Jose A. Piqueras
Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Psicologia de la Salud, Faculty Member
- Information & Communication Technology, Childhood Obesity, Social Anxiety, Diagnosis & Detection of Mental Illness, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Internet psychology, and 21 moreChildhood Social Anxiety, Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Screening mental disorder, Psicología de la Salud, Neuropsychology, Psychotherapy and Counseling, Child and adolescent mental health, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Developmental Psychopathology, Psychological Assessment, Clinical Health Psychology, Cognition and Emotion, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Child Psychological Assessment, Child Psychopathology, Child and adolescent psychopathology, Neuroimaging of Emotions, Education, Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Mental Healthedit
Significant evidence does exist on the effectiveness of transdiagnostic interventions to improve emotional problems in clinical populations, and their application as universal and indicated prevention programs. However, no randomized... more
Significant evidence does exist on the effectiveness of transdiagnostic interventions to improve emotional problems in clinical populations, and their application as universal and indicated prevention programs. However, no randomized controlled trials (RCT) studying selective transdiagnostic prevention intervention have been published. This is the first known RCT to evaluate the efficacy/effectiveness of an evidence-based selective prevention transdiagnostic program for emotional problems in adolescents. The impact of three different interventions was evaluated: (1) PROCARE (Preventive transdiagnostic intervention for Adolescents at Risk for Emotional disorders), which is a group-based, online-delivered, abbreviated version of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A), along with adding a booster session, to reduce risk of onset of anxiety and depression, (2) PROCARE + , which includes the PROCARE protocol along with personalized...
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Resumen La evaluación y entrenamiento de las habilidades sociales constituye un área de permanente actualidad tanto en la clínica como en la investigación. No obstante, la evaluación de las habilidades sociales ha sido, desde sus... more
Resumen La evaluación y entrenamiento de las habilidades sociales constituye un área de permanente actualidad tanto en la clínica como en la investigación. No obstante, la evaluación de las habilidades sociales ha sido, desde sus comienzos, un área difícil de abordar. Un problema actual es que aún hoy día se siguen utilizando profusamente instrumentos de autoinforme de las habilidades sociales publicados en la década de los años 70. El objetivo principal de este estudio ha sido desarrollar un nuevo cuestionario que evaluase las principales dimensiones o clases de respuesta que comprende el constructo de las habilidades sociales. La tercera versión del " Cuestionario de habilidades sociales " (CHASO-III), formada por 76 ítems, se aplicó a 826 participantes de diversas provincias españolas. El análisis factorial exploratorio arrojó 10 factores coherentes y con escaso solapamiento entre ellos. Se seleccionaron los mejores cuatro ítems por factor, con el fin de establecer la versión final del cuestionario, el CHASO. Las propiedades psicométricas obtenidas para esta versión final, incluyendo su consistencia interna, su fiabilidad y su validez, fueron muy adecuadas, ofreciendo, así, un nuevo y actualizado instrumento de autoinforme de las habilidades sociales. Abstract The assessment and training of social skills constitutes a continuous hot topic both in clinic and research settings. However, social skills assessment has been since its beginnings a difficult area to address. One ongoing issue is that even today self-report instruments for social skills published in the 1970s are still profusely used. The main objective of this study has been to develop a new questionnaire to assess the main dimensions or response classes included in the Este estudio ha sido financiado parcialmente por la Fundación para el Avance de la Psicología Clínica Conductual (FUNVECA). El Equipo de Investigación CISO-A España, coautor de este artículo, está compuesto por: María J. Irurtia (
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Este trabajo presenta las propiedades psicométricas del “Inventario de ansie¬dad y fobia social-forma breve” (Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory-Brief form, SPAI-B) en jóvenes adultos estudiantes universitarios y analiza la viabilidad de... more
Este trabajo presenta las propiedades psicométricas del “Inventario de ansie¬dad y fobia social-forma breve” (Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory-Brief form, SPAI-B) en jóvenes adultos estudiantes universitarios y analiza la viabilidad de su aplicación online. El estudio 1 incluyó 310 estudiantes universitarios. Se aplicaron el SPAI-B, la “Escala de miedo a la evaluación negativa, versión breve” (BFNE) y la “Escala de afecto positivo y negativo” (PANAS). Los resultados apoyaron la estruc¬tura original unidimensional del SPAI-B, su consistencia interna (.89-.94) y la validez concurrente con la BFNE (.60) y con el afecto negativo (.47). Las mujeres presentaron puntuaciones significativamente más elevadas que los hombres. En el estudio 2 participaron 76 estudiantes universitarios, que cumplimentaron el SPAI-B y la “Escala rasgo de metaconocimiento emocional” (TMMS-24) online. Esta aplicación resultó equivalente a la aplicación de lápiz y papel, mostrando una estructura factorial similar, valores de consistencia interna semejantes (.92) y puntuaciones medias equivalentes. Los hallazgos de los estudios 1 y 2 apoyan la fiabilidad y validez del SPAI-B para la evaluación de la ansiedad social en población universitaria.
