Aims: Daily work with people with mental disabilities is extremely demanding, both physically and psychologically. This study aims to characterize different workers of institutions that deliver care to people with intellectual disabilities regarding their stress vulnerability, personality type, coping strategies, and psychopathological symptoms and explore associations between these variables and some sociodemographic and professionals variables. Method: 68 professionals from institutions that work with people with mental disabilities, aged between 19 to 62 years (M = 36.3; SD = 11.65), answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the 23-Stress Vulnerability Questionnaire (23-QVS), the Eysenck Personality Inventory-12 (EPI-12), the Brief Cope, and the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI). Results: In this sample of workers, higher levels of stress vulnerability were associated with higher levels of neuroticism and psychopathological symptoms. Women presented higher levels of somatization, younger professionals, and with less education were more vulnerable to stress. Work overload was associated with stress vulnerability and to psychopathological symptoms. Conclusions: This study confirms that workers of institutions that receive people with intellectual disabilities present higher levels of stress vulnerability and a higher risk of developing psychopathological symptoms. It is urgent to implement intervention measures (preventive and/or therapeutic) to relieve the stress of these professionals, improving their mental health. It seems that workers with higher levels of neuroticism might benefit more from these interventions.

The Portuguese Journal of Behavioral and Social Research requires authors to follow the recommendations of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association in the presentation of statistical information. One of the APA recommendations is that effect sizes should be presented along with levels of statistical significance. Since p-values from the results of the statistical tests do not indicate the magnitude or importance of a difference, then effect sizes (ES) should be reported. In fact, ES gives meaning to statistical tests; emphasizes the power of statistical tests; reduces the risk of interpreting mere sampling variation as real relationship; can increase the reporting of “non-significant" results, and allows the accumulation of knowledge from several studies using meta-analysis. Thus, the objectives of this paper are to present the limits of the significance level; describe the foundations of presentation of ES of statistical tests to analyze differences between two groups; present the formulas to calculate directly ES, providing examples of our own previous studies; show how to calculate confidence intervals; provide the conversion formulas for the review of the literature; indicate how to interpret the ES; and show that, although interpretable, the meaning (small, medium or large effect for an arbitrary metric) could be inaccurate, requiring that interpretation should be made in the context of the research area and in the context of real-world variables.

Since current literature highlights the impact of attachment and parental conduct in bullying behaviors in the school environment, a phenomenon with increasing visibility, we have assessed its relationship to the quality of attachment and parental rearing styles, in adolescents. Method: The sample involved 50 adolescents, 26 girls, and 24 boys, from the 7th to 9th grades, aged between 12 and 17 years old (M = 14,24). The protocol comprised the: Social Exclusion and School Violence Questionnaire (QEVE), Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), and A Parental Rearing Style Questionnaire for use with Adolescents (EMBU-A). Results: Adolescents in our sample tend to assume the “observer” role in bullying situations, and the more prevalent type of violence is social exclusion and verbal abuse. The most frequent victims of bullying are adolescents of lower socioeconomic status, and girls are more observers of social exclusion and verbal aggression than boys. In what concerns attachment, adolescents exhibiting more aggressive behaviors perceive lower communication and trust to the father and friends, and when they feel alienated from their peers, adolescents tend to be more exposed to bullying victimization. Finally, data on parental rearing styles suggest that the most aggressive teenagers are those who feel more rejection and less maternal emotional support. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of bullying behaviors of parental rearing styles and the quality of attachment towards significant others. These conclusions have implications at the prevention level, where it is important, not only to consider individual variables, but also to understand how the subject interacts in all the social systems he belongs to, and on the construction of affective relationships.

Psychopathological symptoms are very common among university students from different cultures, but the socio-demographic correlates that have been found are different depending on the studies. The correlates of such symptoms among Portuguese students have not been studied thoroughly, besides the methodological issues that arise in this type of study, in the sense that it has not been described who does the psychological evaluations. Aims: The main objective was to verify if there is a difference in psychopathological symptoms between two groups questioned by two different examiners, controlling for the potential role of social desirability, and other potential covariates. Additionally, we want to assess the level of psychopathology and its socio-demographic correlates. Methods: 185 students of University of Coimbra completed the Brief Symptom Inventory/BSI and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. In one group the examiner was of the same age and academic status as the students, while in the other group the examiner was older and a teacher. We studied the psychopathological correlates with Pearson, point-biserial correlations, and chi-square analyses, and we controlled the potential role of covariates through Quade non-parametric ANCOVAs. Results: The level of distress was lower in comparison with other investigations. Women had a higher level of distress and more symptoms of somatization, anxiety, phobic anxiety, obsessive-compulsion, and depression. The students that live a higher distance from home had more anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The group assessed by the younger examiner scored higher in distress and in some BSI factors and had lower levels of social desirability. Conclusions: Sex and distance from home seem important factors for university students´ mental health. However, the examiner does have an influence on the evaluation, probably because of social desirability, suggesting that the examiner´s characteristics should be given in investigations involving university students.

