Julio Cezar Albuquerque da Costa

Objectives: This study aimed to perform the cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the Mindfulness Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ) for the Brazilian context, in order to offer an adequate instrument to measure adherence to mindfulness practice in mindfulness-based interventions. Method: The adaptation process followed international guidelines for translation and semantic equivalence, including translation-back-translation methodology, review by an expert committee, and application in a pilot study. A convenience sample composed of 303 participants (82.61% women), aged between 22 and 73 years, was recruited online. Participants completed the Brazilian versions of the MAQ, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), Big Five Inventory (BFI), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Construct validity was assessed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha and omega coefficients. Results: The factor structure showed good adequacy, with satisfactory factor loadings. Internal consistency measures were adequate. The MAQ showed positive correlations with all variables related to mindfulness and personality traits, except for anxiety and stress scores. Conclusions: The Brazilian version of the MAQ demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties and the preliminary findings suggest that the MAQ shows promising evidence of validity and reliability to assess the quantity and quality of formal and informal mindfulness practice, contributing to research and the integrity of clinical practice in Brazil. Preregistration: This study is not preregistered.

This study aims to investigate the psychometric parameters of the revised version of the Relational Factors for the Risk of School Dropout Scale (IAFREE-R). This updated version offers a methodological advantage over the original, as its design allows the scale to be completed solely by students, eliminating issues commonly associated with third-person measures (the case of teachers answering about the student's risk of dropping out of school). Several procedures were conducted, including item adaptations for self-report and psychometric procedures encompassing structural equation modeling and item response theory analysis. First, evidence of validity based on content was achieved across countries. Further, internal structure evidence indicated that IAFREE-R performed better than the original model tested in Brazil. In sum, the IAFREE-R ensured its operational advantages with psychometric evidence.

Background/Objectives: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a challenging psychiatric condition to treat, with suboptimal recovery and difficulty tolerating exposure-based psychotherapies often noted in outcomes research. The aim of this study was to examine patterns of symptom reduction in veterans with PTSD treated with a Capnometry-Guided Respiratory Intervention (CGRI), a 28-day treatment teaching about the normalization of respiratory rate and exhaled carbon dioxide levels via biofeedback. We hypothesized reductions in total PCL-5 scores and all symptom clusters immediately post-treatment but with relative resistance to changes in hyperarousal symptoms, as reported in the outcomes of research using other evidence-based psychotherapies. Methods: In this report of real-world outcomes, we included 164 veterans treated with CGRI. Pre- and post-treatment PTSD Checklists for DSM-5 (PCL-5) scales were recorded and analyzed based on the total, cluster, and item scores. Subjects were additionally classified into Recovered, Improved, or Suboptimal subgroups based on their response to treatment. Data were compiled during routine clinical care and are available for retrospective analysis. Results: Treatment response was reported in 53% of participants, with a mean total PCL-5 score reduction of 12 points post-treatment (effect size, Glass’s Δ = 0.99, large) and individual PCL-5 clusters showing medium to large effect sizes (effect size = 0.71 to 0.98). Contrary to our hypothesis, a large effect size was found in the hyperarousal cluster, with post-treatment scores being significantly improved compared to pre-treatment scores (effect size = 0.98). In the Recovered group, all 20 PCL-5 items showed significant declines, while significant reductions were reported in some items in the Improved group and no item improvements were noted in the Suboptimal group. Conclusions: Consistently with prior published trials reporting overall improvements in PTSD symptoms, in this report, the CGRI produced clinically meaningful reductions in PCL-5 cluster scores in addition to total scores. Unlike reports from several trials of cognitive therapies, this study found hyperarousal symptoms to be responsive to treatment. The CGRI shows evidence of improvement across the range of PTSD symptoms in the immediate post-treatment interval. The absence of an extended post-treatment follow up introduces uncertainty concerning the durability of benefits experienced, although previous CGRI research on both panic disorder and PTSD has shown the maintenance of symptom reduction in six- to twelve-month intervals.

This study analyzed the syllabi of psychological assessment (PA) courses from undergraduate psychology programs at public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Northeastern Brazil, with the aim of reflecting on PA training in the region. A total of 17 public and nine private institutions made their syllabi available online; we analyzed these materials using IRaMuTeQ. The results indicate predominantly technique-driven approaches to PA instruction, with an emphasis on psychodiagnostics — features that were more prominent in private HEIs. Advances aligned with PA teaching guidelines were more evident in public HEIs, including the revision of course nomenclature, stronger integration with other psychological domains, treatment of PA as a process, and more sustained attention to ethical issues. Overall, PA training in public HEIs appears to align more closely with established teaching guidelines. Nevertheless, progress is still needed in both settings to ensure high-quality professional training, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has challenged psychology to revisit its practices and adapt to new contexts without compromising ethical standards or the quality of teaching and training.