de Psicología Clínica ISSN 0716-6184 (impresa) · ISSN 0718-4808 (en línea) terapia psicolÓgica 2013, Vol. 31, Nº 2, 187-195 Eficacia de un programa de prevención cognitivo-conductual breve del rechazo social en niños Resumen Los programas... more
de Psicología Clínica ISSN 0716-6184 (impresa) · ISSN 0718-4808 (en línea) terapia psicolÓgica 2013, Vol. 31, Nº 2, 187-195 Eficacia de un programa de prevención cognitivo-conductual breve del rechazo social en niños Resumen Los programas de prevención del rechazo social en la infancia son todavía muy escasos. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar los efectos de un programa de intervención cognitivo-conductual breve basado en el desarrollo de competencias socio-emocionales, diseñado para prevenir el rechazo social infantil y patologías asociadas. Para ello se siguió un diseño cuasiexperimental pretest-postest con grupo control no equivalente. La muestra se compuso de 94 estudiantes de 8 a 12 años. El tratamiento consistió en un programa multicom-ponente cognitivo-conductual aplicado en grupo, con una frecuencia semanal y un total de 6 sesiones de 60 minutos cada una. Los resultados apoyaron la eficacia del programa de desarrollo de competencias infantil, obteniendo efectos positiv...
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This article presents the psychometric properties of a new measure of social anxiety, the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for adults (SAQ), composed of 30 items that were developed based on participants from 16 Latin American countries,... more
This article presents the psychometric properties of a new measure of social anxiety, the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for adults (SAQ), composed of 30 items that were developed based on participants from 16 Latin American countries, Spain, and Portugal. Two groups of participants were included in the study: a nonclinical group involving 18,133 persons and a clinical group comprising 334 patients with a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (social phobia). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a 5-factor structure of the questionnaire. The factors were labeled as follows: (1) Interactions with strangers, (2) Speaking in public/talking with people in authority, (3) Interactions with the opposite sex, (4) Criticism and embarrassment, and (5) Assertive expression of annoyance, disgust, or displeasure. Psychometric evidence supported the internal consistency, convergent validity, and measurement invariance
of the SAQ. To facilitate clinical applications, a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis identified cut scores for men and women for each factor and for the global score.
of the SAQ. To facilitate clinical applications, a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis identified cut scores for men and women for each factor and for the global score.
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The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between Internet addiction andsocial anxiety and social skills difficulties in a sample consisting of 446 Spanish adolescents between 12 and 16 years old.Our results show... more
The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between Internet addiction andsocial anxiety and social skills difficulties in a sample consisting of 446 Spanish adolescents between 12 and 16 years old.Our results show thatadolescents with high scores in problematic use of the Internetpresent higher scores in social anxiety and social skills difficulties. Furthermore, the intrapersonal addiction showed a positive significant association both with the degree of social anxiety and with lack of assertiveness. On the other hand, the interpersonal addiction did more with social anxiety. Data from this study can help to design and implement prevention programs for a healthy use of the Internet at school and inhome settings.
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This article describes the psychometric properties of the Social Phobia andAnxiety Inventory-Brief form (SPAI-B) in college young adults and examines thefeasibility of the Internet administration. Study 1 included 310 college students.The... more
This article describes the psychometric properties of the Social Phobia andAnxiety Inventory-Brief form (SPAI-B) in college young adults and examines thefeasibility of the Internet administration. Study 1 included 310 college students.The SPAI-B, the Brief Version of the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE), andthe Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were administered. Results supported the original unidimensional structure of the SPAI-B, its internal consis-tency (0.89-0.94), and the concurrent validity, paired with BFNE (0.60) and nega-tive affect (0.47). Women had significantly higher scores than men in the SPAI-B.For study 2, 76 college students completed the SPAI-B and the Trait Meta-MoodScale-24 Scale via Internet administration. Results indicated that the online admi-nistration was equivalent to traditional paper-and-pencil measure, showing similarfactor structure, internal consistency (0.92) and mean scores. Taken together, thefindings of studies 1 and 2 provide initial support for the reliability and validity ofthe SPAI-B for the assessment of social anxiety in college young adults.
