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- Psychological distress symptoms and resilience assets in adolescents in residential carePublication . Lemos, Ida; Brás, Marta; Lemos, Mariana; Nunes, CristinaMost studies with institutionalised children and adolescents focus on evaluating the impact of negative life events on emotional development. However, few have investigated the relationship between resilience assets and the teenagers’ psychopathological problems. The purpose of the present study was to investigate differences in psychological distress symptoms and in resilience assets in institutionalised and non-institutionalised adolescents. A total of 266 adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years old took part in the study (60.5% female): 125 lived in residential care and 144 resided with their families. Results found a significant and inverse relation between psychopathology and the perception of individual resilience assets, specifically with self-efficacy and self-awareness in the community sample, and with empathy in the institutionalised sample. Overall, and regardless of the age group, adolescents in residential care tend to perceive themselves as significantly less resilient in perceived self-efficacy and empathy, and they report fewer goals and aspirations for the future. The importance of promoting mental health and resilience assets in adolescents, particularly in those in residential care, is discussed. This can be achieved through early interventions that may prevent emotional suffering and deviant life paths, with transgenerational repercussions.
- Social support and parenting stress in at-risk Portuguese familiesPublication . Nunes, Lara Ayala; Nunes, C.; Lemos, IdaA Summary: Families that are at psychosocial risk live under personal and contextual circumstances that hinder their parenting skills. They frequently lack the resources necessary for addressing the challenges of parenting and encounter multiple stressful life events. Social support may help diminish the parenting stress that is experienced from living in a disadvantaged environment by enhancing coping strategies. However, previous research examining the associations between parenting stress and social support among at-risk families has been inconclusive. This study analyzed the psychosocial profile of at-risk Portuguese families, the size and composition of their social support networks and the associations between social support and parenting stress. Participants consisted of 167 parents (80% mothers) who received assistance from Child Protection Services. Measures included the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, the Arizona Social Support Interview Schedule and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Findings: Parenting stress levels were extremely high, with 44.51% of parents showing clinically significant levels. Emotional support was the type of support that was most closely related to parental distress, namely the network size available for providing emotional support (r=-.27, p=.000) and satisfaction with the emotional support received (r=-.24, p=.006). Applications: The size of the emotional support network was significantly smaller among parents who reported clinically significant levels of parenting stress. Hence, having the opportunity to express feelings and concerns as well as engaging in social interactions during leisure time may serve as protective factors against parental stress in at-risk families. Implications of for the interventions of professionals who work with at-risk families are discussed.
- Validation study of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-13 among a school sample of Portuguese youthsPublication . Pechorro, Pedro; Nunes, Cristina; Goncalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Simoes, Mario R.; Oliveira, Joao PedroThe main aim of the present study was to translate and validate the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-13 (NPI-13) among a school sample (N=543) of male and female Portuguese youths. The NPI-13 demonstrated good psychometric properties, namely in terms of its three-factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity and criterion-related validity. Positive correlations were found with Conduct Disorder symptoms, alcohol use, drug use and unprotected sex. The psychometric properties of the NPI-13 mostly justify its use among Portuguese adolescents in a school context.
- Vulnerability to suicide ideation: Comparative study between adolescents with and without psychosocial riskPublication . Brás, Marta; Elias, Patrícia; Ferreira Cunha, Francisca; Martins, Cátia; Nunes, Cristina; Carmo, CláudiaAdolescents are characterized as a risk group for suicide, being the fourth leading cause of death in young people. The main aim was to compare vulnerability to suicidal ideation in a sample of young people with and without psychosocial risk. The total sample consisted of 137 adolescents, aged between 10 and 19 years (M = 14.76; SD = 1.40), and it was composed of two groups—the psychosocial risk group (n = 60) and general population group (n = 77). In both groups, suicidal ideation correlated positively with negative events and negatively with self-esteem and social support satisfaction. When comparing the two groups, the psychosocial risk group presented significantly higher mean values of negative life events (mainly separations/losses and physical and sexual abuse) and significantly lower mean values of satisfaction with social support (particularly with family and social activities). It was also found that, in the psychosocial risk group, negative life events were the only significant predictors of suicidal ideation. This study allowed identifying the role of risk and protective factors in suicidal ideation, according to the psychosocial risk of adolescents. The practical implications of the findings on adolescents’ mental health and the promotion of their well-being are discussed.
