Tracking demands for seeking psychological help before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quanti-qualitative study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented burdens on individuals and communities around the world. The isolation, fear, and uncertainty caused by the virus has led to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. The pandemic has also had a disproportionate impact on individuals and communities with low income and socioeconomic status.ObjectiveTo shed light on the consequences of the pandemic on individuals from minorities and low-income areas, we investigate the main reasons that led patients who were referred to a social clinic of a private university in Rio de Janeiro to seek psychological treatment before (2019) and during the pandemic (2020 and 2021).MethodsWe conducted a quanti-qualitative study with a lexical analysis that evaluated 549 complaint forms of patients seeking treatment in these two distinct periods. Our analyses included descending hierarchical analysis (DHA) and correspondence factor analysis (CFA).ResultsFamily dynamics and communication factors play a dominant role in the reason for seeking therapy and psychological treatment. Additionally, our study suggested an increase in anxiety and panic attacks among other mental health issues associated with grief and losses during the pandemic years.ConclusionBased on these analyses, we can begin to identify a few changes in the main demand and redirection of complaints of patients during the period of COVID-19.

Psychometric Properties and Cross-Cultural Invariance of the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Beck Anxiety Inventory among a Representative Sample of Spanish, Portuguese, and Brazilian Undergraduate Students.

Clinical psychologists often use the Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to aid in the diagnosis of mental health issues and verify the effectiveness of treatments. Despite this common practice, studies that implement a cross-cultural design to check psychometric properties and the invariance of these scales are still scarce in the literature, which can lead to biased results that prevent comparisons among different groups. The present study investigated the internal structure of both tools and their level of invariance. From a representative sample of undergraduate students from Spain (n = 1216), Portugal (n = 426), and Brazil (n = 315), Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis were performed. The results revealed suitable fit indices for the two-factor structure of the BDI-II and BAI, assessed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis procedures. Additionally, the two-factor model of the BDI-II reached invariant properties at three levels, whereas the structural model of the BAI did not. Altogether, these results suggest using the BDI-II in this group in these three countries and imply that BAI scores should be interpreted cautiously.

Mood or energy/activity symptoms in bipolar mania: which are the most informative?

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder (BD) in DSM-III and DSM-IV is classified as a mood disorder and requires the presence of a mood change, i.e., euphoria or irritability. Differently, DSM-5 states that there must be some increase in energy or motor activity in addition to the mood change. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to identify which types of symptoms (i.e., mood- or energy/activity-related symptoms) are the most informative in a manic episode. METHOD: Symptoms of manic episodes in 106 outpatients with BD were assessed through the Young Mania Rating Scale between November 2002 and November 2015 in a naturalistic study. The items of the scale were divided into three groups according to clinical criteria: mood, energy/activity, and other. The Samejima Graded Response Model of the Item Response Theory was computed as well as the Test Information Function for comparisons between groups. Chi-squared tests were used to verify the association between the groups of symptoms by comparing the area under the curve of the TIF results. RESULTS: The information accounted for energy/activity represents 77% of the proportion of the total TIF; about 23% is related to mood and other groups of symptoms. Both proportions are statistically different (X2(1) = 30.42, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: On average, changes in energy/activity tend to be more informative than mood changes during the manic phases of BD.

Lack of voluntary interest and difficulty making eye contact are the most discriminative behaviors of the ASQ:SE and might suggest delays: Results from a large-scale assessment.

BACKGROUND: Every child is unique, but development tends to occur in predictable steps and stages. The early identification of infants who face developmental delays is critical, boosting the use of screening tools to determine risks for delays. The city of Rio de Janeiro conducted a large-scale assessment of children who were enrolled in educational facilities using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE). OBJECTIVES: We examined the internal structure of the ASQ:SE and its most discriminative items of risks of delays in development among 12- to 60-month-old children. The trajectory of the discrimination parameter of eight anchor items was used to check how well they inform the risk of social-emotional competence delays throughout development. METHODS: Data from 79,332 children (1-5 years) were analyzed via Samejima Graded Response model of Item Response Theory (IRT). The discrimination (a) and threshold (b) parameters were computed, and errors were achieved via maximum likelihood. Data/codes are available at https://osf.io/by6sf/. RESULTS: (a) Item Response Theory analyses supported the unidimensionality of data via the root mean square error of approximation and standardized root mean square residual results (RMSEA). (b) The lack of voluntary interest was the most discriminative risk behavior in the first 5 years. (c) Lack of interest was the most persistent risk behavior. (d) Difficulty making eye contact was nearly as informative as lack of interest. CONCLUSION: Lack of voluntary interest in things should be considered a critical risk-related behavior, and making eye contact is a vital aspect of typical development. Both behaviors may be predictors of children's delays.MAIN OUTCOMESThe ASQ:SE is a valid and reliable tool to measure child development.The internal structure of the ASQ:SE is well-fitted with a unidimensional solution.A child's age is a vital aspect of the discrimination parameter of the IRT model.Lack of interest in things and difficulty making eye contact are critical risk-related behaviors.

