The objective of this study is to analyze the factor structure of the BFI-10 considering item val... more The objective of this study is to analyze the factor structure of the BFI-10 considering item valence effects when applied to measure older adults. Likewise, this study aims to estimate the factorial structure, internal consistency of the scale, to assess the nomological validity, and the association of the Big Five traits with age. 75078 participants with mean age of 68.27 from the 7 th Wave of the SHARE study were included. Confirmatory Factor Analyses, omega coefficients and Pearson correlations were estimated. The best-fit model identified a five-factor structure with two valence effects, internal consistency ranged from .26 to .64, the nomological network showed that loneliness is negatively associated to neuroticism and positively with the other four traits, and the opposite direction in the associations with the five traits and satisfaction and quality of life. Consciousness, Extraversion and Openness have been found as dimensions that tend to decrease with age.
There is evidence of the influence of social support from families, peers and teachers on student... more There is evidence of the influence of social support from families, peers and teachers on student engagement, academic success and satisfaction with school. The aim of this work is to analyze, through structural equations, the effects of the perceived academic support and the school engagement on the satisfaction with school. A battery of instruments was administered to 2028 Angolan students aged between 14 and 22 (M = 17.4; SD = 2.3). The results show the influence of the perceived academic support of teachers, family and peers on the satisfaction with school through the school implication as mediating variable. The perception of peer support not shows a predictive capacity for school engagement. Receiving support from family and teachers is relevant to being engaged and satisfied with school.
The influence of academic support on students’ academic and personal development has been previou... more The influence of academic support on students’ academic and personal development has been previously demonstrated. The objective of this study was to present a validation of the Perceived Academic Support Questionnaire (PASQ). This scale has three dimensions: academic support from (1) teachers, (2) family, and (3) peers. For the reliability analysis, we estimated the Cronbach alpha and Composite Reliability Indices (CRIs). Factorial validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and external validity was tested via a structural equation model in which the dimensions of academic support predicted academic motivation. The CFA fit indices showed very good fit to the data, supporting the theoretically proposed three-factor structure. The reliability indices, considering Cronbach alpha and CRI, were adequate for all dimensions and the predictive model fit was satisfactory. Teacher and parental academic support had a positive impact on academic motivation. On the contrary, a ...
The presence of meaning in life (PML) and the search for meaning in life (SML) are crucial when f... more The presence of meaning in life (PML) and the search for meaning in life (SML) are crucial when facing difficult times. Although several theoretical frameworks have tried to explain the dynamics of meaning in life during adversity, empirical evidence about interactions among both constructs using longitudinal designs is scarce. This study examined the trajectories of both PML and SML during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Spain. In total, 220 adults fulfilled an online survey during two periods: a strict and a relaxed lockdown period. Latent growth models showed that both PML and SML declined slightly during the strict lockdown, but they reached a plateau during the relaxed lockdown. Results also showed that age and having a partner predicted higher PML and lower SML at baseline, whereas being male predicted higher scores on PML. PML and SML were negatively associated at baseline, higher SML at baseline was related to a steeper decreasing PML slope during the strict lockdown, and th...
This study assesses the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and subjective well-being in terms ... more This study assesses the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and subjective well-being in terms of the mediating role of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Additionally, the contribution of sociodemographic factors (sex and age) and risk perception on COVID-19 anxiety and its potential measurement invariance was tested in 5655 participants from 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. A mixture of both latent and observable variables were analyzed using a system of structural equations. The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS) and single-item measures were used to assess the perceived probability of death, perceived severity and concern about transmitting COVID-19. The results indicated that there is a significant and relevant direct effect of COVID-19 anxiety on participants' well-being. Furthermore, COVID-19 anxiety significantly predicted both preventive behavior (β = .29, p < .01) and well-being (β =-.32, p < .01). The effects of COVID anxiety and preventive behavior explained 9.8% of the variance in well-being (R-square = .098); whereas, 8.4% of the variance in preventive behavior was associated with COVID anxiety (R-square = .084). Likewise, perceived likelihood of death from COVID, perceived severity of COVID, and concerns about COVID transmission were positively related to anxiety. Age was negatively related to anxiety, with men being less anxious than women. The results are invariant by country, i.e., the broad relationships found in the combined sample are also present in each individual country. The findings indicate that, although the exact relationships between variables may vary between countries, there are enough similarities to provide useful information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in each of the countries included in the study.
