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Suicidal behaviour is a major socio-health problem worldwide. However, there are few empirically validated programs for universal prevention of suicidal behaviour in school settings. The aim of the present study was to design and validate the "PositivaMente" program for the prevention of suicidal behaviour in school-age adolescents aged 14-15 from the North of Spain. A quasi-experimental design was used with pre- and post-treatment evaluation with experimental and control groups and a six-month follow-up. The final sample consisted of 264 participants (M = 14.30 years, SD = 0.56; 54.5% girls), with 161 participants in the experimental group and 103 in the control group. Measuring instruments were administered to assess suicidal behaviour, emotional and behavioural difficulties, depressive symptomatology, prosocial behaviour, subjective well-being, and self-esteem. The "PositivaMente" program was designed and implemented in educational settings. A statistically significant improvement in subjective well-being was found, as well as a statistically significant reduction in emotional problems and problems with peers among female participants in the experimental group versus those in the control group at the 6-month follow-up. However, male participants did not seem to benefit from the program. The overall evaluation from the sample and satisfaction with "PositivaMente" were positive. Empirically supported actions for the prevention of suicidal behaviour need to be designed in order to make informed decisions. Future studies should implement the "PositivaMente" program with other populations and contexts, develop a brief version, and collect information on cost-effectiveness.

Background: The main objective of this study was to provide Spanish normative data for the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7 (GAD-7) in a community-derived sample of adolescents. Method: A total of 2,235 adolescents (M = 14.68 years, SD = 1.76 years), selected through stratified cluster sampling, participated in the study. Results: Self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety were common. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing the means scores of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 across sex and age. Percentile scores were computed for both total scores and were stratified by sex and age. Conclusions: Both the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 are brief, simple, and useful measurement instruments with adequate psychometric properties for the assessment of self-reported depressive and anxious symptomatology among Spanish adolescents. A reliable and valid assessment of mental health is essential, as it allows for early detection and identification, which in turn can help in guiding psychological preventive interventions in a critical human developmental stage such as adolescence.

Background: The present study aims to analyze the prevalence of the problematic Internet use (PIU) among Spanish adolescents using the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) and provide normative data. Method: The final sample consisted of a total of 1,977 (M age = 15.70, SD = 1.26, 53.7% female). Results: PIU were relatively common with many items seeing endorsement for between 6.5% and 33.1%. There were statistically significant differences both by gender. Females scored significantly more highly on four CIUS dimensions as well as total scores. With regards to age, we found statistically significant differences in preoccupation. No differences were found for the total score by age. Conclusions: Early detection strategies should be implemented in order to prevent PIU during adolescence, a critical developmental stage.

Mental health problems and psychological adjustment difficulties among young people are emerging as a personal, family, educational, social, and health challenge. It is necessary to address this emerging social defiance by studying and implementing strategies to promote emotional well-being and prevent psychological problems in educational contexts. The aim of this work is to highlight, based on the epidemiological data derived from the PSICE (Evidence-based Psychology in Educational Contexts) project, the importance of addressing mental health in school settings. First, an introduction to the study of human behavior and psychological adjustment problems is given. Secondly, the importance of educational centers as the natural place to promote the psychological well-being and child and adolescent mental health is discussed. Thirdly, the prevalence results derived from the PSICE study are mentioned. To conclude, a summary section highlights the imperative need to promote, protect, and care for mental health during childhood and adolescence in educational settings. The promotion of psychological well-being and the prevention of mental health problems in educational contexts are the best investments on the part of societies, governments, and institutions.

Background: The aim of the PSICE (Evidence-based Psychology in Educational Contexts) Project is to examine the effectiveness of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Adolescents (UP-A) with symptoms of anxiety and depression in school settings. The goal is to prevent emotional problems and to improve adolescents’ socioemotional adjustment, learning processes, and academic performance. Method: A randomized controlled trial with two groups will be performed: active control (progressive relaxation training) and experimental (UP-A). After screening, participants with subclinical emotional symptomatology will be selected for pre- and post-test evaluation and follow-up at 6, 12, and 18 months. Results: The impact of different indicators at behavioral, cognitive, affective, social and academic functioning levels will be analyzed, as well as their effects in the short, medium and long term. Conclusions: Examining the effectiveness of the UP-A in the Spanish educational context will, among other things, provide data for informed decision-making in the field of educational psychology. In addition, it will ensure that such interventions, using standardized protocols, are accessible to a large population at such an important stage of human development as adolescence. The PSICE project will provide leadership and guidance on the importance of psychology in schools.

