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For the past ten years, psychologists and psychoanalysts in France have been asked whether or not the clinical setting should be presented as a safe space for populations facing specific systemic discriminations, such as LGBTQI+ persons. This discussion illustrates the complex relationship between psychoanalysis and gender studies in France today. An analysis of the context in which the demand for a safe psychoanalyst appears and a discussion on the specificity of the use of language in clinical work bring elements for an answer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of an attachment-based intervention on care workers’ reflexive functioning (RF), analyzing 212 professionals in a randomized control trial. The study employed a multi-group latent difference score model to investigate changes in professionals’ certainty (i.e., hypermentalizing) while controlling for attachment-related anxiety and avoidance at T0. Furthermore, it examined whether these changes predicted the professionals’ ability to foster children’s autonomy. Results showed reduced hypermentalizing in the experimental group over time, correlating with higher levels of children’s autonomous/secure support. The role of RF processes in enhancing professionals’ capabilities to support the autonomy of children will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We regard high degree stop-loss transforms as iterated equilibrium distributions to establish comparison criteria with respect to star-shape and convex transform orders. As an application, we derive monotonicity properties for exceedance probabilities, providing information on how likely these distributions are to be far from the extreme values of their support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attachment theory (AT) is one of the most popular theories used among professionals working in children and family welfare worldwide. An important contribution relies on the central role of professionals in creating an emotional environment for children and youth psychosocial adaptation and development. Nevertheless, little research has been focused on comprehending caregiving challenges in such complex contexts as RC settings from an attachment theoretical framework. This study will focus on caregivers' narratives on major processes involved when supporting young people, problematizing professional caregiving and relational challenges. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 22 professionals working on four RC facilities in Portugal. Three major themes emerged during the analysis: "it is life we are dealing with, it's not work," "unfortunately (or not) we are human beings" and "someone to listen when you have a monkey on your back." By acknowledging the complex dynamics involved in the caregiving process in out-of-home contexts, this study stresses the need for an important change in the relational paradigm in child welfare, advocating for the role of reflexive practice and self-knowledge as important premises for secure base behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the attachment theory, early experiences with primary caregivers are the foundation of the expectations and beliefs about the self, others, and the world. It becomes particularly relevant in youth living in Residential Care (RC) settings, due to their past adversities. In this context, care workers can provide emotional healing experiences by acting as secure base figures and fostering conditions for youth's revision of their internal working models. The main aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between youth attachment dimensions and satisfaction with the residential caregiving environment, as well as, to analyze the potential mediator effect of the relationship quality with care workers in RC settings in the prior association. The sample was composed of youth, aged 12 to 18 (M = 15.54; SD = 1.66) living in RC settings in Porto district, Portugal (N = 248), that responded to three self-report measures. Results showed that attachment dimensions were associated with youth satisfaction with their caregiving environment, being this association mediated by the relationship quality with care workers. This study highlights the importance of investing in good relational experiences for youth satisfaction with the RC caregiving environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional disability affects a large percentage of adolescents with chronic pain. The functional disability inventory (FDI) has been widely described in the literature to assess functional disability, with good psychometric properties. To translate and adapt the FDI to European Portuguese language and assess the validity, reliability, and measurement error of this version in adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain and, specifically, with neck and low back pain. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the FDI was conducted according to international guidelines. After that, 1730 adolescents completed the following scales and questionnaires: FDI, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, and Basic Scale on Insomnia complaints and Quality of Sleep. Sixty-three of these adolescents, with at least one painful body site, completed the questionnaire twice to assess reliability and measurement error. Exploratory factor analysis and hypothesis testing was used to assess construct validity. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.81 and 0.88, ICC was 0.86 (95%CI:0.77; 0.92), the SEM and the SDC were 2.50 and 6.93 (total score of 60 points), respectively. Fair to moderate correlations were obtained between FDI and pain intensity (rs = 0.33 to 0.43), catastrophizing (rs = 0.41 to 0.44) depression, anxiety, and stress (rs = 0.48 to 0.53), fear of movement (rs = 0.32 to 0.42), and sleep impairments (rs = 0.34 to 0.38). The factor analysis suggested a two-factor solution. The European Portuguese version of the FDI has very good internal consistency, good test–retest reliability, and construct validity when used in a sample of community adolescents with chronic pain. One of the most widely instruments used to assess functional disability is the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI), which in its original version has good psychometric properties and is recommended by the Pediatric Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials; However, the FDI has not been translated yet into European Portuguese language and its psychometric properties have not been assessed in adolescents with chronic spinal pain; This study suggests that the European Portuguese version of the FDI has very good internal consistency, good test–retest reliability as well as construct validity when used in a sample of community adolescents with chronic spinal pain; Therefore, these findings suggest the use of the European Portuguese version of the FDI to assess the functional disability in adolescents with chronic spinal pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the development of therapeutic collaboration in Person-Centered Therapy (PCT). It presents a good outcome case – “Mary” – selected from York I Depression Study, treated with PCT. The study examined how therapist and client worked together throughout the therapy, using the Therapeutic Collaboration Coding System (TCCS). The TCCS assumes that effective therapeutic collaboration occurs within the client’s therapeutic zone of proximal development (TZPD), defined as the distance between the actual and the potential client’s developmental level. It consists of a transcript-based method by which therapist’s interventions and client’s responses are analyzed on a moment-to moment basis. Two independent trained judges coded 15 sessions of this case, using the TCCS. Results showed that the therapeutic dyad worked most of the time within the client’s TZPD, thus suggesting a collaborative pattern throughout the therapy process. In addition, the results showed that the client proactively interacted with the therapist, moving forward in her TZPD. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective:The Assimilation model argues that therapists should work responsively within the client’s therapeutic zone of proximal development (TZPD). This study analyzed the association between the collaborative processes assessed by the Therapeutic Collaboration Coding System (TCCS) and advances in assimilation, as assessed by the Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Scale (APES).Method:Sessions 1, 4, 8, 12, and 16 of two contrasting cases, Julia and Afonso (pseudonyms), drawn from a clinical trial of 16-sessions emotion-focused therapy (EFT) for depression, were coded according to the APES and the TCCS. Julia met criteria for reliable and clinically significant improvement, whereas Afonso did not.Results:As expected, Julia advanced farther along the APES than did Afonso. Both therapists worked mainly within their client’s TZPD. However, Julia’s therapist used a balance of supporting and challenging interventions, whereas Afonso’s therapist used mainly supporting interventions. Setbacks were common in both cases.Conclusions:This study supports the theoretical expectation that EFT therapists work mainly within their client’s TZPD. Therapeutic exchanges involving challenging interventions may foster client change if they occur in an overall climate of safety. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To assess the impact of asthma in a population of inner-city Brazilian children.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we selected children with asthma and healthy controls from public schools (8–16 years) from a capital city of Southern Brazil. Divided into three phases, questionnaires were administered, assessing lung function, body mass index and allergic sensitization.Results: From 2500 children initially included in the study (48.4% males; mean age of 11.42 ± 2.32 years), asthma prevalence was detected in 28.6% (715/2500). The disease was not controlled in 42.7% (305/715) of the children, with 7.6% of hospitalization rate. School absenteeism (at least one day of missing school because of asthma) and sedentary behavior were high (57.1 and 67.2%, respectively), with 47.9% of subjects requiring oral steroids in the previous year, and physical well-being significantly lower than controls, directly interfering with quality of life, and therefore in the daily activities of these students. Moreover, 38% of the parents admitted to being non-adherent to treatment with their children and 31.1 and 53.6%, respectively, believed that rescue medication and exercise might be harmful.Conclusions: The burden of asthma in Brazilian children seems to be substantial. New international guidelines with a special focus in developing countries settings, with more pragmatic approaches, should be a priority for discussion and implementation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Croton campestrisA., popularly known as “Velame do campo” (Euphorbiaceae), is a shrub originating from Brazil, mainly present in the Southeast and Northeast regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the ethanol extract (EECC), hexane (HFEECC) and dichloromethane fractions (DFEECC), obtained from the ethanol extract ofCroton campestrisA. leaves. Antibacterial and modulating activity (on bacterial resistance) was determined by micro dilution method to identify the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration). In the antibacterial activity tests the fractions showed a MIC of ≥ 1024 µg/mL (where ≤ 128 µg/mL for MIC is considered clinically relevant). In regards to modulation of bacterial resistance, all products showed synergism when combined with antibiotic against bacterial strains. It was observed that all products potentiated the antibiotic action of all antibiotics assayed against all bacterial strains. The results indicate that the extracts and fractions obtained fromCroton campestrisleaves could represent an alternative source of natural products capable of modifying and interfering with bacterial resistance to aminoglycosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]