Within the growing body of research that has focused on academic success, academic motivation has... more Within the growing body of research that has focused on academic success, academic motivation has gathered considerable attention. The aim of this this research is to present the first validation of the Adolescents’ Academic Motivation Scale (AAMS). Total sample was composed by 1712 students of secondary education from two districts in the Dominican Republic. The main measurement outcome was the AAMS. Results from the CFA were satisfactory: χ2(5) = 57.73, p < .001; CFI = .970; RMSEA = .079 [.061, .097], and SRMR = .024. IRT analyses favored the two-parameter logistic model, indicating that items were not equally discriminant. Structural Equation Model with latent variables in which academic motivation was a significant predictor of grades resulted in excellent fit: χ2(53) = 182.76, p < .001; CFI = .980; RMSEA = .038 90% CI [.032, .044], and SRMR = .025. In sum, this work presents an exhaustive psychometric analysis of the AAMS in a representative sample of high school Dominica...
European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 2016
Psychological well-being is a construct of maximum relevance in psychology, being the equivalent ... more Psychological well-being is a construct of maximum relevance in psychology, being the equivalent to health in medical sciences. It is a multifaceted construct, with two research traditions: the hedonic and the eudaimonic ones. On the other hand, the paradign of succesful aging is a good theoretical framework to study and understand optimal aging. Rowe and Kahn (1998) articulated this paradign proposing its three main characteristics: physcal health, cognitive functioning and being productive and socially active. The aim of this research is to develop a predictive model of well-being, both hedonic and eudaimonic, using the sucessful aging parading plus a dimension of spirituality. Main results of the model showed that social support had a significant and positive on satisfaction and to a lesser extent on well-being. Pshysical health was also a significant predictor of satisfaction. An finally, spirituality may also be considered a protector of well-being. Percentage of variance expla...
The COVID-19 pandemic has gravely impacted Latin America. A model was tested that evaluated the c... more The COVID-19 pandemic has gravely impacted Latin America. A model was tested that evaluated the contribution of socio-demographic factors and fear of COVID-19 on anxiety and depression in samples of residents in seven Latin American countries (Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, and El Salvador). A total of 4,881 individuals, selected by convenience sampling, participated in the study. Moderate and severe levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety were identified, as well as a moderate average level of fear of COVID-19. In addition, it was observed that about a quarter of the participants presented symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and a major depressive episode. Fear of COVID-19 significantly and positively predicted anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas the effects of socio-demographic variables are generally low [χ2(287) = 5936.96, p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.064 [0.062, 0.065]; CFI = 0.947; and SRMR = 0.050]. This suggests the need for the implementatio...
The implementation of a vaccine against COVID-19 is one of the most important health strategies t... more The implementation of a vaccine against COVID-19 is one of the most important health strategies to mitigate the spread of the disease. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and its predictors in older Peruvian adults. This is a cross-sectional study, where information was collected through an online survey regarding vaccination intention of the participants, as well as sociodemographic and psychological variables. A multiple regression analysis was applied to identify predictors of intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We evaluated 245 participants, who had a mean age of 72.74 years old (SD = 6.66). 65.5% of these older adults expressed a high likelihood of accepting vaccination, while 20.9% expressed a low likelihood of accepting vaccination, and 13.6% were hesitant. Eleven predictors were identified that explained 66.69% of the intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. This identified place of residence, perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19, severity of previous infection with COVID-19, fear of the disease, previous refusal of a vaccine, concerns about vaccine sales and speculation, and trust toward vaccines against COVID-19, as the main predictors. Our results show that confidence in vaccines and previous vaccine refusal are relevant predictors of intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older adults; these findings may be useful to guide the development of campaigns for the immunization of this vulnerable group in the current pandemic.
Genetic analysis of the association between alcohol, cocaine, and opiate addiction and variable n... more Genetic analysis of the association between alcohol, cocaine, and opiate addiction and variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms in monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) and serotonergic 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) receptor 1B and 2C (HTR1B 21 and HTR2C) pathway genes was performed in a sample of 302 polyconsumers. Our genetic association analysis revealed a significant association between a 184 base pair (bp) VNTR polymorphism in the MAOB gene and addiction to cocaine and opiates. This work highlights new genetic marker associations in cocaine and opiate polyconsumer addictions. These data help to clarify and quantify the complex role of genetics in addictive disorders, as well as their future contribution to the prevention (genetic counselling), diagnosis (genetic diagnosis of vulnerability), and treatment (pharmacogenomics) of these disorders.
