Search

While the negative impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on mental health have already been established in previous research, the pathways through which these events affect psychological well-being are still unclear. This cross-sectional study analyzed the relationship between ACEs and psychological distress. It also examined the role of coping strategies, emotion regulation, and adult attachment in this association.The sample consisted of 207 women receiving psychotherapeutic support from Public Mental Health Services in Spain. Just under half (46.4%) being treated by clinical psychology services and just over half (53.1%) were also being treated by psychiatry services. Descriptive and association analysis were performed on the variables involved.48.3% of participants reported four or more ACEs and the correlation with symptom severity was significant. Regression equations showed that four variables explained 56.2% of the variance: Fear of Rejection and Abandonment, Lack of Control, Rejection and Cognitive Restructuring.ACEs are directly associated with the severity of psychological distress. The data suggest that appropriate, sensitive exploration of these experiences can be therapeutic. The relationships between type of adversity, attachment relationships, emotion regulation, and coping strategies reveal indirect pathways through which ACEs affect women's mental health.

The relationship between adverse childhood experiences, attachment and adult mental health has been pointed out in a large amount of studies. In a sample of 339 women receiving support from mental health and social services, this research analyzed the association between three adult attachment variables (fear of rejection or abandonment—FRA; desire for closeness—DC; preference for independence—PI) and four mental health indicators. After dichotomizing these variables, we constructed eight configurations of attachment and examined their association with mental health indicators. BAB people (those below the median in FRA, above in DC and below in PI) obtained the most favorable scores in mental health, whereas the ABA configuration (above the median in FRA, below in DC and above in PI) was the least favorable. The association between attachment configurations and mental health indicators was different to what might be expected, aggregating the effects of individual attachment variables. When analyzing the relationship between configurations and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), women with an ABA configuration reported the highest number of ACEs and eight ACE types had a higher-than-expected contingency coefficient. In conclusion, these findings suggest that certain adult attachment configurations are associated with a greater number of ACEs and poorer mental health indicators in adult women.

A growing and significant body of research has documented the close relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and health outcomes in adults. Less is known about the complex pathways through which ACEs exert their influence. This article examines the direct relationship between the quality of perceived physical health and childhood adversities. The association between the adversities and the physical health with other psychological and social variables is also analyzed. Data were collected from a sample of 170 subjects, using tools to assess adverse childhood experiences, physical health-related quality of life, socioeconomic vulnerability, emotion regulation, coping strategies, attachment, and social support. Results showed a high frequency of ACEs among the adult population, and the correlation with poor physical health was highly significant. Regression equations to predict physical health also revealed the following as significant variables: wishful thinking, social withdrawal, and cognitive restructuring as coping styles, reappraisal to achieve emotion regulation, fear of rejection or abandonment, and desire for closeness in relation to attachment figures, hardship, and poor financial support. The relationship between the different forms of ACE and social vulnerability identifies the important indirect contribution of childhood adversity to health and socioeconomic conditions in adulthood.

The general aim of this research is to evaluate the singular weight of attachment relationships in psychopathology, to determine the point to which these relationships cannot be subsumed by other variables that are famously related to attachment, such as experience of stressful life events, social support, and coping styles. 172 people treated in mental health centers provided data related to these four aspects and about manifestations of psychopathology. Multiple linear regression analyses determined that 51% of the variance in the level of symptomatology is explained with six variables: two related to adult attachment (fear of rejection and abandonment in romantic relationships, and the degree of similarity to the fearful prototype), one related to social support (family appreciation), one to life events (overall perceived stress), and two to coping style (cognitive restructuring and social withdrawal). Fear of rejection was the variable accounting for the most variance. The findings suggest that adult attachment is a non-redundant individual factor associated with manifestations of psychological dysfunction and highlight the desirability of taking attachment history into account in clinical practice.

