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The aim of the study was to explore the factors and barriers related to the incentive and opportunity of school–family communication. This work is part of the HOUSE‐Colégio F3 Project, ULisbon, which included 1,143 first‐year university students from the University of Lisbon, with average age of 19.61 ± 3.96 years. The young people who had better communication with their parents, greater family support and better family relationship were the ones who reported greater incentives for school–family communication. School–family communication and relationship were associated with the incentives for school–family communication and greater parental monitoring. These results align with the literature stating that parents' communication and presence in all areas of young people's lives, including the school context, foster better social and family relationships and academic results. This result should not be read as a call for non‐autonomy. Instead, it highlights that monitoring and supporting family presence promotes that autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job demands and resources have been consistently associated with the burnout syndrome in physicians, however the literature points to a lack of robust measures to assess these job characteristics across various medical specialties. This study aimed to develop a theoretically and empirically grounded physician-specific job demands and resources self-report measure – the Physicians' Job Demands and Resources Scale. Relevant dimensions of physicians' job demands and resources were identified, corresponding measurement items were generated and pre-tested, and the factor structure of the resulting 44 items was tested with a sample of 9,176 Portuguese physicians. The results of EFAs and CFAs with two random split samples provided consistent evidence of a nine-factor structure with 38 of the 44 items. Importantly, the nine-factor structure is consistent with the dimensions identified in the literature. The paper discusses the theoretical and practical impacts of the scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong links have been observed between professionals' occupational health and their perceived organizational climate. However, in Portugal, one of the European Union countries where teachers present higher levels of occupational stress, no measures have been found to assess perceived school climate in elementary-school teachers. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric qualities of the Portuguese adaptation of the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Revised for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE). To test its factor structure, 687 elementary-school teachers (85.2% female, MAge = 46.15 years, SDAge = 8.88) completed the Portuguese OCDQ-RE. An additional sample of 81 participants (96.3% female, MAge = 46.21 years, SDAge = 4.82) responded at two points in time and completed external measures, ensuring test-retest reliability and validity analyses. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized factor structure. Coefficient omegas suggested adequate internal consistency of the composites. Adequate test-retest reliability was sustained through high correlation scores between the two data collection waves. Evidence of discriminant validity against external measures was also observed. Despite the need for further studies, the results support the adequacy and reliability of the Portuguese OCDQ-RE which may be an important research and intervention resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature has emphasized the urgency of investing in the promotion of Social and Emotional Competence (SEC) in adults. Therefore, the development of a theoretically grounded and developmentally adjusted measure that adequately assesses SEC in its different domains is needed. This study aimed to develop a self-report battery for the assessment of adults' SEC. Factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Social and Emotional Competence Assessment Battery for Adults (SECAB-A) were assessed. Seven-hundred and ninety-six adults (80.7% female) completed the SECAB-A. A subsample of 63 elementary school teachers (92.1% female) participated at two points in time and also completed external measures assessing affect, emotion regulation, and burnout symptoms, thus making it possible to test for test–retest reliability and convergent and discriminant validities. Despite sample size variation, no statistically significant differences between groups were found for the SECAB-A scales. Extraction of factors and confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized factorial structures. Coefficient omegas suggested adequate internal consistency and scores were highly correlated between the two data collection waves, also ensuring adequate test–retest reliability. There was also evidence of the SECAB-A's convergent and discriminant validities against the external measures. Results from this study indicate that the SECAB-A is a promising measure for the adult population. Nevertheless, additional criterion-related and construct validity research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching is, to date, one of the most prone jobs to experiencing occupational stress and burnout. Owing to burnout's negative personal, social, organizational and economic impacts, researchers, practitioners and education policy leaders are interested in developing practices and interventions aimed at preventing/reducing its prevalence. With teachers' main professional demands to be of a social and emotional nature, interventions designed with a view to promote teachers' social and emotional competence appears to be particularly promising, positively impacting teachers' well-being and personal accomplishment and contributing to a decrease in their psychological distress, namely emotional exhaustion. However, theoretical and empirically grounded interventions with ecological validity and specifically targeting teachers are still scarce. Thus, to bridge the previously identified gaps, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and the quality of the intervention's implementation of the A+, an online social and emotional learning intervention for elementaryschool teachers. