Raquel Rodríguez-Carvajal

Role stress and personal resources in nursing: a cross-sectional study of burnout and engagement.

BACKGROUND The experience of role stress has been linked to burnout as an important job stressor, but the impact of this stressor in the context of engagement (characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) has not yet been sufficiently studied among nurses. Personal resources also appear to influence the process of burnout and engagement. OBJECTIVES This study examines the influence of role stress and personal resources (optimism, hardy personality and emotional competence) in nursing on burnout and engagement dimensions. DESIGN AND RESULTS Cross-sectional data from 508 nurses from general hospitals in Madrid (Spain) showed that both role stress and personal resources were related to burnout and engagement dimensions, although role stress was more closely related to nursing burnout, whereas personal resources were more closely related to nursing engagement. In addition, optimism as a personal resource, showed a moderator effect on exhaustion and the three dimensions of engagement. CONCLUSIONS The study provides additional support about role stress as an important predictor of burnout and engagement in nursing, even after controlling for personal resources and socio-demographic variables.

Goal Integration and Well-Being: Self-Regulation Through Inner Resources in the Netherlands and Spain

Personality integration has been related to individual well-being. The present study focused on the combined influence of personality integration through the personal-striving goal construct, active-passive approach toward achieving one’s goals, and inner resources on well-being. Specific attention was given to how this process works out in two culturally different countries: the Netherlands and Spain. Results indicated that goal integration, passive thinking, active thinking, and vitality were higher in the Netherlands compared to Spain. It was also shown that inner resources combined with active thinking to function as a buffer for the possible negative effects on vitality. Results were similar in both countries, a finding that provides an indication for possible cross-cultural generalization of this process. The overall results present active-passive thinking combined with inner resources as an influential factor in the relation between goal integration and well-being.

Psychological well-being in adults transplanted in childhood

Abstract:  Few studies have explored the long‐term psychological effects on young adults of childhood transplants. The aim of the present work was to examine psychological adaptation related to self‐concept, self‐esteem and subjective well‐being in young adults who had undergone solid organ transplantation in childhood. Twenty‐four adults transplanted in childhood participated in the study (13 of them received kidney transplants, five heart transplants and six liver transplants). Participants were of both sexes, aged 18–22, and were selected from three public hospitals in Madrid. The results reveal no differences in psychological adaptation according to the transplant type (kidney, heart, or liver), and a significant difference in negative affect between women and men (women present more negative affect than men). Hierarchical regression analysis, after controlling for possible confounding effects of demographic and clinical variables, showed the predictive power of self‐esteem to explain positive affect (60% of the total variance). Furthermore, physical self‐concept, health status and time on waiting list explain 71% of the negative affect variance. Our data suggest the importance of self‐esteem for the positive affect, and the power of clinical variables for the negative affect in young adults transplanted in childhood.

Leading people positively: cross-cultural validation of the Servant Leadership Survey (SLS)

Servant Leadership emphasizes employees development and growth within a context of moral and social concern. Nowadays, this management change towards workers´ wellbeing is highlighted as an important issue. The aims of this paper are to adapt to Spanish speakers the Servant Leadership Survey (SLS) by van Dierendonck and Nuijten (2011), and to analyze its factorial validity through confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance in three countries. A sample of 638 working people from three Spanish-speaking countries (Spain, Argentina and Mexico) participated in the study. In all three countries, confirmatory factor analyses corroborate the eight factor structure (empowerment, accountability, standing back, humility, authenticity, courage, forgiveness and stewardship) with one second order factor (servant leadership) (in all three samples, CFI, IFI > .92, TLI > .91, RMSEA < .70). Also, factor loadings, reliability and convergent validity were acceptable across samples. Furthermore, through measurement invariance analysis, we detected model equivalence in all three countries including structural residual invariance (ΔCFI = .001). Finally, cultural differences in some dimensions were found and discussed, opening the way for future cross-cultural studies.

Development and cross-national validation of the Emotional Effort Scale (EEF)

BACKGROUND Researchers define Emotional Labour (EL) as the effort associated with meeting the emotional requirements of the job, yet nobody has ever directly tested this effort. Building on classic stress and ego depletion theory, this study develops the Emotional Effort Scale (EEF). METHODS In Study 1, exploratory (N = 197) and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 182) were conducted with a British sample. In Study 2, the instrument was adapted to Spanish and measurement invariance was tested (N = 304). In Study 3, (N = 185), we tested convergent and divergent validity with the EL strategies (i.e., surface acting and deep acting) and the relationship between EEF and emotional exhaustion. RESULTS The final scale is a two-dimensional measure (explicit and implicit emotional effort) with good reliability levels in all samples (N = 818). Additionally, it shows adequate convergent, divergent and nomological validity. CONCLUSIONS The Emotional Effort construct adds unique value to the literature. Thus, explicit effort seems to be the mechanism that explains the association between EL and exhaustion. Additionally, this study adapts and translates the measure to two of the most used languages in the world, enabling the emergence of cross-national studies in the field of emotions at work.