ObjectiveSchizotypal traits and disturbances in mentalizing (the capacity to understand the mental states driving one’s own and others’ behaviors) have been implicated in increased vulnerability for psychosis. Therefore, we explored the associations linking schizotypal traits, mentalizing difficulties and their interactions to clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P), as captured by the Basic Symptoms (BS) approach, during adolescence and young adulthood.MethodsEighty-seven adolescents and young adults from the general population (46% male, 44% female; age: 14–23 years) were assessed with the Schizophrenia Proneness Interview (SPI-CY/A) for 11 perceptive and cognitive BS, with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) for schizotypal traits, and with the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) for self-reported mentalizing abilities. The RFQ evaluates the level of certainty (RFQc scale) and uncertainty (RFQu scale) with which individuals use mental state information to explain their own and others’ behaviors.ResultsLogistic regression models showed significant positive effects of the SPQ disorganization scale on perceptive BS and of the SPQ interpersonal scale on cognitive BS. Post-hoc analyses revealed that schizotypal features pertaining to odd speech and social anxiety, respectively, were associated with perceptive and cognitive BS. Furthermore, higher scores on the RFQu scale and lower scores on the RFQc scale independently explained the presence of cognitive BS. Finally, significant interaction effects between RFQc and SPQ odd speech on perceptive BS, and between RFQc and SPQ social anxiety on cognitive BS were found.ConclusionOur findings suggest that schizotypal traits and mentalizing significantly relate both independently and through their interactions to the presence of cognitive and perceptive BS included in CHR-P criteria. Furthermore, mentalizing dysfunction may contribute in the relation between schizotypal traits and early state signs of CHR-P. Mentalizing may support both detection and early treatment of CHR-P among adolescents and young adults who present with trait risk for psychosis.

Abstract Objectives Problematic Internet Use (PIU) has become a worldwide problem in recent years. Among screening instruments for PIU, the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) is perhaps the most widely used. Psychometric properties of the full CIUS are not convincing, however, and the short form (CIUS‐S) has shown promising results, albeit limited to the English version, with little evidence in Spanish. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to study the psychometric properties of the CIUS‐S scores in a large sample of Spanish adolescents. Method The sample consisted of 1790 participants, 816 male (45.6%), 961 female (53.7%), and 13 other (0.7%) . Mean age was 15.70 years (SD = 1.26). Results The five‐items one‐dimensional model displayed appropriate goodness‐of‐fit indices. Strong measurement invariance model across age and partial across gender was found. Furthermore, the CIUS‐S was positively associated with several indicators of poor well‐being and mental health, and negatively associated with prosocial behavior, self‐esteem, and feeling of belonging. Conclusion Overall, the CIUS‐S scores appear reliable and valid in its Spanish version for adolescent populations, supporting its aim to detect and prevent a problem that has become a major worldwide issue in the last years.

Suicide is a serious public health problem. The main goal of this paper is to carry out a narrative review of suicidal behavior in adolescents. Basically, the aim is twofold: to provide updated information and to introduce mental health professionals and society to this topic for their training and knowledge. To this end, first, a conceptual delimitation of suicidal behavior is produced. Second, epidemiological issues are addressed. Third, psychological models of suicidal behavior are presented, along with the possible explanations underlying this phenomenon. Fourth, the risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior are mentioned. Next, assessment tools for this sector of the population are introduced. Subsequently, prevention strategies are discussed, focusing on the importance of educational environments. Empirically supported psychological treatments for dealing with suicidal behavior are also proposed. Finally, future lines of research are discussed, and a brief summary is made.

