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Background  A wide range of exploratory methods is available in psychometrics as means of gathering insight on existing data and on the process of establishing the number and nature of an internal structure factor of a test. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and principal component analysis (PCA) remain well-established techniques despite their different theoretical perspectives. Network analysis (NA) has recently gained popularity together with such algorithms as the Next Eigenvalue Sufficiency Test. These analyses link statistics and psychology, but their results tend to vary, leading to an open methodological debate on statistical assumptions of psychometric analyses and the extent to which results that are generated with these analyses align with the theoretical basis that underlies an instrument. The current study uses a previously published data set from the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional to explore, show, and discuss several exploratory analyses of its internal structure. To a lesser degree, this study furthers the ongoing debate on the interface between theoretical and methodological perspectives in psychometrics. Methods  From a sample of 22,331 sixty-month-old children, 500 participants were randomly selected. Pearson and polychoric correlation matrices were compared and used as inputs in the psychometric analyses. The number of factors was determined via well-known rules of thumb, including the parallel analysis and the Hull method. Multidimensional solutions were rotated via oblique methods. R and Factor software were used, the codes for which are publicly available at https://luisfca.shinyapps.io/psychometrics%5fasq%5fse/. Results  Solutions from one to eight dimensions were suggested. Polychoric correlation overcame Pearson correlation, but nonconvergence issues were detected. The Hull method achieved a unidimensional structure. PCA and EFA achieved similar results. Conversely, six clusters were suggested via NA. Conclusion  The statistical outcomes for determining the factor structure of an assessment diverged, varying from one to eight domains, which allowed for different interpretations of the results. Methodological implications are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A scarcity of studies on the role of resilience resources (RRs) and vulnerability risk (VR) in children and adolescents with primary headache hampers the development of a risk‐resilience model for pediatric headaches. Objective: To examine the extent to which headache frequency and diagnosis are associated with RRs and VR and explore possible predictors of low RRs and high VR in a cross‐sectional population‐based study in adolescents. Methods: This is a cross‐sectional population study conducted in a small city in Brazil (Delfinópolis). Consents and analyzable data were obtained from 339/378 adolescents (89.7%). RRs and VR were assessed using the validated Brazilian version of the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents, completed by the adolescents. Parents filled a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and headache characteristics, as well as the Brazilian‐validated version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire added to the impact supplement to evaluate the adolescent's psychosocial adjustment skills. Teachers completed a structured questionnaire about the students' school performance. Results: A higher frequency of headache was associated with lower RRs (F3,335 = 2.99, p = 0.031) and higher VR (F3,335 = 4.05, p = 0.007). Headache diagnosis did not significantly influence the risk of having lower RRs or higher VR. In the exploratory analyses, females (OR 3.07; 95% CI: 1.16–9.3) and individuals with psychosocial adjustment problems (OR 7.5; 95% CI: 2.51–22.4) were predictors of low RRs, and prenatal exposure to tobacco (OR 5.6; 95% CI: 1.57–20.9) was a predictor of high VR in adolescents with primary headache. Conclusions: The risk of low RRs and high VR was associated with a higher headache frequency, but not with headache diagnosis. These findings may contribute to the development of a risk‐resilience model of headaches in the pediatric population and help identify novel targets and develop effective resources for successful interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quarantine and social distance restrictions have been enforced worldwide to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). The effects of these measures on mental health are recognised, but remaining unclear, is whether these effects are a consequence of the virus itself or policies that are enforced to prevent it. The present study investigated the impact of lockdown restrictions on anxiety and depression at two different times in 2020. Data were collected from 118 participants from all regions of Brazil. After easing quarantine restrictions in the second half of 2020, two natural groups were formed. One group included participants who voluntarily remained at home (n = 73). The other group consisted of those who decided to leave home (n = 45). A linear mixed model was used to determine the effects of group and time and their interaction. The McNemar test was used to determine intragroup differences in perceptions and concerns about COVID‐19. Logistic regression identified predictors of high and stable depression and anxiety. None of the factors or their interactions was significant. Indicators of depression and anxiety remained stable over time, regardless of whether the participants left home or remained at home. Significantly, a strong and stable agreement with quarantine was found. The participants agreed that COVID‐19 was a threat to public health. Political orientation was a predictor of high and stable levels of depression but not anxiety. Participants who self‐identified as liberal politically were at a greater risk of developing depression. The results suggest