The Emotional Impact of Family Involvement during Homework in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Neurodevelopmental disorders can be studied from two distinct perspectives: an internal approach, which examines the causes and consequences of these disorders; and a contextual approach, which considers the role of the family in the lives of children and adolescents. Research has demonstrated that the most significant form of family involvement in families raising a child with NDD is through homework. This involvement has been shown to have an emotional impact on children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD or dyslexia. The objective of this study is to review published articles on homework and neurodevelopmental disorders, with particular attention to the role of the family and the emotional health of children and families. METHOD: The review followed the PRISMA guidelines. The final sample consisted of 11 articles, with samples ranging from less than 30 participants to more than 100 at the international level. RESULTS: The results demonstrate the complex methodological and bibliometric picture of the final sample, as well as the many emotional and contextual variables that influence the relationship between homework and neurodevelopmental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should consider how emotional health affects the engagement of families with children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

The need for ecological momentary assessment in researching emotional factors in language education.

Language learning is an emotional and dynamic process, which is marked by fluctuations in language learners' positive and negative emotional variables (e.g., boredom, enjoyment, anxiety). Presumably, evidence can be found for an ecological view of the patterns and variations involved in language learners' emotions under the influence of the interactive individual and contextual elements of classroom learning. The present study contends that an ecological momentary assessment (EMA), which is compatible with the complex dynamic system theory (CDST) can help to explore the dynamics of language learners' emotional variables as they develop out of the process of classroom language learning. EMA is capable of tracing the moment-by-moment changes in a certain emotional trait in language learners as they are learning a foreign or second language. This innovative approach to research compensates for the shortcomings of retrospective studies (the delay of recalls) and also single-shot research designs (for data collection). It is fit for the assessment of the emergent patterns of L2 emotional variables. The distinctive features and pedagogical implications will be further discussed here.

Análisis de variables emocionales y neuropsicológicas en pacientes con TCA / Analysis of emotional and neuropsychological variables in patients with eating disorders

Introducción: Los Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria (TCA) son un conjunto de enfermedades psiquiátricas que se presentan através de un comportamiento alimentario gravemente alterado así como por pensamientos y emociones asociados. En este estudio semiden variables neuropsicológicas y emocionales así como el comportamiento alimentario en una muestra de individuos con TCA eindividuos sanos. Material y métodos: La muestra se encuentra formada por 88 participantes de sexo femenino, 39 de ellas con diagnóstico de TCA(grupo TCA, GTCA), y 49 sin TCA (grupo control, GCTRL) con una edad comprendida entre los 13 y 25 años. Se han empleadopruebas como el DEX o el EDI-3 para evaluar variables como la impulsividad y el comportamiento alimentario entre otras.Resultados y discusión: El GTCA mostró una obsesión por la delgadez (p<0,034) e insatisfacción corporal (p<0,02) superior alGCTRL así como una menor velocidad de procesamiento. En las variables emocionales, se observó un mayor grado depresivo yestado apático. Pacientes con un IMC menor a 18,5 presentaron mayores niveles de ansiedad, menor coherencia central y mayorestado depresivo. El análisis de correlaciones mostró que a mayor nivel de depresión, mayor apatía e impulsividad así comoalteraciones en el comportamiento alimentario, memoria, atención y flexibilidad cognitiva. Conclusiones: Los pacientes con TCA presentan estados emocionales más vulnerables donde destacan la depresión, la apatía y laimpulsividad. La coordinación motora, velocidad de procesamiento y el procesamiento visoespacial se han correlacionado también conpeores resultados cuanto mayores fueran los estad.(AU)

Introduction: Eating disorders (TEA) are a set of psychiatric illnesses that occur through severely altered eating behaviour as well asassociated thoughts and emotions. In this study, neuropsychological and emotional variables are measured, as well as eating behaviourin a sample of individuals with eating disorders and healthy individuals. Material and methods: The sample consisted of 88 female participants, 39 of them with eating disorders (TEA group, GTCA), and 49without eating disorders (control group, GCTRL) with an age between 13 and 25 years. It has been used test such as DEX or EDI-3 toevaluate variables such as impulsivity and eating behaviour, among others.Results and discussion: The GTCA showed an obsession with thinness (p<0.034) and body dissatisfaction (p<0.02) higher than theGCTRL as well as a lower processing speed. In emotional variables, a higher degree of depression and apathetic state were observed. Patients with a BMI less than 18.5 presented higher levels of anxiety, lower central coherence and greater depressive state, so that thelower the weight, the worse the results. The correlation analysis showed that higher the level of depression, the higher the apathy andimpulsivity, as well as alterations in eating behaviour, memory, attention and cognitive flexibility. Conclusions: Patients with eating disorders present more vulnerable emotional states where depression, apathy and impulsivenessstand out. Motor coordination, processing speed and visuospatial processing have also been correlated with worse results the greaterthe depressive states and impulsivity.(AU)