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2021
There is no information in Peru on the prevalence of mental health problems associated with COVID... more There is no information in Peru on the prevalence of mental health problems associated with COVID-19 in older adults. In this sense, the aim of the study was to gather evidence on the factor structure, criterion-related validity, and reliability of the Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in this population. The participants were 400 older adults (mean age = 68.04, SD = 6.41), who were administered the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Revised Mental Health Inventory-5, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 items, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 2 items. Structural equation models were estimated, specifically confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), bifactor CFA, and structural models with latent variables (SEM). Internal consistency was estimated with composite reliability indexes (CRI) and omega coefficients. A bifactor model with both a general factor underlying all items plus a specific factor underlying items 1, 2, 4, and 5 representing the emotional response to COVID better represents the factor structure of the scale. This structure had adequate fit and good reliability, and additionally fear of COVID had a large effect on mental health. In general, women had more fear than men, having more information on COVID was associated to more fear, while having family or friends affected by COVID did not related to fear of the virus. The Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale presents evidence of validity and reliability to assess fear of COVID-19 in the Peruvian older adult population. Keywords Older adults. Reliability. Fear of COVID-19. Bifactor model. Validity COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has spread rapidly throughout the world (Huang and Zhao 2020), affecting 188 countries with 13,135,616 confirmed cases and 573,869 of deaths, and increasing (data obtained from https:// coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html, on July 17, 2020). This disease presents a higher risk of mortality in people with comorbidity and older adults (Morley and Vellas 2020). In Latin
Background This research presents a short version of the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) sc... more Background This research presents a short version of the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale, one of the most frequently used questionnaires in the arena of applied healthcare investigation. It measures burnout (BO), compassion fatigue (CF), and compassion satisfaction (CS). Methods A 9-item version of the ProQOL was developed. In Study 1, this short version, which used items from version IV of the ProQOL, was administered to 817 palliative care professionals from Spain, Argentina, and Brazil. In Study 2, the same nine items, but this time from version V of the ProQOL, were administered to 296 Spanish palliative care professionals. Results Study 1: The Short ProQOL showed an adequate internal structure, and invariance across the countries studied (χ2(106) = 185.620 (p < 0.001), CFI = .929, RMSEA = 0.058 [0.044, 0.072], SRMR = 0.081). Argentinians showed higher levels of BO (mean difference = 0.172, p = 0.042, Cohen’s d = 0.168), whereas Brazilians showed higher levels of ...
El compromiso docente con los procesos de cambio tiene lugar en un contexto en el que intervienen... more El compromiso docente con los procesos de cambio tiene lugar en un contexto en el que intervienen sus propias actitudes y conceptos sobre la educación. Por tanto, el cambio educativo necesita del compromiso de los docentes, puesto que, para que este sea exitoso, es imprescindible que el docente replantee la profesión. Los factores personales y los profesionales intervienen en los procesos de cambio docente. Por consiguiente, el objetivo fue poner a prueba un modelo estadístico predictivo del compromiso docente con el cambio educativo a partir de factores de personalidad y autoevaluación. La muestra, aleatoria y representativa de la población de docentes peruanos, fue de 888. El modelo resultó en un ajuste adecuado, con un gran poder predictivo sobre las dimensiones de procesos de cambio. En suma, el modelo confirma que variables personales, como son el autoconcepto y la personalidad, tienen fuerte poder predictivo sobre el compromiso docente.
ObjectiveRecent studies into the factorial structure of the 12-item version of the General Health... more ObjectiveRecent studies into the factorial structure of the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) have shown that it was best represented by a single substantive factor when method effects associated with negatively worded (NW) items are considered. The purpose of the present study was to examine the presence of method effects, and their relationships with demographic covariates, associated with positively worded (PW) and/or NW items.DesignA cross-sectional, observational study to compare a comprehensive set of confirmatory factor models, including method effects associated with PW and/or NW items with GHQ-12 responses.SettingRepresentative sample of all employees living in Catalonia (Spain).Participants3050 participants (44.6% women) who responded the Second Catalonian Survey of Working Conditions.ResultsA confirmatory factor analysis showed that the best fitting model was a unidimensional model with two additional uncorrelated method factors associated with ...
