A Network Analysis Study on the Structure and Gender Invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale among Spanish University Students.

INTRODUCTION: The psychometric properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) have been evaluated across numerous languages and population groups, primarily from a factor analysis perspective. In some studies, inconsistencies in structural invariance have been identified. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the properties and gender invariance of the SWLS from a network analysis perspective. METHOD: A total of 857 Spanish university students were obtained through a stratified random cluster sampling method in a cross-sectional survey design study. Descriptive analysis of the items, partial-correlation network, Bayesian network model estimation, and invariance analysis by gender were conducted. RESULTS: The instrument did not exhibit any floor or ceiling effects. Each item can be considered univariately normally distributed, and all items clustered in a single and stable community. The partial-correlation network model and centrality measures were stable in the full sample and invariant across genders. Item 3 emerged as the most central node in the network with the highest predictability. The Bayesian network indicated that items 2 and 4 initiate the process, while item 5 acts as the sink, and items 1 and 3 act as mediators. CONCLUSIONS: The SWLS can be used as a unidimensional measure, and the total score and relationships among items are stable and reliable. Any potential differences among genders cannot be associated with the functioning of the instrument. The predictability of every item was high, and the Bayesian network clearly identified different roles among the items.

Comparison of Emotional Processing Between Patients with Substance Use Disorder and Those with Dual Diagnosis: Relationship with Severity of Dependence and Use During Treatment.

This study analyzed, in a Spanish sample, the differences in emotional processing in patients diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) and patients with a dual diagnosis (DD), and tested whether alterations in emotional regulation were related to the severity of dependence and consumption during treatment. A descriptive follow-up study was conducted with 88 adult outpatients (83% men) who were receiving treatment for alcohol and cocaine SUD. Of the sample, 43.2% presented dual diagnosis according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Emotional processing was assessed with the IAPS, and dependence severity with the SDSS. Consumption was determined with self-reports and toxicological tests. Regression analyses revealed that the DD group had more difficulties in identifying the valence and arousal of the images than patients with SUD. Patients with DD presented more difficulty in identifying images in which valence was manipulated, but not in those in which arousal was manipulated. Cocaine use during treatment was associated with difficulties in identifying unpleasant (U = 734.0; p < .05) and arousing (U = 723.5; p < .05) images. Although these results are preliminary, findings suggest that impaired emotional processing is aggravated in dual patients, although it may be a common transdiagnostic factor in SUD and other comorbid mental disorders. Findings highlight the importance of evaluating emotional regulation to better understand its possible role in the maintenance of substance use.

Validation of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II in Spanish University Students.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyse the psychometric properties of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II (CEI-II) to provide evidence of validity for its use in research on health promotion and the quality of life of young Spanish university students. METHOD: A sample of 807 participants (75.09% female) aged 18-26 years (M = 20.68; SD = 2.13) completed the CEI-II and health and quality of life measures questionnaire. RESULTS: A unidimensional structure was confirmed, but the original two-dimensional structure also showed an adequate fit. The measures obtained from the CEI-II were gender- and age-invariant, which exhibited adequate internal consistency for both the full scale and subscales, and showed a statistically significant relationship with life satisfaction, sense of coherence, and psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The CEI-II can be used as unidimensional, which is recommended, but also as a two-dimensional measure. Both structures provide reliable, valid, and invariant measures across gender and age of exploratory behaviours in Spanish university students. Furthermore, the results confirm the association between exploratory behaviours and greater health management.

Validación de las Escalas Uso Problemático de Medios con Pantallas y su versión corta en población española / Validation of the Problematic Media Use Measure (PMUM) and its short version in the Spanish population

El uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en edades tempranas es cada vez más generalizado. El objetivo de este trabajo fueaportar evidencias de validez y de fiabilidad de la adaptación al español de la Escala de Uso Problemático de Medios con Pantallas (Problematic MediaUse Measure) y su versión corta (Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form). Ambas evalúan el uso problemático de los medios con pantalla enmenores de 4 a 11 años, con la información proporcionada por sus progenitores. La evidencia de validez se basó en el análisis de su estructura internay su relación con otras variables, y la estimación de su fiabilidad se basó en el modelo Omega de McDonald. La muestra consistió en 230 progenitoresde alumnos de dos centros de educación infantil y primaria de la provincia de Huelva (España), con una edad media de 39.58 años (DE = 5.70). Losprogenitores aportaron datos de 230 menores, con edades entre los 4 y los 11 años (M = 8.65; DT = 2.12). De estos, 111 eran niños (48.3%) y116 niñas (50.4%), con tres participantes omitiendo el género. Los resultados, obtenidos mediante un Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio, muestran queambas escalas se ajustan a un modelo unidimensional y cuentan con altos valores de confiabilidad (valor Omega de McDonald de .96 para la escalacompleta y de .90 para la reducida). Se encontró que los dispositivos más utilizados fueron TV, DVD y vídeos, y que su uso se correlacionó positiva ysignificativamente con la preocupación de los padres. Ambas escalas en su versión española se muestran como instrumentos útiles para evaluar el usoproblemático de los medios con pantallas a partir del reporte de los padres. (AU)

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) at an early age is becoming more widespread. The aim of this work was to provide evidence of validity and reliability ofthe Spanish adaptation of the Problematic Media Use Measure and its short version (Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form). Both evaluatethe problematic media use in children aged 4 to 11 years, by means of the information provided by their parents. The validity evidence was basedon the assessment of its internal structure and its relationship with other variables, and the estimation of its reliability was based on McDonald’sOmega model. The sample consisted of 230 parents of students from two early childhood and primary education centers in the province of Huelva(Spain), with a mean age of 39.58 years (SD = 5.70). Parents provided data on 230 minors, aged between 4 and 11 years (M = 8.65; SD = 2.12).Of these, 111 were boys (48.3%) and 116 girls (50.4%), with three participants omitting gender. The results, obtained by means of a ConfirmatoryFactor Analysis (CFA), shows that both scales fit a unidimensional model and have high reliability values (McDonald’s Omega value of .96 for the fullscale and .90 for the reduced scale). It was found that the most used devices were TV, DVD and videos, and that their use correlated positive andsignificantly with parental concern. Both scales in their Spanish version are shown to be useful instruments for the assessment of the problematicmedia use by means of the parents report. (AU)

Changes in Drug-Related Implicit Associations during Substance Use Disorder Treatment: The Role of the Therapeutic Context.

BACKGROUND: Implicit cognition has been linked to relapse in substance use disorder (SUD). Studies on attentional bias have found different outcomes related to the therapeutic context, finding an association with relapse in inpatients but not in outpatients. There are no similar studies that use associations in semantic memory as a measure of implicit cognition. OBJECTIVES: (i) to analyze the relationship between a measure of associations in semantic memory and relapse in inpatients and outpatients; (ii) to compare the evolution of these associations between inpatients and outpatients after 3 months of treatment. METHODS: Eighty nine outpatients and 94 inpatients with SUD for cocaine and alcohol participated in this study. We employed a longitudinal design with a baseline evaluation and follow-up after three months, using the Word Association Task for Drug Use Disorder (WAT-DUD). RESULTS: The choice of drug-related words predicted relapse in cocaine (odds ratio = 1.97, z = 2.01, p = .045) and alcohol-cocaine (odds ratio = 2.39, z = 2.55, p = .011) use. Follow-up at 3 months revealed a reduction in the choice of drug-related words in inpatients (Z = 2.031, p = .042). CONCLUSIONS: A greater choice of drug-associated words in the presence of ambiguous images was related to relapse in inpatients but not in outpatients. The inpatients group showed a reduction in the semantic association with drugs during the first three months of treatment.

Impairments in Executive Functioning in Patients with Comorbid Substance Use and Personality Disorders: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the evidence for impaired executive functioning in patients diagnosed with a dual pathology of personality disorder (PD) and substance use disorder, and to identify whether differences exist in comparison to those with a single diagnosis. Methods: A systematic search was conducted to identify studies using measures of executive functioning in patients with PD-substance use disorder dual pathology. Sixteen studies were selected. Results: The results indicate that dual pathology patients with Cluster C personality disorder do not differ from controls, and that the presence of dual pathology does not influence the updating domain of executive functioning. The findings were inconclusive with regard to dual pathology patients with Cluster B personality disorders. Whilst the various studies consistently show that these patients show worse performance than the control groups, here are contradictory results with regard to whether Cluster B personality disorders add more alterations in executive functioning to those that already appear in substance use disorder. Conclusions: The results suggest the need for further research that more adequately controls variables such as time in treatment, medication, and sample size, whilst there is also a need to employ longitudinal designs that include more patients from Clusters A and C.