Research Interests: Psychology, Psychiatry, Anxiety Disorders, Assessment, Psychometrics, and 9 moreChild and adolescent mental health, Measurement and Evaluation, Internet Measurement, Psychiatry and Psychopathology, Educational measurement/assessment, The Internet, Test Validity, Psychological and Educational Testing, and Assessment and Measurement
This study examines the long-term effectiveness of a combined cognitive-behavioral and neuropsychological intervention in a woman of 19 years old with multiple sclerosis, by evaluating functional neuroimaging, neuropsychological and... more
This study examines the long-term effectiveness of a combined cognitive-behavioral and neuropsychological intervention in a woman of 19 years old with multiple sclerosis, by evaluating functional neuroimaging, neuropsychological and psychometric testing. The results showed a partial improvement in some brain areas and brain inflammatory activity. There was an increase in attention, verbal memory, and nonverbal executive functioning as well as in the emotional state at posttest and one-year follow-up. This study indicates the need for including components of both cognitive-behavioral therapy and neuropsychological rehabilitation based on an individualized and tailored plan in standard treatments for multiple sclerosis. Future studies should further develop these contributions.
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El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las relaciones entre los tipos de sintomatología obsesivo compulsiva y las dimensiones de perfeccionismo (auto o socialmente orientado) en adolescentes. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 326... more
El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las relaciones entre los tipos de sintomatología obsesivo compulsiva y las dimensiones de perfeccionismo (auto o socialmente orientado) en adolescentes. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 326 adolescentes entre 12 y 18 años, de los cuales 180 fueron hombres y 146 mujeres. En general, los adolescentes con más sintomatología obsesivo compulsiva, independientemente del subtipo, presentaron mayores niveles de perfeccionismo. Los subtipos de comprobación, obsesión y orden fueron los que más se asociaron con ambas dimensiones de perfeccionismo, haciéndolo el orden en mayor grado con el perfeccionismo autorientado. De igual modo, ser mujer se mostró una variable predictora significativa para la presencia de sintomatología obsesivo compulsiva en general y en todos los subtipos excepto en neutralización. Sugerimos que los diferentes grados de asociación entre dimensiones de sintomatología obsesivo compulsiva y de perfeccionismo y las diferencias de sexo en adolescentes pueden resultar de interés para diseñar programas de intervención más eficaces
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The Short Health Anxiety Inventory is a common screening tool for assessing health anxiety among adolescents; however, its psychometric properties and internal structure have not been evaluated within a Spanish-speaking population. The... more
The Short Health Anxiety Inventory is a common screening tool for assessing health anxiety among adolescents; however, its psychometric properties and internal structure have not been evaluated within a Spanish-speaking population. The goodness of fit of four models of the latent structure of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory was tested by using confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 832 Spanish secondary school adolescents. Based on these results, the reliability of the original two-factor model was tested. Differences in health anxiety by gender and age were also examined. The results support use of the Spanish version of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory by researchers and clinicians among Spanish adolescents
his paper aims to compare sexual behaviour and risk and protective factors between samples of adolescents who have sex under the influence of alcohol and those who do not, and to determine predictors factors for having had sex under the... more
his paper aims to compare sexual behaviour and risk and protective factors between samples of adolescents who have sex under the influence of alcohol and those who do not, and to determine predictors factors for having had sex under the influence of alcohol. We analysed differences between these two groups in sexual practices, attitudes towards HIV, subjective norms and HIV knowledge. Drawing on survey data collected from 1216 Spanish adolescents aged 14-18 (M = 15.92; SD = .76), a subset of 297 sexually experienced participants was selected. Of these, 117 reported having had sex under the influence of alcohol in the past six months (51% girls). Adolescents who combined sex and alcohol engaged more in vaginal sex, oral sex and anal sex than those who did not. Having had sex under the influence of alcohol in the past six months was associated with negative attitudes towards condom use, when there are obstacles on using them, and less consistent condom use. There were no differences in knowledge about STIs/HIV between both groups. Adolescents who combined sex and alcohol showed further characteristics associated with sexual risk. Preventive measures must address the particular characteristics of this risk group. Further evidence is need about alcohol effects on sexual behaviour.
