Jaime R. Silva

International comparisons of behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children: Parents' reports from 24 societies

International comparisons were conducted of preschool childrens behavioral and emotional problems as reported on the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½–5 by parents in 24 societies (N = 19,850). Item ratings were aggregated into scores on syndromes; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–oriented scales; a Stress Problems scale; and Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales. Effect sizes for scale score differences among the 24 societies ranged from small to medium (3–12%). Although societies differed greatly in language, culture, and other characteristics, Total Problems scores for 18 of the 24 societies were within 7.1 points of the omnicultural mean of 33.3 (on a scale of 0–198). Gender and age differences, as well as gender and age interactions with society, were all very small (effect sizes < 1%). Across all pairs of societies, correlations between mean item ratings averaged .78, and correlations between internal consistency alphas for the scales averaged .92, indicating that the rank orders of mean item ratings and internal consistencies of scales were very similar across diverse societies.

Behavioral/Emotional Problems of Preschoolers: Caregiver/Teacher Reports From 15 Societies

This study tested societal effects on caregiver/teacher ratings of behavioral/emotional problems for 10,521 preschoolers from 15 societies. Many societies had problem scale scores within a relatively narrow range, despite differences in language, culture, and other characteristics. The small age and gender effects were quite similar across societies. The rank orders of mean item ratings were similar across diverse societies. For 7,380 children from 13 societies, ratings were also obtained from a parent. In all 13 societies, mean Total Problems scores derived from parent ratings were significantly higher than mean Total Problems scores derived from caregiver/teacher ratings, although the size of the difference varied somewhat across societies. Mean cross-informant agreement for problem scale scores varied across societies. Societies were very similar with respect to which problem items, on average, received high versus low ratings from parents and caregivers/teachers. Within every society, cross-informant agreement for item ratings varied widely across children. In most respects, results were quite similar across 15 very diverse societies.

The CUIDEME Study: Determinants of Burden in Chilean Primary Caregivers of Patients with Dementia

BACKGROUND Caring for a person with dementia is associated with well-documented increases in burden and distress and decreases in mental health and wellbeing. Studies assessing burden in caregivers of patients with dementia and its determinants are scarce in Latin America. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study was to assess the extent and the determinants of burden in informal primary caregivers of patients with dementia in Chile. METHODS A descriptive study was conducted using clinically validated scales to assess dementia characteristics and to measure caregiver variables. Family socio-demographic characteristics and functional status, patient functional dependency and behavioral disturbances, and caregiver psychiatric morbidity were analyzed as independent variables to determine caregiver burden. RESULTS Two hundred and ninety-two informal caregivers were included. There were more female (80%) than male caregivers, consisting mainly of daughters and spouses of the patients. Severe burden was reported in 63% of the caregivers, and 47% exhibited psychiatric morbidity. Burden was associated with caregiver psychiatric distress, family dysfunction, severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional disability, but neither patient age, gender, nor socioeconomic status impacted burden. CONCLUSION Our results underscore the importance of assessing the consequences of dementia in both caregivers and patients in order to evaluate the real biopsychosocial impact of dementia, as well as the importance of planning appropriate and effective public health interventions in Latin American countries. In addition, interventions targeting caregiver psychological distress, caregiver familial dysfunction, patient neuropsychiatric disorders, and patient functional disability could potentially diminish caregiver burden.

El Rol Predisponente del Optimismo: Hacia un Modelo Etiológico del Bienestar

Resumen es: En los ultimos anos, la investigacion de los recursos psicologicos que favorecen la salud y el bienestar han experimentado un aumento considerable. Recie...

Sobrealimentación Inducida por la Ansiedad, Parte II: Un Marco de Referencia Neurocientífico para el Desarrollo de Técnicas Psicoterapéuticas y Programas de Prevención

Resumen es: Los dietantes cronicos (DC) o comedores emocionales presentan un patron de restriccion-sobrealimentacion caracteristico. Usualmente, los estados emocion...