Attributed Contribution of Therapist's Emotional Variables to Psychotherapeutic Effectiveness: A Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this manuscript is to analyze the degrees of responsibility for healing that psychotherapists attribute to a set of emotional variables of the therapist involved in the therapeutic process. Such variables, framed within the well-known common factors in psychotherapy, have been proven to be essential in making the therapeutic process effective, as has been shown by research in psychotherapy in recent decades. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on an extensive literature review, the responses from a sample of 69 psychotherapists to a tool created ad hoc are analyzed to verify whether their attributions are in line with the results of said review. RESULTS: The therapists have doubts about the factors responsible for psychotherapeutic effectiveness, as well as about the value of common variables, including those of an emotional nature, not valuing them above those of a specific type. They also argue against the similar effectiveness of different psychotherapeutic models. CONCLUSION: Discrepancies have thus been found between the conclusions reached by research on therapeutic processes and the statements made by the therapists studied, which could indicate an insufficient impact of psychotherapeutic research on clinical practice. We also propose courses of action such as establishing training programs for the acquisition and development of emotional skills for therapists that could increase the effectiveness of their interventions.

Prognostic factors and predictors of outcome in children with autism spectrum disorder: the role of the paediatrician.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder is a complex condition with wide variation in type and severity that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, restricted/repetitive behaviours and adaptive behaviours. In recent years, research has deepened the study of the predictive factors of optimal outcome, intended as indicators of positive trajectory in children with a previous diagnosis of autism who, after a therapeutic path, show a significant reduction in the "core" symptoms of autism and a positive evolution in social, adaptive, affective, and relational skills. METHODS: The study included 40 children aged 21 to 66 months, enrolled between 2015 and 2016 for an autism spectrum disorder clinical suspicious. Children were re-evaluated after at least 2 years of therapy and they were divided into two groups: the ASD-ASD group included children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD, and the ASD-OO comparison group included children who no longer met the criteria for an autism classification. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the presence of cognitive, emotional and relational predictors capable of predicting the presence of optimal outcome in with a diagnosis of autism; the predictors taken into consideration were the intelligence quotient, the play, the emotional contagion and the understanding of other's intentions. In this way, it is possible to support clinicians in defining a more complete diagnostic framework of autism, using assessment tools that can be administered quickly and therefore suitable for short observation sessions in paediatric patients. RESULTS: The findings showed that 15 out of 40 children, after at least for 2 years, no longer fell into the diagnostic ASD category based on the ADOS-2, DSM-5 and clinical criteria. The children in the ASD-OO group initially had a higher IQ than those in the ASD-ASD group, lower severity of autistic symptoms, greater understanding of intentions, more emotional contagion, and better quality of play. The results suggest that the initial coexistence of skills in these areas at the time of the first diagnostic assessment may allow us to predict the possibility of achieving optimal outcome after 2 years of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The data of this study highlight the importance of considering, during assessment, intelligence quotient, play, emotional contagion, and understanding of the intentions of others as potential prognostic predictors that can become useful tools for clinicians and paediatricians. This allows us to focus attention, in both the diagnostic and prognostic phases, on emotional-relational variables that can support the clinician in defining a more complete diagnostic framework and in planning a more personalized therapeutic path.

COVID-19 and Emotional Variables in a Sample of Chileans.

INTRODUCTION: During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a set of daily stressors are being experienced, all this affects people's mental health, leading them to have a set of emotional disturbances. Little is known about how people's age can influence their emotional well-being in the face of prolonged stress generate by the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the presence of emotional aspects such as emotional expressiveness and the frequency of positive and negative affections in people with different age in times of crisis. METHODS: The final sample included 297 Chileans between 22 and 68 years old (M = 38.51, SD = 13.85), recruited through an online survey with the appropriate written informed consent. The study was carried out when the pandemic was spreading in Chile. RESULTS: The findings revealed age differences in emotional expressivity and the type of affections experienced. The expression of emotions was more affected by negative affections, the age and the gender of the people. While the avoidance of this emotional expression, by age and affections both positive and negative. Age was a significant predictor of emotional expressiveness. DISCUSSION: Findings suggests that the associations between both variables, varied according to the age group of the people. Furthermore, this finding proposes that although older people are facing the persistent and serious threat of COVID-19, they show better emotional functioning. Which would help to better understand the interaction of both positive and negative life experiences in times of crisis.