Background: Obesity is a public health problem of alarming proportions, including among the university population in Latin America. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between the self-reported body mass index and the... more
Background: Obesity is a public health problem of alarming proportions, including among the university population in Latin America. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between the self-reported body mass index and the associated drug use and health-risk behaviors.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, descriptive study of 3,311 Chilean university students (17–24 years). The variables weight, height, frequency of physical activity, diet quality index, and drug use were evaluated by way of a self-report questionnaire.
Results: 16.7% of students were overweight and 2.1% were obese. Higher rates of overweight and obesity were observed in the men compared to women. There was a significant but moderate association between selfperceived obesity and being men and higher age, and just low with greater use of analgesics and tranquilizers with or without a prescription.
Conclusions: The punctual prevalence rates of self-reported obesity, in this sample, are consistent with other Latin American studies. The risk behaviors associated with perceived obesity in terms of gender, particularly the different pattern of drug use, highlight the importance of considering gender when designing strategies to promote health in a university setting.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, descriptive study of 3,311 Chilean university students (17–24 years). The variables weight, height, frequency of physical activity, diet quality index, and drug use were evaluated by way of a self-report questionnaire.
Results: 16.7% of students were overweight and 2.1% were obese. Higher rates of overweight and obesity were observed in the men compared to women. There was a significant but moderate association between selfperceived obesity and being men and higher age, and just low with greater use of analgesics and tranquilizers with or without a prescription.
Conclusions: The punctual prevalence rates of self-reported obesity, in this sample, are consistent with other Latin American studies. The risk behaviors associated with perceived obesity in terms of gender, particularly the different pattern of drug use, highlight the importance of considering gender when designing strategies to promote health in a university setting.
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The purpose of this study was to examine preliminarily the psychometric properties of Web-Screening Questionnaire for emotional mental disorders (DETECTA-WEB) in Spanish adolescents. The sample consisted of 167 adolescents, aged between... more
The purpose of this study was to examine preliminarily the psychometric properties of Web-Screening Questionnaire for emotional mental disorders (DETECTA-WEB) in Spanish adolescents. The sample consisted of 167 adolescents, aged between 14 and 18 years. The results indicated that the scale had a structure of 9 factors (for the 10 symptoms groups included), good internal consistency and very high correlations with equivalent scales from the Spanish version of the Revised Children for Anxiety and Depression Scale. Similarly, following a cut-off point of 80th percentile of above, 20% of the sample displayed
elevated symptomatology of anxiety and/or depression. The data provide initial support for the reliability and validity of DETECTA-WEB to assess anxiety and depression in adolescent"
elevated symptomatology of anxiety and/or depression. The data provide initial support for the reliability and validity of DETECTA-WEB to assess anxiety and depression in adolescent"
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This instrumental study examines factorial invariance of the Scale for Social Anxiety Screening (EDAS) across countries and gender in two samples of Chilean and Spanish adolescents between 14 and 17 years using multigroup confirmatory... more
This instrumental study examines factorial invariance of the Scale for Social Anxiety Screening (EDAS) across countries and gender in two samples of Chilean and Spanish adolescents between 14 and 17 years using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The sample consisted of 1185 Spanish adolescents, with a mean age of 15.49 years (SD=1.10) and the Chilean sample consisted of 965 adolescents, whose age mean age was 15.51 (SD=1.09). The age and gender distribution was homogeneous. Results showed that EDAS showed a good fit to a three factors model (Avoidance, Anxiety and Interference), representing each subscale a single dimension. No significant differences between Chilean and Spanish adolescents attributable to the countries and gender. The reliability coefficients were high in each of the subscales. The results provide empirical evidence for the reliability, validity and factorial invariance of the EDAS in Spanish and Chilean adolescents.
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The aim of this study was to analyze gender and age differences in social anxiety in adolescence through factor scores of the Social Phobia subscale of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SP-SPAI): Social Interactions, Focus of... more
The aim of this study was to analyze gender and age differences in social anxiety in adolescence through factor scores of the Social Phobia subscale of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SP-SPAI): Social Interactions, Focus of Attention, Cognitive and Somatic Symptoms and Avoidance and Escape Behaviours. The sample consisted of 2543 students from secondary schools aged between 12 and 17. Results are shown for the general sample (N = 2543) and for the sample of adolescents classified as high social anxiety group (n = 317). Regarding the first group, girls scored higher on the Social Phobia subscale and all its factors except Avoidance and Escape (d = .32 – .35). As regards the high anxiety group, the analyses revealed that boys avoid and escape from social situations more frequently than girls (d = .23). No age differences were found in the factor scores for either of the two samples.
