Psychological Research and Reviews

Relationships between insecure attachment (anxious and avoidant), fear of intimacy and romantic jealousy (suspicious and reactive) were explored in this study. The Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire, the Fear-of-Intimacy Scale, and the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale were administered to a sample of 210 ethnically diverse adults via Qualtrics Panels. Anxious attachment, fear of intimacy, and suspicious jealousy were positively correlated. Conversely, negative associations were noted between avoidant attachment and reactive jealousy, and between fear of intimacy and reactive jealousy. Mediation analysis revealed that fear of intimacy mediated the effect of anxious attachment on suspicious jealousy and marginally mediated the effect of avoidant attachment on suspicious jealousy. These results are consistent with the transactional model of jealousy and they uniquely specify that fear of intimacy is a significant mediator of the relationship between anxious attachment and suspicious jealousy.

Objective: To find any role of optimism and/or resilience mediating emotional distress in infertility. Method: We performed a literature search for 2000–2017 in PubMed, PsycINFO and Elsevier, for original articles and reviews, using keywords “resilience,” “infertility,” “optimism,” “LOT-R,” “in vitro fertilization,” and “assisted reproductive technology.” Additional references were collected from articles located thereby. Results: The evidence reveals a growing trend of promoting people´s positive health assets and indicates significant negative associations of optimism and resilience with anxiety and depression and positive associations with self-esteem and perception of control. It seems optimism and resilience heavily influence physical and mental health and diminishes emotional distress due to infertility. Discussion: This review highlights the importance of the development of therapeutic and preventive interventions increasing optimism and resilience against affective dysregulation and emotional distress caused by infertility.

Background: Pain for the loss of health is not easy to be elaborated by the patient, especially when it directly impacts on his quality of life. Group intervention can be a possibility to work on sufferings, because patients share experiences, which favors overcoming difficulties and adaptations. Objective: to report the experience of group psychological intervention, analyzing the role of psychology trainees in group mediation. Methodology: report of experience. Results and discussion: In the group performed by the psychology interns with patients attended at a school hospital in Recife-PE, the group was constituted. The trainees were facilitators under the supervision of the psychologist of the hospital team, sought to preserve individual and group space, managed the speeches, encouraging the silent participants and preventing the predominance of the speakers. At each meeting they used group dynamics, storytelling, poetry readings, collages, favoring speech and peer identification. The trainees made use of careful clinical listening, transfer and group management in the opening, development and closure at each meeting. For each stage of this, supervisor support was essential. Conclusion: By providing speech in the group, the trainees allowed the patients to reflect on themselves and the history of the other, reorganizing their experiences, promoting and preventing health. And this experience for the trainees enabled the development of group management skills, decision making, conflict mediation, communication and clinical listening

Introduction: Somatic Symptom Disorder is characterized, by the Fifth Edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, by distressing somatic symptoms linked to abnormal thoughts, feelings and behaviors in response to these symptoms. The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder in primary care is quite significant, and new empirical evidence suggests that there is a clinically relevant interaction between anxiety and pain intensity felt by the patient in a context of somatization of symptoms. Objectives: To analyze in the literature the relationship between anxiety disorders and psychosomatic pain. Methodology: The research was carried out in the CAPES Periodic databases, PubMed and Regional Portal of the VHL. The terms “Anxiety Disorders”, “Pain” and “Psychophysiological Disorders” were considered as descriptors. Articles published between 2013 and 2018 were included. Results: Of the 2095 articles found, only seven were included in the review. Evidence has been found that anxiety may stem from social distress or primary pathologies. It can be expressed somatically under different forms of pain, such as: gastrointestinal, precordial, dental or cephalic. Evidence has also been found that anxiety exac-erbates dental and cephalic pain, and it chronicises localized back pain and cephalic pain. Con-clusion: The literature on the interaction between anxiety and psychosomatic pain is still incipient to the detriment of the complexity and comprehensiveness of the phenomenon. We also high-light the need for further research on diagnostic and therapeutic teaching strategies of health professionals in order to reduce the morbidity resulting from these events.

Test use is extremely important, not only for clinical practice, but also for scientific research. Nonetheless, some populations have been considered “untestable”. Among the different cognitive abilities assessed using tests, attention is a fundamental one. The present study presents a systematic review of the literature on attention testing in people with Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder, in order to identify: (1) if there are any tests that are fit to assess these populations; (2) which adaptations would be necessary for such tests to become fit; and (3) what limits and needs are involved. Our literature review identified 39 studies (review papers and empirical studies), all of which concern the administration of attention tests for people with Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder. The selected papers are presented and discussed from two analysis categories: (a) tests, attention abilities, and populations under study; (b) procedures and adaptations made to the testing settings. We identified 72 attention tests, where the majority of the groups of participants in the studies that were analyzed presented mild symptoms. The main adaptations done to the tests refer to strategies used to assist the comprehension of tasks, to communicate instructions, to assure engagement during the procedure, and ways to emit answers. The implications of our results are discussed.

