Esta revisión sistemática (RS) tuvo como objetivo analizar la existencia, características y efectividad de programas de prevención escolar, familiar y comunitaria en América Latina dirigidos al Uso Problemático de Internet (UPI), el juego problemático y la adicción a videojuegos. La RS se desarrolló siguiendo las directrices PRISMA y fue registrado en PROSPERO. La búsqueda se llevó a cabo en octubre de 2024 en Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Scielo, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Dialnet y Redalyc. Se recibieron alertas mensuales hasta septiembre de 2025. Los programas identificados son de ámbito escolar con un enfoque de promoción de hábitos de salud, abordando únicamente el tiempo de pantallas. No se han identificado programas de prevención familiar y/o comunitaria. Programas como ACTIVITAL, Mexa-se y Fortaleça sua Saúde han mostrado ciertos logros en la reducción del tiempo frente a pantallas, aunque su impacto a largo plazo y sostenibilidad son limitados. La falta de métodos de evaluación estandarizados dificulta la comparación y replicación de intervenciones en contextos sociales y culturales diversos. Se subraya la necesidad de estrategias integrales, culturalmente adaptadas y multicomponentes que incluyan a escuelas, familias y comunidades para reducir la creciente prevalencia de estas adicciones comportamentales en América Latina.
Introduction: There is significant amount of scientific literature regarding psychological variables that account as vulnerability/protective variables for the onset and maintenance of PTSD symptomatology. Among them, Big Five personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism). However, there is still little evidence regarding the underlying mechanisms that may explain that relationship. Method: A sample of 300 participants from Spanish general population (Mage = 38.72; 54.7% women) completed an on-line survey in two separated moments: personality traits, intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity at T1, and PTSD symptomatology at T2, three months later. Results: Neuroticism (beta standarised = .144), intolerance of uncertainty (beta standarised = .195) and anxiety sensitivity (beta standarised = .269) at T1 predicted 25.5% of PTSD symptomatology at T2. Moreover, intolerance of uncertainty (a1a2 = .129) and anxiety sensitivity (b1b2 = .119) partially and complementary mediated the relationship between neuroticism at T1 and PTSD symptomatology at T2 (c' = .144). Discussion: This study is the first to analyse together, in a two-wave prospective study, the predictive capacity of personality traits, intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity, over PTSD symptoms. These results have significant implications for future development of targeted prevention and intervention programs aimed to traumatic events survivors.
Background/Objectives: Self-regulated Learning (SRL) is essential in language learning, particularly in foreign languages where learners have limited exposure to the target language outside the classroom. Although storytelling has demonstrated potential in promoting SRL in several domains, studies in foreign language learning remain underexplored, and it is unknown which narrative elements contribute most to developing SRL learning. A study was designed with the aim of knowing how fictional stories in a foreign language, portraying a protagonist's SRL experiences, influenced Foreign Language Learners (FLLs). Method: Atotal of 267 first-year Japanese foreign language students read stories in both English and Japanese and were assessed in comprehension, emotional engagement, empathy, and narrative transportation. Results: The results showed that narratives containing emotional elements related to the protagonist's learning process enhanced learners' comprehension, emotional connection, and reflection when reading stories in native language (Japanese) than when reading stories in foreign language (English). Additionally, stories that depicted the use of specific learning strategies elicited stronger self-referential responses than those emphasizing emotional states alone. Conclusions: These findings suggest that SRL-themed storytelling, when structured with strategic and emotional depth, can support FLLs reflective engagement and offer practical insights for language educators.
Background/objective: To assess depression accurately, it is necessary to have tools that offer reliable and valid measurements. The Depression Clinical Evaluation Test (DCET) was developed with the aim of covering all the symptoms of this disorder and assessing them at different times (monthly, yearly, and always). The objectives of this study are (a) to compare mean DCET scores between a sample of the general population and a sample of patients with depression, and (b) to establish cut-off points for diagnosis. Method: The DCET was administered to 225 adults from the general population (Mage = 45, SDage = 13.4, 52% female) and 200 patients diagnosed with depression (Mage = 51, SDage = 14.8, 61% female). Results: Significant differences were observed for all the factors and subfactors of the DCET, except for Guilt and Family Impairment. Patients exhibit higher values in all cases except for substance abuse. ROC curves, conditioned by covariates such as age, education level, and marital status, were calculated for the DCET factors. In most cases, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) is greater than 0.70. Conclusions: The DCET provides valid measures to discriminate between clinical and general populations. These findings support the usefulness of the DCET as a comprehensive tool for screening depressive symptomatology across diverse demographic groups.