Las abundantes investigaciones sobre los sistemas educativos han permitido identificar los factores fundamentales que determinan el éxito educativo del alumnado. Sin embargo, estas investigaciones no han sido muy eficientes a la hora de transferir los resultados a los contextos aplicados en los que se mueven los profesionales y directivos que toman las decisiones sobre los sistemas educativos. La razón principal de este fracaso proviene de la poca familiarización de los profesionales de la educación con la sofisticada metodología estadística y psicométrica utilizada por la mayoría de los investigadores. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar los sistemas educativos mediante la metodología de análisis de redes, la cual es muy asequible, clara e intuitiva para profesionales y directivos educativos sin una gran sofisticación metodológica. Se utilizó una muestra de 7,882 estudiantes de segundo curso de la Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria. Se evaluó su competencia matemática y se obtuvieron datos relativos al contexto educativo. Se utilizó para los análisis el análisis de redes, calculando indicadores de centralidad, así como de precisión y estabilidad de la red. Los resultados indican que el autoconcepto y las expectativas académicas tienen un importante efecto sobre los resultados en matemáticas. Los hallazgos convergen con los obtenidos previamente con otros enfoques. El acercamiento de análisis de redes ofrece una combinación idónea entre rigor analítico y sencillez interpretativa, lo que le confiere gran potencial para ser empleado en contextos educativos aplicados para la toma de decisiones basadas en datos.

Ambulatory assessment brings together a set of methods that make it possible to evaluate, through mobile devices, and at multiple moments in time, the behavior of people in their natural environment and daily context. It allows a more precise, dynamic, contextual, and idiographic evaluation than the classical approaches, opening new horizons with clear implications for psychological intervention. The main goal of this paper is to provide an introduction to ambulatory assessment. First, a conceptual delimitation is made and the issues to be solved are discussed, as well as their possible benefits. Second, aspects related to the methodology are exposed, addressing the designs, data types, and a general evaluation protocol. Third, some of the main limitations are discussed, and the most relevant applications are presented. Finally, some recommendations for the application of this type of methodology are discussed, and some challenges and future perspectives are analyzed.

Traditional bullying and cyberbullying are linked to adverse mental health outcomes. Student connectedness has been recently identified as a potential protective factor in these relationships. Nonetheless, the multilevel nature of these interactions has been frequently overlooked. The present study pretends to fill this gap by exploring the associations between individual levels of bullying and cyberbullying and three adjustment outcomes (i.e., suicidal behavior, symptoms of depression, and self-esteem), as well as the moderating role of the school level of student connectedness on these relationships. The participants in this work were 1,774 students aged 14-18 years (M = 15.70, SD = 1.26), of which 53.7% were female, from 31 secondary schools in Spain. We used previously validated self-reported questionnaires in this study. Traditional victimization and cybervictimization, as well as cyberbullying, were positively related to suicidal behavior and depression, and were negatively related to self-esteem. Conversely, individual levels of student connectedness were associated with lower levels of suicidal behavior and depression, and with higher levels of self-esteem. Moreover, school levels of student connectedness buffered the adjustment problems experienced by victims of cyberbullying. These findings highlight the importance of student connectedness as a possible target for school-based cyberbullying prevention.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for women during the perinatal period, which commences in pregnancy and finishes one year after delivery. Empirical evidence from previous studies shows that pregnant women have greater suicidal ideation than their comparison group in the general population. However, there is a tendency for these problems to be neither prevented nor adequately recognized. Nevertheless, if the dissonances and dilemmas associated with motherhood, as well as mental health problems, are not prevented or adequately addressed, they can affect the well-being of women, their children, and other family members. Risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior in this group of women are discussed, as well as general principles of action. The need for the implementation of prevention strategies is highlighted.

Objetivo. Estimar la prevalencia de conducta suicida y su asociación con factores psicológicos en adolescentes mexicanos. Material y métodos. Estudio transversal proveniente de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (Ensanut 2018-19). Se estimaron modelos de regresión logística, con lo que se obtuvieron razones de momios (RM) con intervalos de confianza al 95% (IC95%). Resultados. La prevalencia nacional de ideación e intento de suicidio fue de 5.1 y 3.9%, respectivamente; fue más alta en Guanajuato (ideación: 9.0%, intento: 7.8%). Factores asociados. Ideación suicida: tabaco (RM= 2.19; IC95%: 1.56-3.09), alcohol (RM= 1.98; IC95%: 1.53-2.60), sintomatología depresiva (RM= 5.67; IC95%: 4.56-7.07), abuso sexual (RM= 6.67; IC95%: 4.60-9.66). Intento de suicidio: tabaco (RM= 2.09; IC95%: 1.42-3.07), alcohol (RM= 2.15; IC95%: 1.65- 2.80), sintomatología depresiva (RM= 6.05; IC95%: 4.75-7.73), abuso sexual (RM= 6.86; IC95%: 4.65-10.13). Conclusiones. Debido al incremento de la conducta suicida en adolescentes mexicanos, es necesario implementar políticas públicas preventivas que articulen programas de salud mental, adicciones y violencia.