Neuroticism and Depression in Children: The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies

ABSTRACT This studys general objective was to analyze whether different types of cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS), namely adaptive strategies—specifically positive refocusing and positive reappraisal—and maladaptive strategies—self-blame, catastrophizing, and rumination—mediated the neuroticism-depression relationship in children 9–12 years old, and whether gender and school transition moderated the relationships proposed. A self-reporting measure was administered to 315 children to evaluate said variables. The resulting data were analyzed using structural equations. The study verified that maladaptive CERS partially mediated neuroticisms relationship with depression, while adaptive CERS, though negatively associated with depression, did not show a mediating effect on this relationship. The results provide evidence of the mediating function of maladaptive CERS on the neuroticism-depression relationship. Gender and school transition did not moderate the relationships proposed. Because, by their very nature, these strategies are modifiable, these results constitute an important finding that can be transferred to the design and content of child mental health prevention and promotion programs.

Cross-cultural comparison of Spanish and British “service-with-a-smile” outcomes

Purpose – Employees working in the leisure service industry are required to show positive emotions when dealing with customers. However, empirical evidence confirms that faking emotions can lead to burnout. In contrast, employees that try to experience the emotions required by the role (i.e. deep acting (DA)) can lead to healthier outcomes. However, little is known about the process that underpins the link between DA and positive outcomes. Building on Cote’s social interaction model of emotion regulation and evidence linking customer satisfaction and DA, it was hypothesized that DA would be associated with employees’ self-actualization through customer interactions. This, in turn, was expected to explain the influence that DA has on relevant job attitudes (i.e. commitment, efficacy, turnover intentions). The model was tested in two countries with different emotional culture: Spain (i.e. impulsive) and the UK (i.e. institutional). Although UK was expected to report higher levels of effortful DA, the hypoth...

Mind Fulness and Music: A Promising Subject of an Unmapped Field

Mindfulness is defined as sustained, non-judgmental attention towards the world and the self. Several recent studies are bringing this concept into cutting-edge research and creating important contributions for the clinical context. In spite of this fact, there is a promising but unmapped field of research around specific contributions of mindfulness to music, and more specifically, for musicians. This article reviews this topic in order to show the state of the art of mindfulness related to music and help further advancement. A total of 27 pub- lications were reviewed. The main conclusion is that despite its youth, this field is yielding some promising results in several dimensions: (1) effectiveness in mindfulness-based intervention programs for professional and hobby performers, (2) attention and concentration boost because of mindfulness induction in music audience, (3) effective induction of mindfulness states by music, and (4) promising contributions of mindfulness and music therapies. Finally, some guidelines and future lines are suggested for expanding and improving results, models, and methods.

Regulación emocional y afecto positivo: el efecto mediador del sentido de la coherencia

espanolLos objetivos de esta investigacion son dos: explorar la contribucion de la reevaluacion cognitiva sobre el bienestar y como un recurso de resistencia general que contribuye a la formacion de un sentido de coherencia fuerte (SOC), y estudiar la posible interaccion entre reevaluacion cognitiva y SOC para explicar el bienestar. 214 estudiantes universitarios completaron un cuestionario de regulacion emocional, una escala de sentido de coherencia y una escala de afectividad. Los resultados mostraron un efecto directo de reevaluacion cognitiva y SOC sobre afecto positivo, ademas de un efecto indirecto de reevaluacion cognitiva sobre afecto positivo a traves de alguna dimension del SOC. Como conclusion, aquellos estudiantes que usualmente reevaluan cognitivamente dotan de mayor significado a sus experiencias, lo que directa e indirectamente explicaria su afectividad positiva. EnglishThe aims of this study are twofold: to explore the role of cognitive reappraisal to predict wellbeing and as a Generalized Resistance Resource that constitutes a strong sense of coherence (SOC), and to study the interaction between this reappraisal and SOC to explain well-being. The sample comprised 214 college students who completed an emotional regulation questionnaire, a sense of coherence scale and an affect scale. Hierarchical regression analysis showed a direct effect of cognitive reappraisal and SOC on positive affect, and an indirect effect of reappraisal on positive affect through some SOC dimensions. In conclusion, college students who usually reappraise situations build a more meaningful reality, which directly and indirectly explains the presence of positive emotions in their lives.

Diferencias individuales en el ciclo de energía-tensión y autorregulación emocional

Este estudo examinou a teoria do autocontrole emocional proposta por Thayer em uma amostra de estudantes de Psicologia da Espanha (N=176). Os resultados mostram a existencia de um padrao dos niveis de energia em tensao, assim como diferencas individuais em funcao do sexo, ritmos cardiacos (matutino ou vespertino) e algumas diferencas possiveis entre as diferentes culturas, nao obstante, as diferencas nos niveis de energia na amostra americana e espanhola nao sao significativos. Os dados obtidos indicam tambem diferencas na avaliacao da interpretacao dos problemas pessoais em relacao ao estado de ânimo: em funcao dos niveis de energia e tensao, os problemas cotidianos e as situacoes estressantes sao interpretadas de formas diferentes. Finalmente, os resultados mostram que as pessoas controlam a emocao de diferentes formas. Implicacoes dos resultados para investigacao e futuras pesquisas sao discutidas.¶ ABSTRACT. The theory of mood proposed by Thayer is examined in a sample of Spanish psychology students ( N = 176). Results showed the existence of a circadian pattern of energy and tension levels, individual differences, such as gender, circadian type (morningness or eveningness), and some possible cross-cultural differences, though energy levels in American and Spanish samples were similar. Data also indicated differences in the assessment and interpretation of personal problems in relation to mood: according to energy level and mood, everyday problems and stress situations are interpreted in different ways. Finally, the results showed different manners in which people regulate mood. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.