We sought to determine whether prenatal co-exposure to As, Cd, Hg, Mn, and Pb was associated with impaired neurodevelopment in preschool children from the Spanish Environment and Childhood (INMA) Project, using the placenta as exposure matrix. We measured metal levels in placenta tissue samples randomly selected from five of the seven population-based birth cohorts participating in the INMA Project, collected between 2000 and 2008. Neuropsychological assessment of cognitive and motor function was carried through the use of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) at the age of 4-5years. Data on placental metal levels, MSCA scores, and relevant covariates was available for 302 children. Mn was detected in all placental samples, Cd in nearly all placentas (99%) and As, Hg, and Pb in 22%, 58%, and 17% of the placentas, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, detectable As levels were associated with decrements in global and verbal executive functions and quantitative abilities; detectable Hg was associated with lower scores on the verbal function of posterior cortex in a dose-response manner, and non-linearly related to poorer motor function and gross motor skills; and Mn levels were associated with decrement in perceptual-performance skills in a dose-response manner but with better memory span and quantitative skills. A synergistic interactive effect was found between As and Pb with respect to the general cognitive score, whereas an antagonistic interaction was found between Mn and Hg. Prenatal exposure to As and Hg may be a risk factor for cognitive and motor impairment in children, while the effects of Cd and Mn on neurodevelopment are less clear. Future studies should examine combined and interactive effects of exposure to multiple metals during vulnerable periods of brain development prospectively.

Research into the effects of interpartner violence on the psychosocial development of the children of maltreated mothers is a relatively new field. This work examines the impact of exposure to interpartner violence (EIPV) on minors in middle and late adolescence, where this vicarious maltreatment is in addition to other situations of severe psychosocial risk. A group of adolescents who had suffered various types of direct maltreatment were compared with another group who, in addition to experiencing direct maltreatment, had mothers who had also been the victims of interpartner violence. There were 276 participants in total (138 adolescents and their mothers) reporting via questionnaires about their experiences related to maltreatment and about maladaptation and psychological dysfunction. The results demonstrate significant dysfunction in the adolescents, especially as indicated in the mothers’ reports. In addition, the results make it clear that the adolescents are actively and directly involved in the episodes of interpartner violence and that the additional negative impact of vicarious maltreatment is evident in almost every aspect of their lives. Only the attitude toward teachers scored worse in the no-EIPV group. EIPV minors scored higher on personal and social maladjustment and worse on adaptive skills, and showed a more marked tendency to internalize problems. This study emphasizes the importance of considering EIPV as a form of child maltreatment and including it in programs of protection and intervention.

Este estudio explora la contribución del vínculo de apego al bienestar de las pacientes en tratamiento por cáncer de mama. Su objetivo es aportar conocimientos sobre como favorecer el afrontamiento del cáncer y de las dificultades que suelen concurrir con el. Un total de 58 mujeres que iban a comenzar un tratamiento de radioterapia por cáncer de mama informaron a través de cuestionarios sobre: síntomas y disfunciones relacionados con la enfermedad y el tratamiento, afectos positivos y negativos, bienestar emocional, contrariedades diarias y vínculo de apego. El análisis de regresión revela que el componente Temor al rechazo y al abandono del apego, la presencia de contrariedades -principalmente las económicas- y la presencia de síntomas físicos predicen el grado de bienestar. Los otros dos componentes del apego (Deseo de cercanía y Preferencia por la independencia) no presentan ninguna relación significativa. Contrariamente a lo esperado, la merma de capacidad funcional no predice una disminución del bienestar. Se discute sobre el peso diferencial de las variables medicas y psicosociales en la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud y se concluye la importancia de las intervenciones encaminadas a mejorar el estado emocional durante los tratamientos del cáncer a través de la mejora de las relaciones cercanas.

