Victoria del Barrio

Anxiety, depression and personality structure

Abstract This article reports on the findings of a study that investigated personality correlates of depression and anxiety among Spanish children. A total of 423 adolescents (aged 11–15) were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Children (STAIC), the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), the Escala de Evaluacion de la Depresion (EED), and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Junior (EPQ-J). The results revealed a significant positive relationship among Neuroticism, Anxiety and depression and a negative correlation between Extraversion and depression. The Neuroticism level had a stronger relationship to social class, and depression to gender.

Bryant's empathy index for children and adolescents: Psychometric properties in the Spanish language

The present study investigated the following issues: (1) the structure of Bryants Empathy Index for children and adolescents in a Spanish sample of 408 boys and 424 girls (M age = 14.4 yr.), and (2) sex differences, including effect sizes and internal consistency of the scale. A principal components factor analysis with oblimin rotation showed that 20 of the indexs 22 items load on three robust factors, related to Feelings of Sadness, Understanding Feelings, and Tearful Reaction with regard to the emotions of others. The 3-factor structure obtained an adequate fit to the data in the confirmatory factor analysis. Coefficients alpha ranged between .72 and .78. The 3 factors accounted for 42% of variance. As expected, girls scored higher than boys. It was concluded that the Spanish version of Bryants Empathy Index has an acceptable reliability and construct validity, making it useful for research.

Factor Structure Invariance in the Children's Big Five Questionnaire

The factor structure invariance in the Big Five personality questionnaire was studied based on the self-reports of 852 Spanish children. Different degrees of invariance across age groups from 8 to 15 years old, and also according to gender, were investigated by means of confirmatory factor analysis with a matrix of polychoric correlations. The results provide empirical evidence for the invariant factor structure of the Big Five Questionnaire for Children (BFQ-C) measurement across age and gender in children. The five-factor structure, the factor pattern coefficients, the factor variances/co-variances and, finally, the theoretical constructs were all found to be reasonably invariant across these groups, and especially across gender. The five-factor model adequately represented the data for each of these groups. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Testing the Hierarchical Structure of the Children's Depression Inventory A Multigroup Analysis

Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the aims were (a) to obtain, describe, and compare different solutions of three, five, and six first-order factors raised in the previous literature about the Childrens Depression Inventory (CDI); (b) analyze the number and nature of the second-order factors; (c) test which model best reproduces the CDI structure; and (d) test possible developmental differences between child and adolescent samples. The CDI was applied to 4,707 Spanish children and adolescents with an age range between 7 and 16 years. Results show that best models considered five or six factors, including Social Problems (Anhedonia), Negative Affect, Externalizing, School Problems, and Negative Self-Esteem (Self-Deprecation). Also, a factor of Biological Dysregulation obtained some support. Higher-order factors do not reproduce the classical distinction between internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Finally, no large developmental differences in the CDI structure were found between children and adolescents samples.

adapT ación del child-parQ/conTrol: versiones para el padre y la Madre en poBlación infanTil y adolescenTe española adapT aTion of The Child-parQ/conTrol Mo Ther and f aTher versions in spanish child and adolescenT popula Tion

The aim of this paper is to analyze the adaptation of Child-Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (Child-PARQ/Control Father/Mother, Rohner, 2005) short version, as the dimensionality of the questionnaire using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a sample of 469 spanish children and adolescents. The original version of the questionnaire contains four scales: warmth / affection, hostility / aggression, indifference / neglect and nonspecific rejection. The results confirm the goodness of the psychometric properties (internal consistency and criterion validity) and the original four-factor model proposed by the author.

Effects of Parental Interpersonal Power/Prestige and Acceptance on the Psychological Adjustment of Spanish Youth

This article analyzed the moderator role of perceived interpersonal power and prestige in the relation between perceived parental acceptance and children’s psychological adjustment. The sample consisted of 187 children (43% boys) ranging in age from 9 through 12 years (M = 10.58). The measures used were the child versions of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire, the youth version of the Parental Power–Prestige Questionnaire, and the child version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Results indicate that perceived maternal acceptance and perceived paternal acceptance were significantly related to children’s psychological adjustment. Paternal acceptance was also significantly related to both interpersonal power and prestige. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that perceived parental acceptance and interpersonal prestige made significant independent contributions to children’s (both boys’ and girls’) psychological adjustment. Analyses of the interactions between these variables revealed a moderating role of both perceived interpersonal power and prestige in the relationship between perceived paternal acceptance and children’s psychological adjustment.

Estudio longitudinal del efecto de primacía entre depresión y agresión física y verbal en una muestra infanto-adolescente

espanolLa comorbilidad entre la depresion y la agresion fisica y verbal es un fenomeno capaz de alterar la intensidad de la expresion de su sintomatologia y anular cualquier tratamiento tipico. A pesar de este hecho, pocos estudios longitudinales se han realizado para probar el efecto de primacia y la magnitud de la intensidad fruto del efecto comorbido. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar longitudinalmente en una muestra infanto-juvenil espanola, si es la depresion la que predice la agresion fisica o verbal y viceversa, asi como el grado de magnitud que supone dicha prediccion. Para ello, se hizo un seguimiento durante 3 anos a una muestra de 525 ninos entre 10 y 13 anos (58.9% chicas), quienes completaron el Cuestionario de Depresion Infantil, version reducida, y el Cuestionario de Agresion Fisica y Verbal. Los resultados longitudinales indicaron un efecto de primacia de la depresion a los 10.86 anos sobre la agresion verbal a los 11.86 y 12.86 anos. Ademas, se hallo que transversalmente a los 11.86 anos la agresion (fisica y verbal) predecia la aparicion de depresion, mientras que a los 12.86 anos los factores de riesgo compartidos (e.g., pertenecer a una familia monoparental y tener un estado socioeconomico bajo) predecian junto a la agresion verbal la aparicion de la depresion. Los presentes resultados sugieren la necesidad de considerar el curso longitudinal de la depresion en su deriva a las manifestaciones agresivas para mejorar el tratamiento de la depresion, y la agresion fisica y verbal en comorbilidad EnglishLongitudinal study of the primacy effect between depression and physical and verbal aggression in a child and adolescent sample. The comorbidity between depression and physical and verbal aggression is a phenomenon capable of altering the intensity of the expression of its symptomatology and, thus, canceling out any typical treatment. Despite this fact, few longitudinal studies have been developed to test the effect of primacy and the magnitude of intensity resulting from the comorbid effect. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze longitudinally in a Spanish child-juvenile sample, whether it is depression that predicts physical or verbal aggression and vice versa, as well as the degree of magnitude between such disorders. For this purpose, a sample of 525 children between 10 and 13 years old (58.9% girls) was followed up for 3 years. Participants completed the Children’s Depression Questionnaire (Short version) and the Physical and Verbal Aggression Questionnaire. The longitudinal results indicated a predominance effect of depression at 10.86 years on verbal aggression at 11.86 and 12.86 year. Moreover, cross-sectional data indicated at 11.86 years, aggression (physical and verbal) predicted the onset of depression, while at 12.86 years old an effect of shared risk factor (e.g., belonging to a single parent family and having a low socioeconomic status) and verbal aggression predicted depression. These results suggest the need to consider the longitudinal course of depression and aggression to improve the diagnosis and treatment of depression and physical and verbal aggression in comorbidity.