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, 450 million people suffer from mental disorders. Studies in Brazil show a common mental disorders prevalence (CMD) ranging from 17% to 35%. Method: The study analyzed the prevalence of CMD in 147 university students from psychology course. In this study was used the Self-reporting questionnaire – Brazilian version (SRQ-20), and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results: Prevalence of 33.33% of CMD risk in the studied sample. The decreased vital energy and somatic symptoms are the factors that most point out those who are prone to CMD. Conclusion: Analyzing the internal factors of SRQ-20, the negative impact of those people prone to common mental disorders is evident.

This narrative review is based on a literature search on PsycINFO and PubMed that involved entering the terms adolescent sexting for papers published during the last five years. Following exclusion criteria, 52 papers could be classified as sexting studies including research on the prevalence, effects/comorbidities, risk factors and interventions for those problems. Most of the studies have been conducted in the U.S. where the prevalence of sexting has ranged from 5% to 29%. Sexting has typically been consensual, or at least the recipient has been known, although some forwarding of sext messages has occurred. The effects of sexting have included sexual activity, problematic relationships, mental health problems, other addictions and legal problems. The predictor or risk variables have included male gender, extraverted personality, low self-esteem, depression, impulsivity, peer pressure and the lack of parental monitoring. Like other literature on adolescent problems, this research is limited by primarily deriving from self–report and parent report and by the absence of longitudinal data that might inform whether the data being reported are effects of or risk factors for adolescent sexting and the need for prevention/intervention research.

Introduction: The psychologist in the professional trajectory builds different competences according to the national curricular guidelines. Psychology undergraduate courses when building their curricular matrices focus on knowledge and experience challenges in developing skills and attitudes for psychological performance. Art can be an ally in this learning scenario as a mediator to provoke the reflection about the other, about themselves, about social relations and the fields of professional practice. Objective: The present work reports one of the activities called Artepsi in a clinical hospital psychology stage, which is organized by the trainees themselves of the course of Psychology of college in Recife, Pernambuco, specialized in health. Methodology: Experience report. Results and discussion: Each meeting is planned by the trainees, decide themes, group dynamics, debates and make contact with speakers. The activities developed in the meetings seek to provoke reflections on the formation of the psychologist, challenges and professional dilemmas, refresher themes, integrating art and psychology. The Art element was expressed through discussions of films, origami, literature, music, reports of experiences, lectures trying to sensitize and affect the trainee to think about their own formation, caring for themselves and the other. Artepsi is an activity that allowed us to reflect on different themes, such as: depression, suicide, caring for oneself, mental health, psychoanalysis, art therapy, violence, among others. Conclusion: This proposal allowed us to reflect on a curricular internship activity that integrates art and psychology, allowing trainees to take on the role of protagonist in their training, developing decision-making skills, group work, exchange of experiences, strategic planning, mediation conflict and creativity. As well, it made possible to think about the future of its profession and a responsible and citizen action.

This narrative review is based on a literature search on PsycINFO and PubMed entering the terms adolescent violence for papers published during the last five years. Following exclusion criteria, 58 papers could be classified as school–based violence (fighting) and dating violence including research on the prevalence and risk factors for these types of violence. The prevalence of school violence has varied by ethnicity, type of violence and culture. The risk factors for school violence are both intrapersonal and interpersonal. The intrapersonal factors include male gender, minority status, middle school level, maladaptive cognitive/ emotional strategies, depression, callous behavior, conduct problems, low cortisol and high testosterone, unhealthy conditions including concussions and obesity, drug abuse, self-harm, suicidal ideation and carrying weapons. The interpersonal factors include a lack of parental monitoring, conflict and violence in the family, exposure to violence and to violent social media. The prevalence of dating violence has also varied by gender and culture. The intrapersonal risk factors have included externalizing behavior, sexting both off-line and online, alcohol and marijuana misuse. The interpersonal risk factors include anxious attachment, family violence and peer rejection. Surprisingly, given the prevalence and severity of these problems, very little prevention/intervention research appears in this recent literature. Research is also missing on peer relationships, empathy and psychopathy as potential risk factors. Like other literature on adolescent problems, this research is limited by primarily deriving from self–report, parent report and hospital records.

The study examined psychological availability, psychological safety and optimism as predictors of innovative behavior at work among administrative staff of Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA). A total of 120 workers comprising of 82 males and 38 females were used for the study with the mean age of 32.5, standard deviation of 11.2 and age range of 19-60. The participants were selected through multi stage sampling technique, Comprising of randomization and convenience sampling technique. The study made use of four instruments namely Psychological availability scale by Doglass (2004), psychological safety scale by Brown & Leigh, (1996), Life Orientation Test (LOT) developed by Scheier and carva (1985) to measure optimism and Innovative Work behavior Scale by Kleysen and Street (2001). The design for this study was a cross sectional survey design and hierarchical multiple regression was used for data analysis. The study tested three alternate hypotheses. Findings indicated that Psychological availability significantly predicted innovative behavior at work at β=.19.p< 0.01 which accepted hypothesis one. Psychological safety significantly predict innovative behavior at work at β=13,p