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In recent decades, the potential benefits of introducing technologies into large-scale tests have been much discussed. Yet the path to effective technology use on large-scale testing has fallen short of expectations, especially when these tests have medium or high stakes for students. After a temporary cancelation of external assessment of learning due to the COVID19 pandemic, the Portuguese government is taking a step forward. With a gradual implementation until 2025, the reintroduction of external assessment of learning in the Portuguese education system foresees all national assessment tests and all national examinations in digital format with the implementation of the "External Assessment Dematerialization Project" (DAVE). However, assessment reforms, such as DAVE, raise concerns within school communities. To identify and analyze these concerns, we conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with head teachers from mainland Portugal. To understand to what extent these concerns were considered and covered in DAVE's design and implementation, a supplementary interview was conducted with the president of the Portuguese institute responsible for DAVE. In addition, a survey with 2 673 teachers was carried out to find out their degree of agreement with the implementation of DAVE. Results show that DAVE raises many concerns among head teachers, and it is not fully accepted by the teachers.

Children's natural curiosity by everything around them is a premise for discovery. Natural phenomena such as the alternation between day and night, elements of nature such as the tree's leaves and their shapes and colors, daily routines as sorting waste, raise many questions in children, stimulating them towards scientific literacy trough what is familiar to them and their personal life experiences. In the science children's books, the concepts' approach sometimes difficult its understanding by children, due to the used vocabulary, the lack of an appealing narrative, among other aspects. In turn, children's literature books without any intention of promoting or developing ideas of science can, through their narrative and illustrations, in a more meaningful context for children, motivate the inquiring and the concepts' exploration. This work results from a presentation session of the children's book "From the outside to inside and from the inside to outside" to children of a Portuguese school of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education, by the authors which are also the researchers, having as aim create an environment based on questioning activity, supported in the story narrative, and develop children's divergent thinking in a context involving scientific ideas.

Withdrawal from doctoral education has been recognized as a problem with negative consequences for different actors, leading researchers worldwide to explore its underlying factors and processes. However, even if many PhD candidates who withdrew intend to re-enrol, there is a gap in the literature regarding the factors and processes related to re-enrolment. The aim of this qualitative study is to understand pre- and post-withdrawal experiences of PhD candidates and the factors and processes related to withdrawal, dropout and re-enrolment, through the voices of PhD candidates who withdrew and faculty in social and health sciences in a Portuguese university. Our findings conceptualize withdrawal as a behavioural manifestation of disengagement processes comprising interacting emotional/affective, cognitive, and behavioural dimensions, which start before withdrawal, extend beyond it, and may culminate in dropout or re-engagement and re-enrolment. Factors and processes related to withdrawal, dropout, or re-enrolment were situated in various nested contexts. This study highlights the need for an academic cultural change, to envisage withdrawal as a process that does not necessarily mark the end of PhD candidates' incursion into doctoral education. It draws attention to the need to provide adequate working conditions for PhD candidates, and also to promote follow-up and communication with PhD candidates who withdrew.

The Escol@s Digitais Project, under development in all public primary schools of Amadora Municipality (Portugal), aims to support the process of digital transformation in school dynamics. In this article, we examine the meaning that the teachers who participate in this project attribute to the "digital school" concept. For this purpose, we mobilized a corpus of qualitative data obtained through an online questionnaire that included an open question, formulated in the following terms: "What do you think a `digital school´ could be?". The analysis carried out, with peer validation, highlighted three dimensions that help us to understand the "digital school" concept in a holistic way: the first dimension underlines the elementary requirements to ensure the digitalization process in schools (strategic dimension); the second dimension highlights the pedagogical potential of digital tools (pedagogical dimension); and the third dimension emphasizes a set of values and principles by which any school, more or less digital, should guide its action (axiological dimension). In conjunction with the results of recent studies, it is concluded that the ongoing digital transformation process, despite being complex and multifaceted, is necessary to raise education to a qualitatively higher level.

Music and the arts are of growing interest in promoting success in school and psychological development of young people in general. However, there are few studies focused on the relationship between music and, more specifically on school engagement of vulnerable students. Thus, this exploratory study aims to understand the perceived impact of student participation in a school percussion group on school engagement. The research followed a qualitative methodology through individual semi-structured interviews. Six pupils aged between eleven and fifteen, two teachers of these pupils and two of the percussion group facilitators took part in the study. The results reveal a positive impact perceived by the participants arising from participation in the percussion group, with emphasis on the behavioural dimension of school engagement. Considering the relation between school engagement and learning processes, promoting school engagement through musical activities could be an innovative strategy to promote school success.

The expansion of early language learning has fostered the need to prepare qualified teachers of English to young learners. This paper presents findings from a multi-site case study of initial teacher education programmes created in 2015 in Portugal when English became compulsory in grades 3 and 4. The study investigated intended professional learning competences and tasks as described in curricula, as well as teaching and inquiry practices developed in practicum settings. A multi-method approach was used, involving the analysis of ten higher education institutions' curricula, a sample of practicum reports, the responses of former student teachers to an online survey, and reflective records from student teachers, faculty supervisors, and cooperating teachers. Findings portray a reflective, inquiry-oriented view of professional development and the enactment of current teaching approaches. The study stresses the role of curricula and practicum arrangements in creating meaningful professional learning scenarios and promoting learner-centred teaching in schools.

Emergent literacy (EL) interventions are effective at fostering foundational skills for reading and writing. During the COVID-19 pandemic schools faced several challenges to maintain these interventions, namely changing face-to-face to remote modalities. In this study, the effects of a multi-tier emergent literacy intervention are examined, delivered both in face-to-face and remote modalities, during the second COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The intervention was delivered to 102 preschool Portuguese children (aged 5-6 years) according to the Multi-Tier Systems of Support (MTSS) framework and evaluated using a pre and post-test design and a single group. The results showed significant gains after the intervention in all emergent literacy skills evaluated: phonological awareness, vocabulary, print concepts, alphabet knowledge, and emergent writing. These findings highlight the relevance of systematic interventions that implement universal screenings, progress monitoring and decision-making processes based on children's performance, and the potentialities of using mixed modalities (face-to-face and remote) to deliver such interventions in uncertain times.

