Relation between resilience and personality traits: The role of hopelessness and age.

Resilience refers to the process by which individuals use the ability to cope with challenges to successfully adapt to adverse situations, inclining towards the future and hope. The main aim of this study was to analyze the relation between resilience, personality traits, and hopelessness. Furthermore, we conducted comparisons between two age groups: young and older adults. The sample comprised 439 Spanish participants (66.7% women; M = 43.73, SD = 26.41; age range = 18-98 years). The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, NEO-Five Factor Inventory, and Beck Hopelessness Scale were used to measure the main study variables. The results revealed a negative relation between resilience and neuroticism, and a positive association with the other personality traits. Additionally, levels of resilience were found to be negatively related to hopelessness. The group of older adults showed significantly lower resilience levels than the young adults, although age was not a significant predictor of resilience. Neuroticism, extraversion, openness, and hopelessness were the only predictors of resilience for the current study. This work contributes to the study of resilience and related factors, by attempting to understand the role of resilience and resistance to risk and how individuals tackle challenges over time, with important implications for mental health.

Loneliness Perceptions in Older Portuguese Gay and Bisexual Men.

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of loneliness among gay and bisexual men in Portugal over 60 years old. Despite the growth of the older population in Portugal, the social isolation and loneliness experiences in older gay and bisexual men is only beginning to be understood. A structured electronic inquiry with 35 gay and bisexual men over 60 years of age from Portugal (mean age was 66.45 years (SD = 4.45) was used, ranging from 60 to 77 years). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, comparing self-perceived loneliness levels by sexual orientation and by levels of loneliness. The recurrent themes in the narratives of loneliness perception of the participants in the study were as follows: Mental Health, Support System, Dating and Relationships, Discrimination, Coping, Personal Characteristics, and Coming-out issues. Differences between sexual orientation and levels of loneliness were also found.

Qualidade do sono e funcionamento sexual em adultos saudáveis / Sleep quality and sexual functioning in healthy adults

INTRODUÇÃO: Não existem investigações científicas suficientes, sobretudo com população normativa, que evidenciem a associação entre a qualidade do sono e o funcionamento sexual. MÉTODO: Participaram deste estudo 945 indivíduos saudáveis, 62% mulheres, 38% homens, média de 34,27 anos (desvio‐padrão=15,82), que preencheram um questionário sociodemográfico, a versão portuguesa do Questionário de Sono de Oviedo e a versão portuguesa do Questionário de Funcionamento Sexual do Massachusetts General Health Hospital. RESULTADOS: Verificaram‐se níveis moderados de satisfação subjetiva com o sono e níveis baixos de insónia e hipersónia. No entanto, as mulheres sofrem mais deste tipo de perturbações do sono. A satisfação subjetiva com qualidade do sono está positivamente correlacionada com o funcionamento sexual geral e todas as suas respetivas dimensões e a insónia está negativamente correlacionada com o funcionamento sexual e todas as suas respetivas dimensões. Da submissão dos itens à análise de regressão linear, testou‐se o modelo de predição do funcionamento sexual geral em função das variáveis da qualidade do sono, tendo‐se obtido um modelo estatisticamente significativo (p < 0,001), sendo que as variáveis em questão explicam 7% do funcionamento sexual geral, com valores β para a satisfação subjetiva com o sono de 0,189 e para a insónia de ‐0,140. DISCUSSÃO: Com base nos resultados obtidos, é possível comprovar que quanto maior a qualidade do sono, maior é o funcionamento sexual e que o mesmo é influenciado negativamente sobretudo pela insónia

INTRODUCTION: There are not enough scientific investigations, especially with a normative population, that show the association between sleep quality and sexual functioning. METHOD: 945 healthy individuals, 62% female, 38% male, mean age 34.27 years (standard deviation=15.82), who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Portuguese version of the Oviedo Sleep Questionnaire and the Portuguese version of the Massachusetts General Health Hospital‐Sexual Functioning Questionnaire entered this study. RESULTS: Moderate levels of subjective satisfaction with sleep and low levels of insomnia and hypersomnia were observed. However, women suffer more from these forms of sleep disorders. Subjective satisfaction with sleep quality is positively correlated with overall sexual functioning and all of its dimensions, and insomnia is negatively correlated with sexual functioning and all of its dimensions. From the linear regression analysis, the model of prediction of general sexual functioning was tested according to sleep quality variables, and a statistically significant model was obtained (p <0.001), with the variables in question explaining 7% of general sexual functioning, with β values ??for subjective satisfaction with sleep of 0.189 and for insomnia of ‐0.140. DISCUSSION: Based on the results obtained, it is possible to demonstrate that the higher the quality of sleep, the greater the sexual functioning, and that it is negatively influenced mainly by insomnia

