Gratidão é um estado mental positivo de agradecimento por experiências de vida, adversas ou de risco, vinculadas à memória das lembranças afetivas que aumentam o bem-estar subjetivo. Foi desenvolvida uma escala brasileira com o objetivo de mensurar o construto da gratidão, definida para esta pesquisa. A escala original com 13 itens, construída e revisada com base nos padrões internacionais, foi preenchida por 762 participantes (625 mulheres, 82%; 137 homens), entre 18 e 90 anos, M=41, DP=13. A análise fatorial exploratória extraiu sete itens com estrutura interna unidimensional, resultando na Escala Brasileira de Gratidão (B-GRAT). A análise fatorial confirmatória, pela matriz de correlações policóricas demonstrou índice adequado para o modelo testado e consistência interna de α=0,84. Foi testada a correlação de Pearson com a Escala de Esperança Disposicional. Os resultados indicam evidência da adequação psicométrica da B-GRAT na avaliação da gratidão no Brasil. Palavras-chave: gratidão; esperança; psicologia positiva. ABSTRACT-Evidence of validity of Brazilian Scale of Gratitude (B-GRAT), in Positive Psychology Gratitude is a positive mental state of gratefulness for adverse or risky life experiences related to affective memories that improve the subjective well-being. A new scale was developed aiming to produce an instrument for the assessment of gratitude. An original pool of 13 items, constructed and reviewed using accurate standards, was responded to by 762 participants (242 females, 72.5%; 88 males), aged 18-90 years, M=41, SD=13. An Exploratory Factor Analysis concluded with the selection of 7 items that presented an internal unidimensional structure, resulting in the Brazilian scale of Gratitude (B-GRAT). Confirmatory Factor Analysis using the polychoric correlations matrix showed an adequate fit of the model and an internal consistency de α=0.84. The concurrent validity with the Hope Index Scale was checked by means of Pearson's correlation. The results indicate evidence that the B-GRAT is psychometrically adequate to assess gratitude in Brazil.

Este artigo resulta de uma pesquisa realizada com nove estudantes universitários cujo objetivo era treinar a tomada de papéis. A pesquisa consistiu em quatro encontros grupais, com noventa minutos de duração, e com a aplicação de jogos dramáticos com o propósito de amenizar a ansiedade. Aqui, discutimos os resultados dos dados obtidos no primeiro encontro, no qual foi possível perceber um elevado índice de ansiedade, além de alguns bloqueios no role taking e no role creating. Esses achados foram desenvolvidos nos encontros seguintes e, ao final, foi possível perceber a diminuição da ansiedade e um aumento da espontaneidade no grupo.

Objectives: To investigate the role of optimism, hope, and gratitude as psychosocial factors for healthy development, especially with regard to anxiety in college students in the context of COVID-19.Methods: This is a quantitative and descriptive cross-sectional research. The sociodemographic questionnaire and the Brazilian versions of the anxiety scale B-GRAT, LOT-R, Hope Index, and BIG-FIVE were applied. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman, and hierarchical linear regression.Results: A total of 297 students were assessed. In the hierarchical linear analysis, the relationship of gratitude with anxiety becomes positive, contradicting the negative association of these variables in Spearman's correlation. The contradictions may result from the suppression effect. When gratitude was added to the model, these three variables together accounted for 38% of the variance in anxiety. This indicates that optimism, hope, and gratitude together are significant predictors, but optimism alone accounts for a large part of the variance for decreased anxiety. Conclusions:The data confirm that family and religiosity are protective factors against mental illness, specifically non-adaptive anxiety. Furthermore, developing optimism as a protective factor makes it possible to experience less anxiety while hope has the potential to provide the individual with multiple pathways to healthy development. This study has highlighted that gratitude plays a dual role in these relationships as it has the potential to be associated with anxious feelings with likely negative outcomes while at the same time it can drive positive psychosocial factors of optimism and hope in decreasing anxiety.

Introduction: Neuroticism is a personality dimension characterized by an individual's tendency to experience negative emotions. Individuals with high levels of neuroticism are more likely to experience emotional distress and mental illness. Objective: To evaluate levels of neuroticism, including its facets, among medical students at a federal public university and compare them to groups in the general population. Method: Cross-sectional, descriptive, and quantitative study. A total of 317 medical students from a federal university in Brazil, participated; 171 (53.94%) were female and 146 (46.06%) were male. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Revised Neuroticism Factor Scale were applied for collection between February and June 2021. Data analysis procedures were performed using SPSS. Student t-tests for one and independent samples were applied for gender comparison. Results: The sample means, categorized by gender, were compared with the population means presented in the technical manual of the test. Higher scores were evident in neuroticism and the facets of vulnerability, embarrassment, impulsivity, and anxiety/preoccupation when compared to the baseline study. Both genders were also found to have higher levels of embarrassment and anxiety/concern, and males also showed higher scores on neuroticism, vulnerability, and impulsivity. In the comparison test between genders, higher scores were observed in females for neuroticism and depression, vulnerability, embarrassment, and anxiety/concern. Conclusion: Given the above, the need for psychological support for medical students is reinforced, for both genders, given the professional specificities in which they are immersed. Moreover, identifying the protective factors is an essential prerequisite for the design of health promotion interventions.