Dimensions of Leisure and Perceived Health in Young University Students.

The aim of this study was to analyze the main leisure habits of students at the University of Huelva and the relationship with perceived health by grouping the various activities into components whilst also evaluating possible gender differences. The sample was selected through random cluster sampling and was composed of 903 students from various courses and degrees. Of the sample, 73.8% were female and 26.2% were male, with a mean age of 20.82 years. The participants responded to items measuring perceived health and the inventory of leisure activities extracted from the INJUVE (Spanish Youth Observatory) survey. The results obtained offered a solution of four components, grouping the activities into passive leisure, festive leisure, sports-competitive leisure and cultural leisure. Passive leisure was the most practiced and cultural leisure the least practiced. Statistically significant differences were observed between men and women in terms of the sports-competitive component and in the perception of health. In addition, a direct relationship was found between the sports-competitive dimension and health perception. These results support the existence of a "techno-active" profile in males and should be considered in the creation of university policies linked to health promotion or the prevention of risk behaviors.

Personality Traits and Impulsivity Tasks Among Substance Use Disorder Patients: Their Relations and Links With Retention in Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Various authors have described the elements of impulsive approach and inhibitory control in drug users. These two components have been studied in terms of personality traits, performance on tasks that measure impulsive behavior, and neurophysiology. However, few studies have analyzed the association between these constructs. Thus, the aim of the present study is to analyze the associations between personality traits and performance on impulsivity tasks. METHODS: A follow-up study was conducted with a baseline assessment at the beginning and end of treatment. The sample was composed of 121 patients undergoing treatment in therapeutic communities. Personality domains were evaluated through the PID-5. The impulsivity tasks employed were the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), Delay Discounting Test (DDT), Go/No-Go and Stroop test. RESULTS: A correlation was found between DDT scores and the domains of detachment (r = -.315; p<.01), antagonism (r = -.294; p<.01), and disinhibition (r = .215; p<.05). Performance on the Stroop task was significantly associated with psychoticism (r = .232; p<.05) and negative affect (r = .212; p<.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that IGT scores and negative affect predict retention in treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings partially support the hypothesized association between sensation-seeking personality traits and detachment with impulsive choice tasks; and the relationships between negative affect and psychoticism traits with performance on inhibitory control tasks. Further, impulsive choice task scores and negative affect are both shown to predict retention in treatment.

Ciberviolencia en las relaciones de pareja: una revisión sobre su metodología de investigación / Cyber dating violence: A Review of Its Research Methodology

En los últimos años ha aumentado el interés por el estudio de la ciberviolencia en la pareja, sin embargo es necesario examinar la metodología de investigación que sustenta las evidencias obtenidas hasta el momento. Este artículo presenta una revisión sistemática de la literatura científica que analiza 30 instrumentos de medida de ciberviolencia en la pareja de adolescentes y jóvenes adultos utilizados a lo largo de estos años. Los principales resultados muestran una elevada pluralidad metodológica, conceptual y terminológica, observándose un reducido número de instrumentos con suficientes garantías psicométricas. Predominan los trabajos de procedencia estadounidense y, entre los instrumentos aplicados en muestras españolas, destaca una infrarrepresentación de indicadores de ciberviolencia de tipo sexual, lo que limita la comprensión de esta problemática. Esta investigación aporta información sobre el estado actual en el estudio de la ciberviolencia en la pareja y pone de relieve deficiencias metodológicas en la construcción del conocimiento en este campo de estudio. Este trabajo permite una mejor comprensión de la disparidad de resultados señalada por investigaciones previas, especialmente referidas a prevalencia, frecuencia y diferencias de género en este tipo de comportamientos violentos, además de sentar las bases para abordar el fenómeno desde el rigor científico

The interest for the study of the cyber dating abuse has increased in the last years; however, it is necessary to examine the research methodology that supports the evidence obtained so far. This paper presents a systematic review of the scientific literature that analyzes 30 measuring instruments of cyber dating abuse in adolescent and young adults used along these years. The main results show a methodological, conceptual and terminological plurality, observing a small number of instruments with sufficient psychometric guarantees. The instruments come mostly from the United States, and of the instruments applied to Spanish samples, few include indicators of sexual cyber dating abuse, which limits the understanding of this problem. This research provides information on the current status of the study of cyber dating abuse and highlights methodological shortcomings in the construction of knowledge in this field of study. This study allows a better understanding of the disparity of results indicated by previous research, especially referring to prevalence, frequency and gender differences in this type of violent behavior, as well as laying the foundations for addressing the phenomenon from scientific rigor