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Objective: To analyze differences in health-related quality of life across weight categories based on body mass index in boys and girls aged 8 to 12 years old. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 678 schoolchildren aged between 8 and 12... more
Objective: To analyze differences in health-related quality of life across weight categories based on body mass index in boys and girls aged 8 to 12 years old. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 678 schoolchildren aged between 8 and 12 years from the province of Alicante (Spain) was conducted. The scores on the dimensions of health-related quality of life, assessed by the Spanish version of the Child Health and Illness Profile-Child Edition, across the weight categories (according to the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards) and sex, were compared. Results: Overweight or obesity was found in 28.2% and 15.3% of the sample, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) across the weight categories on the distinct dimensions of health-related quality of life. Conclusions: Children are unaware of the impact of obesity on quality of life. Interventions to increase knowledge of this issue are required.
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The aim of this work was to update the validation of the Social Anxiety Screening Scale (SASS/EDAS) in a sample of Spanish adolescents. To achieve this, one study with a sample of 1489 students in secondary education, of ages 14 to 17... more
The aim of this work was to update the validation of the Social Anxiety Screening Scale (SASS/EDAS) in a sample of Spanish adolescents. To achieve this, one study with a sample of 1489 students in secondary education, of ages 14 to 17 years, were carried out. The psychometric properties of EDAS were examined through confirmatory factor analysis, reliability (Cronbach’s alpha), temporal stability (test-retest), and concurrent criterion validity. The results supported the three-independent-factor structure (avoidance, distress and interference), that showed best fit indices compared to alternative models. They also showed that the scores of participants on EDAS scales were reliable in terms of internal consistency (α > .80) and moderately reliable concerning temporal stability (r = .48-.60) over a five-week period. The correlations between the EDAS factors and other social anxiety measures were positive and significant. Data provide empirical evidence of the estimation of reliability and validity of this scale. Future work should extend the validation of the EDAS in clinical samples.
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There is a growing interest in instruments designed to assess obsessive-compulsive symptoms in children and adolescents. The Obses-sive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) has demonstrated to be a valid and useful test in the evaluation... more
There is a growing interest in instruments designed to assess obsessive-compulsive symptoms in children and adolescents. The Obses-sive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) has demonstrated to be a valid and useful test in the evaluation of these symptoms cross-culturally in both clinical and nonclinical settings. The aim of this study was to examine and extend the psychometric properties and factor structure of the OCI-R in a non-clinical sample of 525 adolescents (mean age=15.82; SD=1.77; range=12-18). The results confirmed the original six-factor structure of the OCI-R (Washing, Obsessing, Hoarding, Ordering, Checking and Neutralizing), as well as the internal consistency, temporary stability, and concurrent-discriminant validity. To sum up, the OCI-R is a short and reliable instrument that measures global as well as domain-specific obsessive-compulsive symptomatology in adolescence, what is consistent with previous literature. Whether it will retain its psychometric properties in clinical samples of adolescents remains to be investigated.
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As a result of the last changes related to the concept of health, psychological contribution has been taken into account in prevention and treatment of diseases. For this reason, Clinical and Health psychology is being developed as a... more
As a result of the last changes related to the concept of health, psychological contribution has been taken into account in prevention and treatment of diseases. For this reason, Clinical and Health psychology is being developed as a discipline that joins these two separate fields: Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology. From this perspective, this paper presents a general overview of this area, through aspects such as, its historical development, functions, level of intervention, and areas of application; in order to contribute to the inquiry, delimitation, projection and consolidation of this field.
