Ansiedade, afeto negativo e estresse de docentes em atividade remota durante a pandemia da Covid-19 / Anxiety, negative affect, and stress of faculty in remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic / Ansiedad, afecto negativo y estrés de docentes en actividad remota durante la pandemia de Covid-19

Resumo O trabalho pedagógico remoto emergencial foi implementado em muitas escolas do Brasil durante a pandemia da Covid-19, como forma de diminuir os contatos entre indivíduos e, consequentemente, diminuir a taxa de transmissão da doença, mantendo aulas e atividades didáticas. Em muitas situações, professoras e professores realizaram atividades que descaracterizam sua identidade docente e conflitam com atividades domésticas, produzindo mal-estar e sofrimento. Em pesquisa de coorte em duas fases, o sofrimento psicológico de professores e professoras da Educação Básica foram analisados em função da quantidade de trabalho remoto, do gênero, da quantidade de trabalho doméstico e da experiência prévia. O trabalho remoto emergencial produziu efeitos na Ansiedade-estado, Afeto negativo e Estresse percebido − e essas respostas foram moderadas pela experiência prévia. Mulheres apresentaram maiores respostas que homens, um efeito mediado principalmente pela quantidade de trabalho doméstico realizada pela professora. Os participantes referenciaram principalmente dimensões laborais negativas e dimensões afetivas quando levados a pensar sobre o trabalho remoto, com menor saturação de respostas relacionadas a dimensões laborais positivas, à aprendizagem e a questões político-econômicas. Esses resultados sugerem que o trabalho remoto emergencial exacerba o estresse docente, apontando para precarização do trabalho docente e necessidade de implementação de políticas que mitiguem esses impactos.

Abstract Emergency remote pedagogical work was implemented in many schools in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way to reduce contacts between individuals and, consequently, reduce the rate of disease transmission, maintaining classes and educational activities. In many situations, teachers and teachers carried out activities that mischaracterize their teaching identity and conflict with domestic activities, producing discomfort and suffering. In a two-phase cohort study, the psychological suffering of Basic Education teachers were analyzed as a function of the amount of remote work, gender, the amount of housework and previous experience. Emergency remote work had effects on State Anxiety, Negative Affect and Perceived Stress − and these responses were moderated by previous experience. Women had higher responses than men, an effect mediated mainly by the amount of housework performed by the teacher. Participants mainly referred to negative work dimensions and affective dimensions when led to think about remote work, with less saturation of answers related to positive work dimensions, learning and political-economic issues. These results suggest that emergency remote work exacerbates teacher stress, pointing to the precariousness of teaching work and the need to implement policies that mitigate these impacts.

Resumen El trabajo pedagógico remoto de emergencia se implementó en muchas escuelas de Brasil durante la pandemia Covid-19, como una forma de reducir los contactos entre las personas y, en consecuencia, disminuir la tasa de transmisión de la enfermedad, manteniendo las clases y actividades educativas. En muchas situaciones, profesoras y profesores realizaron actividades que distorsionan su identidad docente y entran en conflicto con las actividades domésticas, produciendo malestar y sufrimiento. En un estudio de cohorte de dos fases, se analizó el sufrimiento psicológico de los docentes de Educación Básica en función de la cantidad de trabajo remoto, de género, de la cantidad de tareas domésticas y de la experiencia previa. El trabajo remoto de emergencia tuvo efectos sobre la Ansiedad-estado, el Afecto negativo y el Estrés percibido - y estas respuestas fueron moderadas por la experiencia previa. Las mujeres tuvieron respuestas más altas que los hombres, efecto mediado principalmente por la cantidad de tareas domésticas realizadas por las profesoras. Los participantes se refirieron principalmente a las dimensiones negativas del trabajo y las dimensiones afectivas cuando se les indujo a pensar en el trabajo remoto, con una menor saturación de respuestas relacionadas con las dimensiones positivas del trabajo, el aprendizaje y las cuestiones político-económicas. Estos resultados sugieren que el trabajo remoto de emergencia agrava el estrés docente, apuntando a la precariedad del trabajo docente y la necesidad de implementar políticas que mitiguen estos impactos.

Discrimination of anxiety- versus panic-like behavior in the wall lizard Tropidurus oreadicus

A behavioral test battery is proposed for wall lizards (Tropidurus oreadicus) that consists of inducing tonic immobility (TI) followed by post-TI behavioral scoring. After the induction of TI, the usual behavioral sequence was flight followed by freezing and tongue-flicking and/or thigmotaxis, with flight being more probable than freezing. These sequences were not observed after restraint in a normal upward position (which induced freezing but not TI) or after handling (which increased the probability of tongue-flicking). Alprazolam and imipramine selectively decreased the duration of TI as well as the following flight and freezing behavior. Tongue-flicking was increased by diazepam and alprazolam, whereas fluoxetine decreased it. Finally, thigmotaxis was reduced by diazepam, alprazolam, and imipramine but increased by fluoxetine. These results suggest that panic and anxiety can be discriminated pharmacologically in wall lizards...