that the lockdown policy did not contribute to disruptions of mental health, which instead was a consequence of the pandemic and virus itself. We also found wide and strong support amongst the participants for lockdown and mandatory stay‐at‐home policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was discovered in China and characterized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic in March 2020. Many countries worldwide implemented stringent social isolation as a strategy to contain virus transmission. However, the same physical distancing that protects against the spread of COVID-19 may negatively impact mental health and well-being of the population. The present study sought to shed light on this phenomenon by assessing the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being (SWB) among individuals who were subjected to social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in Brazil between March 31 and April 2, 2020. All of the volunteers agreed to participate by digitally checking the option of agreement after reading consent terms. The inclusion criteria were participants who had been in social isolation for at least 1 week and agreed to the consent terms. Three instruments were applied. A questionnaire was constructed for this study that assessed the participants' exercise routines. The Psychosocial Aspects, Well-being, and Exercise in Confinement (PAWEC) scale was created by researchers of this study that assessed the relationship between well-being and physical activity during social isolation. The Brazilian Portuguese-adapted version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was also used. A total of 592 participants (371 female, 220 male, 1 transgender), 14–74 years old (M = 32.39 years, SD = 10.5 years), reported being in social isolation for an average of 14.4 days (SD = 3.3 days). Well-being that was related to the practice of physical activity during quarantine was linked to an established routine of physical activity before the social isolation period. Participants who already practiced physical exercises previously and reported continuing the practice during the quarantine period had higher positive affect scores. Participants who engaged in physical activity without direct guidance only during the quarantine period had higher negative affect scores. Participants who already practiced physical activity felt more motivated to continue practicing physical activity during the social isolation period, resulting in positive affect, unlike participants who began exercising only during quarantine. Our results suggest that negative affect can occur among individuals who only just begin exercising during social isolation, indicating that physical activity should be habitual and not only occur during periods of social isolation. Engaging in exercise only during social isolation may contribute to an increase in malaise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: The cognitive profile of patients with Multiple Sclerosis in the Brazilian population is relatively unknown and no cognitive screening instruments have been developed for this population. The purpose of the present study was to develop a neuropsychological screening instrument battery to identify cognitive impairment in epidemiological research protocols in this country. Methods and procedures: Fifty-four patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) and 54 controls matched by sex, age and educational level were evaluated through a long and comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Main outcomes and results: In comparison to the control group, 51.8% of the patients with RRMS presented some form of cognitive impairment. Three neuropsychological tests - Verbal Fluency, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning and Enhanced Cued Recall - presented an 80.6% sensitivity and 97.2% specificity in differentiating RRMS patients with cognitive deficits from paired control subjects. Conclusions: These three tests constitute a Brief Battery that represents a first Brazilian MS cognitive screening instrument. However, further validation study is necessary to achieve better normative scores in a larger sample and to establish feasibility of this battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropsychological assessments are often carried out due to mnemonic conditions. In this regard, short-term visual memory (STVM) is a type of memory that involves the temporary storage of visual information. Its evaluation has important clinical utility. The present study aimed to report evidence of the validity of the interpretation of the results obtained by a psychometric standardized test (MEMORE), especially developed to evaluate STVM in the context of clinical neuropsychology and psychological evaluation in general. From a sample composed of 1793 individuals located in the south, southeast and northeast of Brazil, 53.9% (n = 778) women, mean age 26.6 years (SD = 9.9), Psychometric results stated the reliability of the measure (Cronbach's alpha = 0.76; Composite reliability = 0.78, correlation between total value obtained between both applications = 0.81), a sufficiently unidimensional structure (X2(252) = 1255.530, p < 0.01, RMSEA = 0.048 [BC Bootstrap 95% CI = 0.046-0.0484], GFI = 0.860 [BC Bootstrap 95% CI = 0.859 - 0.870], MIREAL = 0.287 [BC Bootstrap 95% CI = 0.259 - 0.299]), and a metric invariance between men and women (2 (24) = 29,677, p = 0.196). No significant difference in performance as a function of gender was found, but a significant interaction between education and age group (F(8,1419) = 2.49, p = 0.01, p = 0.01). It is possible to conclude the psychometric adequacy of MEMORE and provide further evidence to consolidate the association between cognitive measures and sociodemographic effects on memory performance. This study offers a new instrument for use in neuropsychology and psychological assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]