Purpose: This study aims to diagnose the perception, knowledge, awareness and position of the bioeconomy in university education and research. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on a questionnaire survey conducted at universities in Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain and Portugal (n = 464). The questionnaire consisted of open-ended, dichotomous and Likert-type questions. Variable frequency distribution methods and the non-parametric chi-square test were used to test the independence of the characteristics. The Cramer's V contingency coefficient was used to determine the degree of dependence between the variables. Findings: The researched academic community is dominated by a traditional approach to the bioeconomy, which relates to agriculture and ecological aspects. Respondents believe in the positive environmental impacts of the bioeconomy, while less often being aware of its importance from a socio-economic perspective. Insufficient teaching and research in the field of the bioeconomy can be widely observed. The presumed link between the existence of a bioeconomy strategy at national level and awareness of the bioeconomy was not confirmed. Research limitations/implications: The limited sample, the narrow geographical scope of the study does not allow for a comprehensive analysis of the topic. Another limitation is the lack of representativeness of the results in relation to all university representatives in the countries studied and the uneven composition of the samples. Originality/value: This study fills the knowledge gap about the status of the bioeconomy in European academic communities by analysing its perception among both teachers and students of social, natural and applied sciences.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highly impacted our society, particularly educational professionals, on their daily routines and changing the way they work. COVID-19 spread quickly, and we had to take urgent action on closing schools so teachers would continue to teach their students and put stringent measures such as national lockdowns and social distancing initiatives. The present study aims to understand teachers' perceptions regarding the operationalization of Emergency Remote Learning in Portuguese schools. The study also seeks to measure differences in satisfaction level, attitudes, and challenges across teaching methodology adopted by teachers. It will be used as a quantitative study, using a survey as a technical procedure for data collection to meet the proposed objectives. Data collection lasted two months, implemented through the availability of the study online on social networks, for teachers to respond voluntarily. Findings show that the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirement has presented undue challenges for all education stakeholders, especially teachers. The teachers felt exhausted, but they recognized that the Technology has made a significant contribution and showed a willingness to learn more to integrate technologies into their practice and recognize the importance of this being done effectively.

Objective: This study investigated the role of cognitive flexibility and temperament as predictors of academic performance, in children in care and children from a community sample, longitudinally. Also, it examined the mediating role of child's temperament in the relationship between cognitive flexibility and academic performance, as well as between-group differences. Method: Participants were 46 children in care and 48 children from a community sample, aged 6 to 10 years. Cognitive flexibility, temperament, and academic performance were assessed with the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices set B (RCPM-B), the Portuguese version of School-Age Temperament Inventory (SATI), and the competence academic scale (CAS) of the Portuguese version of the Social Skills Rating System -- Teacher Form (SSRS-T), respectively. Results: Cognitive flexibility was a significant predictor of academic performance only for children in care. In both groups, negative reactivity and task persistence predicted academic performance, and children's task persistence mediated the relationship between cognitive flexibility and academic performance. However, a between group difference was observed in this mediation: in addition to the mediation effect observed in both groups, a direct effect was also found in the in-care group. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of promoting cognitive and task persistence competencies in normative and at-risk populations.

The article assumes that the expansion of cultural content in basic education implies a qualitative change in the entire curriculum system. It rescues the idea of social micro spaces of common curriculum selection and reconfiguration and underlines the role of decision-makers in different groups. Namely, experts and specialists who, within the scope of the Learning Outcomes Project launched by the Portuguese Ministry of Education, supported the legitimation of ICT as a transdisciplinary learning area, consenting to shared responsibility in promoting digital culture. Based on the study carried out, involving 11 interviews, the article reveals the reasons that justify the detachment from a social practice that, paradoxically, was desired to be more articulated, integrated, and open to digital culture.

In this article we will present a study undertaken in the scope of a Content and Language Integrated Learning project, which was implemented at a local private primary school in the Oporto area, Portugal. This project takes into account the promotion of a teaching and learning process based on the fostering of 21st Century skills, the so-called "creactical skills", i.e., critical thinking and creativity into action (Ohler, 2013) and a global and sustainable awareness. By developing an action research project and following a mixed-method research methodology, we analysed the project's implementation, online questionnaires results, and other data including lesson plans, supervision reports/notes, pictures, videos and projects in order to find evidence of practices which foster the "creactical skills". The results show that pupils' critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and cultural awareness skills may have been fostered, but there is still some work to be done regarding other skills mainly due to teachers' approaches which have to change.

While there is a strong consensus on the importance of Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT) skills for the rise of participatory citizens and work-ready professionals, the extent to which university attendance by itself supports their development and acquisition remains controversial. This research presents a cohort, longitudinal follow-up study aimed at investigating the impact of university attendance by itself on the CCT skills development of 41 higher education students from two, 3-year Bachelor's programmes at a northeastern Portuguese university, namely Pre-Service Teaching and Psychology. Using Lopes et al.'s Critical and Creative Thinking Test, an open-access CCT assessment instrument validated for the Portuguese higher education population, data were collected at the beginning of the first and of the third academic years: 2016-2017 and 2018-2019, respectively. Non statistically significant differences were found for both cohorts, suggesting that the domain-specific training of these study programmes per se are not a sufficient condition to enhance students' domain-general CCT skills. Therefore, further research is still needed to better identify the moderating variables influencing the development of students' CCT skills during their attendance in undergraduate higher education.

In this work, recurrent and linear sequences are studied, exploring the teaching of these numbers with the aid of a computational resource, known as Google Colab. Initially, a brief historical exploration inherent to these sequences is carried out, as well as the construction of the characteristic equation of each one. Thus, their respective roots will be investigated and analyzed, through fractal theory based on Newton's method. For that, Google Colab is used as a technological tool, collaborating to teach Fibonacci, Lucas, Mersenne, Oresme, Jacobsthal, Pell, Leonardo, Padovan, Perrin and Narayana sequences in Brazil and Portugal. It is also possible to notice the similarity of some of these sequences, in addition to relating them with some figures present and their corresponding visualization.