Tracking demands for seeking psychological help before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quanti-qualitative study

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented burdens on individuals and communities around the world. The isolation, fear, and uncertainty caused by the virus has led to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. The pandemic has also had a disproportionate impact on individuals and communities with low income and socioeconomic status. Objective To shed light on the consequences of the pandemic on individuals from minorities and low-income areas, we investigate the main reasons that led patients who were referred to a social clinic of a private university in Rio de Janeiro to seek psychological treatment before (2019) and during the pandemic (2020 and 2021). Methods We conducted a quanti-qualitative study with a lexical analysis that evaluated 549 complaint forms of patients seeking treatment in these two distinct periods. Our analyses included descending hierarchical analysis (DHA) and correspondence factor analysis (CFA). Results Family dynamics and communication factors play a dominant role in the reason for seeking therapy and psychological treatment. Additionally, our study suggested an increase in anxiety and panic attacks among other mental health issues associated with griefand losses during the pandemic years. Conclusion Based on these analyses, we can begin to identify a few changes in the main demand and redirection of complaints of patients during the period of COVID-19.

Spirituality, religiosity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic / Espiritualidade, religiosidade e saúde mental durante a pandemia de COVID-19

Objective: Depression and anxiety were disorders evidenced during the - Coronavirus disease19 pandemic. In this study, these conditions were evaluated as a function of Spirituality/Religiosity, as well as private prayer practices and attendance at religious spaces. Spirituality and religiosity have been widely investigated as health promoters. Methods: A sample of 1,293 participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory Primary Care, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Religious Spiritual Coping Brief Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The group was separated into Spirituality/Religiosity levels, prayer practices, and attendance at religious centers. Results: An ANOVA concluded that those who pray alone daily develop lower anxiety traits (F (8,133) = 7.885, p < 0.001) compared with individuals who pray once or twice a year. Participants who self-declared to be very spiritual exhibited fewer depressive symptoms (M = 2.57, SD = 2.88) compared to non-spiritual participants (M = 4.29, SD = 4.07, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In summary, Spirituality/Religiosity can positively impact mental health.

Objetivo: A espiritualidade e a religiosidade têm sido amplamente investigadas como promotoras de saúde. Depressão e ansiedade foram transtornos evidenciados durante a pandemia da doença do coronavírus" 19. Neste estudo, essas condições foram avaliadas em função da espiritualidade e religiosidade, assim como práticas de oração privada e atendimento em espaços religiosos. Método: Uma amostra de 1.293 participantes completou o Inventário de Depressão de Beck na Atenção Primária, o Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado, a Escala Breve de Enfrentamento Espiritual Religioso e um Questionário Sociodemográfico. O grupo foi dividido em níveis espiritualidade e religiosidade, práticas de oração e frequência em centros religiosos. Resultados: Uma ANOVA concluiu que aqueles que rezam sozinhos diariamente apresentam menores traços de ansiedade (F (8,133) = 7,885, p < 0,001) em comparação com aqueles que rezam uma ou duas vezes por ano. Participantes muito espirituais apresentaram menos sintomas depressivos (M = 2,57, DP = 2,88) do que os participantes não espirituais (M = 4,29, DP = 4,07, p < 0,001). Conclusão: Em resumo, espiritualidade e religiosidade podem impactar positivamente a saúde mental.

Disentangling crucial factors of the pandemic in Brazil: Effect of lockdown restrictions on mental health.

