A chronic illness in childhood has a negative impact on the paediatric patient and on family functioning. Psychological stress in parents influences the level of adjustment to the illness of their children. The Pediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP) was designed to measure stress in parents whose child has a chronic illness or requires prolonged medical monitoring. The main objective of this study is to provide a brief version of the Spanish translation of the PIP, across a sample consisting of 465 main familial caregivers (85.2% female, n = 396) between 27 and 67 years old ( = 44.13; SD = 5.35) of paediatric patients between 9 and 18 years old ( = 12.10, SD = 2.20; 56.8% men, n = 264) diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type I (20.9% of the sample; n = 97), short stature (32.5% of the sample; n = 151), or a chronic respiratory disease (asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiolitis obliterans and bronchiectasis) (46.6% of the sample; n = 217). After performing several EFAs (Exploratory Factor Analyses) and CFAs (Confirmatory Factorial Analyses), it was decided that 30 items need to be removed. Reliability and validity results suggest that the new 12-item version possesses appropriate psychometric properties. Cronbach’s alpha value ranging between α = .42 and α = .81 and fit values obtained indicate a good fit: χ2/df (88.393/48) = 1.84 (α < .01); S-B χ2(df) = 88.393 (48); CFI = .95; IFI = .95; RMSEA = .05 (.033 - .074) for the frequency scales and χ2/df (72.002/48) = 1.5 (α < .01); S-Bχ2(df) = 72.002 (48); CFI = .97; IFI = .97; RMSEA = .04 (.011 - .063) for the difficulty scales. The PIP also showed predictive ability in regards to anxiety and depression, a positive relationship between the instrument's own scales and a negative relationship with the caregiver's age. Finally, depending on the paediatric patient's diagnosis, differences in stress levels were found.

Purpose: adolescence is a time of change and it generally entails a greater family vulnerability thus; the aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for poor emotional adjustment to COVID among parents of adolescents. Design and methods: 94 parents of adolescents (11-18 years old, M = 13.90, SD = 1.85) participated at different times during the state of alert in Spain. 91.5% were mothers. Their ages ranged from 35 to 63 years (M = 46.54; SD = 5.09). The variables assessed were anxiety, depression and stress (DASS), moods (MOOD), somatization (SCL) and resilience (CD-RISC). Descriptive analyses, t-tests, ANOVAs, correlations, and hierarchical regressions were performed. All this by means of a cross-sectional and longitudinal study design. Results: at the beginning of the confinement parents showed low levels of emotional distress and moderate levels of positive emotionality and resilience. However, those with a prior psychological problem, who had lost their job, or had lost someone to the pandemic, showed worse emotional adjustment. Resilience was relevant in predicting anxiety-depressive symptoms, and a low level of happiness was relevant in predicting stress. Emotional symptoms improved over time, and resilience remained stable. Conclusions: the emotional impact of COVID over time is influenced by mood, mental health, and resilience. In addition, parents who had a previous health problem, had lost their job or a loved one, had a worse adjustment. Practical implications: it is important to carry out intervention programs that increase resilience, treating parents who require it, since their emotional adjustment has repercussions on the emotional adjustment of family system.

Objective: the objective of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire in a sample of adolescents with chronic endocrine or pneumological conditions and to analyze the dimensionality and reduce the scale elaborating scales by sex and medical diagnosis. Method: we evaluated 510 patients aged 9-16 years using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We carried out tests of reliability, construct and criterion validity and a comparison of means based on the diagnosis and socio-demographic variables. The reliability and validity analyses showed adequate psychometric properties for this scale, with better results obtained for a single dimension after eliminating 3 items. Results: adolescents with type 1 diabetes and girls were found to have an increased threat perception of their illness. Anxiety/depression was positively associated with the perception of illness. Conclusion: this questionnaire is a useful and practical tool for evaluating adjustment to illness in pediatric patients.

Introduction. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is a screening instrument that assesses emotional symptoms in different populations and medical conditions. This study analyzes the psychometric properties and factor structure of the HADS in adolescents with chronic disease and the differences based on their medical condition. Method. The HADS was administered to a sample of 302 adolescents with chronic disease. Exploratory factor analyses were done in a subsample of 100 adolescents, while confirmatory factor analyses were performed in the rest of participants (202) to examine the validity and reliability of the HADS (14 items); an analysis of variance for a single factor was also done to study differences among diseases. Results. Patients were aged 12-16 years, with a similar sex ratio; 43 % had respiratory diseases and 47 %, endocrine disorders. The original twofactor structure (anxiety and depression) showed adequate fit indices and incorporated a secondorder factor (emotional distress). Three of the original items were removed, thus obtaining a new 11-item version. This showed adequate psychometric properties, and differences were observed between patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and those with respiratory disease, but not in terms of short stature, in the depression factor. Conclusions. The HADS displays an adequate reliability and validity in pediatric patients with chronic disease and is useful for the early detection of anxiety and depression in the health care setting. Key words: factor structure, patient health questionnaire in the anxiety and depression scale, type 1 diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory diseases, short stature.