Suicidal behavior is a major socio-health concern at both global and national levels. Nevertheless, in the context of Spanish psychology few measuring instruments exist that have been validated with norm scores from representative samples of the adolescent population. Therefore, the main goal of this work is to present the Paykel Suicide Scale as a tool for assessing suicidal behavior in Spanish youth. First, a brief conceptual delimitation of suicidal behavior is made, and epidemiological data, psychological models, and risk and protection factors are mentioned. Second, the suicide assessment is presented as a nuclear axis for detection, identification, prevention, and intervention as well as in order to advance in our understanding of this phenomenon. Thirdly, the Paykel Suicide Scale is introduced, along with its psychometric properties, and specifically, its scale norms in the Spanish adolescent population. Finally, we conclude with a recapitulation. The Paykel Scale seems to be a brief, simple, useful instrument, with adequate psychometric properties to measure or screen suicidal behavior in adolescents. It can be used to assess mental health status in general examinations, as well as in educational, health, and social contexts. It is crucial for the professional psychologist to have adequate tools for assessing suicidal behavior in order to make informed decisions and to manage educational and socio-health resources effectively

Abstract Background Network analysis has been used to explore the interplay between psychopathology and functioning in psychosis, but no study has used dedicated statistical techniques to focus on the bridge symptoms connecting these domains. The current study aims to estimate the network of depressive, negative, and positive symptoms, general psychopathology, and real-world functioning in people with first-episode schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder, focusing on bridge nodes. Methods Baseline data from the OPTiMiSE trial were analyzed. The sample included 446 participants (age 40.0 ± 10.9 years, 70% males). The network was estimated with a Gaussian graphical model, using scores on individual items of the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), the Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia, and the personal and social performance scale. Stability, strength centrality, expected influence (EI), predictability, and bridge centrality statistics were computed. The top 20% scoring nodes on bridge strength were selected as bridge nodes. Results Nodes from different rating scales assessing similar psychopathological and functioning constructs tended to cluster together in the estimated network. The most central nodes (EI) were Delusions, Emotional Withdrawal, Depression, and Depressed Mood. Bridge nodes included Depression, Conceptual Disorganization, Active Social Avoidance, Delusions, Stereotyped Thinking, Poor Impulse Control, Guilty Feelings, Unusual Thought Content, and Hostility. Most of the bridge nodes belonged to the general psychopathology subscale of the PANSS. Depression (G6) was the bridge node with the highest value. Conclusions The current study provides novel insights for understanding the complex phenotype of psychotic disorders and the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of comorbidity and functional impairment after psychosis onset.

Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal satisfaction are the three characteristics of burnout, a syndrome conceptualized as an emotional response to chronic job stress. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome at the University of La Rioja. For this purpose, a proportionate stratified sampling by the departments of this university was created. A total of 138 teachers completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The results indicated that 9.4% of teachers had moderate or high levels of burnout, a result that supports the low prevalence of this symdrome found in previous studies. Additionally, cluster analysis revealed the existence of two profiles based on the risk for burnout (high or low). Significant differences were found between the risk profiles for marital status, number of children and professional coherence (defined as the match between the performed and the accredited professional status). These findings invite us to reflect on the influence that current social, political and legislative changes can have on the risk for developing burnout.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar el impacto de una intervención en educación emocional en un grupo de jóvenes con discapacidad intelectual. Los participantes fueron 16 jóvenes (7 mujeres) con discapacidad intelectual ligera o moderada de edades comprendidas entre los 18 y 28 años (M =24; DT = 3,04) integrantes del programa de formación para el empleo UNINCLUV de laUniversitat de València. Se administraron el cuestionario de Inteligencia Emocional de Bar-On: versión para jóvenes (EQ-i:YV; Bar-On y Parker, 2000) y la Escala de Comportamiento Asertivo (CABS; Woods et al., 1978). El diseño del estudio fue longitudinal con pretest, intervención y postest, sin grupo control. No se observaron diferencias en las puntuaciones obtenidas por los participantes antes y después del tratamiento en las distintas dimensiones de inteligencia emocional evaluadas (intrapersonal, interpersonal, estrés, adaptabilidad, estado de ánimo). Sin embargo, sí se observó un mayor uso de estrategias asertivas y un menor uso de estrategias pasivas entre los participantes tras la intervención. Asimismo, los participantes manifestaron un elevado grado de satisfacción con el programa. Los resultados obtenidos indican la necesidad de continuar con la implementación de programas universitarios que potencien tanto la inclusión como las competencias socioemocionales de las personas con discapacidad intelectual, con el fin de mejorar la calidad de vida de este colectivo.

