Academic Procrastination, Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in University Students: A look during the Pandemic

Objective: The aim is to determine the relationship between academic procrastination, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in students of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Method: It was a non-experimental and cross-sectional study of correlational scope. The non-probabilistic convenience sample, made up of 578 participants between 16 and 30 years old (69% female), completed the Academic Procrastination Scale, the Positive and Negative Suicidal Ideation Inventory (PANSI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Frequencies and percentages were estimated at a descriptive level, the partial correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression were utilized to examine the associations between academic procrastination and suicidal ideation. Results: Subjects with a higher score of academic procrastination and BDI-II reported higher scores for suicidal ideation than those with a lower score (P < 0.01). A positive significant relationship was found between total academic procrastination and its subscales and suicidal ideation (P < 0.01). This correlation remained significant after controlling for depression (P < 0.05). Moreover, multiple linear regression revealed that academic procrastination, its subscales and depressive symptoms could explain about 20% of the total suicidal ideation in university students (R2 = 0.198). Conclusion: Increased levels of academic procrastination increase suicidal ideation in college students during the pandemic. These results suggest the need to create interventions for the prevention of this problem in the fields of educational and public health.

"CALLing the Process of Writing": Facebook as Language Support Learning Tool in Enhancing the EFL Learners' Online Writing Performance

This study generally aims to assess the effectiveness of Facebook as a learning support tool in enhancing the writing performance of EFL students. It aims explicitly to ascertain students' perception of Facebook's usefulness, reliability, features, and language improvement as LLST. This study may be used as a reference for future research on effective ways of teaching English as a second language. Using a descriptive correlational research design, to 596 purposively sampled respondents. Results revealed that the majority of the participants are using Facebook six to ten hours a day. They highly perceived the utilization of Facebook effectiveness as a support tool in their writing performance. Gender and age of the students are the dominant factors of differences. The result of this present study would offer significant implications on addressing the students' language learning needs when their profile variables are taken. Finally, it is showed that there is a clear relationship between the CALL attitude of the students and their utilization of Facebook. This indicates a positive relationship between the major variables of the study. Then when students have a high positive attitude on using CALL, the higher their level of acceptance of using Facebook as a language learning support tool. This result shed light on the gap in addressing students' online language learning engagement in COVID-19 era. This result would serve as a plan for developing students' language competence amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Academic Procrastination, Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in University Students: A look during the Pandemic

Objective: The aim is to determine the relationship between academic procrastination, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in students of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Method: It was a non-experimental and cross-sectional study of correlational scope. The non-probabilistic convenience sample, made up of 578 participants between 16 and 30 years old (69% female), completed the Academic Procrastination Scale, the Positive and Negative Suicidal Ideation Inventory (PANSI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Frequencies and percentages were estimated at a descriptive level, the partial correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression were utilized to examine the associations between academic procrastination and suicidal ideation. Results: Subjects with a higher score of academic procrastination and BDI-II reported higher scores for suicidal ideation than those with a lower score (P < 0.01). A positive significant relationship was found between total academic procrastination and its subscales and suicidal ideation (P < 0.01). This correlation remained significant after controlling for depression (P < 0.05). Moreover, multiple linear regression revealed that academic procrastination, its subscales and depressive symptoms could explain about 20% of the total suicidal ideation in university students (R2 = 0.198). Conclusion: Increased levels of academic procrastination increase suicidal ideation in college students during the pandemic. These results suggest the need to create interventions for the prevention of this problem in the fields of educational and public health.

Rompiendo la infodemia: descubriendo el SARS-CoV-2 / Breaking infodemic: discovering SARS-CoV-2

By December 2019, multiple cases of unexplained pneumonia were reported in some hospitals in the city of Wuhan, China. Since then, it had been confirmed that it corresponded to an acute respiratory infection caused by a new coronavirus that spread quickly, becoming pandemic in a very short time. On the other hand, this pandemic forced confinement for months, something unprecedented. In that time, millions of people went online for entertainment, education, etc. Consequently, the use of the Internet increased, bringing, on the one hand, online education, and entertainment on the Internet, ensuring social distancing; and on the other hand, it brought new new risks to human life, among them rumors. In this way and given the large number of publications that could denote the level of misinformation about COVID-19 and the impact it could have on global public health, various scientific publications were analyzed and identified from a bibliometric point of view. Potential relationships between the descriptors obtained from the bibliometric search were identified. The results were conglomerated into 5 clusters: Cluster 1, related to studies on access to information provided on COVID-19; cluster 2 shows the list of studies that have been carried out on the information on the COVID-19 vaccine, cluster 3 analyzes the different responses given by conspiracy theories, rumors and misinformation about COVID-19, the Group 4 shows cross-sectional and longitudinal research on COVID-19 and the information it provides to the health sector, and cluster 5 represents studies on scientific production and communication that have contributed to global health during the pandemic(AU)

