Pedro Dias

Background/Objectives: The rising yet underdiagnosed prevalence of mental disorders among young adults, due to stigma, limited knowledge, and reduced help-seeking, underscores the need for culturally validated tools to measure and enhance mental health literacy. This cross-sectional study aimed to validate the 29-item Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire for Young Adults (MHLq-YA) within the Greek context. Methods: A sample of 211 university students (mean age = 20.72 years) was recruited via online convenience and snowball sampling and completed the MHLq-YA, the Mental Health Promoting Knowledge scale (MHPK-10), and the Mental Help-Seeking Intention Scale (MHSIS). Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed that the originally proposed four-factor structure did not adequately fit the data. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) followed to identify a structure that better represented the Greek sample. After removing four items due to low factor loadings and poor conceptual alignment, EFA supported a three-factor solution of 25 items, explaining 41.93% of the variance with satisfactory internal consistency: “Knowledge about mental health issues and health behaviors” (α = 0.89), “Erroneous beliefs/stereotypes” (α = 0.70), and “Professional help-seeking behaviors” (α = 0.80). Known-group comparisons showed that mental health literacy scores differed by education and exposure to mental health issues. Inter-scale correlations ranged from low to moderate, and Heterotrait–monotrait ratios (HTMT < 0.85) supported discriminant validity. Moderately high positive associations between the MHSIS and “Professional help-seeking behaviors” (0.56) provided evidence of convergent validity. Conclusions: Overall, the 25-item MHLq-YA demonstrated preliminary construct validity and satisfactory reliability, offering a provisionally culturally adapted instrument for assessing mental health literacy in terms of knowledge, erroneous beliefs, and professional help-seeking behaviors.

The rising yet underdiagnosed prevalence of mental disorders among young adults, due to stigma, lack of knowledge, and limited help-seeking, underscores the urgent need for culturally validated tools to measure and enhance mental health literacy. This study aimed to comprehensively validate the 29-item Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire for Young Adults (MHLq-YA) in a culturally appropriate manner within the Greek context. This cross-sectional study recruited 211 young adults in Greece (mean age = 20.72 years) via online convenience and snowball sampling. The MHLq-YA and the Mental Health Promoting Knowledge scale (MHPK-10) were administered. CFA revealed that the originally proposed four-factor structure did not fit the data well. After removing four items due to low factor loadings, EFA supported a three-factor solution of 25 items, explaining 40.29% of the variance: “Knowledge about mental health issues and health behaviors”, “Erroneous beliefs/stereotypes”, and “Professional help-seeking behaviors”. Internal consistency was high for all factors (α range = .70–.89) and for the total scale (α = .88). Inter‑scale correlations ranged from low to moderate, supporting discriminant validity, while small positive associations with the MHPK‑10 supported convergent validity. Overall, the 25‑item MHLq‑YA demonstrated satisfactory reliability and preliminary construct validity, offering a sound and culturally adapted instrument for assessing mental health literacy in terms of knowledge, erroneous beliefs, and self‑help skills.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar os preditores sociodemográficos, relacionados com a música e preditores psicológicos da ansiedade na performance musical (APM) num grupo de 145 adolescentes estudantes de música. O estudo procurou ainda confirmar a estrutura bifatorial da versão portuguesa do MPAI-A. Os resultados da AFC revelaram uma adequação apropriada da organização bidimensional da APM em duas dimensões: cognitivo-somática e de performance. Os resultados indicaram que cada dimensão da APM foi predita por diferentes variáveis: a APM cognitivo-somática foi predita pelo género (feminino), por níveis mais elevados de problemas emocionais e comportamentais e por níveis mais baixos de autoeficácia musical; a APM de performance foi predita por níveis mais baixos de autoeficácia musical. Os resultados destacam a importância da saúde mental e das cognições motivacionais, particularmente o papel dos problemas emocionais e comportamentais e da autoeficácia na APM.