La satisfacción laboral del colectivo docente ha sido estudiada desde diversas perspectivas, debi... more La satisfacción laboral del colectivo docente ha sido estudiada desde diversas perspectivas, debido a los importantes efectos que esta puede tener tanto a nivel económico como a nivel organizacional. La muestra empleada en este trabajo se compone de 978 docentes dominicanos, y fue obtenida mediante un muestreo estratificado, y, por tanto, representativo de la población. En este estudio se examina un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales en el cual el contexto de trabajo y las condiciones laborales afectan el burnout y el engagement de los profesores. A su vez, se plantea que burnout y engagement afectan la satisfacción laboral docente. El modelo ajustó a los datos: χ2(223)= 1089.9, p
European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 2016
Cada vez más, la investigación sobre el proceso de envejecimiento tiende a adoptar una doble pers... more Cada vez más, la investigación sobre el proceso de envejecimiento tiende a adoptar una doble perspectiva emic (específico a una cultura) y etic (universal), necesitándose más estudios que atiendan un enfoque transcultural. El objetivo es obtener respuesta empírica a la pregunta de si un modelo de envejecimiento con éxito planteado desde un contexto diferente como es el taiwanés, es adecuado para representar este proceso en nuestros mayores. La muestra estuvo formada por 737 personas mayores. Se recabaron datos de variables socio-demográficas y diversas escalas para evaluar satisfacción con la vida, ocio, salud y apoyo social. Se puso a prueba un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales tomado de Lee et al. (2011), en el que ocio, salud y apoyo social predecían satisfacción con la vida. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron un ajuste adecuado. En concreto, se observó que, en el marco de otros factores que teóricamente influyentes -salud y apoyo social-, este novedoso aspecto sobre cómo las pe...
Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones, 2018
Work engagement is a relatively young concept. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, there ha... more Work engagement is a relatively young concept. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, there has been an increasing trend towards positive psychology. In this way, there has been a shift in attention from ill-health and unwellbeing towards the promotion of health and wellbeing. For this reason, occupational psychology has started to focus its attention on the positive aspects of work and, among those, on work engagement. Work engagement has been defined as a positive, encouraged, and accomplished attitude towards the job, characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá, & Bakker, 2002). Vigor is illustrated by the presence of mental resilience and high levels of energy at the workplace, as well as the motivation to invest effort in one's work despite all opposition. Dedication relates to "being strongly involved in one's work and experiencing a sense of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, and challenge" (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003, p. 5). Finally, the third dimension, absorption, refers to achieving high levels of concentration and the sense that time passes quickly while being at work, to the point that it becomes difficult to detach oneself from work. Schaufeli, Taris, and van Rhenen (2008) have compared absorption to the concept of flow, a fully focused state of mind h t t p : / / j o u r n a l s. c o p m a d r i d. o rg / j wo p
Most of the research on psychopathology has provided an incomplete picture of mental health by fo... more Most of the research on psychopathology has provided an incomplete picture of mental health by focusing on vulnerability factors and omitting the transversal processes that may explain human adapted functioning. Moreover, research has not sufficiently addressed prospective protective factors for mental health. New theoretical and empirical endeavors aim to incorporate this perspective, particularly in the realm of emotional disorders. A positive view of the future is an indispensable process in attaining desired goals and wellbeing. Openness to the Future is a construct characterized by positive affectivity towards the future, which can be a protective factor for mental health. Although some scales assess future orientations, the complexity of this concept has not yet been captured; therefore, there is a need for new instruments. This study presents the development and validation of a scale for measuring Openness to the Future in clinical (n = 412) and community (n = 890) samples. P...
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a widely-used screening tool for depression in primar... more The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a widely-used screening tool for depression in primary care settings. The purpose of the present study is to identify the factor structure of the PHQ-9 and to examine the measurement invariance of this instrument across different sociodemographic groups and over time in a sample of primary care patients in Spain. Data came from 836 primary care patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (PsicAP study) and a subsample of 218 patients who participated in a follow-up assessment at 3 months. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test one- and two-factor structures identified in previous studies. Analyses of multiple-group invariance were conducted to determine the extent to which the factor structure is comparable across various demographic groups (i.e., gender, age, marital status, level of education, and employment situation) and over time. Both one-factor and two-factor re-specified models met all the pre-established fit cr...