Para diciembre de 2019, se registraron múltiples casos de una neumonía inexplicables en algunos hospitales de la ciudad de Wuhan, China. Desde ese momento se había confirmado correspondía a una infección respiratoria aguda causada por un nuevo coronavirus que se propagó rápidamente haciéndose pandémico en muy poco tiempo. Por otra parte, esta pademia obligó a un confinamiento por meses, algo sin precedente. En ese tiempo, millones de personas se conectaron en línea para entretenimiento, educación, etc. En consecuencia, el uso de Internet aumentó trayendo, por una parte, educación online y entretenimiento en Internet asegurando el distanciamiento social; y por otra parte, trajo nuevos nuevos riesgos a la vida humana, entre ellos los rumores. En ese sentido, y ante la gran cantidad de publicaciones que podrían denotar el nivel de desinformación sobre el COVID-19 y el impacto que podría tener en la salud pública mundial, se analizaron e identificaron diversas publicaciones científicas desde el punto de vista bibliométrico. Se identificaron las relaciones potenciales entre los descriptores arrojados de la búsqueda bibliométrica. Los resultados se conglomeraron en 5 clúster: El clúster 1, relacionado con los estudios sobre el acceso a la información proporcionada sobre COVID-19; el clúster 2, muestra la relación de los estudios que se han realizado sobre la información de la vacuna COVID-19, el clúster 3, analiza las distintas respuestas que dan las teorías conspirativas, los rumores y la desinformación sobre el COVID-19, el grupo 4 muestra investigaciones transversales y longitudinales sobre el COVID-19 y la información que brinda al sector salud, y el clúster 5 representa los estudios sobre producción y comunicación científicas que han contribuido a la salud mundial durante la pandemia(AU)

Latin American Scientific Production on COVID-19 Vaccines

Background Currently, there is a worldwide health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic;consequently, it is necessary to find effective vaccines in order to immunize the population and prevent the transmission of the disease. Likewise, it is important to know vaccine progress and efficacy research, mainly in Latin American countries where no studies have been conducted yet to know the scientific production on COVID-19. Methods A retrospective and descriptive study was carried out and COVID-19 vaccine publications in Scopus-indexed journals were considered as a unit of analysis for the period between 2020 and June 2021, with authors affiliated to Latin American institutions. Results We found 141 published Scopus-indexed COVID-19 vaccine articles with authors affiliated to Latin American institutions. Brazil has the highest scientific production with 33.33%, followed by Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Chile. Regarding productivity by institution, 137 international institutions have participated in the Latin American COVID-19 vaccine production. The journals with the highest number of published articles are Vaccines and Vaccine. Both journals are located in Q1 of the SJR. The most frequently used descriptor was coronavirus disease 2019. Conclusion The Latin American scientific production on COVID-19 vaccines included 141 published Scopus-indexed articles. Likewise, Brazil is the Latin American country with the highest scientific production.

Desarrollo de la práctica preprofesional en el contexto no presencial: experiencias en educación inicial

La investigación sistematizó el desarrollo de la práctica pedagógica en la carrera de educación inicial, durante la primera etapa de la pandemia Covid-19. En ese propósito, se realizó un estudio cualitativo, alineado a un diseño para el método sistematización de experiencias;reflexionándose sobre la evolución de la asignatura correspondiente, con la participación de 23 estudiantes, cada una a cargo de 20 niños y sus familias (n=460), con el acompañamiento de la docente universitaria. Los resultados fueron;aplicación de estrategias didáctico-pedagógicas de los procesos en el contexto remoto;empleo de recursos digitales potenciados creando materiales contextualizados para la interacción y;el abordaje del acompañamiento emocional ineludible frente a la vulnerabilidad de la infancia. Al término del estudio se concluye que, es imposible desvincular la tecnología educacional, de los aspectos afectivos, que bien fueron asumidos traduciendo en logro de aprendizaje, los esfuerzos colectivos en trabajo consensuado de escuelas, familias y universidad.Alternate :The research systematized the development of pedagogical practice in the initial education career, during the first stage of the Covid-19 pandemic. For this purpose, a qualitative study was carried out, aligned to a design for the systematization of experiences method;reflecting on the evolution of the corresponding subject, with the participation of 23 students, each in charge of 20 children and their families (n = 460), with the guidance of the university professor. The results were;application of didactic-pedagogical strategies of the processes in the remote context;use of enhanced digital resources creating contextualized materials for interaction and;the approach to the unavoidable emotional accompaniment in the face of childhood vulnerability. At the end of the study, it is concluded that it is impossible to unlink educational technology from affective aspects, which were well assumed, translating into learning achievement, collective efforts in consensual work of schools, families and universities.