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Reminiscence, personality, coping and mood state in institutionalised older adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Reminiscence functions in older adults have been associated with variables related to mental health such as depressive symptoms. Additionally, the way in which older adults cope with stress or their personality traits could influence their use of reminiscence. This study examined the relation between gender, coping styles, personality traits and reminiscence functions and how these variables predict depressive symptoms in institutionalised older adults. METHODS: The participants were 117 institutionalised older adults (range 62-98 years). They completed measures of reminiscence functions, depressive symptoms, coping styles and personality traits. RESULTS: Neuroticism and avoidance coping styles were related to a maladaptive use of reminiscence functions. The results showed that institutionalised older adults with high neuroticism and who usually use emotional discharge and logical analysis as avoidance coping styles and bitterness revival as a reminiscence function may be more likely to present depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: The findings may help enhance the efficacy of interventions using reminiscence.

Depression and Quality of Life in Older Gay and Bisexual Men in Spain and Portugal.

The purpose of this study was to assess levels of depressive symptoms and quality of life in older gay and bisexual older Spanish and Portuguese men and explore associations between these two samples and these variables. Using online surveys, 191 older gay and bisexual men from Spain and Portugal (mean age = 70 years) completed the Spanish and Portuguese versions of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale and World Health Organization Instrument to Assess Quality of Life. Overall, moderate levels of depression and quality of life were found. Gay men and Spanish men report higher levels of depressive symptoms than bisexual and Portuguese men. Gay men score higher on physical health dimensions; bisexual men score higher on the social relationships dimension. Lower levels of physical health, psychological symptoms, and social relationships were significant predictors of depressive symptoms. These exploratory findings offer both similarities and differences between the samples from the two countries-and with U.S. data-and further evidence of the pervasive experience of depression in the lives of sexual minority older men with a renewed awareness of myriad contexts within which individuals age.

[Sleep quality and sexual functioning in healthy adults]. / Qualidade do sono e funcionamento sexual em adultos saudáveis.

INTRODUCTION: There are not enough scientific investigations, especially with a normative population, that show the association between sleep quality and sexual functioning. METHOD: 945 healthy individuals, 62% female, 38% male, mean age 34.27 years (standard deviation=15.82), who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Portuguese version of the Oviedo Sleep Questionnaire and the Portuguese version of the Massachusetts General Health Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire entered this study. RESULTS: Moderate levels of subjective satisfaction with sleep and low levels of insomnia and hypersomnia were observed. However, women suffer more from these forms of sleep disorders. Subjective satisfaction with sleep quality is positively correlated with overall sexual functioning and all of its dimensions, and insomnia is negatively correlated with sexual functioning and all of its dimensions. From the linear regression analysis, the model of prediction of general sexual functioning was tested according to sleep quality variables, and a statistically significant model was obtained (p <0.001), with the variables in question explaining 7% of general sexual functioning, with ß values ??for subjective satisfaction with sleep of 0.189 and for insomnia of -0.140. DISCUSSION: Based on the results obtained, it is possible to demonstrate that the higher the quality of sleep, the greater the sexual functioning, and that it is negatively influenced mainly by insomnia.

Functioning of autobiographical memory specificity and self-defining memories in people with cancer diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive and emotional disturbances have been associated with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Autobiographical memory is one of the specific cognitive processes affected during this disease. The current study had two main aims: (1) to compare the functioning of autobiographical memory specificity and its related variables (executive functioning, depression and perceived stress) in a group of persons with cancer and a control group; and (2) to analyze whether the experience of cancer evolved into a self-defining memory in the sample of participants diagnosed with this disease. METHOD: The study sample comprised 62 participants, 31 in the group with a cancer diagnosis and 31 in the control group. Autobiographical memory specificity, executive functions, depression, stress and self-defining memory were evaluated in the current study. RESULTS: Depressive symptomatology and reduced executive functioning, but not perceived stress levels, are related and are predictors of autobiographical memory specificity. In addition, the identified characteristics of the self-defining memories were associated with the cancer experience as a threat to physical integrity and an awareness of the meaning of life. CONCLUSION: This emerging research line is especially important in view of its possible impacts on patients' well-being, due to the importance of psychological processes in cancer disease.

