Fear of public speaking: the effects of a communicational improvement training on physiological parameters and the perception of communication.

Presentations to audiences are often seen as challenging by university students, causing physiological reactivity on cortisol levels and heart rate, for example. Many students perceive that they have difficulties expressing themselves or do not consider themselves to be good communicators. With the thought that efficient communication is able to bring well-being and more confidence, it is understood that a communication skills training could mitigate adverse effects on the body during public speaking. This study aimed to verify whether a communicational improvement training can improve physiological parameters and perception when speaking in public among university students. This was a prospective, blinded, controlled, and randomized trial. Students from colleges and universities were recruited for this study. Invitations were either in person or via social networks and/or e-mail. There were 39 university students who completed the tasks, ages between 18 and 30. There were two groups: the intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). The intervention group participated in a communicational improvement program for six weeks to work on breathing, articulation, speech rhythm, pneumophonoarticulatory coordination, expressiveness and non-verbal communication. Data of heart rate measures, salivary cortisol analysis, self-perception of public speaking, and presentation ratings were collected. The intervention group presented with lower heart rates and cortisol levels, better presentation ratings, and higher self-perception of public speaking than the control group after participating in the communication improvement training. In this study it was possible to verify the efficiency of a communicational improvement training, being able to improve cortisol levels, heart rate, and perception when speaking in public in university students. Based on the results presented, new studies are suggested: (a) measuring the individual effect of the workshops demonstrated here and (b) comparing this type of intervention with other types of treatment used in the health area (medication, psychotherapeutic, holistic, etc.).

Evidências de Validade da Versão Reduzida do Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE) com Trabalhadores Brasileiros / Evidencias de validez de la versión reducida del Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE) con trabajadores brasileños / Validity evidences of the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE) reduced version with Brazilian workers

Resumo Objetivo: Coping é definido como os esforços cognitivos e comportamentais para controlar, vencer, tolerar ou reduzir demandas internas e externas que excedem as capacidades da pessoa em termos de estresse. Este artigo propõe uma versão reduzida do Inventário COPE. Método: Participaram deste estudo transversal 524 trabalhadores de instituições localizadas em Porto Alegre e Região Metropolitana (RS), Brasil, selecionados por acessibilidade. Destes, 57,6% eram mulheres com idades entre 16 e 67 anos (M=30,7; DP=10). Como instrumentos foram utilizados o Inventario COPE e um questionário de dados sociodemográficos e laborais. A validade de conteúdo foi analisada através do método de juízes. A validade de construto foi analisada mediante análise fatorial confirmatória e confiabilidade. Resultados: Em termos da validade de conteúdo, os juízes confirmaram a abrangência teórica e conceitual da escala, considerando os elementos apropriados para avaliar coping. A análise fatorial confirmatória demonstrou índices de ajustes adequados para o modelo de três dimensões: RMSEA = 0,05 (I.C = 0,04-0,06); CFI = 0,94 e alfas satisfatórios para o modelo composto por 18 itens, seis que avaliam estratégias de coping evitativo (α = 0,71), seis que avaliam as estratégias com foco na emoção (α = 0,78) e seis, estratégias com foco no problema (α = 0,81). Tais resultados indicam que a COPE possui propriedades psicométricas adequadas para o estudo do coping no Brasil. Conclusões: O uso da versão reduzida do COPE pode contribuir para uma avaliação mais ágil e efetiva no que tange às estratégias de coping na realidade brasileira.

Resumen Objetivo: Afrontamiento se define como los esfuerzos cognitivos y conductuales para controlar, vencer, tolerar o reducir demandas internas y externas que exceden las capacidades de la persona en términos de estrés. Este artículo de investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar las evidencias de validez de la versión reducida de 18 ítems del inventario COPE. Método: Participaron de ese estudio transversal 524 trabajadores de instituciones localizadas en Porto Alegre y Región Metropolitana (RS), Brasil, seleccionados por accesibilidad. De esos, 57,6% eran mujeres con edades entre 16 y 67 años (M=30,7; DP=10). Como instrumentos fueron utilizados el Inventario COPE y un cuestionario de datos sociodemográficos y laborales. Se analizó la validez de contenido a través del método de jueces. La validez de constructo se realizo mediante el análisis factorial confirmatorio y la confiabilidad. Resultados: En términos de validez de contenido, los jueces confirmaron el ámbito teórico y conceptual de la escala, considerando los elementos apropiados para evaluar coping. El análisis factorial confirmatorio demostró índices de ajuste adecuados para el modelo de tres dimensiones: RMSEA = 0,05 (I.C. = 0,04 0,06); CFI = 0,94, así como alfas satisfactorios para el modelo compuesto por 18 ítems, seis que evalúan estrategias de afrontamiento de evitación (α=0,71), seis que evalúan las estrategias con foco en la emoción (α=0,78) y seis estrategias con foco en el problema (α=0,81). Los resultados indican que la COPE tiene propiedades psicométricas adecuadas para el estudio del afrontamiento en Brasil. Conclusiones: La utilización de la versión reducida del COPE puede contribuir para una evaluación más ágil y efectiva en lo que concierne a las estrategias de afrontamiento en la realidad brasileña.