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with a total of 81 participants (96.3% female, MAge = 46.21, SDAge = 4.82, n = 42 assigned to the experimental group) from three different school contexts. School clusters were similar in size, organizational structure and socioeconomic level, and as regards previous attendance at social and emotional learning interventions; however, they differed with regards to perceived organizational climate. Data on the efficacy of the A+ was collected across four waves using a set of self-report questionnaires that assessed proximal variables (i.e., social and emotional skills) and distal variables (e.g., well-being, burnout symptoms), and analyzed through Robust Linear Mixed-Effects Models. Coefficient omegas suggested adequate reliability of the measures. Additionally, two trained observers completed an observation grid to evaluate the quality of the A+ implementation (e.g., participant responsiveness, fidelity), with excellent interrater reliability. Results suggested that, over time, the A+ had positive impacts across proximal (e.g., increased self-regulation, positive relationship, conflict management skills) and distal variables (e.g., increased emotional wellbeing, decreased occupational stress and emotional exhaustion symptoms) favoring the experimental group. However, results differed across the school contexts. These findings were accompanied by good implementation quality indicators, namely high fidelity in the delivery of the A+ contents and high participants' responsiveness. Despite its limitations, this study contributes to a growing body of research which reinforces the importance of investing in social and emotional learning interventions to prevent teachers' burnout and improve their occupational health. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of implementation quality research as a component of program planning with a view to enhancing programs' efficacy, as well as the need to adapt and consider context variables in research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with chronic conditions (CC) tend to experience several barriers in terms of their school participation and performance. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the factors related to the time of diagnosis of CC (recent/non-recent), the barriers to participation and academic success (health condition, people's attitude towards CC and school physical environment), the physical and mental health (physical/psychological symptoms and concerns) and school-related variables (relationship with teachers and peers), regarding the school participation of first-year students with CC. This work is part of the HOUSE-Colégio F3 Project, University of Lisbon, which includes 1143 first-year university students from 17 Faculties and Institutes of the University of Lisbon. In this specific study, only the subsample of 207 students with CC was considered, 72.4% of which were female, aged between 18 and 54 years (M = 20.00; SD = 4.83). The results showed that students with a recent diagnosis of CC and students with school participation affected by the CC were those who presented more negative indicators regarding barriers to school participation, physical and mental health, and school-related variables. A greater impact of CC in terms of school participation was associated with having a recent diagnosis, with people's attitude towards CC and with the health condition as barriers, with more psychological symptoms and worse relationships with teachers and peers. This is a relevant message for the organization of health services for students with CC at the beginning of their university studies, especially since they are often displaced from home and managing their health conditions alone (in many cases, for the first time). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decades, extensive research has given considerable attention to teachers' burnout. Owing to its negative personal, organizational, and social impacts (e.g., mental ill health, decreased work performance, turnover), intervention and prevention efforts have consequently been employed to minimize the effects of this phenomenon/syndrome. As teaching-specific stressors are mainly related to the socio-emotional domain, interventions targeting social and emotional learning (SEL) for teachers have been seen to increase in recent years. A meta-analysis of 13 empirical studies was conducted to investigate the effects of SEL interventions on teachers' burnout. Results showed a statistically significant medium effect size favoring the experimental group regarding the impact of SEL on emotional exhaustion (g = − 0.37, 95% CI [− 0.70, − 0.03]) and personal accomplishment (g = 0.45, 95% CI [0.12, 0.79]). Impacts on depersonalization (g =− 0.51, 95% CI [− 1.13, 0.11]) were found to be not statistically significant. Meta regression analyses found narrower confidence intervals for interventions carried out over 3 months and tailored to the precise needs of class-level teachers for personal accomplishment. The findings add to the growing empirical evidence of the contribution of SEL interventions to improving teachers' personal accomplishment, identified in prior literature as a mitigating factor of teacher burnout syndrome and diminishing their emotional exhaustion, thus sustaining the importance of promoting SEL within teacher training. As for their practical and methodological implications, the results contribute to understanding the role of the specific features of SEL interventions, and also important features of research design and methodological constraints, which may impact the effectiveness of these interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV2 has had an impact on the education sector, and its stakeholders, such as teachers who had to do remote work from their home, despite many constraints. These professionals tried to perform their teaching functions, despite having to deal with adverse situations, such as cyberbullying among their students, as well as their difficulties related to presenteeism and burnout. In this context, this study aimed to understand whether observing cyberbullying among students can be associated with teachers' productivity loss due to presenteeism and burnout. This study also proposed to examine the role of productivity loss due to presenteeism in the relationship between observing cyberbullying situations among students and teacher burnout. A random sample of 1,044 (Mage =51.05, SD =7.35; 76.6% female) middle school and high school teachers answered an inventory about their experience working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically with regards to cyberbullying incidents they observed among their students, their productivity loss due to presenteeism, and their burnout levels. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that observing students engaging in cyberbullying situations was positively associated with productivity loss due to presenteeism and teacher burnout. Also, teacher's productivity loss due to presenteeism mediated the relationship between observing cyberbullying incidents among their students and their burnout levels. Specifically, the effect of productivity loss due to presenteeism explained the effect of observing cyberbullying incidents on teachers' burnout levels. These results are innovative and shed light on the importance of teacher wellbeing at their job in the midst of a pandemic, namely, when they observe their students engaging in hostile situations, which may lead them to greater levels of burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this research on burnout among physicians were threefold, (1) to characterize the burnout symptoms' prevalence among Portuguese physicians, (2) to test the hypothesis that organizational demands and resources add, on top of other factors, to the explanatory level of burnout; and (3) to explore the predictors of organizational demands and resources. Data collection was conducted online at the national level in Portugal, with 9,176 complete replies and a response rate of 21%. Predictors stemming from theoretical models of an intra-individual, occupational, organizational, and socio-psychological nature were measured using an online/paper survey. Results were analyzed through a significantly modified version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) after transformations to address the fit of this measure in this sample. Results show that 66% of physicians have high levels of emotional exhaustion, 33% high levels of depersonalization, and 39% high levels of decrease of personal accomplishment. Moreover, a first set of hierarchical multiple regression models with burnout symptoms reveals that organizational resources, demands of the relationship with the patients and of work schedule are consistently important predictors of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization on top of other theoretically relevant predictors. A second set of regression models with the organizational-level variables shows that, aside from organizational variables, other context variables, like procedural justice and teamwork, have the most substantial predictive value. These results highlight the importance of recognizing physicians' burnout as a phenomenon that is predicted by a wide variety of factors, but also the importance of attending to the particular role of circumstancial factors that may be addressed in future interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Teachers' stress can affect their occupational health and negatively impact classroom climate and students' well-being. This study aims to evaluate the proximal and distal effects of a mindfulness-based program, specially developed to promote teachers' social-emotional competencies (SEC), across teachers, classroom climates, and students' outcomes. Methods: The study followed a randomized trial design with two data collection points (pretest and posttest). Participants in the experimental group (EG) included 123 elementary school teachers, their 1503 students, and these students' parents (1494), while the control group (CG) comprised 105 elementary school teachers, their 947 students, and these students' parents (913). A mixed data collection strategy was used that included teachers' and students' (self-) report, observational ratings of teachers' classroom behaviors, and parents' reports on students. Results: After the intervention, EG teachers, compared to CG teachers, reported a significant increase in mindfulness and emotional regulation competencies, self-efficacy, and well-being and a decrease in burnout symptoms. Similarly, a significant improvement was found in EG teachers' classroom behaviors related to students' engagement. Additionally, significant improvements were also found in EG students' perceptions of the quality of their teachers' involvement in classroom relationships, self-reported effect, and social competencies perceived by their parents. Conclusions: These findings further the knowledge on the role played by mindfulness-based SEC interventions in reducing teachers' burnout symptoms and cultivating their SEC and well-being, in promoting a nurturing classroom climate and also in promoting the SEC and well-being of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching is among the most emotionally demanding jobs, impacting teachers' personal lives and job performance. Since teaching-specific stressors are mainly socio-emotional related, social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions targeting teachers have increased rapidly in recent years. This study conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis of 43 empirical studies which evaluated the efficacy of school-based SEL interventions involving 3,004 in-service preK-12 teachers. The initial systematic review showed that these interventions were very heterogeneous and the research on their efficacy assessed widely distinct outcome variables. Concerning the meta-analysis, results showed statistically significant small to medium effect sizes favoring the experimental group, with SEL interventions impacting teachers' social and emotional competence [ g = 0.59, 95% CI (0.29, 0.90)], well-being [ g = 0.35, 95% CI (0.16, 0.54)], and psychological distress [ g = −0.34, 95% CI (−0.57, −0.10)]. Meta-regressions did not reveal significant values of the explanatory variables, and publication bias was found for social and emotional competence and well-being domains. Findings add to growing empirical evidence regarding the impact of these interventions and contribute to the development of guidelines for the design of effective SEL interventions for teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study set out to explore the savoring strategies used by adolescents, adults and the elderly with a view to contributing to theory on age and savoring. A sample of 1018 Portuguese participants (n = 114 adolescents in the 3rd cycle of basic education; n = 474 adolescents in secondary education; n = 311 adults; and n = 119 older adults), answered the Positive Experiences Questionnaire, a self-report