Lara Ayala-Nunes

Social support and parenting stress in at-risk Portuguese families

Summary Families that are at psychosocial risk live under personal and contextual circumstances that hinder their parenting skills. They frequently lack the resources necessary for addressing the challenges of parenting and encounter multiple stressful life events. Social support may help diminish the parenting stress that is experienced from living in a disadvantaged environment by enhancing coping strategies. However, previous research examining the associations between parenting stress and social support among at-risk families has been inconclusive. This study analyzed the psychosocial profile of at-risk Portuguese families, the size and composition of their social support networks and the associations between social support and parenting stress. Participants consisted of 167 parents (80% mothers) who received assistance from Child Protection Services. Measures included the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, the Arizona Social Support Interview Schedule and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Findings Parenting stress levels were extremely high, with 44.51% of parents showing clinically significant levels. Emotional support was the type of support that was most closely related to parental distress, namely the network size available for providing emotional support (r = −.27, p = .000) and satisfaction with the emotional support received (r = −.24, p = .006). Applications The size of the emotional support network was significantly smaller among parents who reported clinically significant levels of parenting stress. Hence, having the opportunity to express feelings and concerns as well as engaging in social interactions during leisure time may serve as protective factors against parental stress in at-risk families. Implications of for the interventions of professionals who work with at-risk families are discussed.

The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale - 11 Among a Portuguese Sample of Female Juvenile Delinquents and Community Youths

ABSTRACT Impulsivity among incarcerated female juvenile offenders is an understudied area of research. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11) among a Portuguese sample of female participants (N = 377, mean age = 16.23 years, SD = 1.38) recruited from forensic and school contexts. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the expected six-factor first-order structure, but not the three-factor second-order structure. Acceptable levels of internal consistency were mostly obtained, but some dimensions showed somewhat lower than expected values. Convergent validity with measures of psychopathic and callous-unemotional traits, and discriminant validity with a measure of social anxiety was demonstrated. In terms of criterion-related validity significant associations were found with relevant variables (e.g., age of crime onset, conduct disorder symptoms, alcohol, and drug use). The use of the BIS-11 among female juvenile delinquents and community youth is psychometrically justified and it can be considered a useful measure to identify impulsive adolescents.

Psychometric properties of the Socially Desirable Response Set-5 among incarcerated male and female juvenile offenders.

The main aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Socially Desirable Response Set-5 (SDRS-5) among a forensic sample (N=324) of incarcerated male (n=221) and female (n=103) juvenile offenders. The Portuguese validation of the SDRS-5 demonstrated good psychometric properties, namely in terms of its factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity that overall justifies its use among this population. Findings are discussed in terms of the use of the SDRS-5 with male and female juvenile offenders.

Quality of life of Portuguese and Spanish adolescents. A comparative study between natives and immigrants

The aim of this study was to analyse differences in quality of life (QOL) between Spanish and Portuguese immigrant and native adolescents. In total, 475 native and immigrant adolescents (52% boys) from Algarve (Portugal) and Huelva (Spain), aged between 12 and 17 years old, were assessed with the KIDSCREEN-52. QOL dimensions were not related to most academic variables, with the exception of number of school failures, Financial Resources and Social Support from Peers. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to examine statistical differences in adolescents QOL. Age differences in QOL levels were not found. Girls reported worse QOL levels on Physical Wellbeing than boys (F = 10.32, p = .001, η2 =.02). Immigrant Portuguese adolescents scored higher on Mood (F = 17.57, p = .000, η2 =.11), and native Portuguese adolescents scored higher on Social Acceptance (F = 4.87, p = .002, η2=.033). Immigrant and native adolescents had similar levels of perceived QOL. Overall, it seems that in both countries, the living contexts for immigrant and native adolescents are fairly homogeneous.

Development and validation of the Family Feedback on Child Welfare Services (FF-CWS)

Objective: The measurement of Family Feedback on Child Welfare Services (FF-CWS) is gaining prominence as an efficacy indicator and is coherent with concerns about family-centered practice and empowerment. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument that would overcome the scarcity of psychometrically sound measures in this field. Methods: Following item construction and selection, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with a sample of 263 Spanish (52%) and Portuguese (48%) caregivers of children involved with CWS were conducted. Results: Three subscales were identified: Intervention Efficacy, Perception of Workers, and Satisfaction with the Intervention Process. In general, all dimensions showed good reliability, convergent, and criterion-related validity results. Multigroup analyses confirmed measurement invariance for both countries. Conclusions: The FF-CWS Questionnaire is a brief self-report measure that can be a useful assessment tool to frontline practitioners, agency managers, and policy makers for program evaluation and planning.

Parenting and stress: A study with Spanish and Portuguese at-risk families:

This study analyzed parenting stress, parental sense of competence, and stressful life events in families at psychosocial risk in Western Andalusia (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal). Differences and similarities between families from both countries on these dimensions were explored, as well as the influence of country of origin in determining risk profiles for this population. Although both groups shared some sociodemographic characteristics, differences were found on all studied dimensions, with Portuguese mothers showing higher levels of parenting stress, sense of competence, and accumulation of stressful life events. Results suggest that higher risk families tend to share psychosocial characteristics, regardless of their country of origin.

The Brief Peer Conflict Scale: Psychometric Properties Among a Sample of Incarcerated Male Juvenile Offenders:

Aggression can be considered a multidimensional construct that influences various forms of antisocial behavior, including juvenile delinquency and conduct problems. The aim of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Brief Peer Conflict Scale–20 item version (PCS-20) among a Portuguese forensic sample (N = 192) of incarcerated male juvenile offenders (M = 16.62 years; SD = 1.52 years; age range = 13-18 years). The PCS-20 demonstrated good psychometric properties in terms of its four-factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity that generally justify its use among incarcerated male youth. The findings provide additional support for the extension of the PCS-20 across different cultures, ethnic groups, and samples.