Association of Religious Activity with Male Suicide Deaths.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between suicide in men and stratified measures of religiosity. METHODS: We studied 192 suicides and 81 controls (nonsuicide, sudden, or accidental death). We employed the psychological autopsy method to compile diagnoses based on DSM-IV criteria. Overall, religiosity and participation in religious associations were determined using a Likert-type scale. Given the limited participation of women in the religious associations of southern Spain, only male subjects were included. RESULTS: Religious participants had decreased risk of suicide compared to nonparticipants (OR = 0.148, 95% CI = 0.049-0.447). This lower risk was further associated with the degree of involvement in religious activity. Suicides accounted for 73.47% of subjects with no religious participation, 61.17% of those with some participation, and 56.52% of frequent participants (linear trend test Z = -2.0329, p = .042). Membership in a religious association was also associated with a lower rate of suicide compared to nonmembers (OR = 0.356, 95% CI = 0.172-0.736). This effect was similarly associated with the degree of involvement in the association. Suicides accounted for 74.67% of subjects who never participated in the activities of a religious association, 69.23% of those who sometimes participated, and 42.86% of frequent participants (linear trend test Z = -3.4082, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Religiosity, either as general participation or through a religious association, was associated with protection against suicide proportional to the degree of involvement in religious activities.

Reliability and validity evidence of a new interpretation bias task in patients diagnosed with drug use disorder: a preliminary study of the Word Association Task for Drug Use Disorder (WAT-DUD).

Background: Interpretation bias tasks such as word association tests have shown a moderate relation with substance use, but most studies have been conducted in nonclinical samples and these tasks are difficult to rate. Objectives: To provide: (1) reliability evidence of the Word Association Task for Drug Use Disorder (WAT-DUD), a novel and easy-to-rate instrument for measuring interpretation bias and (2) validity evidence based on the relationship between the WAT-DUD and variables associated with patterns of drug use and treatment outcomes. Methods: 186 patients (67 outpatients and 119 inpatients, 90% males) participated in the study. The task consisted of a simultaneous conditional discrimination where an image (either explicit or ambiguous) was the sample and two words (drug-related or not) served as comparison stimuli. The Substance Dependence Severity Scale, the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire-Now, and the Multidimensional Craving Scale were also used. Results: The ambiguous images items showed adequate reliability in terms of internal consistency (α = .80) and test-retest reliability (79.7% on average). The interpretation of images as drug-related was positively correlated with craving for cocaine (r = .20; p = .029), alcohol (r = .30; p = . 01), and alcohol withdrawal (r = .31; p = .01) along with severity of alcohol dependence (r = .23; p = .04). No relationship was found with the severity of cocaine dependence, or its symptoms of abstinence. Conclusion: WAT-DUD shows psychometric properties that support its use in research contexts, although more research is needed for its use in the clinical setting.

Relations between facets and personality domains with impulsivity: New evidence using the DSM-5 Section III framework in patients with substance use disorders.

Section III of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition proposes an alternative diagnostic model for personality disorders based on the identification of pathological personality facets. Despite the existing evidence for the relationship between personality disorders and impulsivity in patients with substance use disorders, no study has yet been conducted within this framework. Thus, using a sample of 110 patients with substance use disorders, the present work aims to (a) analyze the relationship between the different personality facets and domains evaluated by the Personality Inventory for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PID-5) and impulsivity and (b) explore the relationships between severity of dependency and personality facets and dimensions of impulsivity. With respect to PID-5 domains, except for sensation-seeking, antagonism and disinhibition showed correlations higher than .30 with the following dimensions: urgency, premeditation, perseverance, sensation-seeking, and positive urgency (UPPS-P). The domains of detachment and psychoticism showed weaker correlations with different UPPS-P dimensions. The risk-taking PID-5 facet explains 49% variability of the sensation-seeking dimension of UPPS-P, whereas the impulsivity facet was significant on regression models computed with lack of premeditation, positive urgency, and negative urgency dimensions. Heroin and cocaine severity of dependence were moderately related to different personality facets. Lower relationships between alcohol and cannabis severity of dependence, impulsivity, and PID-5 facets were found. As a conclusion, the relationships between personality domains and impulsivity behave similarly to their five-factor equivalents for some dimensions but not for negative urgency, which might indicate the lack of specificity of this dimension of impulsivity on this type of patients. (PsycINFO Database Record