The objective of this study is to analyze the factor structure of the BFI-10 considering item val... more The objective of this study is to analyze the factor structure of the BFI-10 considering item valence effects when applied to measure older adults. Likewise, this study aims to estimate the factorial structure, internal consistency of the scale, to assess the nomological validity, and the association of the Big Five traits with age. 75078 participants with mean age of 68.27 from the 7 th Wave of the SHARE study were included. Confirmatory Factor Analyses, omega coefficients and Pearson correlations were estimated. The best-fit model identified a five-factor structure with two valence effects, internal consistency ranged from .26 to .64, the nomological network showed that loneliness is negatively associated to neuroticism and positively with the other four traits, and the opposite direction in the associations with the five traits and satisfaction and quality of life. Consciousness, Extraversion and Openness have been found as dimensions that tend to decrease with age.
There is evidence of the influence of social support from families, peers and teachers on student... more There is evidence of the influence of social support from families, peers and teachers on student engagement, academic success and satisfaction with school. The aim of this work is to analyze, through structural equations, the effects of the perceived academic support and the school engagement on the satisfaction with school. A battery of instruments was administered to 2028 Angolan students aged between 14 and 22 (M = 17.4; SD = 2.3). The results show the influence of the perceived academic support of teachers, family and peers on the satisfaction with school through the school implication as mediating variable. The perception of peer support not shows a predictive capacity for school engagement. Receiving support from family and teachers is relevant to being engaged and satisfied with school.
The influence of academic support on students’ academic and personal development has been previou... more The influence of academic support on students’ academic and personal development has been previously demonstrated. The objective of this study was to present a validation of the Perceived Academic Support Questionnaire (PASQ). This scale has three dimensions: academic support from (1) teachers, (2) family, and (3) peers. For the reliability analysis, we estimated the Cronbach alpha and Composite Reliability Indices (CRIs). Factorial validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and external validity was tested via a structural equation model in which the dimensions of academic support predicted academic motivation. The CFA fit indices showed very good fit to the data, supporting the theoretically proposed three-factor structure. The reliability indices, considering Cronbach alpha and CRI, were adequate for all dimensions and the predictive model fit was satisfactory. Teacher and parental academic support had a positive impact on academic motivation. On the contrary, a ...
The presence of meaning in life (PML) and the search for meaning in life (SML) are crucial when f... more The presence of meaning in life (PML) and the search for meaning in life (SML) are crucial when facing difficult times. Although several theoretical frameworks have tried to explain the dynamics of meaning in life during adversity, empirical evidence about interactions among both constructs using longitudinal designs is scarce. This study examined the trajectories of both PML and SML during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Spain. In total, 220 adults fulfilled an online survey during two periods: a strict and a relaxed lockdown period. Latent growth models showed that both PML and SML declined slightly during the strict lockdown, but they reached a plateau during the relaxed lockdown. Results also showed that age and having a partner predicted higher PML and lower SML at baseline, whereas being male predicted higher scores on PML. PML and SML were negatively associated at baseline, higher SML at baseline was related to a steeper decreasing PML slope during the strict lockdown, and th...
This study assesses the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and subjective well-being in terms ... more This study assesses the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and subjective well-being in terms of the mediating role of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Additionally, the contribution of sociodemographic factors (sex and age) and risk perception on COVID-19 anxiety and its potential measurement invariance was tested in 5655 participants from 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. A mixture of both latent and observable variables were analyzed using a system of structural equations. The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS) and single-item measures were used to assess the perceived probability of death, perceived severity and concern about transmitting COVID-19. The results indicated that there is a significant and relevant direct effect of COVID-19 anxiety on participants' well-being. Furthermore, COVID-19 anxiety significantly predicted both preventive behavior (β = .29, p < .01) and well-being (β =-.32, p < .01). The effects of COVID anxiety and preventive behavior explained 9.8% of the variance in well-being (R-square = .098); whereas, 8.4% of the variance in preventive behavior was associated with COVID anxiety (R-square = .084). Likewise, perceived likelihood of death from COVID, perceived severity of COVID, and concerns about COVID transmission were positively related to anxiety. Age was negatively related to anxiety, with men being less anxious than women. The results are invariant by country, i.e., the broad relationships found in the combined sample are also present in each individual country. The findings indicate that, although the exact relationships between variables may vary between countries, there are enough similarities to provide useful information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in each of the countries included in the study.