Abstract Objective: Coping is defined as cognitive and behavioral efforts to control, win, tolerate or reduce internal or external demands that exceed person's resources in relation with stress. This paper proposes COPE Inventory as a reduced version including 18 items. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted; 524 workers from institutions located in Porto Alegre and Metropolitan Region (MR), Brazil, selected by accessibility were sampled. 57.6% of the participants, were women between 16-67 years old (M = 30.7, SD = 10). As instruments, the COPE Inventory and a sociodemographic and labor data questionnaire were used. Content validity was analyzed through the judges method. The construct validity was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis. Results: In terms of content validity, the judges confirmed the theoretical and conceptual scope of the scale, considering the elements appropriate to evaluate coping. The confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate adjustment indices for the three-dimensional model: RMSEA = 0.05 (C. I. = 0.04 - 0.06); CFI = 0.94 and satisfactory alphas to the model composed by 18 items, six that evaluate evitative coping strategies (α = 0.71), six that evaluate emotion focused coping (α = 0.78) and six evaluating problem focused coping (α = 0.81) were identified. These results show that COPE has adequate psychometric properties for coping study in Brazil. Conclusions: COPE in a reduced version use may contribute to a more agile and more effective evaluation related to the use of coping strategies in Brazilian reality.

Prevalence and risk factors of common mental disorders among teachers / Prevalencia y factores de riesgo de trastornos mentales comunes en profesores

This study aimed at identifying the prevalence of Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) in teachers and at analyzing associations between sociodemographic, occupational, and psychosocial factors and CMDs. This was a cross-sectional study with a random sample of 679 teachers, distributed in 37 elementary schools located in a city in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre (in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). The instruments used were the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20); the Battery of Psychosocial Risk Assessment to evaluate role ambiguity, social support, self-efficacy, autonomy, interpersonal conflicts, role conflict, and overload; and a questionnaire to assess sociodemographic and occupational variables. Results showed a 29.7% prevalence of CMDs. Three-stage hierarchical logistic regression was performed. Having role ambiguity, overload, low level of social support, and low perceived self-efficacy were associated with CMDs. Greater attention should be given to psychosocial threats in the school context, since these kinds of variables were associated with CMDs in teachers (AU)

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar la prevalencia de trastornos mentales comunes (TMC) en profesores y analizar las asociaciones entre factores sociodemográficos, ocupacionales y psicosociales y TMC. Fue realizado un estudio transversal con una muestra aleatoria de 679 profesores distribuidos en 37 escuelas de enseñanza primaria localizadas en una ciudad de la región metropolitana de Porto Alegre (Estado de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil). Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), la Battery of Psychosocial Risk Assessment para evaluar ambigüedad de rol, apoyo social, auto-eficacia, autonomía, conflictos interpersonales, conflictos de rol y sobrecarga y un cuestionario para evaluar variables sociodemográficas y ocupacionales. Los resultados demostraran una prevalencia de TMC de 29.7%. Fue realizado un análisis de regresión logística. Ambigüedad, sobrecarga, bajo nivel de apoyo social y baja percepción de auto-eficacia se asociaron a los TMC. Una mayor atención debe prestarse a las amenazas presentes en el contexto escolar una vez que esa clase de variables se asociaron a los TMC en profesores (AU)

Bienestar, salud e imagen corporal de adolescentes brasileros: la importancia de los contextos familiares, de amistad y escolar / Well-being, Health and Body Image of Brazilian Adolescents: the Importance of Family Contexts, Friendship and School

Este estudio tuvo por objetivo verificar la contribución de las variables de relaciones en los contextos familiares, de amistad y escolar en la predicción de la percepción del bienestar, de la salud y de la imagen corporal de los adolescentes. Participaron 3.396 adolescentes de la región metropolitana de Porto Alegre. Se emplearon como instrumentos The Health Behavior in Schoolchildren; la escala de afectos positivos y negativos; el cuestionario general de salud y la Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale. Mediante el modelaje de ecuaciones estructurales, los resultados presentan un modelo adecuado para explicar el bienestar, la salud y la imagen corporal. Los coeficientes obtenidos señalan que las relaciones familiares, con amigos y en la escuela influyen positivamente en el desarrollo de los adolescentes.

This study aimed to verify the contribution of the variables regarding the relations in familiar, friendship and school contexts in predicting the perceptions of well-being, health and body image of adolescents. Participants are 3.396 adolescents from the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre. The instruments used were the Health Behavior in Schoolchildren, the Positive and Negative Affects Scale, the General Health Questionnaire and the Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale. Using structural equation modeling, the results present an adequate model to explain the well-being, the health and the body image. The coefficients obtained indicate that family, friends and school relationships positively influence the development of adolescents.

Predictores del Síndrome de Burnout en estudiantes de un curso técnico / Predicting of the Syndrome of Burnout in students of a technical course of infirmary

Este trabajo investiga los predictores del Síndrome de Burnout en una muestra de 255 estudiantes de un curso técnico de enfermería. Fueron establecidas variables demográficas y escolares, así como los factoresde estrés escolar percibidos. Para evaluar Burnout,se utilizó el MBI-SS (Maslach Burnout Inventory –Student Survey), forma adaptada para estudiantesdel Maslach Burnout Inventory. Los resultados mostraron que el estrés percibido respecto a conciliar laactividad laboral con el curso, conciliar el estudio con las actividades de ocio, realizar exámenes y trabajos,así como la edad, el nivel de expectativas y teneruna actividad profesional, predice los índices de agotamiento. La realización de pruebas y trabajos,la falta de retroalimentación positiva y el estrés percibido para conciliar estudio y familia predicen los niveles de competencia percibidos.El predictor del cinismo es el estrés percibido en relación con la faltade retroalimentación positiva y en la relación con loscolegas...