Adaptation to spanish of an ethnocultural empathy scale / Adaptação ao espanhol de uma escola de empatia etnocultural / Adaptación al español de una escala de empatía etnocultural

The aim of this study is to adapt the Ethnocultural Empathy Scale of Wang, et al. to Spanish. A process of translation and back-translation of the items was carried out and their psychometric properties were explored in a sample of 441 nursing students from universities in Western Andalusia. Exploratory analyses were used to form sets of items that would reduce the number of indicators for each latent factor in the confirmatory analysis. After obtaining the sets of items, we tested the fit of the data to two factorial structures: a model with four interrelated first-order factors, and another with a second-order factor composed of four first-order factors. The factor structure of the original scale and an appropriate reliability and validity are confirmed. The results obtained support the utilization of the Spanish version of this scale with students of health sciences.

O objetivo deste estudo é a adaptação para espanhol da escala de empatia etnocultural de Wang, et al. Foi realizado um processo de tradução e retrotradução dos itens e as suas propriedades psicométricas foram exploradas numa amostra de 441 estudantes de Enfermagem de universidades da Andaluzia Ocidental. As análises exploratórias foram utilizadas para agrupar os itens, o que reduziu o número de indicadores de cada fator na análise confirmatória. Testou-se o ajuste dos dados a duas estruturas fatoriais: um modelo com quatro fatores de primeira ordem inter-relacionados e outro com um fator de segunda ordem composto por quatro fatores de primeira ordem. Confirma-se a estrutura fatorial da escala original e uma adequada fiabilidade e validade externa. Os resultados apoiam a utilização da versão espanhola desta escala em estudantes de ciências da saúde.

El objetivo de este estudio es adaptar al español la escala de Empatía Etnocultural de Wang, et al. Se llevó a cabo un proceso de traducción y retrotraducción de los ítems y se exploraron sus propiedades psicométricas en una muestra de 441 estudiantes de Enfermería de universidades de Andalucía Occidental. Los análisis exploratorios se emplearon para formar paquetes de ítems que permitieran reducir el número de indicadores de cada factor latente en los análisis confirmatorios. Se puso a prueba el ajuste de los datos a dos estructuras factoriales: un modelo con cuatro factores de primer orden relacionados entre sí, y otro con un factor de segundo orden compuesto por cuatro factores de primer orden. Se confirma la estructura factorial de la escala original y una adecuada fiabilidad y validez externa. Los resultados apoyan la utilización de la versión española de esta escala en estudiantes de ciencias de la salud.

Estrés de rol y satisfacción laboral: examinando el papel mediador del engagement en el trabajo / Role stress and job satisfaction: examining the mediating role of work engagement

El objetivo de este estudio es examinar las relaciones entre estrés de rol, engagement y satisfacción laboral de acuerdo con el modelo demandas-recursos laborales. El modelo propuesto plantea que el engagement media la relación entre ambigüedad, conflicto y sobrecarga de rol, por un lado y satisfacción en el trabajo, por el otro. Para verificar el modelo, se obtuvieron datos de una muestra de 586 trabajadores del sur de España (Medad = 37.11, 50% mujeres). El ajuste del modelo y de la mediación se realizaron mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (path analysis). Los resultados mostraron que el conflicto de rol y la ambigüedad de rol junto con el engagement fueron predictores significativos de la satisfacción laboral. No obstante, el engagement no medió la relación entre el estrés de rol y la satisfacción laboral. El estrés de rol como demanda obstaculizadora explicaría el mayor impacto directo sobre la satisfacción que a través del engagement. Se proponen implicaciones prácticas y futuras investigaciones (AU)

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between role stress, work engagement, and job satisfaction according to the Job Demands-Resources Model. The proposed model hypothesizes that work engagement mediates the relationship between role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload on one hand, and job satisfaction on the other. To test the model, data was collected from 586 workers from southern Spain (Mage = 37.11, 50% women). Model fit and mediation test were examined using structural equation modeling (path analysis). Results showed that role conflict, role ambiguity, and work engagement were significant predictors of job satisfaction. However, work engagement did not mediate the relationship between role stress and job satisfaction. Role stress as a hindrance job demand would explain the most direct impact on job satisfaction than through work engagement. Implications for practice and future research are considered (AU)

Structural model of acculturation attitudes and related psychosocial variables: empirical evidence in native Spaniards.