The increasing presence of digital media has amplified the need to study media multitasking (both multiple media activities simultaneously and using media while doing non-media activities). Media Multitasking Scale (MMS) has been used to assess this phenomenon, but it is yet to be validated for a Portuguese population. This study analysed the validity of a Portuguese Version of the MMS (n = 171 Portuguese adolescents) based on inter-item correlations and confirmatory factor analysis. The results suggest changes in the original version to reflect more recent digital media tendencies for a better fit to the Portuguese adolescents’ sample. Additionally, results showed that Multitasking with Media and Non-Media and Concentration Without Multitasking were partially predictors of mental health problems (predictive validity), highlighting the scale’s utility in assessing media multitasking behaviours and their impact on psychological well-being.

Objectives: to perform cross-cultural adaptation and content validity of the Mental Health Literacy questionnaire into Brazilian Portuguese.

Objetivos: realizar a adaptação transcultural e validação de conteúdo do Mental Health Literacy questionnaire para o português brasileiro.

Introduction: Socio-emotional security and particularly secure attachment relationships with parents and peers have been associated with positive developmental outcomes, including school-related variables. This systematic literature review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the literature, exploring the relationship between socio-emotional security (attachment, support, and secure relations with parents and peers) and academic achievement, school engagement, and early school dropout.Methods: The inclusion criteria were studies with socio-emotional security as the independent variable and academic achievement and/or school engagement as the dependent variable, using a quantitative methodology, written in English. The exclusion criteria were articles presenting literature review or meta-analysis, interventions or instrument validation studies, studies with a qualitative approach, studies developed in an e-learning context, studies with university students, and/or focused on schooling in extreme conditions (e.g., COVID-19). PRISMA guidelines were followed, through a search that resulted in the identification of 38 empirical quantitative studies, published between 2018 and 2022, in English.Results and discussion: The results revealed that parent and peer relationships impact students’ academic achievement and school engagement, as expected, and highlighted the relevance of parental and peer relationships for school-related outcomes. Future research should consider the role of potential mediators and moderators in the relationship between socio-emotional security and school outcomes.

School-based universal well-being screening is proposed within the Multi-tiered Systems of Support approach to collect data on school and individual well-being. Universal screening allows for data-based informed decision, allocating each pupil or set of pupils in universal, selective and/or indicated structured interventions and supports. However, schools require adequate and validated measures of both positive well-being and indicators of psychological health problems. This study focused on the adaptation and validation of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ) in Portugal, a tool directed to positive well-being screening. After a translation process, data was collected in 10 schools. A sample of 942 school pupils in the 3rd cycle was randomly split into two subsamples. First was conducted on one subsample, and then, CFA was conducted in the other. Gender and school year invariance were also conducted with the CFA subsample. Internal consistency was likewise analysed. The analysis finished with convergent and discriminant validity. Overall, results supported a second-order factor model (subjective well-being), including four first-order factors, with the elimination of one item and changing one item to another subscale. Results showed good reliability of each factor (all above 0.70). Full measurement invariance was reached for gender (male and female) and school year (7th, 8th and 9th grades). Convergent validity was found with measures of satisfaction with school, group identification with peers and school social support, and divergent validity was found with BPM-Y. Altogether, results support that SSWQ-PG can be used to screen for subjective well-being in schools, helping schools in identifying and addressing pupils’ mental health needs more effectively.

This study examined the social, academic, and psychological functioning (anxiety, depression, and stress), during the first lockdown due to COVID-19 (March-July 2020), of a group of Portuguese college students. Aims: (a) to characterize the perception of the social, academic, and psychological impact of the lockdown; (b) to examine the relationship between social, academic, and psychological impact and sociodemographic, contextual, and academic characteristics; (c) to study predictors of the psychological impact of the lockdown (anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and stress). The sample consisted of 247 students who responded to a sociodemographic, contextual, and academic questionnaire, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21. Data were analyzed using Chi-square tests, independent-sample t-tests, and linear multiple regressions. The negative psychological impact was predicted by gender, physical activity, problems connecting to the internet, and study cycle. This study highlighted the need to promote the social-emotional development of higher education students “caught by” the COVID-19 pandemic.