La pandemia mundial del COVID-19 ha traído una gran cantidad de cambios vitales para la sociedad. Ante esta situación, las familias y sus hijos han tenido que adaptarse a nuevas rutinas y situaciones, lo que puede haber aumentado o agravado el padecimiento de sintomatología emocional. No obstante, la presencia de resiliencia y de estrategias de regulación emocional positivas, puede amortiguar este impacto en las familias con hijos pequeños. El objetivo del presente trabajo es conocer las variables que explicaban los problemas de ajuste emocional familiar ante la pandemia del COVID-19, teniendo en cuenta las díadas de progenitores y sus hijos adolescentes. Participaron 31 díadas de adolescentes entre 11 y 19 años (M =13.90; DT =1.85) y sus cuidadores principales, siendo el 93,50% madres. Tras aceptar participar en el estudio se evaluó la regulación emocional (Cuestionario de Regulación Emocional; ERQ), la resiliencia (Escala de Resiliencia de Connor-Davidson; CD-RISC) y la sintomatología ansiosa, depresiva y el estrés (Escala de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés; DASS). Se realizaron modelos de análisis comparativo cualitativo de conjuntos difusos (fsQCA). En la explicación del desajuste emocional de los cuidadores, el clima familiar negativo y las estrategias de regulación emocional deficientes en sus hijos fueron las variables más relevantes. En la explicación del malestar emocional de los adolescentes, lo fueron la baja resiliencia de estos y las estrategias deficientes de regulación emocional de sus padres. Nuestro estudio señala la relevancia de atender a los miembros de las familias en su conjunto ante crisis vitales de este tipo, mediante programas de intervención que mejoren los vínculos familiares y las estrategias de regulación emocional.

Background: Despite facial self–touching being a possible source of transmission of SARS–Co–V–2 its role in dental practice has not been studied. Factors such as anxiety symptoms or threat perception of COVID–19 may increase the possibility of contagion. The objective was to compare the impact of control measures, such as gloves or signs in the reduction in facial self–touching. Methods: An intra–subject design was undertaken with 150 adults. The patients’ movements in the waiting room were monitored with Microsoft Kinect software on three occasions: without any control measures, using plastic gloves or using advisory signs against self–touching. Additionally, the participants completed the sub–scale of STAI (State–Anxiety) and the BIP–Q5 (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire); their blood pressure and heart rate were recorded. Results: The lowest incidence of facial self–touching occurred in the experimental situation in which gloves were introduced. The subjects with elevated anxiety symptoms realized more facial self–touching regardless of the control measures. However, the threat perception of COVID–19 is associated negatively with facial self–touching. Conclusions: The use of gloves is a useful control measure in the reduction in facial touching. However, people with anxiety symptoms regardless of whether they have greater threat perception for COVID–19 exhibit more facial touching.

Adolescence is a challenging time when emotional difficulties often arise. Self-esteem, good relationships with peers, and emotional competences can buffer the effects of these difficulties. The difficulties can be even greater when coupled with the presence of a chronic physical illness (CD). Our goal is to analyze psychosocial factors and CD as predictors for anxiety and depression. It was compared the results of structural equation models (SEM) with models based on qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to analyze the possible influence of these variables on levels of anxiety-depression in adolescents with and without CD. The sample consisted of 681 adolescents, between 12 and 16 years old (M = 13.94, SD = 1.32). 61.50% were girls and 13.40% (n = 222) presented a CD (mainly pneumo-allergic and endocrine). They were evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Self-esteem Questionnaire, the Emotional Competences Questionnaire and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results obtained by SEM show that low self-esteem, problems with peers and low emotional competencies predict anxiety in 41% of the variance and depression in 72%. The results obtained by QCA show that the different combinations of these variables explain between 24 and 61% of low levels of anxiety and depression and 47-55% of high levels. Our data show how the presence of a CD, low self-esteem, problems with peers and problems in emotional skills play a fundamental role in explaining levels of anxiety and depression. These aspects will help provide increased resources for emotional adjustment in the educational context, facilitating the transitions to be made by adolescents.

BACKGROUND:As a result of national lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak, teachers were forced to suspend their classes and replace them with online teaching and home schooling. Additional stressors such as competing family responsibility have increased their worries and mental health problems. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19-related worries on teachers' emotional symptoms, considering the mediating role of several protective factors. METHODS:A total of 614 Chilean teachers (94.60% women) participated in this study using a cross-sectional design and incidental sampling method. Self-report data was collected assessing emotional symptoms, COVID-19-related worries, life satisfaction, affect balance, and resilience. Descriptive analyses, Pearson's correlations, hierarchical regressions, and mediation models were conducted. RESULTS:The results indicated that emotional symptoms were associated with prepandemic physical and mental health problems, higher levels of worries and negative affect, as well as lower levels of life satisfaction and resilience. Results from the mediation models showed that the negative impact of COVID-19-related worries on emotional symptoms was alleviated by affect balance and resilience.CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of addressing the risk and protective factors for teachers' mental health during exceptional situations such as the ongoing pandemic.