espanolEl objetivo principal de esta investigacion es estudiar la relacion ente empatia y delincuencia oficialmente registrada durante la adolescencia. Se llevo a cabo mediante una revision sistematica de todos aquellos estudios obtenidos a traves de diversas estrategias de busqueda. Ademas, se ha incorporado una distincion clave en el campo, a menudo olvidada, diferenciando entre empatia afectiva y cognitiva. Entre los criterios de inclusion se encuentra uno que resulta clave: la presencia de delincuencia registrada como tal por la ley, excluyendo todos aquellos comportamientos vandalicos o de naturaleza antisocial. Como resultado, se obtuvo una muestra de k = 39 estudios primarios para la empatia cognitiva y k = 52 estudios para la afectiva, abarcando mas de 30 anos de investigacion. Los resultados revelan una asociacion moderada entre delincuencia y la dimension cognitiva (r = -.220) y algo mas leve con la dimension afectiva (r = -.140). Se realizo un analisis de moderadores observando que determinadas caracteristicas (tanto sociodemograficas como metodologicas) modulan la intensidad de la asociacion entre empatia y delincuencia. Se discuten las implicaciones para futuras investigaciones asi como su importancia para el desarrollo sociopsicologico de esta poblacion en especifico. EnglishThe primay aim of this review was to study existing knowledge on the relationship between empathy and juvenile official delinquency. We conducted a meta-analytic review taking into account the differences between cognitive empathy and affective empathy. Only those studies based on official delinquency records in the applicable country were included. Therefore, all studies focusing on antisocial behaviors, traits such as aggressiveness and/or behavioral problems were excluded. As a result, we retrieved a total of 39 studies about the relationship between cognitive empathy and delinquency, and 52 studies about the affective empathy. The results found a moderated effect size (r = -.220) in the case of cognitive empathy and quite lower effect size for the affective empathy (r = -.140). We also analyzed a set of moderating variables such as methodologic and sociodemographic variables. These variables have a potential moderating effect. Its importance on future researches as well as on the sociopsychological development of this population are disscussed.

The most commonly used instruments for assessing adult attachment have shown differing combinations of items and divergences in the resulting sub-scales.This study presents the Scale of Preferences and Expectations in Close Interpersonal Relationships ( Escala de Preferencias y Expectativas en las Relaciones Interpersonales Cercanas, EPERIC), made up of 22 items, and based upon the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ) of Griffin and Bartholomew. Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses (EFA and CFA) were undertaken using data from a sample of 594 people.Factor analysis distinguishes three sub-scales: Fear of rejection or abandonment , Desire for closeness and Preference for independence , which explains 42.78% of the total variance. The alpha coefficients reveal a high internal consistency of the instrument and its sub-scales. Regarding validity, CFA showed an adequate fit for the trifactorial solution, and the expected correlations with other instruments for assessing attachment style in adults were found. EPERIC is also suitable for predicting affective states and psychological well-being.The EPERIC is a potentially useful and valid instrument for research and clinical purposes. The discussion focuses on the fact that our results support a model of three factors rather than two, as is usual in studies on adult attachment.

One of the main conditions for a good psychotherapeutic alliance is the agreement on therapeutic tasks and goals. This article explores the kind of help that clients expect from therapeutic sessions. By means of a written questionnaire, the clients of a private psychotherapy center, prior to the sessions, expressed their priorities regarding the work to be carried out in them. The assessment of 873 questionnaires showed that clients prefer to participate in therapeutic work that helps them plan actions, understand what is happening, and assess possibilities for change. Also important are therapeutic tasks that help clients evaluate their own actions, both past and planned. The importance that clients attach to different kinds of help varies above all according to how near they feel to resolving their problems. Nine different kinds of psychotherapeutic tasks are identified, which cover the possible requests a client can make of his/her therapist. This article discusses the clinical application of this model as a basis for planning and classifying psychotherapeutic interventions.

In this anide we expose a new system of analysis of interaction, based on the analogous of demand and offer of objects and the aprehension, conservation and use of instruments, designed to give account of interpersonal ocntrol or processes in the face to face interactions. We give samples of the application of its categories and we offer reliability tests.