questionnaire with open-ended questions on savoring strategies used to prolong or intensify the positive emotions associated with positive events, in addition to their respective efficacy. The data content analysis showed that participants use complex strategy patterns to up-regulate their positive emotional experiences, comprising cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, volitional and sensory strategies. Age differences in savoring were identified, with the adolescents mostly referring to interpersonal strategies, namely taking care of relationships, and the adult and elderly participants predominantly recalling cognitive strategies, more specifically sharing with others and having thoughts of faith or thankfulness, respectively. The majority of participants considered the savoring strategies used to be efficacious and no significant associations were found between the lifespan groups in this regard. These findings may further the understanding of documented differences in subjective well-being across the life-span and inform intervention efforts in this domain. The article closes by suggesting directions for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between academic engagement, psychological capital (PsyCap) resources (efficacy, hope, optimism, resilience) and academic performance. Data were collected in two different universities, one in Spain (N = 389) and another in Portugal (N = 243). Undergraduate students completed self-report questionnaires regarding academic engagement and Psychological Capital. Academic performance was assessed through Grade Point Average, provided by the universities at the end of the exam period. Results showed a positive relationship between academic engagement, PsyCap, and academic performance in both samples. Results also supported PsyCap as a full mediator in the relationship between academic engagement and academic performance. Exploration of alternative models yielded a superior fit for the proposed model. Accordingly, academically engaged students were likely to experience higher levels of psychological resources, which in turn positively impacted their academic performance. The results point to the importance of considering psychological predictors, rather than the prevalent reliance on traditional predictors of academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Students' social and emotional needs were identified. • Music and dance matched students' interests and may help them deal with emotions. • Students showed a high interest and satisfaction toward the program. • Experts' assessment provided validity to the program. Abstract Participatory research with children and adolescents may increase their responsiveness toward interventions. This study focuses on the development of a program to promote social and emotional skills in middle school students, using educational dance. The main goal was to assess students' social and emotional needs and their interests in education through art activities, duly supported by the opinions of experts. Initially, focus groups were conducted and a questionnaire given out to students (N = 22), in addition to interviews with school representatives (N = 2). Next, students (N = 6) participated in a workshop and responded to a questionnaire. Experts (N = 3) then evaluated the program. Results revealed (a) students' social and emotional needs; (b) that music and dance matched students' interests; (c) students' high interest and satisfaction with the program; and (d) that the experts' assessment served to validate the program. Implications for practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Work accidents may be considered dyadic stressors in so far as they not only affect the worker, but also the couple’s relationship. Dyadic coping, as the process by which couples manage the stress experienced by each partner, can strengthen individual health and well-being as well as couple relationship functioning. Accidents at work have progressively been studied from a perspective that focuses on their negative effects on PTSS, anxiety, and depression. However, to a large extent, the dyadic coping processes and results following a work accident are still to be identified and clarified. In this study, we examined the predictive value of dyadic coping in the explanation of PTSS and subjective well-being of work accident victims. Method : This study comprised a sample of 62 individuals involved in work accidents within the last 24 months (61.3% males) and their partners (N = 124; M = 46.25 years, SD = 11.18). All participants responded to the Dyadic Coping Inventory and the work accident victims also answered the PTSD Checklist – Civilian (PCL-C) and the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF). Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed using two different variable set models: Model 1 comprised the control variables gender and age, and Model 2 included the workers’ and the partners’ dyadic coping variables. Results : Results showed that dyadic coping reported by both workers and their respective partners (Model 2) was a significant predictor of workers’ PTSS (p < 0.01) and subjective well-being (p < 0.001), explaining 31.2% of the variance in PCL-C and 68.7% in MHC-SF results. More specifically, the partners’ supportive dyadic coping (by the self) and delegated dyadic coping (by the partner) were significant predictors of the workers’ lower PTSS and virtually all the dyadic copying strategies of both the workers’ and their partners’ were significant predictors of the workers’ higher subjective well-being. Conclusion : Dyadic coping of both the workers and their partners predicts the workers’ PTSS and subjective well-being. These findings point to the need to work with couples who have experienced a work accident, with a view to improving the workers’ mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rescue workers have a stressful and risky occupation where being engaged is crucial to face physical and emotional risks in order to help other persons. This study aims to estimate work engagement levels of rescue workers (namely comparing nurses, firefighters, and police officers) and to assess the validity evidence related to the internal structure of the Portuguese versions of the UWES-17 and UWES-9, namely, dimensionality, measurement invariance between occupational groups, and reliability of the scores. To evaluate the dimensionality, we compared the fit of the three-factor