Quarantine and social distance restrictions have been enforced worldwide to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The effects of these measures on mental health are recognised, but remaining unclear, is whether these effects are a consequence of the virus itself or policies that are enforced to prevent it. The present study investigated the impact of lockdown restrictions on anxiety and depression at two different times in 2020. Data were collected from 118 participants from all regions of Brazil. After easing quarantine restrictions in the second half of 2020, two natural groups were formed. One group included participants who voluntarily remained at home (n = 73). The other group consisted of those who decided to leave home (n = 45). A linear mixed model was used to determine the effects of group and time and their interaction. The McNemar test was used to determine intragroup differences in perceptions and concerns about COVID-19. Logistic regression identified predictors of high and stable depression and anxiety. None of the factors or their interactions was significant. Indicators of depression and anxiety remained stable over time, regardless of whether the participants left home or remained at home. Significantly, a strong and stable agreement with quarantine was found. The participants agreed that COVID-19 was a threat to public health. Political orientation was a predictor of high and stable levels of depression but not anxiety. Participants who self-identified as liberal politically were at a greater risk of developing depression. The results suggest that the lockdown policy did not contribute to disruptions of mental health, which instead was a consequence of the pandemic and virus itself. We also found wide and strong support amongst the participants for lockdown and mandatory stay-at-home policies.

An Exploratory Analysis of the Internal Structure of Test Through a Multimethods Exploratory Approach of the ASQ:SE in Brazil.

Background A wide range of exploratory methods is available in psychometrics as means of gathering insight on existing data and on the process of establishing the number and nature of an internal structure factor of a test. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and principal component analysis (PCA) remain well-established techniques despite their different theoretical perspectives. Network analysis (NA) has recently gained popularity together with such algorithms as the Next Eigenvalue Sufficiency Test. These analyses link statistics and psychology, but their results tend to vary, leading to an open methodological debate on statistical assumptions of psychometric analyses and the extent to which results that are generated with these analyses align with the theoretical basis that underlies an instrument. The current study uses a previously published data set from the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional to explore, show, and discuss several exploratory analyses of its internal structure. To a lesser degree, this study furthers the ongoing debate on the interface between theoretical and methodological perspectives in psychometrics. Methods From a sample of 22,331 sixty-month-old children, 500 participants were randomly selected. Pearson and polychoric correlation matrices were compared and used as inputs in the psychometric analyses. The number of factors was determined via well-known rules of thumb, including the parallel analysis and the Hull method. Multidimensional solutions were rotated via oblique methods. R and Factor software were used, the codes for which are publicly available at https://luisfca.shinyapps.io/psychometrics_asq_se/ . Results Solutions from one to eight dimensions were suggested. Polychoric correlation overcame Pearson correlation, but nonconvergence issues were detected. The Hull method achieved a unidimensional structure. PCA and EFA achieved similar results. Conversely, six clusters were suggested via NA. Conclusion The statistical outcomes for determining the factor structure of an assessment diverged, varying from one to eight domains, which allowed for different interpretations of the results. Methodological implications are further discussed.

Associated Factors of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis and Psychostimulant Use: A Nationwide Representative Study.

BACKGROUND: Connections between epidemiological findings and children's and adolescents' mental health policies have not been properly made in Brazil, and such nationwide studies are scarce. This epidemiological study (1) estimated the prevalence and predictors of parent-reported attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (ADHD-report), (2) estimated the probable diagnosis and risk of ADHD based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, criteria (ADHD-probable), and (3) estimated current psychostimulant use (ADHD-pst) in a representative nationwide sample of Brazilian school-aged children and adolescents. METHODS: Data were obtained from 7114 school-aged children (49.9% boys) from 87 cities in 18 Brazilian states. Parents and teachers were interviewed using psychometrically sound questionnaires. Data and codes are available. RESULTS: The prevalence of ADHD-report, ADHD-probable, and ADHD-pst were 7.1%, 3.9%, and 1.9%, respectively. The agreement was low between ADHD-probable and ADHD-report (22.6%) and between ADHD-report and ADHD-pst (15.6%). Logistic regression revealed that predictors of all three categories were male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.71, 2.32, and 1.96, respectively), divorced parents (OR = 1.47, 1.65, and 1.68, respectively), and below-expectation school performance (OR = 3.1, 13.74, and 3.95, respectively). Socioeconomic status was a significant predictor of ADHD-report, and participants from lower classes were less frequently diagnosed with ADHD than their peers from upper classes (OR = 0.57, 95% confidence interval = 0.37-0.88, P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings provide an accurate description of ADHD in Brazil. We suggest disparities in agreement between report, risk, and psychostimulant use among children and adolescents and discrepancies between socioeconomic classes concerning the prevalence of an ADHD diagnosis.