Psychometric Validation of the Persian Self-Compassion Scale Youth Version.

Objectives: Empirical research investigating self-compassion is a rapidly developing field, and it is potentially crucial in early adolescence. The primary aim of the present study was to psychometrically evaluate the Persian translation of the Self-Compassion Scale Youth version (SCS-Y) and evaluate its factor structure among young adolescents. The second aim was to explore the buffering effect of self-compassion against the negative effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on COVID-19-related anxiety. Methods: A sample of young students (n = 532; mean age 13.57 years) completed an online survey, which included the SCS-Y, Patient Health Questionnaire, Difficulties In Emotion Regulation Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Youth Life Orientation Test, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief 10-Item Big Five Inventory. First-order (six-factor) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bi-factor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analysis were used to evaluate the factor structure of the SCS-Y. Results: Results showed that the SCS-Y had very good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: 0.88; McDonald's omega coefficient: 0.90), composite reliability (0.87), and adequate test-retest reliability after 4 weeks (0.60). The first-order (six-factor) CFA and bi-factor ESEM analysis demonstrated the SCS-Y had excellent dimensionality. Further analysis found negative associations between self-compassion with both depression and neuroticism, and positive associations between self-compassion with both resilience and optimism. Moreover, self-compassion moderated the association between emotion dysregulation and anxiety generated by the COVID-19. Overall, the findings indicated that the SCS-Y had acceptable criterion-related validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Conclusions: The findings provide evidence that the SCS-Y is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the six factors of self-compassion among younger adolescents. Based on the study's findings, self-compassion appears to be a protective factor against mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic for younger adolescents.

Psychometric Validation of the Persian Self-Compassion Scale Youth Version

Objectives Empirical research investigating self-compassion is a rapidly developing field, and it is potentially crucial in early adolescence. The primary aim of the present study was to psychometrically evaluate the Persian translation of the Self-Compassion Scale Youth version (SCS-Y) and evaluate its factor structure among young adolescents. The second aim was to explore the buffering effect of self-compassion against the negative effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on COVID-19-related anxiety. Methods A sample of young students (n = 532;mean age 13.57 years) completed an online survey, which included the SCS-Y, Patient Health Questionnaire, Difficulties In Emotion Regulation Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Youth Life Orientation Test, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief 10-Item Big Five Inventory. First-order (six-factor) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bi-factor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analysis were used to evaluate the factor structure of the SCS-Y. Results Results showed that the SCS-Y had very good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient: 0.88;McDonald’s omega coefficient: 0.90), composite reliability (0.87), and adequate test–retest reliability after 4 weeks (0.60). The first-order (six-factor) CFA and bi-factor ESEM analysis demonstrated the SCS-Y had excellent dimensionality. Further analysis found negative associations between self-compassion with both depression and neuroticism, and positive associations between self-compassion with both resilience and optimism. Moreover, self-compassion moderated the association between emotion dysregulation and anxiety generated by the COVID-19. Overall, the findings indicated that the SCS-Y had acceptable criterion-related validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Conclusions The findings provide evidence that the SCS-Y is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the six factors of self-compassion among younger adolescents. Based on the study’s findings, self-compassion appears to be a protective factor against mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic for younger adolescents.

Latin American authorship in scientific production on COVID-19.

Latin American scientific production related to the COVID-19 epidemic means that only 6% represent publications by Latin American authors, led by countries such as Brazil and Mexico; however, this production is still scarce, so efforts must be doubled to make a substantial contribution to the search for alternatives to address the global health crisis that is now in place.