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Objective: To compare the distress level among Brazilian healthcare professionals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and estimate risks by sex, age, and occupation. Methods: In a longitudinal cohort design, a nationally distributed online survey was used to collect data from 10,490 active healthcare professionals who worked during the pandemic. Participants were mostly female, aged 18 to 82 years; 13 different health professions and all states of Brazil were represented. Results: The most frequent professions were psychology, dentistry, and nursing. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) score suggested an increased distress perception among health professionals. Females showed poorer mental health than males, but the absolute rise in Global Severity Index (GSI) score was larger in males than in females. Younger adults reported more symptoms of psychological distress than older adults. The most impacted age group was between 30-39 years. Nurse technicians presented the highest risk of distress. Conclusion: Health professionals are essential to overcoming the pandemic; thus, their mental health status should be monitored, and features associated with increased distress should be identified. Our findings suggest distress risk should be stratified by occupation, age, and sex. Health professionals showed an increased distress perception. Women, individuals between the ages of 30 and 39, nursing personnel, and physicians were more likely to report distress compared with other health professionals.
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Abstract Introduction The existence of a general factor related to psychiatric symptoms is supported by studies using a variety of methods in both clinical and non-clinical samples. Objectives This study aims to evaluate the replicability of the internal structure of the Brief Symptom Inventory in a large Brazilian sample. Methods Participants were 6,427 Brazilian subjects (81% female). Mean age was 42.1 years (standard deviation [SD] = 13.6, Min = 13, Max = 80). All participants completed the online version of the Brief Symptom Inventory. This scale presents a general score (GSI) and nine specific clusters of symptoms (depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, interpersonal sensibility, psychoticism, paranoid ideation, obsessive-compulsive behavior, hostility, and somatization symptoms). Results Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess the factor structure of the BSI. The results showed that the best-fitting model was a bifactor solution and the general factor was the main dimension explaining most of the reliable variability in the data. Conclusion The findings suggest that the BSI's internal structure was replicated in a non-clinical sample and that the general factor is the most reliable score. However, it is necessary to better understand the meaning of the general factor scores in a non-clinical sample to increase interpretability of scores.
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Abstract Introduction In the assessment of older adults with very low formal education, typical tests of selective attention and inhibitory control are biased by reading abilities. In this sense, we aim to assess the psychometric characteristics of the Five Digits Test (FDT), a numerical Stroop paradigm, in older adults without cognitive disorders, with mild cognitive impairment, and with dementia. Methods We assessed 211 Brazilian older adults with low formal education using the FDT and other cognitive measures. Construct validity and reliability were assessed by correlations and internal consistency. Results The FDT test had weak correlations with crystalized intelligence tests and moderate-high correlations with fluid intelligence measures and tests of global cognitive status and executive functions. The split-half coefficient of reliability showed high internal consistency (>0.900). Conclusion Together, the results suggest that the FDT is a valid and reliable measure for the assessment of processing speed and executive functions in older adults with low formal education.
Resumo Introdução Na avaliação de idosos com educação formal muito baixa, os testes típicos de atenção seletiva e controle inibitório são enviesados devido à dependência de habilidades básicas de leitura. Nesse sentido, pretende-se avaliar as características psicométricas do Teste dos Cinco Dígitos (Five Digits Test, FDT), teste de paradigma Stroop-numérico, em idosos sem transtornos cognitivos, em pacientes com comprometimento cognitivo e em pacientes com demência. Métodos Foram avaliados 211 idosos brasileiros com baixa escolarização formal por meio do FDT e outras medidas cognitivas. Analisamos a validade de construto e a confiabilidade por correlações e consistência interna. Resultados O FDT apresentou correlações fracas com testes de inteligência cristalizada e correlações de moderadas ou fortes com medidas de inteligência fluida, medidas cognitivas globais e testes de funções executivas. O teste apresentou consistência interna elevada (>0.900). Conclusão Em conjunto, os resultados sugerem que o FDT é uma medida válida e confiável para a avaliação da velocidade de processamento e funções executivas em idosos com baixa escolaridade.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Attention , Executive Function , Stroop Test , Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis , Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis , Inhibition, Psychological , Brazil , Reproducibility of Results , Educational Status , Intelligence , Middle Aged , Motor ActivityABSTRACT
Resumo Introdução O Índice de Religiosidade de Duke (DUREL) é um instrumento breve para a avaliação de aspectos relacionados à religiosidade organizada, à religiosidade não organizada e à religiosidade intrínseca. Seu uso em estudos ligados à saúde mental e coletiva tem aumentado nos últimos anos. Uma opção em contexto de pesquisa na área de saúde coletiva pode ser o uso de plataformas virtuais para coleta de dados. Objetivo O presente estudo se propõe à avaliação das propriedades psicométricas do DUREL aplicado em uma plataforma virtual. Métodos Avaliamos 253 adultos por meio de uma série de questionários on-line, incluindo o DUREL. Comparamos as pontuações de ateus/agnósticos, católicos, evangélicos e pertencentes a outras religiões na escala e calculamos sua consistência interna, estrutura fatorial e correlações com outras medidas. Resultados O DUREL aplicado em plataforma virtual apresentou consistência interna moderada-forte, estrutura fatorial de um único componente e associações com variáveis sociodemográficas e de saúde mental. Conclusão Os resultados sugerem que as propriedades psicométricas do DUREL aplicado via internet sejam semelhantes à aplicação convencional.
Abstract Introduction The Duke Religion Index (DUREL) is a brief instrument for the assessment of organized, non-organized and intrinsic religiosity. It’s been increasingly used on mental and public health studies in the recent years. The use of virtual platforms for data collection can be an alternative to its research context in the public health. Objective This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of DUREL applied in a virtual platform. Methods We studied 253 adults assessed through a series of online questionnaires, including DUREL. We compared the scores of atheists/agnostics, catholic, evangelicals and participants with other religions in the scale and calculated its internal consistency, factorial structure and correlations with other measures. Results The DUREL applied in virtual platform presented moderate-high internal consistency, factorial structure of a single component and associations with sociodemographic and mental health variables. Conclusion The results suggest that the psychometric properties of the DUREL applied in an online platform are similar to the conventional application.