Problematic eating behaviors and nutritional status in 7 to 12 year-old Chilean children

Overweight and obesity are medical conditions that require a multidisciplinary analysis of their causes and treatment. In Chile a sustained increase in the presence of obesity and excess weight has been observed in children. However, the amount and the dynamics of the aforementioned problematic eating behaviours in Chilean children are unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between restrained, external, and emotional eating, and variations in body mass index (BMI) in Chilean children. Consequently, 453 children from 7 to 12 years of age responded to the Childrens Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire, Spanish version. In addition, their anthropometric data were obtained. A positive association was found between restrained eating and BMI, and a negative correlation between external eating and BMI. Emotional eating demonstrated a modest inverse relationship with BMI. A significant interaction between problematic behaviour and nutritional status (normal-weight, overweight, obese) was revealed. Restrained eating was characteristic of obese children whereas external eating of normal-weight children. These results suggest that problematic eating behaviours and their relationship with body weight are similar to those described in studies in Europe.

Escala de bienestar de Ryff: análisis comparativo de los modelos teóricos en distintos grupos de edad

The scale of psychological well-being arises from the multidimensional model proposed by Ryff (1989). Despite its wide use, its initial theoretical structure has not been completely confirmed because other factorial solutions which are different from those 6 dimensions proposed by the author have been found. These differences may be related to the type of sample and population used. Given this fact, the current study compares the adjustment factor of correction models traditionally used in different groups of adults. We describe the psychometric properties of the Spanish adaptation done by Diaz et al. (2006) and analyze the levels of reliability (internal consistency and temporal stability) and confirmatory factorial structure with data from 1,646 people aged from 18 to 90 years old. Differences are found in the indicators of reliability for the total scale and its dimensions as well as in the indicators of goodness of fit depending on the age group. The model that presents the best indicators of adjustment for most age ranges evaluated was the one of six first-order factors.

International Affective Picture System (IAPS) in Chile: A cross-cultural adaptation and validation study

The International Affective Picture System (IAPS) (Lang, Ohman, & Vaitl, 1988) is a standardized set of photographs to induce emotions in the context of experimental investigations. The aim of this study was determine the psychometric behavior of the IAPS for the preparation of standards in the Chilean population and the subsequent validation of the instrument for its use in Chile. 208 university students participated (40% men) and had an affective experience induced using the presentation of visual stimuli extracted from sets 7 and 14 of the IAPS. In order to evaluate valence, arousal and dominance, the self-assessment manikin (SAM) was used, made up of pictographic scales for each dimension and a scale of continuous variation of emotional reactions. The IAPS showed psychometric behavior comparable to the original, with the same boomerang-shaped distribution of scores being found in the valence/arousal relationship. The IAPS is a reliable tool for inducing emotions in studies related to affectivity.

Sobrealimentación Inducida por la Ansiedad Parte I: Evidencia Conductual, Afectiva, Metabólica y Endocrina

Under stress, chronic alimentary restraint behaviors usually alternate with overeating. Restrained eaters (RE) are especially prone to show these paradoxical patterns. This paper reviews behavioral, affective, endocrine and metabolic evidence related to that condition. Laboratory and fi eld studies have shown that RE overeat mainly under anxiety-related experimental setting. This observation has been explained by several psychological theories, such as the psychosomatic theory, the cognitive distraction theory and the masking hypothesis. However, empirical data does not support all these views in an equivalent way. At the same time, endocrine and metabolic research suggest that RE may have predisposition to weight gain due to chronic stress exposure, which in turn lead to increased risk of obesity. The review concludes with controversies in the literature and recommended directions for future research in the fi eld.

Restricción alimentaria y sobrealimentación: Un modelo de la neurociencia afectiva

Some subjects may overeat when they experience anxiety even if they chronically restrict their food consumption. This contradictory behavior is a dysfunctional emotional regulation mechanism, which promotes the development of obesity and eating disorders. We review studies from a research program where alimentary restriction and overeating are conceived under the perspective of affective neuroscience. In this framework, restrained eaters (RE) are described as subjects that are emotionally vulnerable and have dysfunctional emotional modulation strategies. We discuss empine evidence about the influence of motivational systems on alimentary behavior. Electrophysiological observations in RE reveal a self-referential processing of food stimulus as well as dysfunctional processing during the differentiation of emotional expressions. We stress the role of emotional education and the creation of psychometric instruments designed for early detection of restrained eaters