Growing Older Out of the Closet: A Descriptive Study of Older LGB Persons Living in Lisbon, Portugal.

There is a paucity of information regarding the needs of older Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) adults in Portugal; to help address this imbalance, this article describes a sample of Portuguese LGB older adults living in the large, urban center of Lisbon. Specifically, the article describes (a) the broad sociodemographic characteristics of LGB 60 years of age or older; (b) the type and level of social support and the nature of interpersonal relationships of these older LGB persons; (c) their physical and sexual health; and (d) the experiences and concerns when accessing social and health-care services, including disclosing their identity to social and health professionals. Across these areas, we further seek to evaluate any differences attributable to gender and compare our results to those in the literature, largely derived from North American studies.

Aging Perceptions in Older Gay and Bisexual Men in Portugal: A Qualitative Study.

Aims and Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions toward aging among Portuguese gay and bisexual men over 60 years old. Background Despite the growth of the older population, and the increased visibility and acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in Western countries, the experience of aging in older gay and bisexual men is only beginning to be understood. Design We used a qualitative research methodology, based on critical gerontology, for establishing research questions and to identify the perspectives on the aging process in older gay and bisexual individuals. Methods We used a structured electronic inquiry with 25 gay and bisexual men over 60 years of age from Portugal. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to help identify repeated patterns of meaning in the data set. Results The recurrent themes in the narratives of the aging experiences of the participants in the study were as follows: positive perceptions of aging, negative perceptions of aging, coping with being a gay/bisexual man and family ties, professional care, homophobia/discrimination, relationships and social support, intergenerational differences, mediating role of sexual orientation, sociopolitical changes, and personal characteristics. Conclusion Analysis of perceptions about the aging process in older gay and bisexual men emphasized the desire for normalization in the social awareness of sexual orientation. It is important to continue doing research on this topic and disseminate this information among professionals who work with older lesbian, gay, and bisexual people so that they may better understand how they can meet the specific needs of this population.

Overgeneral autobiographical memory effect in older depressed adults.

OBJECTIVES: This research aims to investigate the characteristics of autobiographical retrieval in a group of older depressed adults compared with a control group of the same age. METHOD: The sample was recruited from local primary care services. All participants were administered a demographic questionnaire and completed the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; Lobo, A., Ezquerra, J., Gómez-Burgada, F., Sala, J.M., & Seva-Díaz, A. (1979). El Mini-Examen Cognoscitivo: Un test sencillo y práctico para detectar alteraciones intelectuales en pacientes médicos. Actas Luso-Españolas de Neurología, Psiquiatría y Ciencia, 3, 189-202), the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI; Stock, W., Okun, M., & Gómez, J. (1994). Subjective well-being measures: Reliability and validity among Spanish elders. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 38, 221-235), and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS; Beck, A.T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: The hopelessness scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 861-865). Finally, all participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT; Williams, J.M.G., & Broadbent, K. (1986). Autobiographical memory in suicide attempters. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95, 144-149). RESULTS: Older adults with depression were less specific in their memories than the controls. Higher categoric retrieval for negative cue words compared with positive cue words was only found for older adults with depression. Specific retrieval in the group without depression was positively related to Life Satisfaction and negatively to hopelessness. CONCLUSION: The overgeneral effect appeared for older adults with depression due to the higher presence of extended memories (events lasting for more than 24 h) rather than categoric retrievals (summary of repeated events). The strong correlation between specific memories and Life Satisfaction among non-depressed older adults suggests its potential role as a protective factor for depression.

Working memory capacity and overgeneral autobiographical memory in young and older adults.

The objectives of this study are to compare the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) performance of two healthy samples of younger and older adults and to analyse the relationship between overgeneral memory (OGM) and working memory executive processes (WMEP) using a structural equation modelling with latent variables. The AMT and sustained attention, short-term memory and working memory tasks were administered to a group of young adults (N = 50) and a group of older adults (N = 46). On the AMT, the older adults recalled a greater number of categorical memories (p = .000) and fewer specific memories (p = .000) than the young adults, confirming that OGM occurs in the normal population and increases with age. WMEP was measured by reading span and a working memory with sustained attention load task. Structural equation modelling reflects that WMEP shows a strong relationship with OGM: lower scores on WMEP reflect an OGM phenomenon characterized by higher categorical and lower specific memories.