Socioeconomic, emotional, and physical execution variables as predictors of cognitive performance in a Spanish sample of middle-aged and older community-dwelling participants.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive performance is not easily predicted, since different variables play an important role in the manifestation of age-related declines. The objective of this study is to analyze the predictors of cognitive performance in a Spanish sample over 50 years from a multidimensional perspective, including socioeconomic, affective, and physical variables. Some of them are well-known predictors of cognition and others are emergent variables in the study of cognition. METHODS: The total sample, drawn from the "Longitudinal Study Aging in Spain (ELES)" project, consisted of 832 individuals without signs of cognitive impairment. Cognitive function was measured with tests evaluating episodic and working memory, visuomotor speed, fluency, and naming. Thirteen independent variables were selected as predictors belonging to socioeconomic, emotional, and physical execution areas. Multiple linear regressions, following the enter method, were calculated for each age group in order to study the influence of these variables in cognitive performance. RESULTS: Education is the variable which best predicts cognitive performance in the 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79 years old groups. In the 80+ group, the best predictor is objective economic status and education does not enter in the model. CONCLUSIONS: Age-related decline can be modified by the influence of educational and socioeconomic variables. In this context, it is relevant to take into account how easy is to modify certain variables, compared to others which depend on each person's life course.

Predictores socioemocionales y cognitivos: su papel en la comprensión del envejecimiento con éxito en el contexto costarricense / Socio-Emotional and Cognitive Predictors: Its Roll on the Comprehension of the Successful Aging in Costarica's Context

RESUMEN Tomando en cuenta las teorías del envejecimiento con éxito, este estudio se orientó hacia la identificación y el análisis de las características que presentan personas adultas mayores con altos niveles de actividad y participación social residentes en Costa Rica. El estudio contó con 191 participantes con edades entre 55 y 87 años (M = 68.5, DE = 6.9) que habitan en el área metropolitana y participan en programas dirigidos a personas mayores en cursos de computación, idiomas, actividad física, arte, entre otros. Mediante modelos lineales, se evidenció la importancia de las condiciones sociales, emocionales y cognitivas como las mejores variables predictoras del nivel de actividad en la muestra estudiada: a) variables emocionales como autoeficacia percibida, emociones positivas, satisfacción con la vida, control personal, adecuadas redes de apoyo; b) características cognitivas como funciones ejecutivas preservadas; c) percepción subjetiva de salud y d) características sociodemográficas como nivel educativo e ingresos. El estudio permite funcionar como línea base, a nivel teórico y metodológico, del envejecimiento con éxito en Costa Rica. Describe los estilos de vida activos en la vejez de los participantes costarricenses, caracterizados primordialmente por la participación en relaciones sociales y ocio, más que por actividades de tipo cognitivas y físicas o vinculadas al logro personal.

ABSTRACT The present study was aimed at identifying and analyzing the characteristics of older people with high levels of activity and social participation living in Costa Rica, from perspectives like the Successful Aging approach. It also addresses the classical criteria of successful aging theories and their scope in Costa Rican culture. 191 participants between the ages of 55 and 87 (M = 68.5, SD = 6.9) who live in the metropolitan area and participate in programs of the Costa Rican Gerontological Association and the Program for the older people at the University of Costa Rica (in computer courses, languages courses, physical activity, art, among others). Linear models analysis has shown that social, emotional and cognitive factors are the best predictors of the level of activity in the analyzed sample. The variables combined to better predict social participation in leisure activities, physical activities, cognitive activities, instrumental functionality and productivity in old age are: a.) Variables of emotional stability as self-efficacy, positive emotions, life satisfaction, personal control, adequate support networks b.) executive functions, c.) perceived subjective health and d.) sociodemographic characteristics such as level of education and income. The study can serve as a baseline for theoretical and methodical descriptions of successful aging in Costa Rica, characterized by a strong orientation to give more importance to social participation and leisure activities rather than cognitive and physical activity or personal achievement.

Evaluación del rol de variables intelectuales y socioemocionales en la resolución de problemas en la adolescencia / Evaluation of the Role of Intellectual and Socioemotional Variables in Solving Problems in Adolescence

El objetivo del estudio es analizar las variables cognitivas, emocionales y socio familiares que alcanzan un mayor poder predictor del afrontamiento eficaz en la adolescencia. Han participado 532 estudiantes de 3° curso de enseñanza secundaria obligatoria, (edad media: 14.45 años y SD= 0.763). Los ANOVA realizados muestran diferencias de género en las variables evaluadas. Los análisis de regresión indican que el apoyo de los demás y la percepción del estrés como un reto y desafío son las variables con mayor poder predictor del afrontamiento centrado en la resolución del problema. Por el contrario, la inteligencia general, la empatia y el apego con los iguales no alcanzan ningún peso significativo en los mecanismos de afrontamiento ante un problema en la adolescencia.

The aim of this research is to analyze cognitive, emotional, and socio-family variables to determine which of these factors have the greatest predictive power to predict effective coping mechanisms among adolescents forced to resolve problems. The sample is made up of 532 students in the third stage of compulsory secondary education (mean = 14.45 years old; SD = 0.763). Using ANOVA, we show the existence of gender differences for the variables under study. Furthermore, regression analysis indicates that the support of others and the perception of stress as a challenge are the variables with the greatest power to predict a coping mechanism when resolving a problem. In contrast, general intelligence, empathy, and attachment to peers have no significant weighting in the prediction of coping mechanisms among adolescents faced with problems.