Effects of methylmercury on electric organ discharges in the weak electric fish Gymnotus sylvius

Methylmercury (MeHg) is present in the environment because of natural and anthropogenic causes. MeHg can reach the central nervous system (CNS) and cause neurological damage in humans and animals. Electric organ discharges (EODs) in the weak electric fish Gymnotus sylvius are produced by the electric organ and modulated by the CNS. These discharges are used for electrolocation and communication. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary MeHg exposure on EOD rate in G. sylvius. An oscilloscope was used to record the EOD rate. Two treatments were investigated: chronic MeHg administration (4 µg/kg MeHg every 2 days, with a total of nine dietary exposures to MeHg) and acute MeHg administration (a single dose of 20 µg/kg MeHg). The control data for both treatments were collected every 2 days for 18 days, with a total of nine sessions (day 1 until day 18). Data of fish exposed to MeHg were collected every 2 days, totaling nine sessions (day 19 until day 36). Chronic treatment significantly increased the EOD rate in G. sylvius (p < .05), especially with the final treatment (day 32 until day 36). Acute treatment resulted in an initial increase in the EOD rate, which was maintained midway through the experiment (day 26 until day 30; p < .05). The present study provides the first insights into the effects of MeHg on EODs in weak electric fish. The EOD rate is a novel response of the fish to MeHg administration.

Modulation of nociceptive-like behavior in zebrafish (Danio rerio) by environmental stressors

Zebrafish have been demonstrated to react consistently to noxious chemical stimuli and present reliable phenotypes of stress, fear, and anxiety. In this article, we describe the modulation of nociceptive-like responses of zebrafish to fear-, stress-, and anxiety-eliciting situations. Animals were exposed to an alarm substance, confinement stress, or a novel environment before being injected with 1 percent acetic acid in the tail. The alarm substance and confinement stress reduced the display of erratic movements and tail-beating behavior elicited by acetic acid. The novelty of the environment, in contrast, increased the frequency of tail-beating behavior. The results suggest that descending modulatory control of nociception exists in zebrafish, with apparent fear- and stress-induced analgesia and anxiety-induced hyperalgesia.

Construct validity of behavioral models of anxiety: where experimental psychopathology meets ecology and evolution

In experimental psychopathology, construct validity is usually enhanced by addressing theories from other fields in its nomological network. In the field of anxiety research, this construct is related to antipredator behavior, conserved across phylogeny in its functions and neural basis, but not necessarily on its topography. Even though the relations between behavioral models of anxiety and statements from behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology are commonly made in anxiety research, these are rarely tested, at least explicitly. However, in order to increase construct validity in experimental anxiety, testing predictions from those theories is highly desirable. This article discusses these questions, suggesting a few ways in which behavioral ecological and evolutionary hypotheses of anxiety-like behavior may be tested.

The effects of diazepam on the elevated T-maze are dependent on the estrous cycle of rats

In order to determine the modulation of anxiolytic and panicolytic-like effects of diazepam by the hormonal cycle of female rats, male and female rats - the latter divided per estrous cycle phase (estrus, diestrus, metaestrus and proestrus) - were tested in the elevated T-maze, a behavioral model of panic and anxiety. Diazepam (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg) or saline solution was injected in individual animals that were submitted to one session in the elevated T-maze 25 min after drug/saline administration. The test consisted of three avoidance trials and one escape trial, separated by a 30 s interval, during which the animals were isolated in individual cages. The avoidance trials began with the animal being placed at the end of the maze's enclosed arm. The time necessary for the animal to leave the central square was considered as the response's latency. The trials that exceeded 300 s were considered as failures. Results demonstrate a decrease in the effects of diazepam in inhibitory avoidance (anxiety) trials in females in diestrus and proestrus, but no relation of gender or estrous cycle on diazepam effects on escape trials (fear). The results support the hypothesis that down-regulation of GABA A receptors by activation of nuclear estrogen receptors and induction of PKC-mediated GABA A receptor phosphorylation by activation of surface estrogen receptors in raphe neurons underlie the modulation of diazepam sensitivity by estrogen.

Influence of gender and estrous cycle in the forced swim test in rats

The present work aimed at studying the influence of the estrous cycle in the forced swim test, an animal model of depression. For this, 44 male and female Wistar rats were divided into five groups according to the hormonal state in the first day of the study: metaestrus (N = 12), diestrus (N = 8), proestrus (N = 7), estrous (N = 6) and males (N = 11). They were housed in groups of five, with water and food ad libitum under a 12/12 h light/dark cycle. Females were screened daily for the estrous cycle. The animals were subjected to two swimming sessions in a glass cylinder with water up to 15 cm at 28±2º C. The data of the first five minutes of a 15-min first session were compared to those of a 5-min second session 24 h later. The results indicate that the latency to the first immobility was substantially reduced in the second session and was longer for females in diestrus and proestrus in the first session. The results also indicate that females in diestrus and proestrus exhibited less immobility than males in the first session; females in diestrus also exhibited less immobility than females in metaestrus. Females in metaestrus and diestrus, as well as males, did not present the decrease in total immobility times in the second session. The present results are analyzed in terms of differential effects of progesterone and estrogen on a learning component and an affective component.