Covadonga Chaves

Predictors of subjective well-being in patients with paranoid symptoms: Is insight necessarily advantageous?

In schizophrenia, poor insight has been associated with negative outcome. In fact, some studies have found insight to be associated with greater treatment adherence and lower levels of symptomatology, as well as better psychosocial functioning. However, others have found that insight into illness is associated with an increase in depression, low self-esteem, and possibly higher risk of suicide. We investigated the relationship between insight and well-being in a sample of 40 people presenting paranoid symptoms and diagnosed with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder. Independent-samples t-tests revealed that compared to a paranoid group with high insight, paranoid participants with low insight had more self-acceptance, higher sense of autonomy and personal growth, and greater orientation towards gratification. Moderation analyses showed that when experiential avoidance was high, insight into paranoia had a detrimental effect on self-acceptance. Overall, our results support the need to explore which psychological variables moderate insight in patients with persecutory beliefs. We discuss the implications of these results for the research of paranoia.

Percepción de beneficios y bienestar en niños con enfermedades amenazantes para la vida: Un estudio integrador

Objetivo. Examinamos en que medida la percepcion de beneficios o benefit finding (BF) en ninos con una enfermedad amenazante para la vida (como el cancer o el trasplante de organos) estaria relacionado con un rango de medidas positivas y negativas de funcionamiento psicologico asi como con algunas variables medicas. Metodo. Una muestra de ninos con una enfermedad amenazante para la vida (N=67, edad entre 7 y 18 anos) completaron la Escala de Percepcion de Beneficios para Ninos (Benefit Finding Scale for Children, BFSC) y otras medidas positivas y negativas de funcionamiento psicologico. Resultados. Los ninos expuestos a una enfermedad de gravedad moderada mostraron niveles mas altos de BF. BF se asocio positivamente a diferentes dimensiones de bienestar. Sin embargo, no se encontro relacion con medidas de malestar, a excepcion de algunos dominios de calidad de vida relacionados con la enfermedad. Conclusion. Estos resultados mostraron que el BF refleja un resultado positivo en si mismo y no una mera reduccion de malestar. A pesar de eso, deben considerarse algunos dominios de calidad de vida relacionados con la salud a la hora de realizar intervenciones terapeuticas para facilitar la percepcion de beneficios.

Differential pathways of positive and negative health behavior change in congestive heart failure patients

This longitudinal study applied a stress and coping model to examine the differential pathways of perceived positive and negative health behavior changes. Participants with congestive heart failure completed self-report measures of psychological resources, coping strategies, and perceived behavior changes and were assessed again 6 months later. Patients with higher positive affect and spiritual well-being reported more positive health behavior changes over time, effects mediated by approach coping. Alternatively, patients with lower psychological resources reported more negative behavior changes over time, effects mediated by avoidance coping. The results suggest that different psychological resources are related to different types of coping which, in turn, are associated with perceived positive or negative changes in health behavior over time.

Positive interventions in seriously-ill children: Effects on well-being after granting a wish

We examined whether a positive intervention (i.e. granting a wish) could promote positive psychological and physical changes (e.g. reduced nausea and pain) in seriously-ill children. Children and their parent were randomly assigned to a wish group (completed measures 2–3 days before the wish and 3 weeks later) or to a waiting-list control group (with an equivalent time-lag and receiving the wish after the assessment). Wish intervention significantly increased levels of positive emotions, satisfaction with life, personal strengths, and reduced rates of nausea compared with the control group. Mothers in the wish group also perceived positive changes in children’s benefit finding and quality of life.

Pattern of Changes during Treatment: A Comparison between a Positive Psychology Intervention and a Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Clinical Depression

Research on psychotherapy has traditionally focused on analyzing changes between the beginning and the end of a treatment. Few studies have addressed the pattern of therapeutic change during treatment. The aim of this study was to examine the pattern of changes in clinical and well-being variables during a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program compared with an integrative positive psychology interventions program for clinical depression IPPI-D. 128 women with a diagnosis of major depression or dysthymia were assigned to the CBT or PPI group. A measure of depressive symptoms (i.e., Beck Depression Inventory) and well-being (i.e., Pemberton Happiness Index) were administered four times: at the beginning and end of the treatment, as well as during treatment (at sessions 4 and 7). Through mixed-model repeated measures ANOVAs, both depressive symptoms (p .08). The percentage of improvement in depressive symptoms in the first treatment period was higher than in the later ones (ps < .005). On the contrary, well-being showed a more gradual improvement (p = .15). These results highlight the importance of assessing the pattern of changes in symptoms and well-being separately.

Granting wishes of seriously ill children: Effects on parents' well-being.

We investigated whether a positive intervention (i.e. granting a wish) in children with a chronic illness could promote positive psychological responses in their parents. Hospitalized children were randomly assigned to either the wish group or to a waiting-list control group. Mothers and fathers’ responses (N = 86 and 38, respectively) were studied. Parents from the wish group showed higher levels of positive emotions and beliefs in a benevolent world than the control group. Mothers from the wish group reported higher benefit finding, gratitude, and love than those in the control group. Given that the child’s illness inevitably affects their parents, it is important to promote studies that include parents’ well-being dimensions.

The impact of economic recessions on depression and individual and social well-being: the case of Spain (2006–2013)

PurposeAlthough there is abundant evidence about the impact of economic crises on depression and other mental health problems, little is known about the protective role of variables linked to positive functioning (i.e., psychological well-being).MethodsWe analyzed data from Spain, one of the European countries most affected by the 2008–2013 economic recession, collected in Round 3 (R3, 2006) and Round 6 (R6, 2013) of the European Social Survey interviews. Both surveys included measures of psychological well-being, social well-being and depression. Both samples were nationally representative of the general population (R3: 1877 participants, 49.2% men; R6: 1889 participants, 48.9% men).ResultsData from the R6 survey showed that, compared to data gathered in R3 (i.e., before the onset of the recession) Spanish citizens showed significantly less life satisfaction (95% CIs 0.37–0.63), less personal optimism (95% CIs 0.03–0.15), less social optimism (95% CIs 0.75–0.85), and higher levels of depressive symptoms (95% CIs − 0.74 to − 0.19). Structural equation modeling revealed that protective factors for depression changed in both rounds. In R3 (2006), close relationships, social optimism and social trust were significant mediators between well-being and depression. However, social optimism and social trust were no longer significant in R6 (2013), whereas close relationships remained a partial mediator of the effects of psychological well-being on depression.ConclusionsEconomic crises are associated with a significant increase in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, financial crises seem to have a corrosive impact on mental health by reducing the mediating effects of positive beliefs regarding the good nature of society.