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El objetivo de este estudio es analizar si la aplicación de la versión actual de un programa de tratamiento cognitivo-conductual utilizado para tratar adolescentes con fobia social generalizada en grupo resulta igualmente eficaz cuando es... more
El objetivo de este estudio es analizar si la aplicación de la versión actual de un programa de tratamiento cognitivo-conductual utilizado para tratar adolescentes con fobia social generalizada en grupo resulta igualmente eficaz cuando es utilizado en formato individual. Con este fin presentamos los datos del tratamiento de una adolescente que cumplía los criterios para el diagnóstico de fobia social generalizada, según criterios del DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2002), a la vez que presentaba comorbilidad con otros trastornos secundarios de los ejes I y II. Los resultados muestran la eficacia tanto a corto como medio plazo de la intervención, reflejada en la remisión completa de las situaciones sociales temidas o evitadas, así como en las medidas específicas de la ansiedad social y de otros constructos relacionados (adaptación, autoestima, habilidades sociales y asertividad). Por tanto, los datos apoyan la eficacia de dicho programa en el tratamiento individual.
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he aim of this article is to carry out a review of studies about the relationship between emotional intelligence and the ability to cope with stressful events and sex different. Different studies show that high emotional intelligence... more
he aim of this article is to carry out a review of studies about the relationship between emotional intelligence and the ability to cope with stressful events and sex different. Different studies show that high emotional intelligence levels are associated with coping strategies based on reflection and problem solving, while low levels are associated with coping strategies based on avoidance, rumination and superstition. Therefore, emotional intelligence plays an important role in the emotional self-control and the individual's adaptive capacity to cope with stressful situations. Different studies show that emotional intelligence women pay more attention to emotions and are more empathetic, which is associated with a ruminate coping style focused on emotion, while men have higher levels of emotional self-regulation in stress situations
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The increase in stress among university students at exam time has been associated with an increase in the consumption of psychoactive substances and psychotropic drugs. The aim of this paper was to describe and analyze the differences in... more
The increase in stress among university students at exam time has been associated with an increase in the consumption of psychoactive substances and psychotropic drugs. The aim of this paper was to describe and analyze the differences in the consumption of psychoactive substances and psychotropic drugs among Medical and Psychology students at exam time. A total of 257 students of Miguel Hernández University were involved in this study. The participants, aged between 17 and 25, were selected from different years of Psychology and Medicine degrees. Several questionnaires were used to assess the consumption of psychoactive substances and psychotropic drugs, as well as depression and anxiety levels. Regarding the results, Psychology students showed a higher consumption of recreational drugs, such as tobacco or cannabis. However, Medical students reported a higher consumption of psychotropic drugs, besides more depression and anxiety. The level of prior
information about the substances or the accessibility to them might have influenced the differences between both degrees, so that future papers should focus on the assessment of these risk factors.
information about the substances or the accessibility to them might have influenced the differences between both degrees, so that future papers should focus on the assessment of these risk factors.
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Background Happiness has been associated with a range of favourable health outcomes through two pathways: its relationship with favourable biological responses to stress and with healthy lifestyles and prudent health behaviours. There... more
Background
Happiness has been associated with a range of favourable health outcomes through two pathways: its relationship with favourable biological responses to stress and with healthy lifestyles and prudent health behaviours. There is a substantial number of cross-cultural studies about happiness, but none of them has studied the association of happiness with perceived stress and health behaviours in Latin American samples. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between general happiness and these variables in a Latin American sample.
Methods
We conducted a survey to examine the status of 3461 students aged between 17 and 24 years old (mean age = 19.89; SD = 1.73) who attended University of Santiago de Chile during 2009. The healthy behaviours indexes assessed were the frequency of daily physical exercise, fruits/vegetables intake, breakfast and lunch intake, smoking, alcohol and other drugs consumption. We also included the assessment of perceived stress and Body Mass Index. All of them were evaluated using a self-report questionnaire.
Results
The univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses showed that being female and younger was related to a higher happiness, as well as that people self-reporting daily physical activity, having lunch and fruits and vegetables each day had a higher likelihood (OR between 1.33 and 1.40) of being classified as "very happy". Those who informed felt stressed in normal circumstances and during tests situations showed a lower likelihood (0.73 and 0.82, respectively) of being considered "very happy". Regarding drug consumption, taking tranquilizers under prescription was negative related to "subjective happiness" (OR = 0.62), whereas smoking was positive associated (OR = 1.20).
Conclusions
The findings of this study mainly support the relationship between happiness and health outcomes through the two pathways previously mentioned. They also underscore the importance of that some healthy behaviours and person's cognitive appraisal of stress are integrated into their lifestyle for college students. Additionally, highlight the importance of taking into account these variables in the design of strategies to promote health education in university setting.