Within the growing body of research that has focused on academic success, academic motivation has... more Within the growing body of research that has focused on academic success, academic motivation has gathered considerable attention. The aim of this this research is to present the first validation of the Adolescents’ Academic Motivation Scale (AAMS). Total sample was composed by 1712 students of secondary education from two districts in the Dominican Republic. The main measurement outcome was the AAMS. Results from the CFA were satisfactory: χ2(5) = 57.73, p < .001; CFI = .970; RMSEA = .079 [.061, .097], and SRMR = .024. IRT analyses favored the two-parameter logistic model, indicating that items were not equally discriminant. Structural Equation Model with latent variables in which academic motivation was a significant predictor of grades resulted in excellent fit: χ2(53) = 182.76, p < .001; CFI = .980; RMSEA = .038 90% CI [.032, .044], and SRMR = .025. In sum, this work presents an exhaustive psychometric analysis of the AAMS in a representative sample of high school Dominica...
European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 2016
Psychological well-being is a construct of maximum relevance in psychology, being the equivalent ... more Psychological well-being is a construct of maximum relevance in psychology, being the equivalent to health in medical sciences. It is a multifaceted construct, with two research traditions: the hedonic and the eudaimonic ones. On the other hand, the paradign of succesful aging is a good theoretical framework to study and understand optimal aging. Rowe and Kahn (1998) articulated this paradign proposing its three main characteristics: physcal health, cognitive functioning and being productive and socially active. The aim of this research is to develop a predictive model of well-being, both hedonic and eudaimonic, using the sucessful aging parading plus a dimension of spirituality. Main results of the model showed that social support had a significant and positive on satisfaction and to a lesser extent on well-being. Pshysical health was also a significant predictor of satisfaction. An finally, spirituality may also be considered a protector of well-being. Percentage of variance expla...
The COVID-19 pandemic has gravely impacted Latin America. A model was tested that evaluated the c... more The COVID-19 pandemic has gravely impacted Latin America. A model was tested that evaluated the contribution of socio-demographic factors and fear of COVID-19 on anxiety and depression in samples of residents in seven Latin American countries (Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, and El Salvador). A total of 4,881 individuals, selected by convenience sampling, participated in the study. Moderate and severe levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety were identified, as well as a moderate average level of fear of COVID-19. In addition, it was observed that about a quarter of the participants presented symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and a major depressive episode. Fear of COVID-19 significantly and positively predicted anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas the effects of socio-demographic variables are generally low [χ2(287) = 5936.96, p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.064 [0.062, 0.065]; CFI = 0.947; and SRMR = 0.050]. This suggests the need for the implementatio...
The implementation of a vaccine against COVID-19 is one of the most important health strategies t... more The implementation of a vaccine against COVID-19 is one of the most important health strategies to mitigate the spread of the disease. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and its predictors in older Peruvian adults. This is a cross-sectional study, where information was collected through an online survey regarding vaccination intention of the participants, as well as sociodemographic and psychological variables. A multiple regression analysis was applied to identify predictors of intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We evaluated 245 participants, who had a mean age of 72.74 years old (SD = 6.66). 65.5% of these older adults expressed a high likelihood of accepting vaccination, while 20.9% expressed a low likelihood of accepting vaccination, and 13.6% were hesitant. Eleven predictors were identified that explained 66.69% of the intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. This identified place of residence, perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19, severity of previous infection with COVID-19, fear of the disease, previous refusal of a vaccine, concerns about vaccine sales and speculation, and trust toward vaccines against COVID-19, as the main predictors. Our results show that confidence in vaccines and previous vaccine refusal are relevant predictors of intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older adults; these findings may be useful to guide the development of campaigns for the immunization of this vulnerable group in the current pandemic.
Genetic analysis of the association between alcohol, cocaine, and opiate addiction and variable n... more Genetic analysis of the association between alcohol, cocaine, and opiate addiction and variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms in monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) and serotonergic 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) receptor 1B and 2C (HTR1B 21 and HTR2C) pathway genes was performed in a sample of 302 polyconsumers. Our genetic association analysis revealed a significant association between a 184 base pair (bp) VNTR polymorphism in the MAOB gene and addiction to cocaine and opiates. This work highlights new genetic marker associations in cocaine and opiate polyconsumer addictions. These data help to clarify and quantify the complex role of genetics in addictive disorders, as well as their future contribution to the prevention (genetic counselling), diagnosis (genetic diagnosis of vulnerability), and treatment (pharmacogenomics) of these disorders.
