JSOD - Volume I - 2013 by Cristina Nunes
Journal of Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, Vol. I, Issue 3, Sep 30, 2013
The aim of this study was to examine differences in quality of life and stressful life events, in... more The aim of this study was to examine differences in quality of life and stressful life events, in first and second generation immigrant adolescents living in Algarve. A total of 172 immigrant adolescents participated in the study, completing the kidscreen-52, the stressful and negative life events inventory and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results suggest that younger immigrant adolescents report more physical well-being and a higher mood level. Concerning gender differences, girls scored higher than boys in physical well-being, mood and self-perception, but no differences were found on the other kidscreen subscales. First generation immigrants scored significantly higher than second generation ones on the general quality of life index, psychological well-being, autonomy, financial resources and school environment. However, the second-generation immigrants did not seem to be more exposed to stressful life events than the first-generation group. When selecting relevant variables for well-being promotion and for intervention, we must consider that immigrants are more exposed to economic vulnerability, may experience difficulties in adapting to a different school context, and are at higher risk of social exclusion.
Papers by Cristina Nunes
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, Mar 24, 2014
The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in female juvenile de... more The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in female juvenile delinquency. Using a sample of 236 young females from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice and schools in the Lisbon area, a group of female youths with high psychopathic traits (n = 118; M = 15.84 years of age; range = 14-18 years of age) and a group of female youths with low psychopathic traits (n = 118; M = 15.77 years of age; range = 14-18 years of age) were formed based on the Portuguese version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device-Self-report (APSD-SR). The results showed that young females with high psychopathic traits start engaging in criminal activities and come into contact with the justice system earlier in life; exhibit higher levels of behavioral problems, conduct disorder, delinquent behaviors and serious criminality; and demonstrate lower levels of self-esteem and pro-social behavior. The importance of some variables in predicting group membership (high versus low psychopathic traits) was established through a binary logistic regression. Our findings reinforce the importance of the psychopathy construct for the early identification of potentially high-risk female youths and for the assessment of female youths who have already come into contact with the judicial system.
Psicologia Saude Doencas, Dec 1, 2013
ABSTRACT The aim of the present investigation was to describe and to analyze the relationship bet... more ABSTRACT The aim of the present investigation was to describe and to analyze the relationship between negative evens life experienced and perceived quality of life in adolescents. The participants were 364 adolescents living in the Algarve (55,5% girls, 44,5% boys), aged between 12 and 18 years. We used The Stressful Life Events Questionnaire and the Kidscreen-52 for children and adolescents, and a Socio-demographic Data Questionnaire. Negative life events more frequent were change of classmates (46,72%), death of a family member (34,97%), change of school (30,05%), fights (28,69%) and illness of a family member (28,69%). Boys reported to suffer more stressful life events than girls; however its emotional impact was higher for girls. Positive significant correlations were found between the number of negative life events and the quality of life, except for Health and Activity, Friends and Provocation. The emotional impact of negative life events was positively associated only with the subscales Feelings, About Yourself and Total Quality of Life. No differences were found between boys and girls in Quality of Life, except for relationships with Friends, with higher scores reported by girls.
ABSTRACT Families at psychosocial risk experience high parenting stress levels. The aim of this w... more ABSTRACT Families at psychosocial risk experience high parenting stress levels. The aim of this work is to analyze the parenting stress experienced by the mothers in Algarve (Portugal) and Andalusia (Spain). We identified the sociodemographical charactereristics, the amount of stressful life events, and we analyzed the level of familiar adaptation and cohesion that define the mothers with clinical levels of parenting stress. We administered the short version of the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), the Stressful and Risk Life Events Inventory and the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Scale (FACES-III) to 155 mothers (52,3% Spanish and 47,7% Portuguese) of families who were at psychosocial risk and received support from familiar preservation services. We found that approximately half of the interviewed mothers had clinical levels of parenting stress, and this had an impact in the degree of familiar cohesion and adaptation. We discuss the implications for the interventions with this type of families.
