María del Pilar Sánchez-López

Composite and preferences Scales of Morningness: reliability and factor invariance in adult and university samples.

The creation and adaptation of scales or inventories assessing specific circadian typologies has been a predominant focus within the field of chronopsychology. The present study addressed the psychometric properties of two scales of morningness-eveningness: the Morningness Composite Scale (CS; Smith, Reilly, & Midkiff, 1989) and the Early/Late Preferences Scale (PS; Smith, Folkard, Schmieder, Parra, Spelten, & Almirall, 1993). Internal consistency and factor invariance of the CS and PS were analyzed in two samples: a group of 203 university students (age range = 19-30) and a group of 125 working adults (age range = 31-65). Results indicated satisfactory internal consistency for both full scales with each age group and confirmed the factor invariance across age for the two CS factors and one of the PS factors. A higher tendency in morningness on both scales was noted in the adult sample.

Sociodemographic, Psychological and Health-Related Factors Associated with Poor Mental Health in Spanish Women and Men in Midlife

ABSTRACT Background: The purpose of this work was to examine the sociodemographic, psychological, and health-related factors (considered jointly) associated with poor mental health in midlife and to analyze whether risk and protective factors differed in men and women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a middle-class sample of 252 women and 189 men between 45 and 65 years of age from Spanish rural areas. Mental health status was measured with the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12; Goldberg & Williams, 1988). Multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios with confidence intervals of 95%, adjusting for confounding variables. Results: The percentage of women (14.3%) with poor mental health was twice that of the men (7.4%). In women, the following variables were significantly and positively related to poor mental health: consumption of psychoactive drugs, physiological and cognitive anxiety; self-esteem and family satisfaction were protective factors. For men, physical complaints and cognitive anxiety were significant risk factors, and job satisfaction was a protective factor. Conclusions: In general, the psychological variables were more clearly related to poor mental health. Women had a more unfavorable profile, and the variables related to poor mental health differed for men and women, perhaps due to social roles associated with gender. To facilitate diagnosis and take preventive measures, mens and womens risk factors for poor mental health should be differentiated.

Use of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in Spanish caregivers.

BACKGROUND The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is widely used in the assessment of anxiety and depression, but there are scarce data about its psychometric properties in caregivers of older relatives. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to analyse the factor structure of the HADS to verify its suitability to assess emotional symptomatology in family caregivers of old people, its internal consistency and confirming its relation with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and an index of disease and physical complaints. METHODS One hundred and seventy-five family caregivers (25 men and 150 women) aged 32-86, who were taking care of at least one older person in a situation of dependence, were recruited for this study. A descriptive, comparative, correlational design was employed. The scientific adequacy of the questionnaire and its structure were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis. The scores obtained in the GHQ and in an index of disease and physical complaints were used as external criteria to assess the adequacy of the HADS for caregivers. RESULTS Higher levels of anxiety and depression than in the normal population were obtained. The reliability/internal validity of the questionnaire was adequate. A bifactor model, with one subscale for anxiety and one for depression, provides the best fit to the data. The subscales were related to GHQ-12 and index of diseases/physical complaints. CONCLUSIONS The HADS was shown to be useful to assess the presence of anxiety and depression in family caregivers, and the original two-dimensional model is the most adequate.

Evaluación de la Variable Género: CFNI en Mujeres Chilenas

espanolEl objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la estructura factorial y la consistencia interna de las puntuaciones del Inventario de Conformidad con las Normas de Genero Femeninas (CFNI) en mujeres chilenas. La investigacion se llevo a cabo con 308 mujeres, entre 18 y 50 anos de edad. El analisis facto rial revelo un perfil similar al obtenido en EEUU, por lo que es compatible con la estructura propuesta por los autores. Teniendo en cuenta estos resultados, se concluyo que el CFNI es una buena operativizacion de la variable genero y podra ser utilizado e n futuras investigaciones con mujeres chilenas. EnglishThe aim of this study was to analyze the factor structure and the internal consistency of the Conformity to Feminine Gender Norms Inventory – CFNI in the Chilean women. The research was conducted with 308 women between 18 and 50 years of age. Factor analysis revealed a similar profile to tha t obtained in the USA, it supports the structure proposed by the authors. Taking these results into account, we concluded that the CFNI is a good operationalization of the variable gender and it can be applied to Chilean women in future studies.

