad e inteligencia. Además, el análisis factorial confirmatorio apoyó la existencia de una estructura de dos factores compuesta por las subescalas de comprensión y manejo de las emociones. Los coeficientes alfa de Cronbach fueron adecuados (.82 comprensión emociones, .85 manejo emociones y .90 STEI total). CONCLUSIONES: El STEI podría ser una medida nueva y prometedora para evaluar la IE en muestras españolas, proporcionando una herramienta novedosa para investigar el constructo y poder comparar los resultados con los encontrados previamente en otras culturas

Bullied Adolescent's Life Satisfaction: Personal Competencies and School Climate as Protective Factors.

Although adolescence has been defined as a stage of vulnerability, due to the biopsychosocial changes that happen throughout this developmental stage, it is also one of growth. Some of the core personal competencies that have been identified to promote positive development at this stage while simultaneously preventing risks are: (1) a positive sense of self, (2) self-regulation, (3) decision-making skills, (4) a moral system of belief, and (5) prosocial connectedness. There are many factors and contexts that influence adolescent development. The school climate, for example, has the capacity to promote positive development and life satisfaction, yet on the other hand, it is a context within which different forms of violence, such as bullying, can occur. The principal aim of this study, therefore, is to analyze the influence that bullying has on one's life satisfaction, while taking into account participants' socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., gender and developmental stage), their core personal competencies (i.e., problem solving strategies, empathy, emotional repair, self-esteem, and values), and the school climate. To obtain data, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted with a sample of 647 Spanish students (53.3% female), ranging in age from preadolescence (10-13 years old; 60.3%) to mid-adolescence (14-18 years old; 39.7%), and belonging to diverse socio-economic contexts (15.3% rural) and schools (32.1% public). After gaining informed consent from both the participants and their parents, students completed the survey voluntarily, and under anonymity. Initially results show that gender, developmental stage, and having been bullied were predictors of participants' levels of life satisfaction. When the core personal competencies were also considered in data analysis process, self-esteem, emotional repair, and social values were those demonstrating significant effects on one's life satisfaction; moreover, being bullied was a significant predictor too. Finally, after taking school climate into account, only this variable as well as self-esteem and emotional repair were significant predictors of life satisfaction: the other assessed variables were no longer found to be significant predictors (i.e., gender, developmental stage, being bullied, and social values). These results have important implications for education objectives, methodologies, and school functioning: school climate, self-esteem and emotional repair seem to be particularly important for promoting student life satisfaction and for preventing the negative consequences associated with being bullied.

La percepción emocional como predictor estable del ajuste psicosocial en la adolescencia / Emotional perception as a stable predictor of psychosocial adjustment during adolescence

Las emociones son una fuente muy valiosa de información para nuestra adaptación y bienestar. Dentro de nuestras habilidades para procesar la información emocional, la literatura científica ha mostrado cómo la percepción emocional es fundamental para comenzar dicho proceso con éxito. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los estudios realizados en este ámbito han utilizado muestras adultas o clínicas. En este trabajo investigamos, mediante un estudio longitudinal prospectivo, la influencia de la percepción emocional sobre el ajuste psicosocial de una muestra de estudiantes de secundaria. Los resultados muestran que la habilidad para percibir emociones es un predictor estable de un menor desajuste clínico y emocional y de un mayor ajuste personal. Además, estos resultados se mantienen incluso tras controlar los niveles previos de ajuste. Igualmente, encontramos importantes diferencias de sexo y edad en la relación entre percepción emocional y el ajuste psicosocial. Se discute acerca de las posibles implicaciones educativas de los resultados y de futuras líneas de trabajo en el campo de la percepción emocional y la inteligencia emocional (AU)

Emotions are a very valuable source of information for our adjustment and well-being. Within our skills to process the emotional information, emotional perception is fundamental to begin such process successfully. Nevertheless, the majority of the studies conducted in this area have used adult or clinical samples. In this work we investigated through a prospective one-year longitudinal study the relation between emotional perception and psycho-social adjustment in a secondary student sample. The results showed emotional perception as a stable predictor of higher personal adjustment and lower emotional imbalance and clinical maladjustment. The emotional perception ability also appeared as a significant predictor of dependent variables, even when the variable criterion at time 1 was controlled. Significant variation was found depending on sex and age. Possible educational implications and future lines of research on emotional perception and emotional intelligence are discussed