The present work presents a proposal for study and investigation, in the context of the teaching of Mathematics, through the history of linear and recurrent 2nd order sequences, indicated by: Fibonacci, Lucas, Pell, Jacobsthal, Leonardo, Oresme, Mersenne, Padovan, Perrin and Narayana. Undoubtedly, starting from the Fibonacci sequence, representing the most popular in the referred scenario of numerical sequences, it was possible to notice the emergence of other sequences. In some cases, being derived from Fibonacci, in others, changing the order of the sequence, we thus have the historical study, with the use of mathematical rigor. Besides, their respective recurrence formulas and characteristic equations are checked, observing their roots and the relationship with the number of gold, silver, bronze and others. The results indicated represent an example of international research cooperation involving researchers from Brazil and Portugal.

Recently, some authors have pointed out that the subject of university-firm collaboration (UFC) in the teaching context has been neglected. To fill this gap, and considering that educational provision is co-created with various stakeholders, this study aims to provide an exploratory characterization of the current state of UFC in the teaching context and to explore UFC as a mechanism for the co-creation of value. A qualitative approach was chosen, through a case study applied to one faculty at a Portuguese university. Data were obtained through documentary analysis and interviews with people in charge of this faculty. The results suggest that collaboration activities in this domain occur, albeit not systematically or in a planned way. The involvement of the current faculty direction in stimulating this collaboration is recognized, and the leaders see this phenomenon as a mechanism for co-creating value between firms and academia. As a practical contribution, the study proposes a set of recommendations to encourage such UFC. The scientific contribution arises from the presentation of a conceptual structure which explores the UFC phenomenon in the teaching context, bringing together the perspectives of collaboration and the co-creation of educational provision, as well as presenting a number of suggestions for future research.

This study presents a data mining approach to predict academic success of the first-year students. A dataset of 10 academic years for first-year bachelor's degrees from a Portuguese Higher Institution (N = 9652) has been analysed. Features' selection resulted in a characterising set of 68 features, encompassing socio-demographic, social origin, previous education, special statutes and educational path dimensions. We proposed and tested three distinct course stage data models based on entrance date, end of the first and second curricular semesters. A support vector machines (SVM) model achieved the best overall performance and was selected to conduct a data-based sensitivity analysis. The previous evaluation performance, study gaps and age-related features play a major role in explaining failures at entrance stage. For subsequent stages, current evaluation performance features unveil their predictive power. Suggested guidelines include to provide study support groups to risk profiles and to create monitoring frameworks. From a practical standpoint, a data-driven decision-making framework based on these models can be used to promote academic success.

This article uses an anonymous 2014-15 school year dataset from the Directorate-General for Statistics of Education and Science (DGEEC) of the Portuguese Ministry of Education as a means to carry out a predictive power comparison between the classic multilinear regression model and a chosen set of machine learning algorithms. A multilinear regression model is used in parallel with random forest, support vector machine, artificial neural network and extreme gradient boosting machine stacking ensemble implementations. Designing a hybrid analysis is intended where classical statistical analysis and artificial intelligence algorithms are blended to augment the ability to retain valuable conclusions and well-supported results. The machine learning algorithms attain a higher level of predictive ability. In addition, the stacking appropriateness increases as the base learner output correlation matrix determinant increases and the random forest feature importance empirical distributions are correlated with the structure of p-values and the statistical significance test ascertains of the multiple linear model. An information system that supports the nationwide education system should be designed and further structured to collect meaningful and precise data about the full range of academic achievement antecedents. The article concludes that no evidence is found in favour of smaller classes.

Even though Critical Thinking (CT) is an important goal for higher education institutions and labour market professionals, studies dealing with employers' perceptions on CT meaning and envisioning in the workplace are scarce. Intended to tackle this gap, the current study provides an overview of the need for and practical application of CT in the workplace from the employers' views. Adopting a qualitative research methodology, five focus group interviews were carried out, enrolling 28 representatives of different Portuguese Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), public and private companies, in four different professional fields: Biomedicine, STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Social Sciences, and Humanities. Using Facione's framework for data analysis, results suggest that CT is broadly recognized by employers as a set of interdependent skills and dispositions that are needed in new graduates, presenting slight differences in their practical application across professional fields. This paper also discusses and outlines implications to support universities in the promotion of students' CT skills and dispositions.

Students engagement with school is a concern of the educational community, research and policy makers. It has been conceptualized as a multidimensional construct conditioned by several individual and contextual factors, namely personal, family, social and academic variables. Regarding academic variables, school retention is a controversial option, that influences the way students engage with school. Many studies have examined the impact of retention on school performance. Less attention has been directed to the implications of retention on students' school engagement, particularly in its cognitive and psychological domains. The objectives of this study were to describe the cognitive and psychological dimensions of school engagement in students from 4th, 6th and 9th grades, and to analyze the influence of retention in the engagement with school. A total of 986 students, who attended elementary and middle school, participated in this study. This study contributed to the research on school engagement and retention, adding empirical evidence to this subject, and suggesting that retaining students may contribute to the decrease of engagement with school throughout the academic journey. These results may have implications for educational policies and psychological practice, especially highlighting the belief that in school no child should be left behind.