The Lighter Side of Pain: Do Positive Affective States Predict Memory of Pain Induced by Running a Marathon?

BACKGROUND: Memory and in turn, memory of pain is a reconstructive process. This study considers the relationship between time, memory, affective states, and pain induced by running a marathon by investigating the influence of these factors on a participant's memory of pain experienced after a marathon. The following two hypotheses were formulated: 1) participants' recalled-pain of marathon experience is underestimated; and 2) the underestimation of recalled pain would be greater for participants experiencing higher positive affect. METHODS: A longitudinal design was employed to check pain intensities of marathon participants a) at the finish line and b) 6 months following its completion. The sample size was based on a power analysis, and 108 marathonists rated their pain intensities and positive and negative affects at the finish line. From this sample, 58 participants recalled their pain experience of running the marathon 6 months later. Linear models, including computer-based data-mining algorithms, were used. RESULTS: The experienced pain was higher than their recalled pain (t(55) = 3.412, p < 0.01, d = 0.45), supporting the first hypothesis. The memory of pain faded similarly in all participants, which did not directly support the second hypothesis. Further exploratory analysis suggested that negative and positive affective states were related to participants' pain memory; positive affective states appeared to be inversely related to the recall (ß = -0.289, p = 0.039). DISCUSSION: This study shows that time has a significant effect on memory recall and that emotions may also influence the memory of pain. This is the first study that preliminarily showcased the effect of positive affective states on the memory of pain induced by physical exercise.

Measuring social norms and attitudes about age-disparate transactional sex: Psychometric testing of the NAATSS.

Background: Transactional sex between girls under 18 years-old and adult men at least ten years older, known as age-disparate transactional sex (ADTS), is an established risk factor for HIV, STI and early pregnancy among girls and women. Social norms or beliefs about what others expect from you and what others do can sustain behaviours such as ADTS even when individuals may be personally against them. In order to evaluate interventions to change social norms, validated instruments for measuring change in personal beliefs and social norms regarding ADTS are needed. Methods: Items for the Norms and Attitudes on Age-Disparate Transactional Sex Scale (NAATSS) were generated based on qualitative interviews and expert panel review. The reliability and validity of the NAATSS was tested in a representative sample (N = 431) from Brazilian favelas. Factor analysis assessed construct validity, Cronbach's alpha assessed reliability, and t-tests and analysis of variances tested hypothesized differences between gender, age, and previous experience with ADTS in both the social norms and personal beliefs domains. Findings: Factor analysis revealed three factors in each domain. The factors were labelled "Attributions to Girls' Behaviour" which has 5 items, "Men's Motivations" with 5 items, and "Girls' Readiness to have Sex" with 3 items. The subscales evidenced acceptable reliability with Cronbach's alphas ranging from 0.72 to 0.83 for the social norms subscales and 0.59 to 0.82 for the personal beliefs subscales. Interpretation: The items were developed based on qualitative research and expert rankings and the resulting Norms and Attitudes on ADTS Scale exhibits strong psychometric properties. Each of the three subscales within the two domains illustrate good factor structure, acceptable internal consistency reliability, and are supported by the significance of the hypothesized group differences. Funding: This work was supported by the OAK Foundation [grant number OCAY-16-188].

Psychometric properties and clinical utility of the executive function inventory for children and adolescents: a large multistage populational study including children with ADHD.

Executive functions (EF) are a set of high order mental abilities that regulate cognition, emotions, and behavior. This study aims to report the construction and validation of a rating scale instrument for EF in children and adolescents aged from 5 to 18 years (EFICA), as well as to report the results of a comparison between children with ADHD and their peers without it. Thus, we conducted a population-based cross-sectional study relying on a sample composed of 3,284 typical children and adolescents accessed to study the psychometric properties of the parents' inventory (EFICA-P) and the teacher's inventory (EFICA-T) within a Structural Equation Modeling framework (SEM). Exploratory and confirmatory analyses were fitted, as well as the Cronbach's alpha and the McDonald's omega reliability indices. The known-groups method was carried out by independent Welch t-tests between untreated ADHD children and their peers. We concluded that the parents' inventory is composed of three dimensions (Cool Index 1, Cool Index 2, and Hot Index): χ2 (1,649) = 4,607.852 p < .01, CFI = .965, TLI .963, RMSEA = .053, whereas the teachers´ inventory is composed of two dimensions (Cool Index and Hot Index): χ2 (1,273) = 5,158.240, p < .01, CFI = .991, TLI = .991, RMSEA = .077. The internal consistency of both inventories was >.9. Significant differences between the ADHD groups were found in all domains accessed. These findings indicate that both inventories have a high degree of validity regarding their internal structures, as well as supporting their clinical utility.