International Social Work, Jul 10, 2015
ABSTRACT The present study analyzed parenting stress, parental sense of competence and stressful ... more ABSTRACT The present study analyzed parenting stress, parental sense of competence and stressful life events in families at psychosocial risk in Western Andalusia (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal). Differences and similarities between families from both countries on these dimensions were explored, as well as the influence of country of origin in determining risk profiles for this population. Although both groups shared some sociodemographic characteristics, differences were found on all studied dimensions, with Portuguese mothers showing higher levels of parenting stress, sense of competence and accumulation of stressful life events. Results suggest that higher risk families tend to share psychosocial characteristics, regardless of their country of origin.
ABSTRACT Las familias con menores en riesgo psicosocial tienden a sufrir elevados niveles de estr... more ABSTRACT Las familias con menores en riesgo psicosocial tienden a sufrir elevados niveles de estrés, en parte debido a la acumulación de situaciones problemáticas a las que tienen que enfrentarse, lo que afecta a su satisfacción y eficacia parental. En España y Portugal, aunque las políticas sociales tienen como objetivo la preservación familiar, la organización e intervención de los servicios de protección de los menores es diferente. Este estudio tiene como objetivos analizar las diferencias culturales entre ambos países en la relación entre el estrés, el sentido de competencia parental y los acontecimientos de vida negativos. Han participado 155 madres (52.30% españolas y 47.70% portuguesas) atendidas por servicios de preservación familiar. Se han aplicado por entrevista los siguientes instrumentos: Índice de Estrés Parental, Sentido de Competencia Parental, Inventario de Situaciones Estresantes y de Riesgo y Perfil Sociodemográfico. Si bien no se observaron diferencias significativas en la mayoría de las variables sociodemográficas, las madres portuguesas percibieron mayor estrés en la relación con sus hijos (F (1,152) = 5.596, p < .05, d = 0.38), mostraron un mayor sentido de eficacia parental (F (1,152) = 17.183, p < .001, d = 0.67) y acumularon un número mayor de acontecimientos de vida negativos (F (1,146) = 18.824, p < .001, d = -0.71) en relación con las madres españolas. Además, los análisis correlacionales entre las variables estudiadas pusieron de manifiesto diferencias entre las muestras. Mientras que en las madres portuguesas el estrés parental no tendió a relacionarse con el sentido de competencia como madres y sí con la acumulación de situaciones estresantes, esto no ocurría de igual manera con las madres españolas. Concluimos que, a pesar de que en ambos países se comparten los mismos objetivos de preservación familiar en sus políticas sociales, existen elementos divergentes entre las familias de riesgo de diferentes entornos.
Child psychiatry and human development, Jan 21, 2016
Over the last decades there has been an increased interest in assessing social anxiety in adolesc... more Over the last decades there has been an increased interest in assessing social anxiety in adolescents. This study aims to validate the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) to Portuguese youth, and to examine its invariance across gender as well as its psychometric properties. The participants were 782 Portuguese youths (371 males, 411 females), with an average age of 15.87 years (SD = 1.72). The results support the original three-factor structure of the SAS-A, with measurement invariance being found across gender, with females scoring higher than males on two subscales. High levels of internal consistency were found. Positive associations with empathy demonstrated that high socially anxious adolescents have elevated empathy tendencies. Mostly null or low negative associations were found with measures of psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional traits and aggression. Study findings provide evidence that the SAS-A is a psychometrically sound instrument that shows measurement i...
