Well-being of unemployed people: relations with work values and time of unemployment

This study aims to analyze the moderating power of time of unemployment in the relationship between work values and psychological well-being. The sample consisted of 265 unemployed individuals, 77 men and 188 women with an average age of 27 years (SD = 7.21), with complete secondary education in 48% of the total sample. The following data collection instruments were applied: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Flourishing Scale and the Work Intrinsic Values Scale. The results of hierarchical regression analyses show that time of unemployment acts as a moderator in the relationship between the work values and the psychological well-being, so that the longer the unemployment duration the greater the individual’s psychological well-being. Consequently, the shorter the period of unemployment, more intense is the feeling of negative emotions. The result yield three important contributions: demonstration of the association between work values and psychological well-being of unemployed; identification that the period of unemployment is an important moderator to understand the unemployed well-being and review of the issue of unemployment in the social and political field in times of recession.

Institutional care for children and adolescents that use drugs

The literature highlights the existence of weaknesses in the psychosocial care network, especially in the treatment of children and adolescents that use drugs. The study aimed to comprehend, based on the Winnicottian theoretical framework, how a Residential Care Unit has been providing care to children and adolescents with needs arising from drugs use in situations of social vulnerability. Semi-structured interviews, with eight care providers, and 65 hours of participant observation were carried out. From the thematic analysis, three themes were constructed: (1) Setting: regarding attention to basic needs and construction of a routine; (2) View: regarding empathy and expansion of perspectives; (3) Aggressiveness: regarding new ways of relating. Important actions are aimed at constructing care for this specific population, as this is a current theme with recent and weakly structured public policies.

Effects of musical improvisation as a cognitive and motor intervention for the elderly

Music has been debated as a positive factor for the health of elderly people. In a randomized study, the researchers compared an intervention based on percussion and musical improvisation with a choir activity. The objective was to investigate whether improvisation would influence the executive functioning and motor skills of healthy elderly people. A set of instruments for psychological and motor assessment was used before and after the procedure. Differences were found in the performance of the participants of the improvisation group in the Clock Drawing Test suggesting possible gains in executive function. There were gains, regardless of the group, in part A of the Trail Making Test, which indicates a sustained attention. No evidence of motor effects was found in this study. The results suggest that musical activities can contribute to the prevention of cognitive decline caused by aging.

Who seeks Internet-based interventions for depression in Brazil?

Specific psychological treatments for depressive disorders delivered on the Internet have shown effectiveness and presented advantages over face-to-face treatments (potentially less expensive, flexible schedules, available in remote areas). This paper aims to describe the characteristics of those who sought help from an online self-guided intervention for depression and to explore hypotheses about predictors of enrollment to the program. Based on a sample of 282 of individuals who filled in screening questionnaires, we verified that the respondents were mainly female, were on average 34.36 years old, were primarily recruited through Facebook, had been previously diagnosed by mental health professionals, presented moderate self-efficacy perception, and had moderately severe symptoms of depression. Respondents who reported comorbid conditions were more likely to attend enrollment interviews, and being in treatment or not did not influence attendance. Such characterization may provide strategies to reach more people and to optimize the design of interventions targeting help-seeking depressed individuals in Brazil.

Mindfulness and relaxation: the effects of a program with university hospital workers

Our study compared the effects of mindfulness and relaxation interventions on stress, quality of life, resilience, and mindfulness levels. A total of 29 workers, recruited at a university hospital in the northeastern region of Brazil and distributed in two groups: Mindfulness (89.5% female, age mean 37.5 ± 6.23 years old); and Relaxation (90.0% female, age mean 34.2 ± 8.66). After eight weeks of daily mindfulness or relaxation practices, both groups significantly reduced the perceived stress and stress at work, and increased their mindfulness and resilience levels, as well as the physical and psychological quality of life domains. Our results suggest that both interventions may be effective in the organizational environment, assisting in health promotion and increasing the ability of individuals to recover from an adversity (resilience).

Self-regulation for learning intervention in reading comprehension: an integrative review

This integrative review aimed to investigate the structure of successful interventions in the development of self-regulation for learning to optimize reading comprehension of Basic Education students. The search for articles was carried out in five databases, and by the method of searching for quotes. Of the 137 items retrieved, 13 were eligible. The samples of the reported interventions were composed of students from the 3rdto 6thgrade, from American, German, and Slovenian schools. The interventions were of an instructional type, focusing on developing self-regulatory strategies to develop reading comprehension. The studies indicated that participation in the interventions increased the students' performance in this cognitive-linguistic skill. It is assumed that this review can assist psychologists and educators in preparing, applying, and monitoring the results of intervention programs to develop students' self-regulation in carrying out tasks that involve reading comprehension.

Fatalism and occupational accidents: a reading of the experience of injured people from Martín-Baró

Fatalism refers to the attitude of treating negative situations as inherent to destiny or as outcome of divine will. Considering the fatalism consequences impact in the transformative action and having elected Martin-Baró as theoretical reference, the present article reviewed the nuances of fatalism in the narratives of industrial workers, who reported on the repercussions of work accidents on their lives. From the data of a previous qualitative investigation, conducted through open and in-depth interviews, three interviews were selected whose narratives represented different facets of fatalism. The information accessed was analyzed and categorized, at which time the elements of the experiences that ensured the maintenance of fatalism and the movements of consciousness that, also from experience, challenged conformism and indicated a potential rupture with fatalism were highlighted.

Student engagement in Higher Education, age and parental education level

Within the scope of socio-cognitive theories, student engagement in school has been studied as a multidimensional construct. A four-dimensional perspective was adopted, with the dimensions: affective, cognitive, behavioural and agentic. The objective, to analyse how the variables age and parental education relate to student engagement in school. The sample consisted of 715 Portuguese public Higher Education students from the Lisbon area. The data was collected through an online survey, which included the Student Engagement in School: a Four-Dimensional Scale – Higher Education Version. Data analysis not only revealed that students of age 26 or older scored considerably higher results in engagement than younger colleagues, but also highlighted significant differences of engagement in the affective, behavioural and agentic dimensions, depending on parental education. The results, while partially corroborating the revised literature, suggest future in-depth studies.

Coping behavior of children undergoing chemotherapy

The diagnosis of childhood cancer, the treatment itself and its sequelae can be considered as stressful events in the child’s life, requiring the use of coping strategies. The aim of this study was to describe the coping behaviors used by children and adolescents with cancer undergoing chemotherapy treatment, separated by sex, age and type of cancer. A total of 15 children and adolescents, from 6 to 12 years old, of both sexes, answered the Hospitalization Coping Strategies instrument regarding coping behaviors. Participants referred to behaviors with greater chances of an adaptive outcome: watching TV, talking, and taking their medicines. There were differences in the coping behaviors regarding sex, age, and types of cancer. These differences highlight the need for personalized interventions that include specific characteristics to facilitate the child’s adaptation to the treatment.

Purposes in life of young Brazilians: identities and values in context

The aim of the article was to analyze the purposes in life of young Brazilians. A total of 560 students, aged 15-19 years, from the five geopolitical regions of Brazil, answered an open questionnaire developed by the Stanford Center on Adolescence and adapted to the specificities of the research. The data were analyzed using the Theory of Organizing Models of Thinking, which enabled us to identify six models of purposes. Most young people expressed their life purposes as a natural course of life or as an idealized dream; most of them also presented a self-centered view of their purposes, focused on their own accomplishments. The results reveal an association between life purposes and identity of young Brazilians in the interaction with collective values, particularly regarding the overcoming of economic difficulties and financial achievements.