This work falls within the framework of the study of acculturation processes of natives and immigrants. Its goal is to test an explanatory multi-group model of natives' acculturation attitudes as a function of diverse psychosocial variables: Prejudice and natives' appraisal of their own culture (in a direct way) and inter-group contact and perceived inter-group similarity (in an indirect way). Participants were 499 Spaniards surveyed for their attitude towards Romanian immigrants and 493 towards Ecuadorian immigrants. The indicators used took into account three socio-cultural spheres: peripheral, intermediate and central areas. This multi-group model shows an adequate fit to the data.

Test de Actitud Prejuiciosa (TAP): Estudios de fiabilidad y evidencias de validez basadas en la estructura interna en autóctonos e inmigrantes / Prejudice Attitude Test (PAT): Reliability and validity evidences based on the internal structure studies in autochthonous and immigrant

Este trabajo se enmarca en el estudio del prejuicio en las poblaciones autóctona e inmigrante. El objetivo es llevar a cabo un estudio de las propiedades psicométricas de una nueva medida de la actitud de prejuicio para los diferentes grupos (mayorías y minorías), el Test de Actitud Prejuiciosa (TAP). El TAP se basa en una concepción tricomponente de la actitud prejuiciosa, considerando cogniciones, afectos e intenciones de conducta. Este trabajo muestra los resultados de las estimaciones de fiabilidad y el estudio de diversas fuentes de evidencias de validez: su estructura interna y relaciones con otras variables. La muestra estuvo formada por 1.967 participantes: 992 españoles, 500 rumanos y 475 ecuatorianos. La muestra fue seleccionada en 12 municipios con altas tasas de personas inmigrantes censadas, elegidas en cuatro comunidades autónomas de la zona mediterránea de España. El TAP presenta propiedades psicométricas adecuadas para su uso tanto en los grupos mayoritarios como minoritarios: una fiabilidad adecuada, una estructura interna sustantiva y relaciones con otras variables que son coherentes con el constructo en que se basa la prueba (AU)

The framework of this research is the study of prejudice between autochthonous and immigrant people. Its aim is to conduct a study of the psychometric properties of a new measure of prejudice attitude for different groups (majority and minority groups), the Prejudice Attitude Test (PAT). The PAT is based on a conceptual design of attitude with three dimensions: cognitive, emotional and conative. This work shows the results of reliability estimates and the study of validity evidences (internal structure). Sample was formed by 1967 participants: there were 992 Spanish, 500 Romanian and 475 Ecuadorian people. The sample was selected in 12 municipalities with high rates of immigrant people in their census, chosen in four autonomous communities of Spain's Mediterranean zone. The PAT shows psychometric properties suitable for its use both in majority and in minority groups: an adequate reliability, a substantive internal structure that are consistent with the construct underlying the test (AU)

Prejudiced attitude measurement using the Rasch Rating Scale model.

There have been two basic approaches for the study of minority group prejudice against the majority: to adapt instruments from the majority group, and to use qualitative techniques by analyzing the content of the discourse of the groups involved. Neither of these procedures solves the problem of measuring intergroup attitudes of majorities and minorities in interaction. This study shows the result of a prejudice scale which was developed to measure the attitude of both the minority and majority groups. Prejudice is conceived as an attitude which requires the beliefs or opinions about the out-group, the emotions it elicits, and the behavior or intentional behavior toward it to be known for its evaluation. The innovation in this work is that the psychometric development of the scale was based on the item response theory, and more specifically, the rating scale model.