Background/Objective: Current evidence on the Multidimensional Model of the Subjective Orgasm Experience in the context of solitary masturbation is limited to heterosexual samples. This study explores the model's validity in LGB individuals by analyzing the relationship between its dimensions (affective, sensory, intimacy, and rewards) and different sexual arousal measures. Method: Seventy-six LGB young adults (38 men, 38 women; aged 18-32) participated in a lab task involving content-neutral and sexually explicit films showing same-sex actors engaged in self-exploration and solitary masturbation. The assessment included subjective orgasm experience (SOE), propensity for sexual excitation, ratings of sexual arousal (RSA) and genital sensations (RGS), and genital response (penile circumference or vaginal pulse amplitude). Regression analyses explored the links between sexual arousal measures and the SOE dimensions. Results: In men, genital response was key: it positively explained affective ((3 = .34) and rewards ((3 = .36) dimensions. In women, subjective sexual arousal was more influential: the RSA positively explained sensory ((3 = .34) and intimacy ((3 = .66) dimensions, while the RGS negatively explained intimacy ((3 = -.43). Conclusions: Findings support the model's validity in LGB populations, revealing gender-specific patterns.
Background/Aim: This systematic review (SR) aimed to analyze the existence, characteristics, and effectiveness of school, family, and community prevention programs in Latin America targeting Problematic Internet Use (PIU), problematic gambling, and video game addiction. Method: The SR was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. The search was carried out in October 2024 in Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Scielo, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Dialnet, and Redalyc. Monthly alerts were received until September 2025. Results: The identified programs are school-based with afocus on promoting healthy habits and addressing screen time exclusively. No family and/or community prevention programs have been identified. Programs such as ACTIVITAL, Mexa-se, and Fortale & ccedil;a sua Sa & uacute;de have shown some success in reducing screen time, although their long-term impact and sustainability are limited. Conclusions: The lack of standardized evaluation methods hinders the comparison and replication of interventions in diverse cultural and social contexts. The need for comprehensive, culturally adapted, and multicomponent strategies involving schools, families, and communities is emphasized to reduce the increasing prevalence of these behavioral addictions in Latin America.
The Gough’s F-K index is one of the most effective validity indicators of the MMPI-2 (a reference instrument in the forensic setting) for discriminating between simulated and genuine profiles. However, the reported effect sizes are so large that they may be attributable, to some extent, to experimental design artifacts. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the true effect size of the F-K Index in discriminating between simulated and genuine profiles, as well as the effect of the comparison group type (in-study control group vs. combined control group). A total of 54 studies were identified, from which 77 effect sizes were obtained. A psychometric random-effects meta-analysis was performed on experimental effect sizes. The results showed an average true effect size of δ = 3.67, which was positive, very large, significant, and generalizable for the in-study control group comparison condition. Likewise, the results showed an average true effect size of δ = 2.43, which was positive, very large, significant, and generalizable for the combined control group comparison condition. Comparatively, the results indicated a significantly larger effect for the in-study control group comparison condition. The true effect found using data from the original studies (i.e., comparison with the in-study control group) is so large (> 99th percentile of all possible values) that it is undoubtedly overestimated. A source of this overestimation is the use of a non-normative control group configuration. The implications of these findings for the forensic evaluation of simulation in the forensic context are discussed.
Background/Objective: Sleep problems in children impair their quality of life and that of their families. However, existing psychometric tools have certain limitations, highlighting the need to develop new measures to assess specific behaviors. This study aimed to develop a new measure to assess sleep difficulties, the Nighttime Behavior Questionnaire for Children-Parent-reported (NBQC-P), and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Method: Parents of 386 children aged 3 to 8 years (52.3% boys) completed the NBQC-P along with measures of abilities in the dark, nighttime fears, and anxiety. Results: After the removal of some items due to low communalities and cross-loadings, Exploratory Factor Analysis yielded a three-factor solution with 13 items. This structure was subsequently tested in Confirmatory Factor Analysis, demonstrating acceptable fit indices. The questionnaire covers three dimensions: Need for company to sleep, Problems during the night, and Problems when going to sleep. Internal consistency was good for the first dimension and acceptable for the others. Concurrent and discriminant validity were assessed with other constructs. Configural, metric, scalar and latent mean measurement invariance was established for gender and age. Discussion: Despite some limitations, the NBQC-P is a valid and reliable tool for assessing overt sleep difficulties commonly present in children.