Psychometric Evidence for the Lipp' Adult Stress Symptoms Inventory / Evidências psicométricas do Inventário de Sintomas de Stress para adultos de Lipp / Evidencia psicométrica del Inventario de Síntomas de Estrés en Adultos de Lipp

Abstract Although stress assessment is important in different health areas, there are few instruments with adequate psychometric evidence to assess it. The study aimed to present new validity evidence of Lipp's Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults (LSSI), describe and discuss clinical characteristics of the LSSI with data obtained from patients seen in a hospital outpatient clinic and a Psychosocial Care Center (Centro de Atenção Psicossocial - CAPS). Sampling was based on post-stratification via the Raking method. In total, 4,500 participants from all over Brazil of both sexes, different age groups and academic levels composed the study. The results via Item Response Theory indicated a structure with high internal consistency. Symptoms of apathy, depression or prolonged anger were the most associated with stress and women scored higher. There was a significant correlation between the LSSI-R and another mental health measure (DASS-21) in the clinical group.

Resumo Apesar da avaliação do estresse ser importante em diferentes áreas da saúde, há um escasso número de instrumentos com adequadas evidências psicométricas para avaliá-lo. O estudo teve como objetivo apresentar novas evidências de validade do Inventário de Sintomas de Stress para Adultos de Lipp (ISSL), descrever e discutir características clínicas do ISSL com dados obtidos por pacientes atendidos em um ambulatório hospitalar e um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS). A amostragem baseou-se em pós-estratificação via método Raking. No total, 4.500 participantes de todo o Brasil de ambos os sexos, diferentes faixas etárias e níveis acadêmicos compuseram o estudo. Os resultados via Teoria de Resposta ao Item indicaram uma estrutura com alta consistência interna. Sintomas de apatia, depressão ou raiva prolongada foram os mais associados ao estresse e mulheres tiveram resultados mais altos. Houve uma correlação significativa entre o ISSL-R e outra medida de saúde mental (DASS-21) no grupo clínico.

Resumen A pesar de la evaluación del estrés es importante en diferentes áreas de la salud, existe un número reducido de instrumentos con evidencia psicométrica adecuada para evaluarlo. El estudio tuvo como objetivo presentar nuevas evidencias de la validez del Inventario de Síntomas de Estrés de Lipp para Adultos (ISSL) describir y discutir las características clínicas del ISSL con datos obtenidos de pacientes atendidos en un Centro de Atención Psicosocial (CAPS). El muestreo se basó en la estratificación posterior mediante el método Raking. 4500 participantes de todo Brasil de ambos sexos, diferentes grupos de edad y niveles académicos integraron el estudio. La Teoría de Respuesta al Ítem indicaron una estructura con alta consistencia interna. Los síntomas de apatía, depresión ira prolongada fueron los más asociados con el estrés y las mujeres puntuaron más alto. Hubo una correlación significativa entre el ISSL-R y otra medida (DASS-21) en el grupo clínico.

Aspectos psicométricos de instrumentos neuropsicológicos: revisão conceitual, proposta de interpretação de percentis e classificações

A avaliação neuropsicológica é um procedimento fundamental especialmente a pacientes que possam apresentar suspeita de transtornos neurológicos, psicológicos ou psiquiátricos. Uma de suas finalidades é mapear aspectos do perfil psicológico e comportamental do examinando e, com isso, auxiliar o diagnóstico em saúde mental. Frequentemente, esse processo integra os resultados obtidos por instrumentos de medida e aspectos dinâmicos relacionados à interpretação clínica. No entanto é possível identificar algumas dificuldades relacionadas a esse processo, tais como 1) limitações na compreensão de aspectos psicométricos e estatísticos por parte dos profissionais, 2) a utilização de instrumentos, em contextos clínicos que originalmente foram desenvolvidos para avaliação de trânsito e seleção organizacional e 3) um baixo consenso da relação entre percentil e classificação, o que pode gerar inconsistências entre resultados e avaliações. Posto isso, o presente trabalho é um estudo teórico que revisita conceitos fundamentais em Estatística e Psicometria associados à Neuropsicologia, discute condições em que testes voltados para trânsito e organizações são utilizados em Neuropsicologia e apresenta uma proposta de classificação.