Psicologia Reflexao E Critica, 2015
Although the significant scientific advances on place attachment literature, no instruments exist... more Although the significant scientific advances on place attachment literature, no instruments exist specifically developed or adapted to residential care. 410 adolescents (11 - 18 years old) participated in this study. The place attachment scale evaluates five dimensions: Place identity, Place dependence, Institutional bonding, Caregivers bonding and Friend bonding. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, content validity, construct validity (Confirmatory Factor Analysis), concurrent validity with correlations with satisfaction with life and with institution, and reliability evidences. The relationship with individual characteristics and placement length was also verified. Content validity analysis revealed that more than half of the panellists perceive all the items as relevant to assess the construct in residential care. The structure with five dimensions revealed good fit statistics and concurrent validity evidences were found, with significant correlations with satisfaction with life and with the institution. Acceptable values of internal consistence and specific gender differences were found. The preliminary psychometric properties of this scale suggest it potential to be used with youth in care.
Psicologia Reflexão e Crítica
The aim of present study was to validate the Portuguese version of the Parental Socialization Sca... more The aim of present study was to validate the Portuguese version of the Parental Socialization Scale in Adolescence (ESPA-29) of Musitu and García (2001, 2004). A sample of 849 adolescents (57.2% girls and 42.8% boys), aged 10 to 18 years (M = 14.57, DP = 2.43), from the southern region of Portugal, participated in the study. Construct validity was studied using exploratory factor analysis, and the study of reliability was conducted through the analysis of internal consistency and of temporal stability (through the method of test-retest).The results were consistent to those obtained in the original version of the instrument and reproduced the bi-dimensional structure of the scale. Furthermore, the Portuguese version of ESPA-29 showed good psychometric characteristics, with satisfactory levels of internal consistency and of temporal stability in most all subscales. These results suggest that this is a reliable instrument for studying parental socialization styles in Portuguese adolesc...
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2015
The aim of the present study was to analyze differences regarding psychopathic traits and related... more The aim of the present study was to analyze differences regarding psychopathic traits and related constructs in male youths of diverse ethnic backgrounds. The participants were 216 male youths from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice (White Europeans group: n = 108; ethnic minorities group: n = 108). Psychopathy was measured by the Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Child and Adolescent Taxon Scale. The results showed that no differences were found between ethnic groups regarding psychopathic traits and psychopathy taxon. Independent of ethnic group membership, psychopathic trait scores were significantly associated with behavioral problems, conduct disorder, self-reported delinquency, seriousness of criminal activity, age of criminal activity onset, and age at first trouble with the law. The present study adds support to the literature regarding youth psychopathic traits and supports the psychopathy construct as universally and interculturally consistent.
Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol, 2013
The aim of this study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in the age of crime onset of... more The aim of this study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in the age of crime onset of female juvenile delinquents. Using a sample of 132 young females from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice and from schools in the Lisbon region, a group of early crime onset (n = 44), a group of late crime onset (n = 44), and a nondelinquent school group (n = 44) were formed. Results showed that early crime onset participants score higher on psychopathy measures, self-reported delinquency, and crime seriousness than late crime onset participants and school participants. Psychopathic-traits scores were significantly associated with age of crime onset, age at first trouble with the law, and frequency and seriousness of crime.
Psicologia, Saúde & Doenças, 2013
ABSTRACT The aim of the present investigation was to describe and to analyze the relationship bet... more ABSTRACT The aim of the present investigation was to describe and to analyze the relationship between negative evens life experienced and perceived quality of life in adolescents. The participants were 364 adolescents living in the Algarve (55,5% girls, 44,5% boys), aged between 12 and 18 years. We used The Stressful Life Events Questionnaire and the Kidscreen-52 for children and adolescents, and a Socio-demographic Data Questionnaire. Negative life events more frequent were change of classmates (46,72%), death of a family member (34,97%), change of school (30,05%), fights (28,69%) and illness of a family member (28,69%). Boys reported to suffer more stressful life events than girls; however its emotional impact was higher for girls. Positive significant correlations were found between the number of negative life events and the quality of life, except for Health and Activity, Friends and Provocation. The emotional impact of negative life events was positively associated only with the subscales Feelings, About Yourself and Total Quality of Life. No differences were found between boys and girls in Quality of Life, except for relationships with Friends, with higher scores reported by girls.