This systematic review, based on an adaptation of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement from 2020, focuses on studies of the atmospheric mechanisms underlying extreme precipitation events in mainland Portugal, as well as observed trends and projections. The 54 selected articles cover the period from 2000 to 2024, in which the most used keywords are "portugal" and "extreme precipitation". Of the 54, 23 analyse trends and climate projections of precipitation events, confirming a decrease in total annual precipitation, especially in autumn and spring, accompanied by an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events in autumn, spring and winter. Several articles (twelve) analyse the relationship between synoptic-scale circulation and heavy precipitation, using an atmospheric circulation types approach. Others (two) establish the link with teleconnection patterns, namely the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and still others (three) explore the role of atmospheric rivers. Additionally, five articles focus on evaluating databases and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models, and nine articles focus on precipitation-related extreme weather events, such as tornadoes, hail and lightning activity. Despite significant advances in the study of extreme precipitation events in Portugal, there is still a lack of studies on hourly or sub-hourly scales, which is critical to understanding mesoscale, short-lived events. Several studies show NWP models still have limitations in simulating extreme precipitation events, especially in complex orography areas. Therefore, a better understanding of such events is fundamental to promoting continuous improvements in operational weather forecasting and contributing to more reliable forecasts of such events in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of early language learning has fostered the need to prepare qualified teachers of English to young learners. This paper presents findings from a multi-site case study of initial teacher education programmes created in 2015 in Portugal when English became compulsory in grades 3 and 4. The study investigated intended professional learning competences and tasks as described in curricula, as well as teaching and inquiry practices developed in practicum settings. A multi-method approach was used, involving the analysis of ten higher education institutions' curricula, a sample of practicum reports, the responses of former student teachers to an online survey, and reflective records from student teachers, faculty supervisors, and cooperating teachers. Findings portray a reflective, inquiry-oriented view of professional development and the enactment of current teaching approaches. The study stresses the role of curricula and practicum arrangements in creating meaningful professional learning scenarios and promoting learner-centred teaching in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In recent years, the healthcare landscape has seen a paradigm shift towards patient‐centeredness in the provision of nursing care. The Primary Nursing Care Model has aroused interest as an approach that prioritizes the individualization and continuity of care, as well as the involvement of the patient in decision‐making about their health, which may impact professional satisfaction, as well as the quality and safety of nursing care. Aim. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing the Primary Nursing Care Model in a hospital service. Methods. This study employed a quasi‐experimental, single‐group design with pre‐ and postintervention evaluations. It involved a convenience sample of 48 nurses from an internal medicine department. Data collection took place between June and November 2023. The intervention consisted of the implementation of the Primary Nursing Care Model. A questionnaire was used to characterize the sociodemographics of the participants, followed by instruments that made it possible to assess missed care, professional nursing practice environments, safety culture, job satisfaction for nurses, and the perception of activities that contribute to the quality of care. Results. The implementation of the Primary Nursing Care Model showed positive results compared to preimplementation. There were statistically significant differences when applying the Wilcoxon test, p < 0.005, with a reduction in missed care, an enhancement of the professional nursing practice environment and safety culture in nursing practice, as well as nurses' job satisfaction and enhanced perception of the activities that contribute to the quality of care. Conclusion. The implementation of the Primary Nursing Care Model in a hospital setting has demonstrated valuable contributions, underscoring its potential to improve the quality of nursing care and promote patient‐centered care approaches. Further research is recommended to explore its application in diverse healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cross-language studies suggest more similarities than differences in how dysarthria affects the speech of people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) who speak different languages. In this study, we aimed to identify the relative contribution of acoustic variables to distinguish PwPD from controls who spoke varieties of two Romance languages, French and Portuguese. Method: This bi-national, cross-sectional, and case-controlled study included 129 PwPD and 124 healthy controls who spoke French or Portuguese. All participants underwent the same clinical examinations, voice/speech recordings, and self-assessment questionnaires. PwPD were evaluated off and on optimal medication. Inferential analyses included Disease (controls vs. PwPD) and Language (French vs. Portuguese) as factors, and random decision forest algorithms identified relevant acoustic variables able to distinguish participants: (a) by language (French vs. Portuguese) and (b) by clinical status (PwPD on and off medication vs. controls). Results: French-speaking and Portuguese-speaking individuals were distinguished from each other with over 90% accuracy by five acoustic variables (the mean fundamental frequency and the shimmer of the sustained vowel /a/ production, the oral diadochokinesis performance index, the relative sound level pressure and the relative sound pressure level standard deviation of the text reading). A distinct set of parameters discriminated between controls and PwPD: for men, maximum phonation time and the oral diadochokinesis speech proportion were the most significant variables; for women, variables calculated from the oral diadochokinesis were the most discriminative. Conclusions: Acoustic variables related to phonation and voice quality distinguished between speakers of the two languages. Variables related to pneumophonic coordination and articulation rate were the more effective in distinguishing PwPD from controls. Thus, our research findings support that respiration and diadochokinesis tasks appear to be the most appropriate to pinpoint signs of dysarthria, which are largely homogeneous and language-universal. In contrast, identifying language-specific variables with the speech tasks and acoustic variables studied was less conclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study analyzes the results of a pedagogical and didactic experiment which was focused on the problem of teaching environmentally-friendly behaviours to young kindergarten children. It is essential to awaken children's curiosity and desire to know more about environmental issues in their regions so that children develop their own answers to problems. Our research focus was to understand the potential of practical-experimental activities connected to ecology, in a relaxed and entertaining learning context, promotes the learning of environmentally-friendly behaviours. The analysis of the results obtained in the pedagogical and didactic experiment was based on the following categories: (a) teaching and learning methodology and teaching resources; (b) children perceptions. The findings revealed that the built teaching resources have enabled these children to understand the importance of having environmentally-friendly behaviours.

The purpose of this article is to provide insight on a partnership between Matosinhos City Hall that coordinates educational programs including physical education and the School of Higher Education of Porto. For the past 2 years, the institutions have worked together to develop a local curriculum for physical education teachers to foster life skills development and transfer in their students. In this article, we provide an overview about (a) how the partnership was developed, (b) how establishing fundamental pedagogical components provided the platform for later explicit life skills teaching, (c) the facilitators and barriers that emerged from these efforts, and (d) plans to integrate an explicit approach to sport-based life skills development and transfer.

