Predictors of response in the treatment of moderate depression

Objective: To identify neurocognitive and sociodemographic variables that could be associated with clinical response to three modalities of treatment for depression, as well as variables that predicted superior response to one treatment over the others. Method: The present study derives from a research project in which depressed patients (n=272) received one of three treatments – long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (n=90), fluoxetine therapy (n=91), or a combination thereof (n=91) – over a 24-month period. Results: Sociodemographic variables were not found to be predictive. Six predictive neurocognitive variables were identified: three prognostic variables related to working memory and abstract reasoning; one prescriptive variable related to working memory; and two variables found to be moderators. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate subgroups of patients who might benefit from specific therapeutic strategies and subgroups that seem to respond well to long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy and combined therapy. The moderators found suggest that abstract reasoning and processing speed may influence the magnitude and/or direction of clinical improvement.

A associação entre fatores psicossociais e atividade física em adolescentes é moderada por fatores sociodemográficos? / The association between psychosocial factors and physical activity in adolescents is moderated by demographic factors?

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar se a associação entre os fatores psicossociais e o nível de atividade física é moderada pelos fatores sociodemográficos em adolescentes. Utilizou-se dados completos de 2.540 adolescentes (57% do sexo feminino, média de idade = 16,4; dp = 1,2 anos), de escolas públicas e privadas de ensino médio no município de João Pessoa (PB). A atividade física foi mensurada por questionário. Os fatores psicossociais mensurados foram: percepção de autoeficácia e o apoio social dos pais e amigos para prática de atividade física. Os resultados da análise por regressão linear múltipla demostraram que o sexo moderou a associação da percepção de autoeficácia (masculino ß = 19,9 vs feminino ß = 9,6), apoio social dos pais (masculino ß = 59,9 vs feminino ß = 35,1) e dos amigos (masculino ß = 68,3 vs feminino ß = 40,1) com o nível de atividade física. A classe econômica moderou a associação do apoio social dos pais (A/B ß = 38,2 vs C/D/E ß = 54,4) e dos amigos (A/B ß = 53,1 vs C/D/E ß = 42,3) com o nível de atividade física, e a idade (14-15 anos ß = 54,2 vs 16-19 anos ß = 43,6) moderou a associação do apoio social dos amigos com o nível de atividade física. Conclui-se que as possíveis influências da percepção de autoeficácia e do apoio social sobre os níveis de prática de atividade variam conforme as características sociodemográficas dos adolescentes.

The objective this study was analyze whether the association between psychosocial factors and physical activity is moderated by sociodemographic factors in adolescents. This study used complete data from 2.540 adolescents (57% female, mean age = 16.4, sd = 1.2 years), from public and private high schools in the city of Joao Pessoa (PB). Physical activity was measured by questionnaire. Psychosocial factors measured was: perception of self-efficacy and social support to physical activity from parents and friends. The results of the multiple linear regression demonstrated that sex moderated the association between self-efficacy (ß = 19.9 male vs female ß = 9.6), social support from parents (male ß = 59.9 vs female ß = 35.1) and friends (male ß = 68.3 vs female ß = 40.1) and physical activity. The economy status moderated the association between social support from parents (A/B ß = 38.2 vs C/D/E ß = 54.4) and physical activity. Age (14-15 years ß = 54.2 vs 16-19 years ß = 43.6) and economic status (A/B ß = 53.1 vs C/D/E ß = 42.3) were a moderator of the association between social support from friends and physical activity. It is concluded that the possible influences of perceived self-efficacy and social support on the physical activity levels may vary according to adolescent's sociodemographic characteristics.

¿Moderadores o condicionantes estructurales del campo organizacional de emergencia del maltrato? / The organizational field of emergency of mistreatment: moderators or structural conditioners?

Este trabajo se enmarca en la investigación correspondiente al Proyecto UBACyT P015 "Riesgos psicosociales de los trabajadores. Efectos subjetivos e intersubjetivos de la precarización laboral". Para esta ocasión, presentamos una aproximación a la problemática del maltrato laboral en su condición de emergente de un conjunto de relaciones, interacciones y condiciones organizacionales devenidas asimétricas, tales como: la posición de supervisión, la función que se cumple en una organización, la formación que se posee para el empleo. Se vinculan las mismas con dos de los factores indagados a partir de herramientas cuantitativas y cualitativas: intrusividad y descalificación, exponiendo los resultados correspondientes a la aplicación de la técnica VAL-MOB para el primer caso, y los aspectos relevados en el Programa de Asistencia a Víctimas de Mobbing, para el segundo. Finalmente, se plantea la discusión en torno a las diicultades que enfrentan las organizaciones que amplían sus principios y prácticas democráticas con los supuestos y exigencias meritocráticas.

This article is framed in UBACyT Project P015 "Workers' psycho-social risks. Subjective and intersubjective effects of labor precarization". In this opportunity we display an approach to the problematic of Iabor mistreatment in its state of emergent of a set of relations, interactions and organizational conditions that have become asymmetric, such as: the supervision position, the function that is fulilled in an organization, the formation that an individual possesses for a job. These conditions are linked to two of the factors investigated by quantitative and qualitative tools: intrusiveness and disqualiication, exposing the results corresponding to the application of the VAL-MOB technique for the first case, and the aspects collected in the Program of Assistance to Victims of Mobbing for the second. Finally, we discuss the dificulties faced by the organizations that extend their principles and democratic practices with the meritocratic assumptions and exigencies.

Moderadores do impacto de percepções de responsabilidade social das empresas no comprometimento organizacional: um estudo no setor cerâmico português / Moderators of the impact of corporate social responsibility perceptions on organizational commitment: a portuguese ceramic sector study

Na presente investigação pretendeu-se esclarecer o papel de variáveis individuais (gênero e idade) e profissionais (antiguidade e função) dos colaboradores na relação entre as suas percepções de responsabilidade social das empresas (RSE) e os níveis de comprometimento organizacional, na sua dimensão pessoal (CP), exibidos pelos mesmos. Uma amostra de 289 colaboradores de 13 empresas portuguesas do setor cerâmico respondeu ao Questionário de Responsabilidade Social das Empresas (Inverno e Rebelo, 2008) e ao Questionário de Comprometimento Organizacional (ASH-II) (Quijano, Aparício, Bonavia, Masip, Navarro e Ruiz, 1999). Com vista a testar o efeito moderador das variáveis mencionadas, foram utilizadas regressões hierárquicas. Os resultados sugerem que o gênero e a função moderam o impacto de percepções de RSE, na sua dimensão externa, no comprometimento pessoal. Contrariamente ao esperado, nem a antiguidade, nem a idade dos colaboradores moderaram a relação entre as duas variáveis.

In the present research, we intended to clarify the role of individual (gender and age) and professional variables (workers' tenure and job) of the workers in the relationship between their corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions and the levels of organizational commitment, in its personal dimension (PC), expressed by them. A sample of 289 workers from 13 Portuguese ceramic companies filled out the Corporate Social Responsibility Questionnaire (Inverno & Rebelo, 2008) and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (ASH-II) (Quijano, Aparício, Bonavia, Masip, Navarro & Ruiz, 1999). With the purpose of testing the moderator effect of the variables aforesaid, hierarchical regressions were conducted. The results point out that gender and job moderate the impact of CSR perceptions, in its external dimension, on personal commitment. Contrary to our expectations, neither workers' tenure, nor their age, revealed to moderate the relationship between CSR and personal commitment.