model with the fit of a second-order model. A Portuguese version of the instrument was applied to a convenience sample of 3,887 rescue workers (50% nurses, 39% firefighters, and 11% police officers). Work engagement levels were moderate to high, with firefighters being the highest and nurses being the lowest engaged. Psychometric properties were evaluated in the three-factor original structure revealing acceptable fit to the data in the UWES-17, although the UWES-9 had better psychometric properties. Given the observed statistically significant correlations between the three original factors, we proposed a 2nd hierarchal structure that we named work engagement. The UWES-9 first-order model obtained full uniqueness measurement invariance, and the second-order model obtained partial (metric) second-order invariance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the risks and opportunities associated with Facebook usage and to explore the moderating role of psychosocial (mal)adjustment, nationality and age in these relationships. This correlational study involved a sample of 452 Brazilian and 500 Portuguese youths, aged between 14 and 20 years. Results showed that these youths spent a daily average of 61-120 minutes on Facebook, three to four times per week, displaying a positive attitude towards its use. These characteristics were most notable in the Brazilian youths [ t (950) = 5.64, p <.001; t (950) = –5.07, p <.001; and t (950) = – 6.85, p <.001, respectively]. The Portuguese youths ran more risks than the Brazilians [ t (950) = 6.36, p <.001], but both youths equally enjoyed the opportunities. In the case of the Portuguese youths, the risks and opportunities were moderated by the frequency of use, in other words "the higher the usage, the more risks and opportunities" (β = –.235 p <.001and β = –.167, p <.001, respectively). The psychosocial adjustment indicators did not moderate the effects of Facebook usage habits in risks and opportunities. The less psychosocially adjusted youths were those who ran more risks and also made the most of the opportunities. The results are discussed in light of the role of psychological, socio-cultural and developmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of the turnover process calls for the study of more complex relationships among variables beyond simple bivariate or multiple associations between predictors and turnover intentions. The present article aims to examine the predictive value of job demands and resources in the explanation of nurses' intention to leave the organization and to test the mediating roles of professional burnout and engagement in these relationships, within a Portuguese nursing population. The research models were tested within the scope of the Registered Nurse Forecasting project. Data included the self-report questionnaires of 2,235 Portuguese nurses from 31 hospitals, collected through stratified random sampling procedures. The statistical analyses of the structural models showed that nurses' participation in hospital affairs, a job resource at the work organization level, was the only significant predictor of nurses´ intention to leave the organization (β = –.45, p <.001). Analyses of the mediation models revealed that the emotional exhaustion symptoms of burnout (β = –. 11, p <.001) and job engagement feelings (β = –. 15, p <.001) were both significant mediators between nurses' decisional involvement and their intentions to leave the organization. Results suggest that including nurses in decision-making processes regarding their professional practice policy and environment, and improving nurses' professional well-being are two crucial strategies to reduce nurses' turnover intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although journalists are increasingly being viewed by scientific research as an at-risk occupational group, there is still little knowledge on their strategies for dealing with occupational stressors, in both daily work settings and in critical scenarios, and on the support provided by the media organizations. Taking the occupational stress model as a framework, 25 Portuguese journalists, experienced in reporting critical events, were interviewed on their perceptions of the coping and savouring strategies they use, as well as of their organizations’ support in daily work and critical events. Differences among these variables, according to deployment frequency to critical events were statistically analysed. The data content analysis showed that emotion-focused coping strategies were the most frequently mentioned for both settings, whereas savouring strategies were only referred to for critical events. Perceptions of coping strategies were four times more frequent than those of savouring, and the need for organizational support was especially stressed. Significant differences were identified in all variables according to the number of deployments to critical events. These findings may contribute to a reflection on the role of media organizations in promoting journalists’ occupational health in both settings. The article closes by suggesting directions for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sets out to assess the efficacy of a socio-emotional learning after-school program, Experiencing Emotions , on the socio-emotional skills of middle school pupils, as well as on their well-being and school engagement. The program provides educational dance within the curriculum. The sample included 83 middle school pupils from three portuguese state schools, aged between 9 and 13 years, 45 of the pupils participated in the program and 38 of the pupils participated in individual after-school control activities. Self-report questionnaires were filled in by the pupils and questionnaires were completed by the teachers at the beginning and the end of the program. Results revealed a significant increase in the socio-emotional skills of the pupils who participated in the program in the domains of self-management and relationship skills, comparing with the pupils who participated in the control condition. No significant differences were found between the intervention and the control groups in emotional, psychological and social well-being, or in the behavioral dimension of school engagement. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper systematically reviews empirical research published from 2002 to July 2015 investigating journalists’ occupational stressors, coping strategies, and the impacts of these variables on the health and well-being of such professionals, whether on their daily work or as special envoys to critical scenarios. A meta-analytic approach was displayed to analyse the association between exposure to traumatic events during work and journalists’ symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Twenty eight articles met the inclusion criteria and revealed that very few studies distinguish (and none compare) the distress of journalists in their daily work from the distress of reporting major disasters, not a single study addressed positive emotional responses and only one research study focused on an in-depth analysis of the most commonly used coping strategies by journalists. The impacts of occupational stress among these professionals were sorely negative (e.g., burnout, PTSD), and no study was found to address the design and assessment of preventive interventions for these impacts on the health and well-being of journalists. Thirteen studies were included in a random-effects model meta-analysis and a small to moderate effect size (r = 0.272) between exposure to traumatic events during assignments and PTSD was found. The article closes with directions for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Transition to school is a highly demanding phase at an intellectual, social and emotional level and is, therefore, an opportunity for growth and development. Despite the greater emphasis given to school transition in Portugal over recent years, namely by means of new educational policies, studies on the adaptation processes involved in the transition to primary school are still scarce. Purpose: The present qualitative study sets out to contribute to the knowledge on the adaptation process of children to school transition (around age 6) in Portugal, by comparing preschool teachers', primary school teachers', and parents' perceptions about success indicators and relevant factors in the transition to school. Design and method: In order to collect data, 14 focus group interviews with different participants were conducted, three with preschool teachers (N = 18), three with primary school teachers (N = 13), four with parents conducted before the child's transition to primary school (N = 14) and four with parents conducted after the child's transition to primary school (N = 20). Results: While the preschool and primary school teachers stressed factors of a family nature, such as parental involvement and parental support of children, the parents referred more frequently to the overall running of the school and the characteristics and methodology of the teacher as being relevant to the adaptation process in the first year of primary education. Conclusions: The findings suggest different factors associated with adaptation to school and also offer clues for designing strategies to facilitate such adaptation. New strategies are needed to facilitate the construction of a robust educational family-school partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School engagement is a multidimensional construct characterized by vigour, dedication, and absorption towards academic work that is related to school achievement. This study aimed to examine the measurement invariance of a school engagement measure – the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Students (UWES-S) – across secondary school pupils and university students. Two samples of secondary school pupils (n = 251) and university students (n = 229) were used. The results supported the original three-factor structure (vigour, dedication and absorption) of the UWES-S instead of a two- or a one-factor structure in both samples. Evidence for the metric and scalar invariance of the measure across secondary school pupils and university students was also found. The university sample had higher scores in vigour and absorption but not in dedication. These findings demonstrate that the UWES-S can be used for developmental studies where school engagement and its relation with other variables needs to be compared across distinct educational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study analyzed how student characteristics influenced the effects of a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program implemented in the first grade. A total of 14 teachers and 228 children participated in the study: 144 children participated in the SEL intervention program (including 65 pre-school children, group II), and 84 children composed the control group. The pre- and post-test assessments involved hetero- (teacher) and self-reporting (child) scales. The SEL intervention produced significant gains in the children's relationships with their peers, academic behavior, social skills, emotional knowledge, school learning skills, and school, behavioral, and social adjustment, independent of their previous skill level or gender. The SEL intervention was effective at improving the interpersonal strength of children with previously low skill levels, the intrapersonal and total strength of children of parents with a secondary level of education (groups I and II), and preventing the disruption of school functioning in children with parents with a higher education level (group II). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quasi-experimental exploratory study investigated whether a social-emotional learning program, implemented during a 1-year period, could lead to gains in social-emotional competencies and a reduction in internalizing and externalizing problems. Furthermore, it showed which pupils would benefit most from the program. The program was applied to 213 fourth-grade Portuguese pupils. One hundred five controls followed an Origami curriculum during the same period. Sixteen teachers also participated in this study. Self-report (pupils) and hetero-report (teachers) questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. There were significant intervention gains in some social-emotional competencies, namely, peer relations and social competence, but no gains were found in internalizing and externalizing problems. Intervention pupils with average pre-test scores profited more in self-management and peer relations than controls. Boys showed greater gains in self-management, aggressiveness, and social problems than girls. There were no significant differences regarding socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including emotional competence, mental health in young adults, and resilience in adolescence.