One of the most widely researched issue on higher education relates to exposed paths that lead to academic success. Nowadays information systems represent an essential part of the education sector in many universities. In particular, the increasing of the number of students in higher education in Portugal leads to the progressive increase of student's data contained in institutional information systems. This article aims to include the use of student data contained in the Fénix information system of a Portuguese higher educational institution, turning their information in an internal tool, to assist analysis and studies of internal academic success. Providing relevant data for queries can offer a clearer explanation of the paths to success in higher education. It can also help the identification of problems and failures aiming to support a more effective intervention of institutions and researchers to improve the academic success.

Background: The literature is consensual regarding the academic community exhibiting higher levels of mental disorder prevalence than the general population. The potential of digital mental health apps for improving access to resources to cope with these issues is ample. However, studies have yet to be performed in Portugal on individuals' attitudes and perceptions toward digital mental health applications or their preferences and decision drivers on obtaining mental health care, self-assessment, or treatment. Objective: This study aims to understand the determinants of digital mental health applications use in the Portuguese academic community of Porto, along with potential adoption barriers and enablers. Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was delivered via dynamic email to the University of Porto's academic community. Data collection occurred between September 20 and October 20, 2022. We used structural equation modeling to build three models, replicating a peer-reviewed and published study and producing a newly full mediation model shaped by the collected data. We tested the relationships between use of digital mental health apps and perceived stress, perceived need to seek help for mental health, perceived stigma, past use of mental health services, privacy concerns, and social influence. Results: Of the 539 participants, 169 (31.4%) reported having used digital mental health apps. Perceived stress and a latent variable, comprising perceptions of mental health problems and coping strategies, were positively associated with mental health app use, while privacy concerns regarding one's information being accessible to others were negatively associated. Perceived stigma, need to seek help, and close relationships did not have a statistically significant direct effect. Conclusions: These findings can inform product and policy development of new, better-targeted digital mental health app interventions, with implications for researchers and academia, industry, and policymakers. Our study concludes that, to maximize adherence to these apps, they should have low to no financial charges, demonstrate evidence of their helpfulness and focus on the timely delivery of care. We also conclude that to foster digital mental health app use, there is a need to improve mental health literacy, namely regarding self-awareness of one's conditions, acceptable stress levels, and overall behavior towards mental health. Trial registration: RR2-10.2196/41040. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School psychologists can support schools in implementing inclusive practices. In Portugal, the Decree-Law 54/2018 has set the country on the path to inclusive education based on whole-school approaches. This policy shift demands a change in school psychologists' practices to be agents for systems change versus traditional roles (such as assessing and counseling students). An e-learning training course was developed and implemented by nine psychologists through a partnership between the Ministry of Education and the Portuguese Psychology Association, focused on the Multi-tiered Systems of Support framework for constructing inclusive schools. The main aim was to empower school psychologists to support adequate, inclusive, and multi-tiered intervention responses in their schools, resourcing a collaborative and supervised approach. From all Portuguese regions, 327 psychologists participated in the training from October 2020 to April 2021. This article focuses on the trainers' experiences of training, collected through a focus group, reflecting on the challenges, opportunities, and necessary improvements for future training in school psychologists in Portugal on this topic. Trainers have identified organizational and pedagogical aspects as critical to the training delivery and quality that should be addressed in future training courses for school psychologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study predicts an indirect relationship between regulatory focus and pro-environmental behaviour. In doing so we advance the incipient and conflicting literature on the relationship between regulatory focus and pro-environmental behaviour, predicting both positive and negative channels for the dissemination of regulatory focus effects on environmentally-friendly behaviour. The results, based on data collected from 925 individuals, show that the effects of both regulatory orientations on pro-environmental behaviour are completely mediated by the predicted mechanisms. Both promotion and prevention show an indirect positive relationship with environmentally-friendly behaviour, but this depends on the specific type of environmental behaviour. Moreover, the results suggest that both promotion and prevention affect pro-environmental behaviour through positive and negative channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Critical Thinking (CT) has been a desirable aim expressed both by higher education institutions and labour market professionals, studies on what CT means and what it looks like in the workplace are scarce. The current study intends to tackle this gap by sharing findings about the importance of CT and its practical manifestation in professions from the points of view of 189 European employers. Data shows that CT is recognized mostly as: (1) the capacity to avoid mistakes and make right decisions; (2) the capacity to correct and regulate oneself; and (3) as a social responsibility. Our findings prove that CT is valued not only insofar as it contributes to professional success, but also for personal improvement and common good. Unfortunately, participants tend to share general and ambiguous ideas about the importance of CT rather than presenting concrete, practice-based professional life examples illustrating its understanding and application within their organizations.

This article presents a 2-year participatory intervention developed in a secondary school. Based on the European project Catch-EyoU, fostering a critical and active European citizenship, Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) was used with students to develop individual and collective reflection on the possibilities of political change over dating violence. The complexity of doing TO inside the school and the challenges of promoting a critical political understanding of the structural roots of social problems are discussed.