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2021
There is no information in Peru on the prevalence of mental health problems associated with COVID... more There is no information in Peru on the prevalence of mental health problems associated with COVID-19 in older adults. In this sense, the aim of the study was to gather evidence on the factor structure, criterion-related validity, and reliability of the Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in this population. The participants were 400 older adults (mean age = 68.04, SD = 6.41), who were administered the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Revised Mental Health Inventory-5, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 items, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 2 items. Structural equation models were estimated, specifically confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), bifactor CFA, and structural models with latent variables (SEM). Internal consistency was estimated with composite reliability indexes (CRI) and omega coefficients. A bifactor model with both a general factor underlying all items plus a specific factor underlying items 1, 2, 4, and 5 representing the emotional response to COVID better represents the factor structure of the scale. This structure had adequate fit and good reliability, and additionally fear of COVID had a large effect on mental health. In general, women had more fear than men, having more information on COVID was associated to more fear, while having family or friends affected by COVID did not related to fear of the virus. The Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale presents evidence of validity and reliability to assess fear of COVID-19 in the Peruvian older adult population. Keywords Older adults. Reliability. Fear of COVID-19. Bifactor model. Validity COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has spread rapidly throughout the world (Huang and Zhao 2020), affecting 188 countries with 13,135,616 confirmed cases and 573,869 of deaths, and increasing (data obtained from https:// coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html, on July 17, 2020). This disease presents a higher risk of mortality in people with comorbidity and older adults (Morley and Vellas 2020). In Latin
Background This research presents a short version of the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) sc... more Background This research presents a short version of the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale, one of the most frequently used questionnaires in the arena of applied healthcare investigation. It measures burnout (BO), compassion fatigue (CF), and compassion satisfaction (CS). Methods A 9-item version of the ProQOL was developed. In Study 1, this short version, which used items from version IV of the ProQOL, was administered to 817 palliative care professionals from Spain, Argentina, and Brazil. In Study 2, the same nine items, but this time from version V of the ProQOL, were administered to 296 Spanish palliative care professionals. Results Study 1: The Short ProQOL showed an adequate internal structure, and invariance across the countries studied (χ2(106) = 185.620 (p < 0.001), CFI = .929, RMSEA = 0.058 [0.044, 0.072], SRMR = 0.081). Argentinians showed higher levels of BO (mean difference = 0.172, p = 0.042, Cohen’s d = 0.168), whereas Brazilians showed higher levels of ...
El compromiso docente con los procesos de cambio tiene lugar en un contexto en el que intervienen... more El compromiso docente con los procesos de cambio tiene lugar en un contexto en el que intervienen sus propias actitudes y conceptos sobre la educación. Por tanto, el cambio educativo necesita del compromiso de los docentes, puesto que, para que este sea exitoso, es imprescindible que el docente replantee la profesión. Los factores personales y los profesionales intervienen en los procesos de cambio docente. Por consiguiente, el objetivo fue poner a prueba un modelo estadístico predictivo del compromiso docente con el cambio educativo a partir de factores de personalidad y autoevaluación. La muestra, aleatoria y representativa de la población de docentes peruanos, fue de 888. El modelo resultó en un ajuste adecuado, con un gran poder predictivo sobre las dimensiones de procesos de cambio. En suma, el modelo confirma que variables personales, como son el autoconcepto y la personalidad, tienen fuerte poder predictivo sobre el compromiso docente.
ObjectiveRecent studies into the factorial structure of the 12-item version of the General Health... more ObjectiveRecent studies into the factorial structure of the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) have shown that it was best represented by a single substantive factor when method effects associated with negatively worded (NW) items are considered. The purpose of the present study was to examine the presence of method effects, and their relationships with demographic covariates, associated with positively worded (PW) and/or NW items.DesignA cross-sectional, observational study to compare a comprehensive set of confirmatory factor models, including method effects associated with PW and/or NW items with GHQ-12 responses.SettingRepresentative sample of all employees living in Catalonia (Spain).Participants3050 participants (44.6% women) who responded the Second Catalonian Survey of Working Conditions.ResultsA confirmatory factor analysis showed that the best fitting model was a unidimensional model with two additional uncorrelated method factors associated with ...