The risk of the appearance of psychosis may reflect the existence of an underlying vulnerability, which may be influenced by environmental factors such as early traumatic experiences. This means that in clinical practice, the assessment of and approach to previous traumatic events is important in persons with psychotic disorders. The psychometric assessment of trauma has advanced considerably in recent years; however, there is no instrument that has been constructed and validated specifically for the evaluation of early traumatic experiences in the clinical population with psychosis. The main goal of this study was to present the construction and validation process of the Screening of Early Traumatic Experiences in Patients with Severe Mental Illness (ExpTra-S). The sample consisted of 114 patients who had experienced at least one psychotic episode (M = 35.5 years of age; SD = 9.26) and a comparison group of 153 young adults (M = 20.8 years of age; SD = 1.8). The factor analysis revealed an essentially one-dimensional structure. The ExpTra-S was associated with the positive dimension of the psychosis phenotype but not with the negative or affective dimensions, or subjective experiences. No items displayed differential functioning for sex and age. The ordinal alpha for the total score was 0.96. The patients with psychosis had a higher score for early traumatic experiences in comparison with the non-clinical group. The results obtained showed that the measuring instrument developed, the ExpTra-S, is a brief, simple, and useful measuring instrument for assessing the presence of early traumatic experiences in patients with severe mental illness.

ObjectivesThe main goal of the present study was to analyze the network structure of schizotypy dimensions in a representative sample of adolescents from the general population. Moreover, the network structure between schizotypy, mental health difficulties, subjective well-being, bipolar-like experiences, suicide ideation and behavior, psychotic-like experiences, positive and negative affect, prosocial behavior, and IQ was analyzed.MethodThe study was conducted in a sample of 1,506 students selected by stratified random cluster sampling. The Oviedo Schizotypy Assessment Questionnaire, the Personal Wellbeing Index–School Children, the Paykel Suicide Scale, the Mood Disorder Questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Prodromal Questionnaire–Brief, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children Shortened Version, and the Matrix Reasoning Test were used.ResultsThe estimated schizotypy network was interconnected. The most central nodes in terms of standardized Expected Influence (EI) were ‘unusual perceptual experiences’ and ‘paranoid ideation’. Predictability ranged from 8.7% (‘physical anhedonia’) to 52.7% (‘unusual perceptual experiences’). The average predictability was 36.27%, implying that substantial variability remained unexplained. For the multidimensional psychosis liability network predictability values ranged from 9% (estimated IQ) to 74.90% (‘psychotic-like experiences’). The average predictability was 43.46%. The results of the stability and accuracy analysis indicated that all networks were accurately estimated.ConclusionsThe present paper points to the value of conceptualizing psychosis liability as a dynamic complex system of interacting cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and affective characteristics. In addition, provide new insights into the nature of the relationships between schizotypy, as index of psychosis liability, and the role played by risk and protective factors.

The main goal of the present study was to explore the latent structure of extended psychosis phenotypes in a representative sample of adolescents. Moreover, associations with socio-emotional adjustment, academic achievement, and neurocognition performance across the latent profiles were compared. Participants were 1506 students, 667 males (44.3%), derived from random cluster sampling. Various tools were used to measure psychosis risk, subjective well-being, academic performance, and neurocognition. Based on three psychometric indicators of psychosis risk (schizotypal traits, psychotic-like experiences, and bipolar-like experiences), four latent classes were found: non-risk, low-risk, high reality distortion experiences, and high psychosis liability. The high-risk latent groups scored significantly higher on mental health difficulties, and negative affect, and lower on positive affect and well-being, compared to the two non-risk groups. Moreover, these high-risk groups had a significantly higher number of failed academic subjects compared to the non-risk groups. In addition, no statistically significant differences in efficiency performance were found in the neurocognitive domains across the four latent profiles. This study allows us to improve the early identification of adolescents at risk of serious mental disorder in school settings in order to prevent the incidence and burden associated with these kinds of mental health problems.