702 – Posttraumatic stress disorder in battered women by their partners

Introduction Violence gender has caused considerable social alarm. Better awareness of the characteristics and problems of the female victims is necessary to be able to provide adequate psychological attention. Objectives To identify the specific characteristics of PTSD in female victims of gender violence, stating what are the symptoms of this disorder are usually present, identify some of the most important variables that characterize women seeking assistance this problem. Aims The goal of this study is examining PTSD in battered women. Methods Participants: 100 Chilean and 170 Spanish battered women. Instruments: - Semi-structured interview for victims of abuse : assesses sociodemographic characteristics of victims and circumstances of abuse, it was designed for this research. - The PTSD Symptoms Severity Scale (Echeburua et al., 1997) : assesses the severity and intensity of the symptoms of this disorder according to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV-TR in victims of different traumatic events. Results The results show that the most typical symptoms of PTSD are: re-experiencing (the presence of unpleasant and recurring memories about the abuse and psychological and physiological distress on recalling the events); avoidance symptoms (avoidance of thoughts, feelings or conversations related to what has been experienced, loss of interest in significant activities and restriction of emotional life); and hyperactivation symptoms (permanent state of hypervigilance and startle response). Conclusions This data will be useful to understand the problems and consequences of abuse and to target interventions to be made to alleviate the plight of these women in cases where it appears PTSD.

P-1478 - Mental health in battered women by their partners

Introduction While any type of victimization can produce psychological effects, in the case of battered women by their partners, the impact of this increase due to the following characteristics: violence often involves a combination of abusive acts of physical, psychological and/or sexual kind; it usually has a progressive and chronic character; it occurs repeatedly and intermittent, within the home and the person whom ones lives with. The high impact on the health of those who suffer it are forced to consider this form of violence as one of the major issues of health and human rights. Objectives To determine the most relevant circumstances of abuse from a psychopathological perspective. Aims The goal of this study is examining which sociodemographic factors and specificity of abuse are associated with greater mental health. Methods Participants: 97 battered women. Instruments: GHQ-12, consists of 12 items, each one assessing the severity of a mental problem. Specific interview developed for the study (history of the problem and physical health). Results Battered women who are living with their partner have better health offending than non-living. Conclusions The results could be explained by the need to be alert and in good physical and mental strength to withstand the abusive situation.

P-1459 - Mental health of nurses: there are differences between men and women?

Introduction The bibliographical review of differences in mental health according to sex indicates poorer mental health status in women. We wonder whether the same difference is found in male and female nurses. Objective To verify whether there are differences in mental health between nurses and general population, between male and female nurses. Aims With two groups of participants (male and female nurses), paired in diverse sociodemographic variables, we propose to verify whether there are differences in mental health. Method 98 female nurses and 98 male nurses, aged between 22 and 56 years, paired in diverse sociodemographic variables. Mental health was measured with the GHQ-12. Results Nurses presented poorer levels of mental health than the general Spanish population (ENS, 2006). Female nurses presented worse levels of mental health. When age groups are formed, these differences do not appear in the sample of middle-aged nurses. Conclusions The mental health of nurses is worse than that of the general population. When the sociodemographic conditions of male and females nurses are equaled, the mental health of the female nurses is worse than that of the male nurses in the youngest age groups. The youngest female nurses probably have greater work overload related to their multiple roles (i.e., caring for small children) and their lesser professional maturity. The need to take into account not only the variable sex (differences between men and women) but also the variable gender (related to social norms of masculine/feminine behavior) is revealed.