La satisfacción laboral del colectivo docente ha sido estudiada desde diversas perspectivas, debi... more La satisfacción laboral del colectivo docente ha sido estudiada desde diversas perspectivas, debido a los importantes efectos que esta puede tener tanto a nivel económico como a nivel organizacional. La muestra empleada en este trabajo se compone de 978 docentes dominicanos, y fue obtenida mediante un muestreo estratificado, y, por tanto, representativo de la población. En este estudio se examina un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales en el cual el contexto de trabajo y las condiciones laborales afectan el burnout y el engagement de los profesores. A su vez, se plantea que burnout y engagement afectan la satisfacción laboral docente. El modelo ajustó a los datos: χ2(223)= 1089.9, p
European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 2016
Cada vez más, la investigación sobre el proceso de envejecimiento tiende a adoptar una doble pers... more Cada vez más, la investigación sobre el proceso de envejecimiento tiende a adoptar una doble perspectiva emic (específico a una cultura) y etic (universal), necesitándose más estudios que atiendan un enfoque transcultural. El objetivo es obtener respuesta empírica a la pregunta de si un modelo de envejecimiento con éxito planteado desde un contexto diferente como es el taiwanés, es adecuado para representar este proceso en nuestros mayores. La muestra estuvo formada por 737 personas mayores. Se recabaron datos de variables socio-demográficas y diversas escalas para evaluar satisfacción con la vida, ocio, salud y apoyo social. Se puso a prueba un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales tomado de Lee et al. (2011), en el que ocio, salud y apoyo social predecían satisfacción con la vida. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron un ajuste adecuado. En concreto, se observó que, en el marco de otros factores que teóricamente influyentes -salud y apoyo social-, este novedoso aspecto sobre cómo las pe...
Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones, 2018
Work engagement is a relatively young concept. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, there ha... more Work engagement is a relatively young concept. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, there has been an increasing trend towards positive psychology. In this way, there has been a shift in attention from ill-health and unwellbeing towards the promotion of health and wellbeing. For this reason, occupational psychology has started to focus its attention on the positive aspects of work and, among those, on work engagement. Work engagement has been defined as a positive, encouraged, and accomplished attitude towards the job, characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá, & Bakker, 2002). Vigor is illustrated by the presence of mental resilience and high levels of energy at the workplace, as well as the motivation to invest effort in one's work despite all opposition. Dedication relates to "being strongly involved in one's work and experiencing a sense of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, and challenge" (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003, p. 5). Finally, the third dimension, absorption, refers to achieving high levels of concentration and the sense that time passes quickly while being at work, to the point that it becomes difficult to detach oneself from work. Schaufeli, Taris, and van Rhenen (2008) have compared absorption to the concept of flow, a fully focused state of mind h t t p : / / j o u r n a l s. c o p m a d r i d. o rg / j wo p
Most of the research on psychopathology has provided an incomplete picture of mental health by fo... more Most of the research on psychopathology has provided an incomplete picture of mental health by focusing on vulnerability factors and omitting the transversal processes that may explain human adapted functioning. Moreover, research has not sufficiently addressed prospective protective factors for mental health. New theoretical and empirical endeavors aim to incorporate this perspective, particularly in the realm of emotional disorders. A positive view of the future is an indispensable process in attaining desired goals and wellbeing. Openness to the Future is a construct characterized by positive affectivity towards the future, which can be a protective factor for mental health. Although some scales assess future orientations, the complexity of this concept has not yet been captured; therefore, there is a need for new instruments. This study presents the development and validation of a scale for measuring Openness to the Future in clinical (n = 412) and community (n = 890) samples. P...
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a widely-used screening tool for depression in primar... more The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a widely-used screening tool for depression in primary care settings. The purpose of the present study is to identify the factor structure of the PHQ-9 and to examine the measurement invariance of this instrument across different sociodemographic groups and over time in a sample of primary care patients in Spain. Data came from 836 primary care patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (PsicAP study) and a subsample of 218 patients who participated in a follow-up assessment at 3 months. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test one- and two-factor structures identified in previous studies. Analyses of multiple-group invariance were conducted to determine the extent to which the factor structure is comparable across various demographic groups (i.e., gender, age, marital status, level of education, and employment situation) and over time. Both one-factor and two-factor re-specified models met all the pre-established fit cr...
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Papers by Jose Tomas