Happiness has been associated with a range of favourable health outcomes through two pathways: its relationship with favourable biological responses to stress and with healthy lifestyles and prudent health behaviours. There is a substantial number of cross-cultural studies about happiness, but none of them has studied the association of happiness with perceived stress and health behaviours in Latin American samples. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between general happiness and these variables in a Latin American sample.
Methods
We conducted a survey to examine the status of 3461 students aged between 17 and 24 years old (mean age = 19.89; SD = 1.73) who attended University of Santiago de Chile during 2009. The healthy behaviours indexes assessed were the frequency of daily physical exercise, fruits/vegetables intake, breakfast and lunch intake, smoking, alcohol and other drugs consumption. We also included the assessment of perceived stress and Body Mass Index. All of them were evaluated using a self-report questionnaire.
Results
The univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses showed that being female and younger was related to a higher happiness, as well as that people self-reporting daily physical activity, having lunch and fruits and vegetables each day had a higher likelihood (OR between 1.33 and 1.40) of being classified as "very happy". Those who informed felt stressed in normal circumstances and during tests situations showed a lower likelihood (0.73 and 0.82, respectively) of being considered "very happy". Regarding drug consumption, taking tranquilizers under prescription was negative related to "subjective happiness" (OR = 0.62), whereas smoking was positive associated (OR = 1.20).
Conclusions
The findings of this study mainly support the relationship between happiness and health outcomes through the two pathways previously mentioned. They also underscore the importance of that some healthy behaviours and person's cognitive appraisal of stress are integrated into their lifestyle for college students. Additionally, highlight the importance of taking into account these variables in the design of strategies to promote health education in university setting.
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This paper shows how the increase in the use of video-feedback from four to ten sessions could improve therapy success in adolescents suffering social phobia (IAFS; Olivares y García-López, 1998; García-López, 2007a). The sample consisted... more
This paper shows how the increase in the use of video-feedback from four to ten sessions could improve therapy success in adolescents suffering social phobia (IAFS; Olivares y García-López, 1998; García-López, 2007a). The sample consisted of 50 high school and private school students -18 boys and 32 girls aged 14 to 18. The treatment was administered in a school setting. The design consisted of two experimental conditions: the original treatment (4 sessions including video-feedback) and a revised treatment protocol using videofeedback as a therapeutic technique in 10 out of 12 sessions. The results revealed that both experimental conditions were equally efficient, with no significant
differences both at post-test and at the follow-up 6 months later.
Issues that could contribute to future research and clinical implications are discussed.
differences both at post-test and at the follow-up 6 months later.
Issues that could contribute to future research and clinical implications are discussed.
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Fear, sadness, anger and disgust are considered affective states, that when they become frequent and intense, adversely affect the quality of life. Consequently, negative emotions are regarded as one of the key risk factors in physical... more
Fear, sadness, anger and disgust are considered affective states, that when they become frequent and intense, adversely affect the quality of life. Consequently, negative emotions are regarded as one of the key risk factors in physical and mental illness. Firstly, this article aims to define precisely concepts and key features of each emotion. The second objective of this paper is to show a synthesis of scientific findings supporting the influence of emotional factors, especially classic negative emotions in the process of health and disease. These psychophysiological phenomena have been associated with mental and physical illness as influencing variables in its initiation, development and maintenance. Therefore, the paper reviews some of the links between these four negative emotions and mental disorders. It also reviews the evidence supporting the influence of negative emotions in the development of risk behaviors to physical health. Finally, we describe some data supporting the impact of psychophysiological activation of emotions in organic systems, such as, for instance, immunity, tumor processes and so on.
Research Interests:
The finding about the role of prosocial behaviour in mental and physical well-being of adolescents have a very clear set of implications in different areas. From our point of view, the biggest impact of this evidence should be given in... more
The finding about the role of prosocial behaviour in mental and physical well-being of adolescents have a very clear set of implications in different areas. From our point of view, the biggest impact of this evidence should be given in education. Thus, there is an increasing agreement on the need to encourage in the secondary schools prosocial behaviour styles based on the assertiveness, in order to prevent the occurrence of violent behaviors (gender violence, etc.), and encourage prosocial behaviors with health benefi ts. In this regard, we consider interesting to outline the implementation, in the curricula of primary and secondary education, of a new content, which teaches transversely specifi c skills related to prosocial behavior and the development of emotional intelligence in children and adolescents.