Purpose: This study aims to diagnose the perception, knowledge, awareness and position of the bioeconomy in university education and research. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on a questionnaire survey conducted at universities in Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain and Portugal (n = 464). The questionnaire consisted of open-ended, dichotomous and Likert-type questions. Variable frequency distribution methods and the non-parametric chi-square test were used to test the independence of the characteristics. The Cramer's V contingency coefficient was used to determine the degree of dependence between the variables. Findings: The researched academic community is dominated by a traditional approach to the bioeconomy, which relates to agriculture and ecological aspects. Respondents believe in the positive environmental impacts of the bioeconomy, while less often being aware of its importance from a socio-economic perspective. Insufficient teaching and research in the field of the bioeconomy can be widely observed. The presumed link between the existence of a bioeconomy strategy at national level and awareness of the bioeconomy was not confirmed. Research limitations/implications: The limited sample, the narrow geographical scope of the study does not allow for a comprehensive analysis of the topic. Another limitation is the lack of representativeness of the results in relation to all university representatives in the countries studied and the uneven composition of the samples. Originality/value: This study fills the knowledge gap about the status of the bioeconomy in European academic communities by analysing its perception among both teachers and students of social, natural and applied sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species phenology - the timing of key life events - is being altered by ongoing climate changes with yet underappreciated consequences for ecosystem stability. While flowering is generally occurring earlier, we know much less about other key processes such as the time of fruit ripening, largely due to the lack of comprehensive long-term datasets. Here we provide information on the exact date and site where seeds of 4,462 taxa were collected for the Index Seminum (seed exchange catalogue) of the Botanic Garden of the University of Coimbra, between 1926 and 2013. Seeds were collected from spontaneous and cultivated individuals across Portugal, including both native and introduced taxa. The database consists of 127,747 curated records with information on the species, or infraspecific taxa (including authority), and the day and site where seeds were collected. All records are georeferenced and provided with a confidence interval for the collection site. Taxonomy was first curated manually by in-house botanists and then harmonized according to the GBIF backbone taxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polypharmacy in older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy leads to increased risks of drug interactions, translating in potential hazardous health outcomes. This study aims to assess the prevalence of polypharmacy, drug–drug interactions (DDIs), and severe-drug interactions (SDIs) in older patients with cancer. Antineoplastic agents (ANAs) involvement and possible risk contexts (comorbidities with cardiac risk, and high-risk medications) were also analysed. Methods: Observational study with older adults (≥ 65 years) diagnosed with cancer, who were treated with antineoplastic agents (ANAs); it was conducted in three hospitals from the north of Portugal. Data collection was obtained using self-reports and medical records. DDIs were identified and classified using Micromedex® software. Descriptive and association analyze statistics were performed. Statistical hypothesis tests with p value less than 0.05 were considered significant. All statistical procedures and analysis were performed with R version 4.1.3. Results: We enrolled 552 patients. Polypharmacy prevalence was 88.40%; 76.45% and 56.16% of the patients presented with DDIs and SDIs, respectively. SDIs with ANAs were found in 21.20% of the patients. High-risk medications were associated with a higher risk of polypharmacy, DDIs, and SDIs. Polypharmacy and DDIs were higher in patients with hypertension or diabetes. SDIs were higher in patients with diabetes. Conclusion: Polypharmacy, potential DDIs and SDIs were highly prevalent in older adults with cancer. A careful review of the medication administered is necessary to decrease it. These findings warrant further research to optimize medication in this population and decrease problems related to medication, which may lead to emergency room visits and hospitalisations, compromising patient safety and/or ongoing treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing Resource Allocation in Fire Departments (RAFD) is crucial for enhancing Fire Protection Services (FPS) and ultimately saving lives. Efficient RAFD ensures that fire departments have the necessary resources to respond effectively to emergencies. This paper presents a method for optimizing RAFD based on performance assessment results, examining its impact on Fire Department (FD) efficiency in Portugal. Evaluating data from 353 FDs, two RAFD optimization methods were assessed: one adhering to Portuguese regulations and constraints, such as budget allocation limitations, and another without such constraints. Integrating a slack-based data envelopment analysis model and mixed-integer linear programming, the study found that incorporating FD efficiency scores in RAFD improved overall efficiency at national, district, and FD levels. While adherence to Portuguese regulations led to balanced resource allocation and a 4% performance improvement at the national level, relaxing constraints yielded an 8% improvement, albeit with potential performance deterioration in some FDs. The detailed budget and efficiency metric analysis provided in this paper offers actionable insights for fire protection services enhancement. This underscores the importance of diverse optimization strategies to enhance FD efficiency, with implications for decision-makers at the Portuguese National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection and similar organizations globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Configurações is the property of Centro de Investigacao em Ciencias Sociais and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Technology has profoundly changed the way we learn and live. Indeed, such relationship appears to be quite complex, within IT contexts, and especially in socially and technologically rich learning environments, where related skills and learning are progressively required and fostered. Thus, if a satisfactory level of intellectual performance and social competence of a primary school pupil is indeed highly dependent on the type of participation that parents offer their children, IT, in general, and Internet, in particular, may well provide a new paradigm, setting forth that education and communication approach is truly more complex than ever before. It is on the basis of such paradigm that we therefore present a case study where a set of multimedia exercises were used in order to possibly improve the mathematical skills of pupils, one with mental retardation and another with cerebral palsy. Being part of a Web-based system to support students' learning, the referred set of multimedia exercises proved to be the children's favorite, rather than exercises in paper form, which also led the children to show a fair more positive attitude towards learning. Also, we observed that through the mentioned multimedia exercises, the children became far more autonomous, interested, persistent, happy, and able to easily absorb the material as well as more willingly to continue on working. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