Los trastornos mentales son un problema de salud global, no obstante, en La Rioja, se han llevado a cabo pocos estudios empíricos que traten de analizar los problemas emocionales y comportamentales en población infanto-juvenil. El objetivo principal fue conocer el estado de salud mental en los niños y adolescentes riojanos de 4 a 14 años, así como su relación con distintos indicadores de salud física y hábitos de vida saludables. La muestra la conformaron un total de 101 participantes (M= 9,44; DT=3,12; 57 hombres; 44 mujeres), extraídos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud de España 2011/12. Se utilizaron el Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire versión heteroinforme y el KIDSCREEN-10, para evaluar la salud mental y la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, respectivamente. También se emplearon preguntas sobre hábitos de vida saludable (comida, actividad física, sueño) y trastornos mentales previos diagnosticados. Los resultados indicaron que el 5% de la muestra riojana presentó riesgo de mala salud mental y el 8,9% obtuvo puntuaciones límites. La subescala problemas emocionales del SDQ se asoció de forma negativa con las puntuaciones del KIDSCREEN-10. Los participantes considerados “de riesgo” no refirieron una peor calidad de vida ni una mayor prevalencia de trastornos mentales en comparación con el grupo de “no riesgo”. No se encontró relación entre riesgo de mala salud mental y los hábitos de alimentación (a excepción del consumo de comida rápida), la actividad física o el descanso. Estos hallazgos permiten tener una visión actual sobre el estado de salud mental de los jóvenes riojanos de cara a destinar recursos e implementar programas de promoción del bienestar emocional.

The objective of this work is to carry out an update in the field of the prevention of psychotic spectrum disorders, specifically in early detection and intervention. First, the conceptualization of the psychosis syndrome and its prevention are addressed. Second, the different procedures and measurement instruments for the evaluation of the risk condition are discussed. Then, the early interventions available for psychosis are reviewed; the staging model is presented; the effectiveness of such interventions is examined and some limitations and proposals for modification are discussed. Finally, a number of strengths and weaknesses in this field are highlighted as well as its future perspectives. Finally, by way of conclusion, a brief recapitulation is made.

The main goal of this work is to introduce a new approach called network analysis for its application in the field of psychology. In this paper we present the network model in a brief, entertaining and simple way and, as far as possible, away from technicalities and the statistical point of view. The aim of this outline is, on the one hand, to take the first steps in network analysis, and on the other, to show the theoretical and clinical implications underlying this model. Firstly, the roots of this approach are discussed as well as its way of understanding psychological phenomena, specifically psychopathological problems. The concepts of network, node and edge, the types of networks and the procedures for their estimation are all addressed. Next, measures of centrality are explained and some applications in the field of psychology are mentioned. Later, this approach is exemplified with a specific case, which estimates and analyzes a network of personality traits within the Big Five model. The syntax of this analysis is provided. Finally, by way of conclusion, a brief recapitulation is provided, and some cautionary reflections and future research lines are discussed.

Psychology, as a science, needs the continuous and rigorous evaluation of its methods and procedures as well as its techniques and instruments. The test is one of the main tools used by psychologists in their daily work, and cannot be an exception. The measuring instruments of psychological evaluation must be analyzed using a systematic, rigorous and independent process that guarantees their quality and usefulness. To this end, since 2010 the National Tests Commission of the Spanish Psychological Association has reviewed annually some of the tests most used by Spanish psychologists. This review process is based on a European test review mo del that has been adapted to Spanish and it is performed through the Tests Review Questionnaire- Revised. In the present work the fifth review of tests published in Spain is presented. A total of eleven tests were evaluated, with the participation of four publishing houses, and 24 experts in a peer review process. In general terms, the quality of the measurement instruments evaluated in this fifth review was adequate, although there are some strengths and weaknesses. Finally the main conclusions are discussed and the possible future lines of research in the evaluation of tests in Spain are analyzed.