Neuropsychological assessment is a fundamental procedure, especially in cases of suspected neurological, psychological, or psychiatric disorders. One of its purposes is to map aspects of the patient's psychological and behavioral profiles and, with that, contribute to mental health's diagnostic process. This process combines the results obtained by psychometric instruments and dynamic aspects related to clinical evaluation. However, we note some difficulties related to this process, such as 1) limitations in the understanding of psychometric and statistical aspects by the professionals or clinicians; 2) use of instruments developed for Traffic Psychology assessment and personnel selection in industrial and organizational settings; 3) a low consensus on the relationship between percentile and classification or descriptors to scores that represent the performance obtained in the test, which can lead to inconsistencies between results and evaluations. That said, this theoretical study revisits fundamental concepts in Psychometrics and Statistics related to Neuropsychology, discusses the conditions under which contextual-unrelated tests are used in Neuropsychology, and provides a proposal for classification.

Comparação de dados normativos do "ages and stages questionnaires" original e adaptado para creches públicas do Rio de Janeiro / Comparison of normative data from the original "Ages and Stages Questionnaires" and adapted for public daycare centers in Rio de Janeiro

A Secretaria de Educação do município do Rio de Janeiro aplicou, em 2010, 2011 e 2012, nas 468 creches públicas, o instrumento "Ages & Stages Questionnaire", Terceira Edição, em sua versão adaptada e contextualizada ao Brasil (ASQ3-BR). Esta aplicação teve objetivo de fazer um rastreio do desenvolvimento de 109.758 crianças atendidas pelas creches, com idade entre 10 e 54 meses, especificamente em domínios relacionados à Comunicação, Coordenação Motora Ampla, Coordenação Motora Fina, Resolução de Problemas e Pessoal-Social. Os dados obtidos foram analisados visando o desenvolvimento de normas de interpretação do instrumento para população específica de crianças em creches brasileira. Isto foi realizado através do cálculo das médias e desvios-padrão dos escores, bem como pelos respectivos pontos de corte inferiores, considerados por dois desvios-padrão abaixo da média, e percentis de 5% e 10%. A partir deste procedimento, os resultados obtidos pelas crianças brasileiras foram comparados com os valores normativos estabelecidos pelo instrumento em seu original tanto para confirmar suas características psicométricas como para identificar possíveis diferenças nos resultados das crianças. Observou-se que os resultados obtidos nas creches públicas do Rio de Janeiro são inferiores àqueles observados no contexto norte-americano. Entretanto, eles tendem a se equiparar com o norte-americano no decorrer do amadurecimento da criança, especialmente quando elas ultrapassam os 24 meses de idade. Neste sentido, é possível sugerir que a estimulação oferecida pelas creches contribui para o desenvolvimento das crianças atendidas.

The Rio de Janeiro municipality Education Secretary applied in 2010, 2011, and 2012 the Portuguese-BR version (ASQ3-BR) of the Ages & Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition, in 468 public kindergartens to assess the development of 109,758 children aged 10 to 54 months. This endeavour was carried out to get information about the development of Communication, Gross Motor Coordination, Fine Motor Coordination, Problem Solving, and Personal-Social. The results were analysed, identifying the instrument's norms to its interpretation, as well as the respective cut-offs considering two standard deviations below the mean. In addition, the 5% and 10% percentiles based on the obtained scores were calculated. Also, the results were compared with normative values established by the original instrument to confirm its psychometric characteristics and to identify differences in the obtained data. It was observed that the results obtained in Rio de Janeiro's public daycare centers, although they started with results lower than those observed by the author of the instrument in the United States, after the age of 36 months, and with 24 months of living with other children, the results are matched with the American results, from which it can be concluded that the stimulation by living in daycare centers is effective for the psychomotor development of the children attended.