Teachers can contribute to preventing and solving cyberbullying situations. Therefore, it is relevant to investigate what may influence their involvement and actions concerning this phenomenon. A first study analyze teachers' definitions of cyberbullying, how they would intervene and feel morally implicated with the phenomenon. A second study aimed to investigate the association between teachers' being aware of cyberbullying and their perceived severity, moral disengagement with the phenomenon, perceived performance to solve such situations and their acquired knowledge about cyberbullying. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted in the first study with 25 to 65-year-old teachers. An online inventory was answered in study two by 541 middle and high school teachers ( M age = 50, SD = 7). A thematic analysis from the first study revealed that most teachers did not report repetition of behavior, power imbalance, intentionality to harm, and occurrence among peers as defining features of cyberbullying. Also, strategies they would use to intervene mainly focused on reporting the incident. Moreover, moral disengagement mechanisms were found in teachers' discourse, which contribute to displacing responsibility for intervening and perceiving cyberbullying as less severe. In the second study, path analysis revealed that teachers' awareness of cyberbullying among their students was positively associated with moral disengagement and acquired knowledge of the phenomenon. The mediating role of acquired knowledge of cyberbullying was significant between being aware of cyberbullying and teachers' perceived severity of the situation, moral disengagement, and perceived performance to solve these situations. These findings highlight the relevance of developing cyberbullying training actions involving teachers.

Teaching is, to date, one of the most prone jobs to experiencing occupational stress and burnout. Owing to burnout's negative personal, social, organizational and economic impacts, researchers, practitioners and education policy leaders are interested in developing practices and interventions aimed at preventing/reducing its prevalence. With teachers' main professional demands to be of a social and emotional nature, interventions designed with a view to promote teachers' social and emotional competence appears to be particularly promising, positively impacting teachers' well-being and personal accomplishment and contributing to a decrease in their psychological distress, namely emotional exhaustion. However, theoretical and empirically grounded interventions with ecological validity and specifically targeting teachers are still scarce. Thus, to bridge the previously identified gaps, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and the quality of the intervention's implementation of the A+ , an online social and emotional learning intervention for elementary-school teachers. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with a total of 81 participants (96.3% female, M Age = 46.21, SD Age  = 4.82, n  = 42 assigned to the experimental group) from three different school contexts. School clusters were similar in size, organizational structure and socioeconomic level, and as regards previous attendance at social and emotional learning interventions; however, they differed with regards to perceived organizational climate. Data on the efficacy of the A+ was collected across four waves using a set of self-report questionnaires that assessed proximal variables (i.e., social and emotional skills) and distal variables (e.g., well-being, burnout symptoms), and analyzed through Robust Linear Mixed-Effects Models. Coefficient omegas suggested adequate reliability of the measures. Additionally, two trained observers completed an observation grid to evaluate the quality of the A+ implementation (e.g., participant responsiveness, fidelity), with excellent inter-rater reliability. Results suggested that, over time, the A+ had positive impacts across proximal (e.g., increased self-regulation, positive relationship, conflict management skills) and distal variables (e.g., increased emotional well-being, decreased occupational stress and emotional exhaustion symptoms) favoring the experimental group. However, results differed across the school contexts. These findings were accompanied by good implementation quality indicators, namely high fidelity in the delivery of the A+ contents and high participants' responsiveness. Despite its limitations, this study contributes to a growing body of research which reinforces the importance of investing in social and emotional learning interventions to prevent teachers' burnout and improve their occupational health. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of implementation quality research as a component of program planning with a view to enhancing programs' efficacy, as well as the need to adapt and consider context variables in research and practice., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Oliveira, Roberto, Veiga-Simão and Marques-Pinto.)

