Jorge Quintas

Long term psychosocial outcomes of congenital heart disease (CHD) in adolescents and young adults

BACKGROUND Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a chronic illness with a high frequency in the worldwide population, and is normally diagnosed at birth or in uterus. Because of better conditions in diagnosis and early medical and surgical treatment, patients have survival rates of 90% and go further and further in life, facing different challenges in life cycle. In this study, we tested the effects of different demographic, clinical and psychosocial variables on the perception of quality of life (QOL), on psychosocial adjustment (PSA) and psychiatric morbidity (PM) of adolescents and young adults with CHD. OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate QOL, PM and PSA of adolescents and young adults with CHD and to determine which variables (demographic, clinical, and psychosocial) play a role in buffering stress and promoting resilience and which ones have a detrimental effect. METHODS The study enrolled 150 CHD patients (87 males and 63 females), 12 to 26 years (M: 17.45±3.373 years). The participants were interviewed regarding social support, family educational style, self-image, demographic information and physical limitations. They responded to questions in a standardized psychiatric interview (SADS-L) and completed self-reports questionnaires for assessment of QOL (WHOQOL-BREF) and PSA (YSR/ASR). RESULTS We found an 18.7% lifetime prevalence of psychopathology in our participants (25.4% in females and 13.8% in males). 57.1% had retentions in school (M: 1.53±0.804 year). The perception of QOL of CHD patients is better compared to the Portuguese population in the Social Relationships, Environmental, Physical and General Dimensions. However, it is worse in complex forms of CHD, in cyanotic patients, in moderate-to-severe residual lesions, in patients submitted to surgery and in patients with physical limitations. All of these variables, except presence of cyanosis, are also associated to a worse PSA. Social Support is very important in improving QOL of patients in all dimensions as well as academic performance. CONCLUSIONS Female patients and patients with poor academic performance and poor social support refer worse PSA and QOL.

Decriminalization: Different Models in Portugal and Spain

This paper analyzes drug policy and related outcomes in Portugal and Spain after decriminalization. Portugal and Spain are usually singled out as countries with permissive drug policies because they have decriminalized drug use. In these countries, individual drug consumption is not considered a crime, and drug users are generally not subject to criminal sanctions. People are increasingly demanding different policies on marijuana, particularly through cannabis social clubs in Spain. In recent years, decriminalization and an absence of criminal punishments for drug users, along with a trend toward less severe punishments for drug trafficking, have not been associated with significant increases in drug use. Portugal and Spain continued their normal patterns of drug use after decriminalization, supporting a growing consensus that decriminalization is not associated with escalating drug use and drug-related problems.

Detecção de simulação com o uso do wisconsin card sorting test e do trail making test

The objective of this study was to identify indicators of malingering in forensic neuropsychological assessment by identifying response patterns in neuropsychological tests. The sample was composed by 56 subjects diagnosed with a cranioencephalic trauma. All subjects were in a situation of monetary reward if incapacity was proven. The instruments used were the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and a legal process data file. Approximately 30% of the studied sample was identified as probable malingerers. This percentage is consistent with the literature. We identified a high level of homogeneity of psychological symptoms and socio-demographic features in the group of subjects with indicators of malingering and in the group without such indicators. These results reinforce the necessity to develop efficient methods to detect malingering.