- The barratt impulsiveness scale - 11 among a portuguese sample of female juvenile delinquents and community youthsPublication . Pechorro, Pedro; Nunes Dourado, Lara Fernanda; Nunes, C.; Maia, Angela; Goncalves, Rui AbrunhosaImpulsivity among incarcerated female juvenile offenders is an understudied area of research. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11) among a Portuguese sample of female participants (N = 377, mean age = 16.23 years, SD = 1.38) recruited from forensic and school contexts. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the expected six-factor first-order structure, but not the three-factor second-order structure. Acceptable levels of internal consistency were mostly obtained, but some dimensions showed somewhat lower than expected values. Convergent validity with measures of psychopathic and callous-unemotional traits, and discriminant validity with a measure of social anxiety was demonstrated. In terms of criterion-related validity significant associations were found with relevant variables (e.g., age of crime onset, conduct disorder symptoms, alcohol, and drug use). The use of the BIS-11 among female juvenile delinquents and community youth is psychometrically justified and it can be considered a useful measure to identify impulsive adolescents.
- Adolescent perception of maternal practices in Portugal and Spain: similarities and differencesPublication . Lorence, Bárbara; Nunes, Cristina; Menéndez, Susana; Pérez-Padilla, Javier; Hidalgo, VictoriaThe aim of this study was to compare parenting in two southern European countries, Spain and Portugal, according to adolescent perceptions from a situated perspective. A total of 445 Portuguese (58.88%) and Spanish (41.12%) adolescents completed a questionnaire about maternal practices and provided socio-demographic information. Portuguese and Spanish mothers were more responsive than coercive in controlling adolescents’ compliance and non-compliance situations. Spanish mothers scolded, revoked privileges, and punished physically more often than Portuguese mothers, who used dialogue more often. Multivariate analysis showed three groups of parenting practices. Portuguese mothers were represented mainly in the Indulgent group (81.70%), and Spanish mothers in the Authoritative group (74.40%), whereas the third group (Neglectful) was independent of the country of origin. These results support the theory that research and family intervention should recognize cultural aspects in order to grasp the parenting process.
- Determinants of psychological adjustment of institutionalized adolescents: a systematic reviewPublication . Simão, Ana; dos Santos, Rita Alexandra Mendes; Brás, Marta; Nunes, CristinaBackground Adolescents in residential care present a greater risk of developing various problems in several domains compared to adolescents residing with their biological families. Psychological adjustment is an emerging area of investigation with this particularly vulnerable population to understand the factors that underlie the difficulties youths present within this context. Objective The present study aimed to contribute to recognizing these factors through a systematic literature review following the PRISMA guidelines. Methods A search was conducted in seven databases (Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, Web of Science, PsycArticles, Scopus), and quantitative studies from the last thirty years were included. RESULTS: Of the initial 8,174 articles identified, 64 were included, and all the studies were qualitatively assessed with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Four categories of factors influencing psychological adjustment were identified: personal characteristics, social characteristics, caregiving, and adjustment problems. Most of the studies were cross-sectional and published in European countries. Conclusions The present review contributes to the research on the psychological adjustment of adolescents in residential care by providing an update and supplementing the previous systematic reviews. The proposed organization of the different factors and domains found in publications allowed us to analyze in detail what most impacted these youths' psychological adjustment. Practical and institutional implications for professionals working with this population are discussed, as well as the limitations to overcome in future studies.