One of the most widely used scales for the evaluation of stress is the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and it has been adapted into different languages. However, few studies have presented normative data from large samples, and there do not appear to be any studies of the PSS that provide normative data based on large samples for Mexico. Thus, the goal of this study was to provide normative data regarding gender and different age groups for a sample of 1990 Mexican subjects to validate the factor structure of the construct for this sample. The analysis of the 10- and 14-item versions of the PSS revealed that the scale had adequate reliability and that the factor structure was consistent with previous studies. With respect to the normative data, the means of the different groups ranged from 20.93 to 25.63 for the PSS14 and from 14.52 to 17.73 for the PSS10. We propose that scores within one standard deviation of these means be used as reference values for each group.

Simple SummaryThe participation of animals, specifically dogs, in therapeutic activities has been demonstrated to improve individuals’ physical and mental health. However, few investigations have been carried out in the area of dentistry. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dog-assisted therapy for individuals with a history of anxiety related to dental visits. During preventative dental procedures (cleaning), a therapy dog accompanied the participant. After this intervention, people reported lower perceived discomfort at dental visits. The participation of therapy dogs in this area of health could help improve people’s experiences in dental offices.AbstractAnimal-assisted therapy aimed at improving individuals’ mental or physical health has been widely reported. However, the data on how a therapy dog could help control anxiety during dental procedures is scarce. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of dog-assisted therapy on people with a history of dental anxiety while receiving preventive dental treatment. Twelve adults participated (women: n = 11 (91.7%) and men: n = 1 (8.3%), mean age = 31.25 years, D.E. = 5.78). The Corah Dental Anxiety Scale was applied, the patient’s mood was assessed with a Likert scale before and after receiving the dental treatment, and their blood pressure was recorded for each of the three stages of treatment. A therapy dog accompanied the participants during the dental procedure. The main results indicated that a decrease in discomfort was perceived during the intervention, and there was also an improvement in the patient’s evaluation of the experience. The results are based on the decrease in patients’ blood pressure when taken in the middle of the dental treatment.

The study of human–animal interactions has increased, focusing on the dog–owner relationship, leaving a lag in research on the cat–owner relationship and practically a total absence of studies that compare the dog–owner relationship with the cat-owner relationship. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to make this comparison based on the perception of people living with both dogs and cats, considering interaction, emotional closeness, and perceived cost of the relationship. A total of 132 residents in Mexico participated. To evaluate the pet–human relationship, the dog and cat versions of the Monash dog owner relationship scale were used, thus obtaining comparable scores for the relationship with dogs and cats. Based on what the owners reported, significant differences were found. Relationships with cats were better than relationships with dogs, a finding that was confirmed when comparing male dogs and cats and when comparing female dogs and cats. It was concluded that relationships with cats are better because the perceived cost of such a relationship is lower. However, emotional closeness is greater with dogs than with cats.

This study was conducted in order to determine factor structure and reliability of STAXI-2-AX/EX (Spielberger, 1999) and to calculate the correlation between STAXI-2-AX/EX and the Housewives Burnout Questionnaire (CUBAC). The study sample included 226 housewives. Dimensional structure was estimated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Factor analysis results of STAXI-2-AX/EX showed that a four related factors model had an adequate goodness of fit, eliminating three items. Regarding the CUBAC, a two related factors structure presented the best goodness of fit, which improve if five items were eliminated. Finally, as we expected, the correlation between the two scales was positive (r= .38. We suggest that this study should be replicated in other countries.

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