Este estudo objetivou realizar uma análise dos ementários das disciplinas de avaliação psicológica (AP) dos cursos de graduação em psicologia de instituições de ensino superior (IES) públicas e privadas do Nordeste brasileiro, com fins a refletir sobre a formação em AP nesta região. Desse modo, 17 instituições públicas e nove privadas disponibilizaram estas informações on-line, as quais foram analisadas no Iramuteq. Os resultados demostram a presença de abordagens de ensino tecnicistas sobre a AP, com ênfase no psicodiagnóstico, sendo esses aspectos mais preponderantes nas IES privadas. Os avanços nas diretrizes para o ensino da AP foram mais perceptíveis em IES públicas, tais como: reformulação de nomenclaturas; maior articulação com outros saberes psicológicos; compreensão de AP enquanto processo; e a discussão sobre questões éticas. Conclui-se que a formação em AP nas IES públicas converge em maior medida com as diretrizes de ensino da disciplina, embora avanços em ambos os contextos sejam ainda necessários para uma formação profissional de qualidade, principalmente no contexto da pandemia do novo coronavírus, em que a psicologia em geral, tem sido desafiada a revisitar suas práticas e adaptar-se aos novos contextos, sem prejuízos de ordem ética e de qualidade do ensino e formação.

Binge eating (BE) involves the consumption of a greater amount of food than most people would under similar conditions, within a specified period and may be associated with various psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to compare the variables of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among groups defined by the severity of binge eating symptoms. Participants were recruited through social media advertisements and responded online to the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Binge Eating Scale (BES). It was observed that individuals with medium-high depressive symptoms showed a higher presence of binge eating symptoms, while those with moderate, severe, and extremely severe anxiety symptoms exhibited an increased occurrence of binge eating. The findings suggest a need for interventions addressing binge eating with comorbidities such as depression and anxiety, or binge eating as a comorbidity of these conditions.

There is a lack of studies addressing the psychological mechanisms underlying the association between individual differences in greed and well-being. This study tested the relationship between dispositional greed, and satisfaction with life, as well as the moderating effect of social comparison orientation on this association (N = 373). As expected for hypothesis 1, we found that greed correlated negatively with satisfaction with life, and positively with social comparison orientation, even after controlling for individuals' mental health index (anxiety and depression), supporting the hypothesis 2. Further, the moderating effect of social comparison strengthened the relationship between high levels of dispositional greed and dissatisfaction with life, failing to support hypothesis 3. As such, individuals high on dispositional greed were less satisfied with life if they also showed lower (vs. medium level) levels of social comparison orientation. These findings add to the psychological literature on greed by showing that social comparison is not only positively related to it but can also be a vital mechanism for boosting psychological well-being.

This study investigates the paradoxical influence of family income on school dropout risks among Brazilian public-school students. Discussing previous results that challenges traditional perspectives on school dropout by examining how students from higher family income show higher dropout risk. We hypothesize that this is due to flexible capitalism changes in our societies labor market and to the devaluation of schools as a meaningful place for student’s life projects. Analyzing data from 15,924 Brazilian high school and middle school students using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and univariate models, the study reveals that students from higher-income families are more likely to drop out when they perceive school as less relevant for their future careers. This unexpected finding suggests that, unlike most literature on this field, higher income students might be at greater risk of dropout due to the pressure to enter the workforce and the perceived lack of school's alignment with their career aspirations. This study contributes to the understanding of school dropout in the global south, proposing the need for educational reforms that align with contemporary labor market realities.

O cenário imposto pela pandemia da covid-19 e a implementação do modelo remoto de educação implicaram em mudanças nos padrões de deslocamento de estudantes universitários(as) que antes necessitavam realizar a mobilidade pendular entre municípios para ter acesso ao ensino superior. Para além das modificações no processo migratório, a pandemia trouxe outros agravos, como a vulnerabilidade à saúde mental e física. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo buscou analisar os efeitos da covid-19 no bem e mal-estar psicológico de estudantes universitários(as) migrantes segundo marcadores sociais. Para tanto, ainda que a coleta tenha sido realizada no período pandêmico, contou-se com a participação de 202 estudantes que realizavam mobilidade pendular em período antes da pandemia, ou que passaram a residir em outro município a fim de ter acesso ao ensino superior. Os(as) participantes foram convidados(as) a responder a um questionário eletrônico contendo as escalas dass-21 e perma-profiler, além de algumas questões socioeconômicas e discursivas. Os dados quantitativos foram analisados por meio dos softwares jasp e R. Em seguida, foram realizadas as análises lexicais com os dados qualitativos, através do software Iramuteq. Os resultados obtidos permitiram constatar que a maioria dos participantes apresentou níveis considerados severos de depressão, ansiedade e estresse, assim como níveis considerados medianos de bem-estar. Pode-se destacar ainda uma maior percepção de mal-estar psicológico em grupos específicos quando consideradas variáveis socioeconômicas como raça, gênero, orientação sexual e classe social.