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 2012
The objective of the present study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in juvenile del... more The objective of the present study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in juvenile delinquency. Using a sample of 543 young males from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice and from schools in the Lisbon region, a group of high psychopathic traits (n = 281) and a group of low psychopathic traits (n = 262) were formed based on the Portuguese version of Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD). Results showed that youths with high psychopathic traits start engaging in criminal activities earlier in life, come into contact with the justice system earlier in life, and have higher levels of conduct disorder, behavior problems, and delinquent behaviors as well as lower levels of self-esteem.
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2014
The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in female juvenile de... more The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of psychopathic traits in female juvenile delinquency. Using a sample of 236 young females from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice and schools in the Lisbon area, a group of female youths with high psychopathic traits (n = 118; M = 15.84 years of age; range = 14-18 years of age) and a group of female youths with low psychopathic traits (n = 118; M = 15.77 years of age; range = 14-18 years of age) were formed based on the Portuguese version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device-Self-report (APSD-SR). The results showed that young females with high psychopathic traits start engaging in criminal activities and come into contact with the justice system earlier in life; exhibit higher levels of behavioral problems, conduct disorder, delinquent behaviors and serious criminality; and demonstrate lower levels of self-esteem and pro-social behavior. The importance of some variables in predicting group membership (high versus low psychopathic traits) was established through a binary logistic regression. Our findings reinforce the importance of the psychopathy construct for the early identification of potentially high-risk female youths and for the assessment of female youths who have already come into contact with the judicial system.
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2013
The objective of the present study was to compare incarcerated male and female juvenile offenders... more The objective of the present study was to compare incarcerated male and female juvenile offenders regarding psychopathic traits, behavior problems, psychopathy taxon, conduct disorder, self-reported delinquent behavior, and crime seriousness. Within a total forensic sample of 261 detainee participants, subdivided in a male group (n= 217) and a female group (n= 44), statistically significant differences were found. Female juvenile offenders show less callous-unemotional traits, more emotional symptoms, more prosocial behaviors, less self-reported delinquent behavior, and lower crime seriousness. Conduct disorder prevalence was very high, but no statistically significant gender differences were found. The predictive importance of psychopathic traits, behavior problems, psychopathy taxon, and conduct disorder for the prediction of group membership (female versus male) was established by binary logistic regression.
European Journal of Criminology, 2014
The aim of this study was to examine the role of psychopathic traits in the crime onset age of ma... more The aim of this study was to examine the role of psychopathic traits in the crime onset age of male juvenile delinquents. A group of early crime onset (n = 102), a group of late crime onset (n = 102), and a non-delinquent group (n = 102) were formed from a sample of 306 male youths from Portuguese juvenile detention centres and schools. Results showed that early crime onset participants scored higher on psychopathic measures, self-reported delinquency, crime seriousness and conduct disorder than late crime onset participants, and the non-delinquent participants. Psychopathic-traits scores showed significant associations with age of crime onset, age at first encounter with the law, age of first incarceration, self-reported delinquency, seriousness of crime and conduct disorder. W = Welch's ANOVA; χ 2 KW = Kruskal-Wallis; M = mean; SD = standard deviation; MR = mean rank; IR = interquartile range.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 2014
The aim of the present study was to analyze the differences regarding psychopathic traits and rel... more The aim of the present study was to analyze the differences regarding psychopathic traits and related constructs in female youths of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Using a sample of 88 young females from the Juvenile Detention Centers of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice (white Europeans group: n ¼ 44, ethnic minorities group: n ¼ 44), and a sample of 130 young females from the schools of the Lisbon region (white Europeans group: n ¼ 65, ethnic minorities group: n ¼ 65) results showed that almost no differences were found within the forensic group and the school group. Independently of ethnic group membership, psychopathic traits scores were significantly associated with behavioral problems, conduct disorder, self-reported delinquency, crime seriousness, age of crime onset, and age at first trouble with the law.
Uploads
JSOD - Volume I - 2013 by Cristina Nunes
Papers by Cristina Nunes