Non-verbal intelligence outperforms selective attention in a visual short-term memory test.

Short-term memory is a dynamic psychological process that operates within a network in which non-verbal intelligence and attentional domains are connected. However, no consensus has been reached about which process has the greatest effect on this memory ability, which was the main objective of the present study. A sample of 1448 Brazilian participants (mean age = 26.62 years, standard deviation = 9.97 years; 53.9% females) were collectively tested on pen-and-paper standardized and validated measures of selective (ROTAS-C), alternating (ROTAS-A), and divided (ROTAS-D) attention. They also performed the R1 Non-verbal Intelligence Test and a visual short-term memory test (Memória Visual de Curto Prazo [MEMORE] test). The statistical analyses consisted of a data mining procedure, in which exhaustive automatic selection screening was performed. The results were compared with Corrected Akaike Information Criteria. The linear model met the classic assumptions of ordinary least squares and only included main effects of selective attention (standardized ß = 0.39) and non-verbal intelligence (standardized ß = 0.37) as main predictors (F2,39 = 7.01, p < 0.01, adjusted R2 = 24%). The results are discussed within a cognitive psychology framework.

Comparison of the printed and online administration of the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2).

OBJECTIVE: To compare the traditional printed form of the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire with a proposed online form in terms of validity, reliability, and applicability. METHODS: A crossover design study was conducted with 157 undergraduate students. Half of the sample answered the printed questionnaire first and then answered the online questionnaire 7 days later, while the other half of the sample did the inverse. Cronbach's alpha was used to analyze the internal consistency of both the online and printed questionnaires. The construct validity was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis, using a weighted least square mean and adjusted variance estimation and oblique rotation. The quality of the model was tested with fit indices. RESULTS: The confirmatory factor analysis showed the 19-item structure with five factors: χ2 of 230.718; degrees of freedom of 142; χ2/degrees of freedom of 1.625; comparative fit index of 0.978 and root mean square error of approximation of 0.073. All items presented factorial loads above 0.5. There was also excellent consistency between the formats of administration in all dimensions, with Cronbach's alpha values above 0.70. The stability between the formats of administration varied between 0.78 (95%CI: 0.69-0.85) and 0.84 (95%CI: 0.77-0.89), suggesting desirable confidence between both formats of administration. CONCLUSION: The five-factor model of the online Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire shows internal consistency both in terms of the scale dimensions as well as in terms of the total items.

Exploring the Frequency of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in a Brazilian Sample during the COVID-19 Outbreak.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency of international concern, and the main measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus causing COVID-19 were social distancing, quarantine, and self-isolation. Although these policies are effective in containing the spread of the virus, they might represent a challenge to psychological well-being, increasing levels of depressive and anxiety-related symptoms. AIMS: We explored the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms during COVID-19 restrictions and associations with sociodemographic factors in a Brazilian sample. METHOD: Data of a total of 936 Brazilian adults (68.2% women) aged 18 to 77 years old (M = 38.95, SD = 13.91) were collected through an online survey. RESULTS: In general, we observed a frequency of 17.36% for severe anxiety and 66.13% for severe depression symptoms, in which younger participants (18-39 years old) and women showed higher scores in anxiety and depression scales compared to older age groups. Logistic regressions showed that women were more likely to present severe symptoms of anxiety (20.4%) compared to men (10.9%), as well as respondents in the educational sector (24.3%) compared to those in the health sector (10%). CONCLUSIONS: We highlight the importance of mental health professionals in developing strategies to help younger adults to mitigate the effects of social restriction.

The development process of a measure of democratic culture in organizations / Processo de desenvolvimento de uma medida de cultura democrática nas organizações / El proceso de desarrollo de una medida de cultura democrática en las organizaciones

BACKGROUND: The development of a psychometric measure for assessing democratic culture in organizations is described. METHODS: Two studies were conducted. A literature review of studies reporting democratic culture instruments was undertaken. Six databases were used within the timeframe of between 2015 and 2020. Four specialists rated the derived items on clarity, relevance, and translation via the content validity coefficient (CVC). An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed with 225 individuals and the internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: A set of 2,049 articles were obtained in the literature review. The content validity coefficient allowed us to gather 96 items. The EFA achieved a final multidimensional solution formed of 58 items in 6 correlated factors: Citizen Participation, Tolerance and Openness, Organizational Citizenship, Traditionalist Dogmatism, Individualism and Rebellion, and Punitive Authoritarianism. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .59 to .78. CONCLUSION: This article presented several procedures used to develop a new measure of democratic culture in organizations.