Propiedades psicométricas del GHQ-28 en pacientes con dependencia a opiáceos / Psychometric properties of the GHQ-28 in opiate-dependent patients

Objetivo: Conocer las propiedades psicométricas del GHQ-28 cuando se administra a una muestra de pacientes con dependencia a opiáceos. Método: 138 pacientes con diagnóstico de dependencia a opiáceos han participado en el estudio. La fiabilidad se ha estimado por el procedimiento alpha de Cronbach y dos mitades con Spearman-Brown. Se ha aplicado un análisis factorial confirmatorio para conocer la estructura factorial del instrumento. La sensibilidad y especificidad del instrumento para la detección de posibles casos psiquiátricos se ha realizado mediante el estudio de la curva COR (Característica Operativa del Receptor), usando como criterio el diagnóstico DSM-IV aportado por la Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Resultados: Los resultados de la estimación de la fiabilidad del instrumento son adecuados. En cuanto a los resultados de validez no se ha podido confirmar la estructura de cuatro factores delGHQ-28 propuesta originariamente por Goldberg y Hillier. Los parámetros de sensibilidad y especificidad muestran unos valores óptimos de 60,7%y 73,7% respectivamente, estando correctamente clasificados el 65,9%de los participantes. Conclusiones: El GHQ-28 muestra una adecuada fiabilidad si bien no se ha podido confirmar la estructura factorial original. Los parámetros de sensibilidad y especificidad son apropiados. Dados estos resultados y los proporcionados por otros estudios de validez donde se muestra la relación con la severidad de la dependencia, la salud física y la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, se puede considerar que el GHQ-28 puede ser un instrumento útil para el screening en la práctica clínica (AU)

Objective: To know the psychometric properties of the GHQ-28 when it is applied to a sample of opiate-dependent patients. Method: Participants were 138 opiate-dependent patients. Reliability was estimated by means of the Cronbach’s alpha and Spearman-Brown coefficients. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was applied to check the four-factor structure proposed by Goldberg and Hillier. The sensitivity and specificity of the instrument for the detection of possible psychiatric cases were measured using ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis, using as criterion the DSMIV diagnosis from the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Results: Reliability estimation was adequate. Validity results could not confirm the four-factor structure of GHQ-28 proposed by Goldberg and Hillier. The sensitivity and specificity parameters show optimum values of 60.7 % and 73.7 %, respectively, 65.9 % of the participants being correctly classified. Conclusions: GHQ-28 shows adequate reliability and appropriate sensitivity and specificity parameters when it is applied to opiate-dependent patients. However, the original factorial structure could not be confirmed. Given these results and those from other validity studies in which the relationships with Severity of Dependence, Physical Health and Health-Related Quality of Life were shown, the GHQ-28 can be considered a useful instrument for screening in clinical practice (AU)

Adolescencia, grupo de iguales y consumo de sustancias. Un estudio descriptivo y relacional / No disponible

Con el objetivo de describir la frecuencia con la que chicos y chicas adolescentes escolarizados de entre 15 y 18 años consumen diferentes sustancias y de analizar la relación entre el tipo de amigos y tales consumos, se administró un cuestionario a 6821 chicos y chicas de todo el país. La muestra era representativa en cuanto a hábitat (rural/urbano), tipo de escolarización (pública o privada-concertada) y zona geográfica del país. Los resultados muestran que quienes consumen sustancias de uso frecuente en nuestro contexto (alcohol, tabaco y cannabis) tienen amigos que también realizan estos “consumos normativos”, mientras que quienes consumen sustancias infrecuentes (pegamentos, medicamentos, opiáceos) tienen amigos que, además de consumir esas mismas sustancias, realizan conductas antisociales. Se discuten los datos argumentando que el consumo de sustancias habituales en nuestra sociedad ha terminado formando parte de un sistema más amplio de ritos de transición a la adultez, mientras que el consumo de sustancias infrecuentes se revela como un indicador más de una posible vida marcada por dificultades y problemas de diversa índole

Our aim was to describe how frequently do 15 to 18 year old adolescents attending school engage in certain substance use, and to analyze the correspondence between this use behaviour and types of peers. A questionnaire was answered by 6,821 Spanish boys and girls. This was a representative sample regarding habitat (rural/urban), type of school attended (public or private) and country geographic area. Results show that adolescents who engage in the use of substances which are common within our context (alcohol, tobacco and cannabis) have friends who also engage in this “normative use” behaviour; whereas infrequent substance users (glue, medical drugs, opiates) have friends who not only engage in the use of these substances, but also in antisocial behaviour. Data is discussed arguing that the use of substances which are common in our society has ended up being part of a greater system of rites of passage to adulthood, whereas the use of non frequent substances could be seen as another indicator of a life possibly marked by different problems and adversity