Background: Aging is often characterized by cognitive impairment that sometimes exceeds the expected for normal aging. These changes that do not meet the criteria for dementia establish the cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) that, regardless of etiology, has a high conversion rate to dementia. Aims: To investigate the effect of a Group Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Program (GNRP) in the cognitive, executive, and emotional functioning of institutionalized elderly with CIND. Methods: The sample included 24 elderly individuals, aged between 67 and 92 years. Twelve elderly underwent the GNRP and twelve elderly stayed on a waiting list. The study had a quasi-experimental design and was blind in the re-assessment. The ten interventions took 90 minutes per session, once a week. The pre and post-intervention assessment included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Frontal Assessment Battery, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, and the Loneliness Scale. Results: The ANCOVAs showed a significant effect of the GNRP on the improvement of executive functioning (?2 = 0.26) and feelings of loneliness (?2 = 0.77), both with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the baseline and the post-intervention. The comparison deteriorated in the cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms (p < 0.05), suggesting that the GNRP prevents that deterioration, but ANCOVA was significant only for cognitive functioning (?2 = 0.26). Conclusion: The GNRP in institutionalized elderly with CIND offers promising results and shows efficacy in improving executive functioning and feelings of loneliness. Larger and more diverse samples and the study of the generalization and maintenance of long-term results are now needed.

Aims: Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in children, and in adolescents, as in adults. Once its occurrence during childhood and adolescence leads to serious consequences in adulthood, its early detection is an important goal. Self-report instruments have a key role in accessing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in an easily, reliably, and valid way. The aim of the current study is to assess psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the Portuguese translation of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). Methods: A school-based sample of 417 adolescents aged 12–18 years (M = 15.20; SD = 1.72) was involved in this study. Translation and Back Translation was made. To study convergent and divergent validity there were used the Portuguese versions of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS 21), of the Children´s Depression Inventory (CDI), and of the Students´ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) which measure, respectively, negative emotional states (depression, anxiety, and stress), depressive symptoms and global life satisfaction. Results: Factor analysis revealed three factors (mood, interpersonal relationships, and happiness) that explain 54% of the variance. The results show that the scale has an excellent internal consistency (a = 0.90), good temporal stability (r = 0.72) as an adequate convergent and divergent validity. Results showed that depressive symptoms varied in function of age and gender. Conclusions: The results of the present study provide initial adequate validity and reliability of the CES-DC. Nevertheless some limitations to this study, the results suggest that CES-DC can be a useful questionnaire in the assessment of depressive symptoms in Portuguese adolescents.

The Assessment System of Narrative Change (ASNC) characterizes and evaluates narratives and their changes in therapy, across seven dimensions: singularities (A), nature of the story (B), narrative connotation (C), telling of the story (D), narrative reflexivity (E), session themes (F) and alternative behaviors (G). Method: The ASNC was applied in 83 sessions to evaluate its reliability and validity: 22 sessions of systemic family therapy related to substance abuse problems (study 1), 15 sessions of couple and family therapy related to several different problems (study 2) and 46 sessions of family therapy related to parental neglect, with 18 non-voluntary families (study 3). Results: The estimated reliability of the ASNC (Cohen’s Kappa) varies between excellent and satisfactory. The validity of the ASNC was established through its accuracy in the narrative evaluation of different problems and therapeutic modalities (family and couple therapy). Conclusions: Singularities, narrative reflexivity and the change in session themes (to nonproblematic themes) were the dimensions that changed the most in cases with good outcomes compared to those with poor outcomes.

[This editorial has no Abstract. The first words 122 are shown] This issue of the Portuguese Journal of Behavioral and Social Research has a thematic section on aging with three relevant empirical papers in the field of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The first paper shows differences in social networks among older adults living in the community versus in institutionalized elderly and the role of these networks in loneliness. The second studies the psychometric properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory in elderly people also institutionalized. The third presents a preliminary study of a group neuropsychological intervention with elderly people. In contrast, in the non-thematic section, two papers study the psychometric properties of two assessment tools, one on depression and the other on the quality of life in the early stages of the life cycle.