Este trabalho visa o desenvolvimento de uma medida psicométrica para avaliação da cultura democrática em organizações. MÉTODOS: Dois estudos foram realizados. No primeiro, uma revisão de literatura com estudos que usaram instrumentos de cultura democrática foi realizada. Seis bases de dados foram usadas entre 2015 e 2020. Quatro especialistas avaliaram os itens derivados quanto à clareza, relevância e tradução por meio do Coeficiente de Validade de Conteúdo (CVC). Uma Análise Fatorial Exploratória (AFE) foi realizada com 225 indivíduos e a consistência interna foi avaliada pelo alfa de Cronbach. RESULTADOS: 2.049 artigos foram obtidos na revisão. O CVC nos permitiu reunir 96 itens. A EFA alcançou uma solução multidimensional formada por 58 itens em seis fatores correlacionados de Participação Cidadã, Tolerância e Abertura, Cidadania Organizacional, Dogmatismo Tradicionalista, Individualismo e Rebelião, Autoritarismo Punitivo. O alfa de Cronbach variou de 0,59 a 0,78. CONCLUSÃO: Este artigo apresentou procedimentos usados para desenvolver uma nova medida de cultura democrática.

OBJETIVO: El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir el desarrollo de una medida psicométrica para la evaluación de la cultura democrática en organizaciones. MÉTODOS: Se realizaron dos estudios: una revisión de la literatura de estudios que informan sobre instrumentos de cultura democrática, en seis bases de datos, en el período de 2015 a 2020, en la cual cuatro especialistas calificaron los elementos derivados según su claridad, relevancia y traducción con base en el coeficiente de validez del contenido (CVC); y un Análisis Factorial Exploratorio (AFE) con 225 individuos en que se evaluó la consistencia interna utilizando el Alfa de Cronbach. RESULTADOS: Se obtuvo un conjunto de 2 049 artículos en la revisión de la literatura; el CVC permitió reunir 96 elementos; la EFA logró una solución multidimensional conformada por 58 ítems en 6 factores correlacionados de Participación Ciudadana, Tolerancia y Apertura, Ciudadanía Organizacional, Dogmatismo Tradicionalista, Individualismo y Rebelión y Autoritarismo Punitivo; y el Alfa de Cronbach osciló entre 0,59 y 0,78. CONCLUSIÓN: Este artículo presentó procedimientos utilizados para desarrollar una nueva medida de cultura democrática.

Resilience and vulnerability in adolescents with primary headaches: A cross-sectional population-based study.

BACKGROUND: A scarcity of studies on the role of resilience resources (RRs) and vulnerability risk (VR) in children and adolescents with primary headache hampers the development of a risk-resilience model for pediatric headaches. OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent to which headache frequency and diagnosis are associated with RRs and VR and explore possible predictors of low RRs and high VR in a cross-sectional population-based study in adolescents. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional population study conducted in a small city in Brazil (Delfinópolis). Consents and analyzable data were obtained from 339/378 adolescents (89.7%). RRs and VR were assessed using the validated Brazilian version of the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents, completed by the adolescents. Parents filled a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and headache characteristics, as well as the Brazilian-validated version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire added to the impact supplement to evaluate the adolescent's psychosocial adjustment skills. Teachers completed a structured questionnaire about the students' school performance. RESULTS: A higher frequency of headache was associated with lower RRs (F3,335  = 2.99, p = 0.031) and higher VR (F3,335  = 4.05, p = 0.007). Headache diagnosis did not significantly influence the risk of having lower RRs or higher VR. In the exploratory analyses, females (OR 3.07; 95% CI: 1.16-9.3) and individuals with psychosocial adjustment problems (OR 7.5; 95% CI: 2.51-22.4) were predictors of low RRs, and prenatal exposure to tobacco (OR 5.6; 95% CI: 1.57-20.9) was a predictor of high VR in adolescents with primary headache. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of low RRs and high VR was associated with a higher headache frequency, but not with headache diagnosis. These findings may contribute to the development of a risk-resilience model of headaches in the pediatric population and help identify novel targets and develop effective resources for successful interventions.