P-glycoprotein (P-GP) is a transporter molecule expressed on the apical surface of capillary endothelial cells of the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB), whose activity heavily influences drug distribution, including antidepressants. This transporter is encoded by ABCB1 gene, and genetic variations within ABCB1 gene have been proposed to affect drug efflux and have been previously associated with depression. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the role of C1236T, G2677TA and C3435T ABCB1 genetic polymorphisms in antidepressant treatment phenotypes from a cohort of patients harboring Major Depressive Disorder. Patients enrolled in the study consisted of 80 individuals with Major Depressive Disorder, who took part in a 27-month follow-up study at HML, Portugal. To investigate the correlation between ABCB1 polymorphisms and antidepressant response phenotypes, DNA was extracted from peripheral blood, and C1236T, C3435T and G2677TA polymorphisms were genotyped with TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assays. Despite the fact that the evaluated polymorphisms (C1236T, C3435T and G2677TA) were not associated with treatment resistant depression, or relapse, we observed that patients carrying TT genotype of the C3435T polymorphism remit earlier than the ones carrying CC or CT genotypes (10.2 weeks vs. 14.9 and 21.3, respectively, p = 0.028, Log-rank test). Since we found an association with C3435T and time to remission, and not to the absence of remission, we suggest that this polymorphism could have an impact on antidepressant drug distribution, and thus influence on the time to remission will occur, without influencing the risk of remission itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE To determine the effects of stratified primary care for low back pain (SPLIT program) in decreasing back-related disability for patients with low back pain (LBP) in primary care. METHODS We conducted a before-and-after study. We compared health-related outcomes for 2 sequential, independent cohorts of patients with LBP recruited at 7 primary care units in Portugal. The first prospective cohort study characterized usual care (UC) and collected data from February to September 2018. The second was performed when the SPLIT program was implemented and collected data from November 2018 to October 2021. Between cohorts, physical therapists were trained in the implementation of the SPLIT program, which used the STarT Back Screening Tool to categorize patients for matched treatment. We compared back-related disability (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, 0-24 points), pain (Numeric Pain Rating Scale, 0-10 points), perceived effect of treatment (Global Perceived Effect Scale, -5 to +5 points), and health-related quality of life (EuroQoL 5 dimensions 3 levels index, 0-1 RESULTS We enrolled a total of 447 patients: 115 in the UC cohort (mostly treated with pharmacologic treatment) and 332 in the SPLIT cohort (all referred for a physical therapy intervention program). Over the study period of 6 months, patients in the SPLIT program showed significantly greater improvements in back-related disability (ß, -2.94; 95% CI, -3.63 to -2.24; P ≤ .001), pain (ß, -0.88; 95% CI, -1.18 to -0.57; P ≤ .001), perceived effect of treatment (ß, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.82; P ≤ .001), and health-related quality of life (ß, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.14; P = .001) compared with CONCLUSIONS Patients in the SPLIT program for LBP showed greater benefits regarding health-related outcomes than those receiving UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Over thirty percent of bird species are undergoing population declines and are threatened with extinction in Portugal. Several reasons have been proposed to explain this decrease, such as the impact of human activities on natural environments and pathogens affecting the health of wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres play an essential role in the conservation of endangered species. Despite wildlife rehabilitation centres providing valuable information on disease prevalence and transmission, the information on haemosporidian infection is still very scarce for birds admitted in these centres. In this study, we discovered new malaria parasites in birds admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres in Portugal. We also revealed infection in bird species that were previously unknown to be infected with malaria parasites. Birds admitted to rehabilitation due to debilitating disease were more frequently infected with malaria. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the malaria infection extends the required period for medical treatment in these birds, which imposes additional economic costs for the rehabilitation and reduces the survival probabilities of the bird. These findings stress the importance of the study of malaria parasites in wildlife rehabilitation centres, also helping to design protocols and interventions to preserve endangered species. In the last decade, over 40% of bird species in Europe have experienced poor and bad conservation status, with more than 30% of bird species in mainland Portugal threatened with extinction. Along with anthropogenic factors, parasites and pathogens such as avian haemosporidians have been suggested to be responsible for these avian population declines. Wildlife rehabilitation centres play an essential role in species conservation and preservation. Moreover, animals admitted for rehabilitation can provide valuable information regarding transmission and pathogenicity of many diseases that affect wild birds that are rarely sampled in nature. However, reports of haemosporidians in captive birds are still limited. Here, we explored the prevalence and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidians in 89 birds from 29 species admitted to rehabilitation centres in Portugal, showing an overall infection prevalence of 30.3%. The prevalence of infection was higher in Strigiformes and in birds admitted to rehabilitation centres due to debilitating diseases. Remarkably, 30% of the infected bird species have not been found to harbour malaria parasites in preceding studies. We detected 15 different haemosporidian lineages infecting a third of bird species sampled. Notably, 2 out of these 15 detected haemosporidian lineages have not been obtained previously in other studies. Furthermore, we also identified nine new host–parasite interactions representing new host records for these haemosporidian parasites. Finally, our results revealed that birds infected with haemosporidians require longer rehabilitation treatments, which increase the economic costs for rehabilitation and may impair their survival prospects. These findings emphasise the importance of integrating haemosporidian infection considerations into rehabilitation protocols, highlighting the challenges posed by these infections in avian conservation and rehabilitation, including economic and logistical demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced under grazing, exposing animals to parasitic infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm parasitic infection and identify risk factors to define appropriate control measures. Fecal samples of 203 goats and 208 sheep from 30 herds, located in three districts in the Centre region of Portugal, were collected and analyzed. The overall prevalence of lungworm infection was 57.7%, significantly higher in goats (95.6%) than in sheep (20.7%). The risk of lungworm infection was 29.7, 7.4, or 8.7 times higher for sheep dewormed with albendazole, mebendazole plus closantel, or ivermectin plus clorsulon, respectively, than for those dewormed with eprinomectin. Additionally, the presence of gastrointestinal parasites was investigated in 307 fecal samples and an overall prevalence of infection of 86.3% was observed, also significantly higher in goats (93.2%) than in sheep (79.9%). Considering the high prevalence and the burden of lungworm parasitic infection, it is urgent to determine its economic impact and the repercussions in animal health in the Centre region of Portugal to establish appropriate therapeutic guidelines. The production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced in a semi-extensive husbandry system, exposing animals to parasitic infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm infection and identify risk factors. Fecal samples of 203 goats and 208 sheep from 30 herds were collected per rectum and subjected to the modified Baermann test. The overall prevalence of infection was 57.7%, significantly higher in goats (95.6%) than in sheep (20.7%) (p < 