Aims: The support from social networks reflects different satisfaction levels among the elderly, which are associated with contextual variables, providing at the same time readings on the prediction of loneliness. Thus, the objectives of this study are: to distinguish the social networks of the elderly in the sample, discuss the levels of satisfaction towards social support networks and the perception related to feelings of loneliness, based on the influence of residential context. Additionally, the subjective perception of loneliness will be retained, to analyze the explanatory models that are hierarchically underlined. Method: The sample was composed of 221 elderly, of which 99 (44.8%) living in the community and 122 (55.2%) living in an institution. The protocol was composed of: Sociodemographic Questionnaire; Lubben Social Networks Scale; Social Support Satisfaction Scale (ESSS); and UCLA Loneliness Scale. Findings: The comparison of social support networks amongst participants revealed the existence of statistically significant differences in all considered dimensions: community residents have a wider family, friends, and confidants support network than institution residents. Subsequent tests show statistically significant differences in domains related to friends, family, and social support, showing community residents to be the most satisfied. The multiple regression reveals additions in the explained variance of loneliness, as the final model shows that satisfaction with family, the presence of confidants, and friend networks are important predictors of loneliness. Conclusions: Compared to participants living in institution, the elderly living in the community report higher levels of received social support, as well as perceived social support. By itself, the residential context does not affect the subjective perception of loneliness. However, when the institutionalization context is focused, the received social support and related satisfaction are found to be important contributions to minimize elderly loneliness.

[This Editorial does not have an Abstract. The first 73 words are shown]. As publishers, it is our privilege to announce the launch of the first number of the Portuguese Journal of Behavioral and Social Research (PJBSR). The PJBSR arises from a process that involved many wills that have intersected and built together. From the coupling of our perspectives, the PJBSR honors the scientific and educational tradition of Miguel Torga Institute in its 78-year history and the mission of the recent Department of Research & Development.

Introduction: Quality of Life (QoL) plays a remarkable role in practice and public health policy. However, research on QoL among children and adolescents is still scarce and it seems crucial to develop and validate assessment tools for measuring health-related QoL. Objectives: The current study aims to analyse the psychometric properties and validate the Portuguese version of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument. In addition, the convergent and divergent validities are examined with related constructs. Methods: Participants were 507 adolescents, with ages between 12 and 19 years old (M = 15.74; SD = 1.62), attending middle and high schools. Together with YQOL-R, participants also filled out the Kidscreen-27 and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Results: The Portuguese version of YQOL-R showed a four-factor structure (dimensions: Self, Relationships, Environment, General Quality of Life), similar to the original version. This instrument also revealed good internal reliability and adequate temporal stability. YQOL-R showed positive correlations with health-related quality of life and negative associations with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. There were significant gender differences regarding quality of life, with boys reporting higher levels of perceived quality of life than girls. Conclusions: Future studies should be conducted to ensure these findings among clinical samples or physical conditions. Nevertheless, this study contributes to the set of available instruments for the assessment of QoL among children and adolescents, suggesting that the YQOL-R may be a useful tool for research and health practices in community samples.

Background: The progressive increase in the prevalence of anxiety disorders in advanced ages advises the extensive use of screening inventories in this population that, everywhere in the world, has become increasingly numerically significant. Goals: The aim of this study is to present the results of validation and reliability studies of the Portuguese version of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI). Method: After, translation and back-translation of GAI, the Portuguese version was administered to 805 institutionalized elderly. The reliability of the scale was assessed by Cronbach´s alpha coefficient and factorial validity using the extraction method of Principal Components Analysis. The convergent validity study was conducted with the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Negative Affects Schedule while discriminant validity was performed with the Positive Affects Schedule and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. We used confirmatory factor analysis, by means of structural equation modeling, to test the fit of the model with 20 items. We used the area under the ROC curve (AUC) to predict the group of elderly patients with generalized anxiety disorder and the group of healthy elderly. Results: The scale has good internal consistency (a = 0.94), indicators of good convergent and discriminant validity, were all significant. The model showed a good quality of fit to the data (?2/df = 2.805; TLI = 0.959; CFI = 0.964; RMSEA = 0.047). The ROC analysis revealed a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 84.7% in the detection of generalized anxiety disorder with a cutoff score of 13 (AUC = 0.92). Finally, women showed higher scores than men. Conclusions: The GAI has good psychometric and factorial qualities to measure anxiety symptoms in epidemiological surveys and in geriatric institutionalized settings.