Prescripción de captopril en el área de Atención Primaria de Salud: Consejo Popular 2, Policlínico II, municipio Manzanillo, Mayo 2004 - 2005 / Captopril prescription in the health area of policlinic II: Manzanillo: May 2004 -2005

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal para evaluar la prescripción de Captopril en pacientes tratados con este medicamento en el área de atención primaria del Consejo Popular 2, Policlínico 2 del municipio Manzanillo, en el período comprendido entre Mayo 2004 a Mayo del 2005. Para dar salida a los objetivos trazados se aplicó una encuesta a los usuarios y un test de competencia a los prescriptores. Si se tiene en cuenta que en la provincia Granma se reportó un incremento de las prescripciones de Captopril para el tratamiento de la hipertensión arterial, lo que es expresión de dificultad en el tratamiento de dicha enfermedad; no existiendo estadísticas que puedan definir exactamente dicho problema, por tal motivo se decidió realizar el presente trabajo. Obteniendo entre los principales resultados, que existió una disponibilidad adecuada para un 63,33 por ciento, resultaron competentes 16 prescriptores de Captopril, 54 casos tenían una combinación adecuada y existió un por ciento de casos donde la disponibilidad no fue adecuada. Se concluyó que los prescriptores se consideran competentes y solamente un número menor de ellos no son competentes, en la adecuación y cumplimiento del tratamiento las combinaciones medicamentosas fueron adecuadas, así como la individualización del mismo, la mayor causa del incumplimiento del tratamiento está dada por la no utilización del mismo en la dosis y frecuencia de administración indicada por el facultativo, se presentaron reacciones adversas en algunos de los pacientes y existió un predominio de la categoría buena con relación al grado de satisfacción del usuario del Captopril. Precisamente en esta investigación estudiaremos la prescripción del Captopril considerado como un inhibidor de enzima Convertidora de Angiotensina(AU)

A transversal-descriptive study was carried out to evaluate the prescription of captropil in patients treated with this drug in the Health Area of policlinic # 2 Manzanillo in the period from May 2004 to May 2005, to fulfil the objectives a survey was applied to the patients and a test to the competence of prescriptors. Granma reported an increase of Captopril prescriptions for the hypertension treatment, it is a difficult expression of the treatment for this disease, there is no statistics studies that can exactly defined this problem, for that reason it was decided to develop this work among the main result, it was obtained an adequate disponsability to 63,3 per cent, 16 prescriptors of Captopril resulted competent, 54 cases had an adequated combination and a percentage of the existing cases where disposability was not adequated. It is reached to the conclusion that prescriptors are considered competent and only a minor number of them are not competent, in the fitness and fulfilment of the treatment, the medicamental combinations are adequated as well as the individualization of this treatment, the greater cause of the unfulfilled treatment is given by the non-use of it in the doses and frequency of the proper administration pointed out by doctors, adverse reaction were showed in some of the patients and there was a predominance of good categories according to the patients satisfaction degree of Captopril. In this precise research it is going to be studied the prescription of Captopril that is considered as an angiotesin converting enzyme inhibitors. It was reported an increase of Captopril prescriptions for the hypertension treatment what shows a deficiency in the advanced of the treatmentfor this disease nevertheless no statistics can define with exactitude the difficulties that brings about a decrease in the quality of medical assistance with unfavourable consequences for the health condition of the patients and their way of life(AU)

Life review therapy using autobiographical retrieval practice for older adults with depressive symptomatology.

The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of life review based on autobiographical retrieval practice for treating depressed older adults. Forty-three adults aged 65-93 with clinically significant depressive symptomatology and no dementia were randomly assigned to treatment or to no treatment. The results indicated significant differences between experimental and control groups after 4 weeks of autobiographical retrieval practice. At posttest, those in the treatment condition showed fewer depressive symptoms, less hopelessness, improved life satisfaction, and retrieval of more specific events. The findings suggest that practice in autobiographical memory for specific events may be among the components of life review that account for its effectiveness and could be a useful tool in psychotherapy with older adults.