Iraida Delhom

Older adults exposed to prolonged sociopolitical violence often experience chronic stress that may undermine adaptive coping processes. Instrumental reminiscence, which focuses on recalling past experiences of successfully managing adversity, has been proposed as a strategy potentially associated with greater coping flexibility in later life. This study examined whether participation in an instrumental reminiscence programme was associated with changes in coping strategies among older adults registered as victims of armed conflict in Catatumbo, Colombia. A quasi‐experimental controlled design with repeated measures (pre‐intervention, post‐intervention, 2‐month follow‐up) was conducted with 64 community‐dwelling adults aged 60 years and older (intervention n = 37; control n = 27). The intervention consisted of 8 weekly 90‐min instrumental reminiscence sessions, while the comparison group received psychoeducational sessions. Coping strategies were assessed using the Coping with Stress Questionnaire. Linear mixed‐effects models were used to examine Group × Time interactions. Significant interactions were observed for problem‐solving focus, positive reappraisal, social support seeking, overt emotional expression, negative self‐focus, and avoidance (all p < 0.001). Compared with controls, the intervention group was characterised by higher post‐intervention scores on problem‐solving focus, positive reappraisal, social support seeking, and avoidance, and lower scores on overt emotional expression and negative self‐focus; these differences were maintained at follow‐up. No significant effects were found for religious coping. Participation in the instrumental reminiscence programme was associated with changes in multiple self‐reported coping strategies among older adults exposed to chronic conflict‐related stress.

This study examined the factorial invariance of the Ego Integrity Scale (NEIS) in older adults from Spain and Ecuador, and across genders. Ego integrity, a core concept in Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, reflects the ability to reconcile past experiences and achieve a coherent life narrative in later adulthood. Two samples of older adults were included: 401 participants from Spain and 394 from Ecuador. Assessments included the NEIS, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Using R software (version 4.5.0), factorial invariance of the NEIS was evaluated through configural, metric, and scalar models across countries and genders. Findings demonstrated strong factorial invariance across both national samples and between men and women. Model fit indices were acceptable for metric, scalar, and strict invariance, indicating that ego integrity is understood in a similar way across these different cultural and gender groups. This study offers solid evidence of the cross-cultural and gender validity of the NEIS, supporting its use in diverse populations. It also reinforces the universal role of ego integrity in psychological well-being during aging. Future research should include more heterogeneous samples and explore the scale’s longitudinal stability.

El presente artículo presenta una experiencia de innovación docente centrada en la incorporación de casos prácticos reales grabados en formato audio (audiocasos) en la asignatura “Psicología del Ciclo Vital II”, básica del primer curso del Grado en Psicología de la Universitat de València. La propuesta se basa en el uso de narrativas en primera persona para promover un aprendizaje significativo y cercano a la práctica profesional. La intervención se implementó en ocho grupos docentes y contó con la participación de 292 estudiantes en el pre-test y 222 en el post-test. Antes de la experiencia, el alumnado ya mostraba una predisposición muy positiva hacia los audiocasos como herramienta de aprendizaje. Tras la exposición, se observó un incremento significativo en las expectativas sobre su utilidad respecto al formato escrito, así como altos niveles de satisfacción y un amplio consenso en recomendar su continuidad en futuras ediciones de la asignatura. La experiencia evidencia la buena acogida de este recurso didáctico, percibido como más dinámico, inmersivo y motivador que los formatos tradicionales. No obstante, se subraya la elevada exigencia que supone para el profesorado, especialmente en lo relativo a la planificación, coordinación y tratamiento ético del material generado.

Objective: The present study examined the factors that predict anxiety in workers of institutions for older adults in Puerto Rico during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Nine hundred nursing home and assisted living workers were assessed via self-administered questionnaires. Data were collected online from October 2020 to February 2021, during Puerto Rico’s third COVID-19 wave peak. Results: Experiential avoidance, emotional exhaustion, negative mood, perceived stress, and, to a lesser extent, depersonalization, predicted anxious feelings and thoughts during the pandemic. This study highlights the psychological distress faced by these workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes considering maladaptive psychological factors when assessing and addressing anxiety in clinical practice during crises. Conclusions: These results underscore the urgent need for mental health support and interventions for these professionals to mitigate the pandemic’s long-term impact on their well-being.

Loneliness significantly impacts the mental well-being of older adults, prompting an examination of psychological predictors and buffering factors associated with it in this demographic. A cross-sectional study involving 246 community-dwelling older adults was conducted. The UCLA Loneliness Scale identified predictors of loneliness, including negative mood, hopelessness (negative future expectations and loss of motivation), and despair. Buffering factors included ego-integrity, personal growth, and purpose in life. Regression analysis revealed that negative mood, negative future expectations, and despair increased loneliness, with negative mood showing a strong association. Conversely, ego-integrity, personal growth, and purpose in life reduced loneliness. The study underscores the complex interplay of psychological factors shaping loneliness in older adults, highlighting the importance of addressing both risk and protective factors. Social work practitioners in healthcare settings can play a pivotal role in addressing loneliness among older adults by leveraging these factors.

Los organizadores previos son técnicas instruccionales que han demostrado beneficios al promover el aprendizaje significativo en estudiantes universitarios. Esta técnica implica una exposición previa de los conceptos nuevos que se van a enseñar, al mismo tiempo que se establece una conexión con los conocimientos previos que posee el alumnado. El presente proyecto de innovación docente tuvo como objetivo evaluar si la utilización de organizadores previos en formato de vídeo tenía un impacto positivo en el aprendizaje, mejorando los resultados en comparación con su uso tradicional, donde un docente expone la información en el aula respaldado por una presentación de PowerPoint. Para ello, diseñamos 4 vídeos docentes como organizadores previos para la introducción de los bloques temáticos de la asignatura Psicología del Ciclo Vital II (Grado en Psicología), junto con 4 presentaciones de PowerPoint como condición de control o método tradicional. Recopilamos datos de 195 alumnos sobre su percepción subjetiva y recuerdo objetivo, lo que evidenció un mayor recuerdo de los nuevos conceptos cuando eran presentados en formato de vídeo. Sin embargo, no se observaron diferencias significativas en la percepción subjetiva de comprensión, recuerdo y motivación hacia los nuevos contenidos entre el formato de vídeo y el formato tradicional de PowerPoint.

The aim of this study was to analyze the associations between emotional intelligence, gender, and depressive symptomatology in older adults. To test whether there were differences between groups in the Trait Meta-Mood Scale dimension, univariate and multivariate analysis of variance were carried out, and t tests were performed to find the differences between groups in the variables that had shown differences in the univariate analysis. Participants were 853 Spanish cognitively healthy older adults between 60 and 95 years of age, with a mean age of 71.7 (SD = 7.4), of whom 64.9% were women. Self-reports were administered to assess the different variables under study. Specifically, the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 was used to assess emotional intelligence, and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale to measure depressive symptomatology. The three dimensions of emotional intelligence showed differences as a function of gender and depression. Higher scores were found in the three dimensions of emotional intelligence in women. Moreover, people with higher levels of depressive symptomatology had higher scores on attention, and people with low depressive symptomatology had lower levels of clarity and repair. Women with depressive symptomatology showed high levels of attention, in contrast to men and women with low symptomatology. Considering the subjective perception of emotional intelligence, high attention to emotions and the female gender seem to be factors associated with depression in older adults, which allows us to outline a critical profile for depression that should receive special attention. Given the impact of depressive symptomatology in older adults, it is important to identify these profiles in order to detect possible risk factors for depression more effectively.