Strong links have been observed between professionals' occupational health and their perceived organizational climate. However, in Portugal, one of the European Union countries where teachers present higher levels of occupational stress, no measures have been found to assess perceived school climate in elementary-school teachers. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric qualities of the Portuguese adaptation of the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Revised for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE). To test its factor structure, 687 elementary-school teachers (85.2% female, M Age = 46.15 years, SD Age = 8.88) completed the Portuguese OCDQ-RE. An additional sample of 81 participants (96.3% female, M Age = 46.21 years, SD Age = 4.82) responded at two points in time and completed external measures, ensuring test-retest reliability and validity analyses. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized factor structure. Coefficient omegas suggested adequate internal consistency of the composites. Adequate test-retest reliability was sustained through high correlation scores between the two data collection waves. Evidence of discriminant validity against external measures was also observed. Despite the need for further studies, the results support the adequacy and reliability of the Portuguese OCDQ-RE which may be an important research and intervention resource., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest/Competing interestsThe authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. , (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

This study analyzed the influence of perceived time pressure, role clarity, working conditions and peer social support on the personal well-being (subjective, psychological and social well-being) of higher education students, in a sample of 128 Portuguese students from the University of Lisbon. A model was proposed which predicts a negative influence of time pressure and a positive influence of role clarity, working conditions and peer social support on students' personal well-being, throughout the academic year. Data was collected by means of a longitudinal design, at the beginning and end of the academic year, through self-report questionnaires. Structural equation models were used to analyze cross-sectional and cross-lagged relations among the variables. At cross-sectional level, results revealed a good fit to data (CFI = .928; IFI = .931; RMSEA = .060) illustrating that the perception of academic context variables was related to well-being dimensions. At longitudinal level, however, cross-lagged models did not fit so well to the data (CFI = .863; IFI = .869; RMSEA = .058) with both perceptions of time pressure (β = .167; p = .037) and role clarity (β = -.288; p = .031) significantly predicting well-being, but not in the expected direction, encouraging the accomplishment of studies to further a broader understanding of higher education students' well-being and its predictors. Implications for higher education scholars and practitioners and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Nowadays, journalism is considered a stressful occupation, not only due to the stress perceived in journalists' daily work but also due to the critical, potentially traumatic events they report. However, research on journalists' occupational stress in both these professional settings is still scarce. This study aims to characterize and compare occupational stress variables perceived by journalists in their daily work and in critical scenarios. Taking the Holistic Model of Occupational Stress by Nelson and Simmons (2003) as a framework, 25 Portuguese journalists, all with experience in reporting critical events, were interviewed on their perceptions of some core variables of the model: occupational stressors, distress and eustress emotional reactions, and the consequences of these experiences on their well-being. Differences among these core variables, according to the number of deployments to a critical event, were statistically analysed in order to ascertain whether repeated exposure to trauma influenced journalists' occupational stress perceptions. The data content analysis showed that occupational stressors and emotional reactions differed across settings, while the consequences associated with journalists' experiences were perceived as being mainly negative in both occupational contexts. Significant differences were identified in some of these variables according to the number of deployments to a critical event (p < .05). These findings may contribute to a reflection on the role of media organizations in preparing and supporting journalists in their work performance, and on the promotion of occupational health within the scope of journalists' daily work and critical events. The article closes with considerations for future studies.

The present study set out to evaluate participant responsiveness, one of the main dimensions of implementation quality, in a Socio-Emotional Learning after-school program using Educational Dance activities, Experiencing Emotions, and also to understand its influence on program outcomes. The sample involved 98 middle-school Portuguese pupils, 53 of whom participated in the program and 45 in after-school control sessions. Outcome measures included pre-test and post-test questionnaires of pupils' socio-emotional skills, well-being and school engagement. A self-report item measured pupils' satisfaction at the end of the program, and a checklist measuring attendance and homework completion was filled in by the facilitator at each session of the program and control condition. Results revealed (1) high levels of pupils' satisfaction and attendance, and a medium-high level of homework completion towards the program; (2) that pupils' higher attendance rate in the program predicted higher results in the self-management (p = .04, d = .57; p = .003, d = .87) and social awareness (p = .04, d = .59) SEL domains, emotional (p = .02, d = .67) and psychological (p = .009, d = .76) well-being and school engagement (p = .04, d = .56); (3) that pupils' higher rate of homework completion in the program predicted higher results in the relationship skills SEL area (p = .04, d = .59) and in school engagement (p = .005, d = 1.50); (4) that pupils' from the control condition higher rates of homework completion also predicted better school engagement (p = .006, d = .88). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

This study analyses the psychometric proprieties of a Portuguese version of the social competence scale from the School Social Behavior Scales (SSBS-2, Merrell, 2002). It is a rating instrument of children and adolescents behavior, to be used by teachers and other school personnel. This scale includes 3 subscales: self-management/compliance, peer relations and academic behavior. In our first sample, 175 teachers rated 344 students from grade 1 through 12. On the second sample 13 teachers rated 251 3rd and 4th grades students. The results from the Portuguese adaptation support the multidimensional structure of the social competence scale from the SSBS-2, although an alternative model demonstrated a better fit to the data than the model originally proposed by the author. The scale showed good internal consistency and good intercorrelations between subscales, as well as between subscales and the total scale. The final model was well replicated in the second sample. These results encourage us to pursue the SSBS-2 Portuguese adaptation, in order to provide a useful and validated instrument for the assessment of social competence and for educational interventions.