Antecedents/objectives: Childhood victimization is a risk factor for child-to-parent violence, which can have a proactive or reactive nature. Some social-cognitive variables may be involved in this relationship, which has been scarcely explored. The objectives of this study were: 1) to explore the mediating role of the proactive/reactive violence patterns in the relationship between childhood victimization in different contexts and child-to-parent violence; 2) to examine whether these relationships vary as afunction of moral disengagement. Method: The sample consisted of 1,011 Chilean adolescents (56.2% girls). The instruments included the Child-to-Parent Violence Questionnaire, the Violence Exposure Scale, the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire and the Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement Scale. Results: Childhood victimization at home was directly associated with child-to-parent violence and indirectly and more strongly related through the proactive and reactive violence pattern. Childhood victimization outside home was associated only indirectly with child-to-parent violence through the violence patterns. Moral disengagement moderated this mediational path. Conclusions: The findings highlight the strength of the violence exposure at home as a risk factor and the need to intervene in family contexts of violence to prevent child-to-parent violence, examining the proactive or reactive nature of violence and to address mechanisms of moral disengagement in interventions.
Background/aim: Victimization of atraffic crash brings negative outcomes both material and to persons. Injuries to persons are classified into physical and psychological encompassing the last disturbance (e.g., psychological distress, impairment in social and family areas, emotional reactions). However, this set of psychological outcomes measures is not measured jointly due to a specific instrument is not available. As for this, a study was designed to create and validate a psychometric instrument to measure the whole psychological impact derived from the victimization of a serious automobile accident. Method: A total of 175 (25.7% women) participants answered to a pool of items about the psychological effects due to the victimization of serious automobile accident, affectivity and perceived social support. Results: The results validated (construct validity), chi(2)(798) = 1469, p < .001, chi(2)/gl = 1.84; RMSEA = .0683, IC 95% [.063, .074)]; TLI = .799, a scale consisting of 43 items structured into 7 dimensions (post-event fear, posttraumatic stress symptoms, post-traumatic growth, road mobility, negative emotions, positive emotions, and impact in family area). The resulting scale, Escala de Medida del Impacto Psicol & oacute;gico de un Accidente de Tr & aacute;nsito Grave, exhibited an excellent reliability, alpha = .918, omega = .920, sufficient to be used in applied settings where critical decisions are made. Likewise, evidence of convergent and discriminant was obtained as well as content validity (subjective wellbeing, clinical and judicial models). Conclusions: The utility, scope and validity of the scale to be employed in applied settings are discussed. Asimismo, se obtuvieron evidencias de validez externa convergente y discriminante, asi como de validez de contenido (modelos de bienestar subjetivo, clinico y judicial).
Background: Emotional dependence is a disorder that often goes unnoticed due to the social belief that it is something common due to its relationship with the idealize vision of love, emotions and a series of myths. On this matter, this research aims to analyze the relationship between emotional dependence, self-deception and perception of romantic love myths. Method: 262 people (113 men and 149 women) aged between 18 and 59 years (M = 31.9, SD = 12.37) and in couple relationship participated in this study, responded to measures of dependency, pathological self-deception (manipulation and mystification) and myths about idealized and abusive love. Results: It has been found that there is a relationship between the variables emotional dependence, self-deception and perception of myths of romantic love, In addition, there were found differences in emotional dependence based on the age, but no by gender. Conclusions: Evidence of the relationship between the analyzed variables was provided, since emotional dependence is linked to an archetypal vision of love and occurs with self-deception mechanisms.
Background/aim: Although suicide is a multidimensional problem, depression has been established as one of the risk factors. In addition, it has also been shown that suicide risk and depression share common factors, among which rumination stands out. This study aims to explore how the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal risk is mediated by rumination and moderated by social support, considering sex as a control variable. Method: The sample included 1002 participants (34.13 % men) aged 18-75 years (M = 34.7, SD = 13.61). A moderated mediation analysis was carried out for depressive symptomatology as an independent variable, the rumination as a mediator, the social support as moderator and the risk of suicide, as a dependent variable (dependent variable). Sex was entered as a covariate. Results: Analyses revealed that the relationship between depression and suicidal risk is mediated by rumination and moderated by high levels of social support. Conclusions: It is essential to design preventive interventions against suicide that include social support networks and emotional regulation strategies focused on rumination management.
RESUMEN Antecedentes/Objetivo: La dependencia emocional es un trastorno que suele pasar desapercibido debido a la creencia social de que no es patológico por su vinculación con la visión idealizada del amor. En este sentido, se diseñó un estudio con el objetivo de conocer la relación entre dependencia emocional, autoengaño y percepción de los mitos del amor romántico. Método: En este estudio participaron 262 personas (113 hombres y 149 mujeres) con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 59 años (M = 31.9, DT = 12.37) y con relación de pareja que respondieron a medidas de dependencia, autoengaño patológico (manipulación y mistificación) y mitos sobre el amor idealizado y maltratador. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron una relación positiva entre dependencia emocional, autoengaño y percepción de los mitos del amor romántico. También se han encontrado diferencias en dependencia emocional en función de la edad, pero no del género. Conclusiones: Se concluye que la dependencia emocional se vincula a una visión arquetípica del amor y cursa con mecanismos de autoengaño.