0.001). According to the binary logistic regression model, sheep dewormed with albendazole, mebendazole plus closantel, or ivermectin plus clorsulon presented a risk of Protostrongylidae infection 29.702, 7.426, or 8.720 times higher, respectively, than those dewormed with eprinomectin. Additionally, the presence of gastrointestinal parasites was investigated in 307 fecal samples using Mini-FLOTAC®. The overall prevalence of infection was 86.3%, also significantly higher in goats (93.2%) than in sheep (79.9%) (p < 0.001). Strongyle-type eggs were the most frequently identified, both in sheep (69.8%) and goats (87.8%), followed by Eimeria oocysts (40.3% in sheep and 68.9% in goats). Considering the high prevalence and the burden of lungworm parasitic infection, it is urgent to determine its economic impact and the repercussions in animal health in the Centre region of Portugal to establish appropriate therapeutic guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium (K), thorium (Th), and uranium (U) are good markers of magmatic or alteration processes and the surface concentrations of these radioelements can be mapped at the regional or local scale through radiometric (gamma) surveys. In this study, a radiometric survey was performed in a post-orogenic pluton located in North Portugal, namely the Lamas de Olo Pluton, composed by three granitic facies. This pluton has already been intensively studied, including magnetic susceptibility, gravimetric, geochemical, and petrographic studies. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the radiometric data and combine them with other characteristics, such as magnetic susceptibility, and gravimetry, as well as to elucidate structures such as faults and fractures, outline geological boundaries, and identify alteration zones within various granites of the pluton. The radiometric approach reveals the spatial distribution of radioelements, offering a more distinct portrayal of the geology in the studied area. The radioactive heat production rate was calculated for the studied pluton, showing that the mean value is 4.09 µW m−3, surpassing the known mean values for granites. Our study highlights that radiometric measurements unveil compositional variations within granitic pluton and aid in identifying feeder zones. Furthermore, these measurements can be correlated with each type of granites, demonstrating associations with surface concentrations of K-Th-U. Our findings indicate a spatial alignment between the NE feeder root and a U-rich granite (Barragem granite), as evidenced by its elevated concentration of this radioelement. Conversely, the other root displays a notable relative concentration of Th, consistent with the Th-rich characteristics observed of the two other granites (Lamas de Olo and Alto dos Cabeços granites). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Asthma presents a significant health challenge, imposing a considerable burden on healthcare services. Discrepancies in asthma‐related hospitalisations may reflect underlying health disparities. We aimed to analyse inequities in asthma hospital admissions in mainland Portugal and Spain, from a regional perspective and considering sex and age. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using data from the Spanish and Portuguese national hospitalisations databases. We calculated crude national and regional yearly hospitalisation rates according per Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics region. Additionally, we calculated hospitalisation rates adjusted for asthma prevalence and the female‐to‐male ratio in asthma hospital admissions per age group, considering the female‐to‐male ratio in the overall population. Results: Between 2012 and 2016, there were 92,084 asthma hospital admissions in mainland Spain and 7717 in mainland Portugal. There was a trend for a higher‐than‐average rate of asthma‐related hospitalisations in the Northern regions of both countries. Women had a hospitalisation rate that was 3.2 times higher than men. Age was associated with higher risk for asthma hospitalisation, with individuals aged 65 and older displaying a hospitalisation rate 4.5 times higher than those under 65. Additionally, while hospitalisations in women aged <65 years were 2.3 times more likely than in men of the same age, hospitalisations in women aged ≥65 years were 3.5 times higher than in men aged ≥65 years. Conclusion: This study suggests that marked regional inequities in asthma hospital admissions exist in Spain and Portugal. Additionally, women are particularly at risk of hospitalisation due to asthma, and such risk increases with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global scale-up of antiretroviral treatment (ART) offers significant health benefits by suppressing HIV-1 replication and increasing CD4 cell counts. However, incomplete viral suppression poses a potential threat for the emergence of drug resistance mutations (DRMs), limiting ART options, and increasing HIV transmission. Objective: We investigated the patterns of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) and acquired drug resistance (ADR) among HIV-1 patients in Portugal. Methods: Data were obtained from 1050 HIV-1 patient samples submitted for HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) testing from January 2022 to June 2023. Evaluation of DRM affecting viral susceptibility to nucleoside/tide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), and integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) was performed using an NGS technology, the Vela Diagnostics Sentosa SQ HIV-1 Genotyping Assay. Results: About 71% of patients were ART naïve and 29% were experienced. Overall, 20% presented with any DRM. The prevalence of TDR and ADR was 12.6% and 41.1%, respectively. M184V, T215S, and M41L mutations for NRTI, K103N for NNRTI, and M46I/L for PIs were frequent in naïve and treated patients. E138K and R263K mutations against INSTIs were more frequent in naïve than treated patients. TDR and ADR to INSTIs were 0.3% and 7%, respectively. Patients aged 50 or over (OR: 1.81, p = 0.015), originating from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOPs) (OR: 1.55, p = 0.050), HIV-1 subtype G (OR: 1.78, p = 0.010), and with CD4 < 200 cells/mm3 (OR: 1.70, p = 0.043) were more likely to present with DRMs, while the males (OR: 0.63, p = 0.003) with a viral load between 4.1 to 5.0 Log10 (OR: 0.55, p = 0.003) or greater than 5.0 Log10 (OR: 0.52, p < 0.001), had lower chances of presenting with DRMs. Conclusions: We present the first evidence on TDR and ADR to INSTI regimens in followed up patients presenting for healthcare in Portugal. We observed low levels of TDR to INSTIs among ART-naïve and moderate levels in ART-exposed patients. Regimens containing PIs could be an alternative second line in patients with intermediate or high-level drug resistance, especially against second-generation INSTIs (dolutegravir, bictegravir, and cabotegravir). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The restrictions imposed during lockdown by COVID-19 pandemic entailed increased risks for the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV). Widespread fear and uncertainty related to the virus and the policies adopted to contain it have been linked to a set of social, emotional, and economic stressors that can increase the risk of IPV. The present study aims to assess the association between COVID-19-related anxiety, psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress), and IPV perpetration in the community, as well as to assess the mediating role of psychological distress and depression, anxiety, and stress in the relationship between COVID-19-related anxiety and the perpetration of IPV. Methods: A sample of 336 participants (282 females, Mage = 34.91, SD = 11.72) was recruited from the Portuguese population through an online self-report questionnaire, completed after the second lockdown (from April and July 2021). Results: High rates of IPV perpetration during the confinement, in particular psychological and physical IPV, were found. COVID-19-related anxiety and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) were related to higher levels of IPV perpetration. Psychological distress and stress mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related anxiety and total IPV perpetration and psychological distress and depression mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related anxiety and psychological IPV perpetration. Conclusions: This study highlights the mediating role of psychological distress on IPV perpetration. Practical implications for intervention policies in IPV perpetration will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]