Background/Aim: Child-to-parent violence is an increasingly frequent problem in which children assume the role of aggressors, causing serious consequences for family dynamics. The objectives of this study were to systematise studies of child-parent violence in Latin America and to analyse their frequency by means of a meta-analysis of proportions. Methods: This study followed The PRISMA 2020 criteria for systematic review and meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of proportions was performed according to the criteria of reiterated violence and zero-tolerance, and publication bias and heterogeneity were analysed. Results: Sixteen primary studies were included. Most of the studies have been conducted in M & eacute;xico and Chile. Psychological violence showed a greater magnitude toward the mother, whereas physical violence showed very similar magnitudes for both parents. Discussion: The findings confirm the scarce evidence on child-parent violence in Latin American countries, but this does not mean that it is a non-existent problem. In fact, reiterated psychological violence could be exercised between 23% and 25%, and reiterated physical violence between 6% and 5% towards the father and mother, respectively.
Background/aim: Escalation models have been applied to juvenile delinquency across judicial, psychological, criminological, developmental, risk assessment and biological fields. Afield study was conducted to examine the effects of the escalation model ofrecidivism risk levels on psychopathic traits (a clinical and forensic construct) and psychopathology (a non-criminogenic need). Method: A total of 239 juveniles, aged 14 to 20 years (M = 16.32, SD = 1.07), 74.1% of whom were boys, participated in the study. Of these, 157 were serving a disposition order in a custodial center, and 82 were serving community orders. The juveniles completed a measure of psychopathology (psychological adjustment) controlling the differential diagnosis of malingering. Additionally, three experienced forensic psychologists assessed each juvenile risk of recidivism (using the YLS/CMI) and psychopathic traits based on interviews and judicial files. Results: The findings revealed significant associations between court orders to juvenile custodial centers and academic failure; between juvenile offenders and conduct disorder; between parental history of clinical disorders and recidivism risk; and between parental criminal records and recidivism risk. Impression management was identified in the clinical self-reports of juvenile offenders. Furthermore, the results supported an escalation model, demonstrating a relationship between recidivism risk levels, psychological adjustment and psychopathy. Conclusions: The implications for forensic settings, intervention targets, and the development of de-escalation interventions are discussed.
Background/aim: The increasing integration of digital technology into daily life has introduced new challenges for road safety, particularly for groups of interest, such as motorcycle commuters. This study examines individual, road safety-related, and psychosocial work factors as predictors of technology-induced distractions among motorcyclists. Method: Using a sample of 736 Powered Two-Wheeler (PTW) commuters, gender-specific pathways of digital distractions were analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling (MGSEM). Results: The results suggest that younger riders, those with higher sensation-seeking tendencies, and those involved in other risk-related behaviors outside the technological sphere report higher levels of distraction. Work-related stress, particularly job strain, was a strong predictor of digital distractions, while a better work-life balance served as a mitigating factor. Regarding gender differences, sensation seeking and risk perception played a significant role among males, whereas commuting trip length was a stronger predictor of distractions for female riders. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for gender-sensitive interventions to reduce technological distractions, considering both individual and work-related factors.
Background/Aim: Currently, there is growing social concern about new forms of socialization among children and adolescents. This includes the emerging risk of cyberbullying. In order to understand this phenomenon, analyze its prevalence, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, it is essential to have available valid and reliable assessment instruments. The possibility of using these tools with large groups makes their digital application particularly attractive, as it facilitates both administration and analysis. The aim of this study is to validate an online adaptation of the cyberbullying section of the Cyberbullying Test for children and adolescents. Method: A total of 664 children and adolescents (9-17 years) in Galicia (Spain) completed the online bullying and cyberbullying sections of the Cyberbullying Test. Results: Descriptive analyses indicate the presence of cyberbullying at these ages, although with a tendency toward low levels. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggest the scores on the various observable indicators (items) can be grouped into three mutually related factors, corresponding to the roles of victim, perpetrator, and bystander. The model showed a good fit to the data (GFI = .974; AGFI = .971; NFI = .966; RFI = .964; SRMR = .068). Factor invariance analyses suggest that this structure is equivalent for both Primary and Secondary Education students. Each factor's scores showed high or very high reliability in terms of internal consistency. The correlations found between the scores in each cyberbullying factor and those in the bullying section of the test provide evidence supporting the criterion validity of the instrument. Discussion: The validated online version of the Cyberbullying Test provides robust psychometric support for its use in research and practice.