Abstract Background In preparation for a randomized controlled trial, a pilot study was conducted to investigate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a psychotherapy group based on metacognitive-oriented social skills training (MOSST). Methods Twelve outpatients with schizophrenia were offered 16 group-sessions of MOSST. Effect sizes were calculated for changes from baseline to treatment end for both psychosocial functioning and metacognitive abilities measured by the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP) and the Metacognition Assessment Scale–Abbreviated (MAS–A) respectively. Results and discussion Ten patients finished the full treatment protocol and nonsignificant moderate effect sizes were obtained on PSP and MAS–A scores. To date, this is the first study in Spain to suggest that outpatients with schizophrenia will accept metacognitive therapy for social skills training and evidence improvements in psychosocial functioning and metacognition. Conclusion Despite limitations inherent in a pilot study, including a small sample size and the absence of a control group, sufficient evidence of effectiveness was found to warrant further investigation. Trial registration ISRCTN10917911 . Retrospectively registered 30 November 2016.

Diversos autores han señalado el interés y la pertinencia de los mapas conceptuales como herramientas para el aprendizaje significativo. Sin embargo, la revisión de la literatura pone de manifiesto la escasez de propuestas dirigidas a la evaluación de los mapas con criterios objetivables y la complejidad de las existentes. El objetivo del presente estudio fue desarrollar un instrumento para la evaluación de los mapas conceptuales en formato rúbrica. De esta manera, se consigue que los alumnos posean una herramienta que permita, mediante indicadores precisos, la evaluación de la calidad tanto de sus ejecuciones como de las ejecuciones realizadas por otros. Se construyó una rúbrica que incluye los criterios más aceptados en la literatura para la evaluación de mapas conceptuales. Se realizaron dos estudios piloto con sendos grupos de alumnos universitarios (n=31 y n=18) que recibieron un programa de entrenamiento de cuatro horas. Los resultados indicaron que el instrumento diseñado muestra una buena fiabilidad interjueces e indicadores de validez discriminante. Se concluye que el instrumento diseñado para la evaluación de la calidad de los mapas conceptuales en formato rúbrica muestra adecuadas propiedades psicométricas. Asimismo, el instrumento permite aplicar criterios objetivables en la evaluación de los mapas y la comparación entre diferentes ejecuciones.

El objetivo principal de este trabajo fue estimar la red psicológica de dificultades emocionales y comportamentales y conducta prosocial en la adolescencia. Participaron 386 estudiantes seleccionados de forma incidental de diferentes centros educativos. La media de edad fue de 14,28 años (DT = 0,57), siendo el 52,1% chicas. Para la evaluación del ajuste socio-emocional se utilizó el Cuestionario de Capacidades y Dificultades. La red estimada de problemas emocionales y conductuales se encontró fuertemente interconectada tanto a nivel intra-dominio como inter-dominio. El comportamiento prosocial se encontró negativamente relacionado con los diferentes problemas en el ajuste emocional y conductual. Los nodos con mayor fuerza de centralidad fueron los ítems 13 y 11, mientras que en términos de influencia esperada, fueron los ítems 13 y 19. Los resultados del análisis de estabilidad indicaron que la red fue estimada con moderada precisión. El bienestar emocional y sus dificultades asociadas se pueden conceptualizar como un sistema complejo dinámico de características cognitivas, emocionales y conductuales que interactúan causalmente entre sí. El modelo de red permite analizar y comprender los problemas de salud mental, y el comportamiento humano, desde una óptica diferente, abriendo nuevas líneas de estudio en el campo de la psicología.

The study of affective disorders among young population has become increasingly relevant in the last years. The PANAS is a widely used questionnaire devoted to assess positive and negative affect. The main purpose of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the PANAS for children (PANAS). The sample consisted of 1032 children and adolescents aged between 10 and 15 years. The ESEM two factor model (Positive Affect and Negative Affect) was found as the most suitable model. The PANAS scores also showed acceptable internal consistency. The ESEM two factor model was invariant across gender and educational level. Results showed statistically significant differences in the latent mean scores with females scoring higher than males in and younger students scoring lower in PA. Positive and negative affect were related with external variables of well-being. The present psychometric study supports the PANAS as a brief and useful tool for the screening of PA and NA in children and adolescents.

The study was mainly at analysing which the different psychopathological features as well as the behavioural and emotional problems were in a sample of "highly disruptive" students who are considered by the school authorities from Principado de Asturias, Spain, as the group with more difficulties for ordinary educational intervention. To do this, a representative sample of 43 students with these characteristics, 41 male, with an average age of 13.35 years (SD = 1.06) was selected, and compared their profile with a normal control group of students. The results showed that the disruptive students had higher average scores in most of the scales of the “Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent” than in the Control Group. Moreover, disruptive students showed higher average scores on general syndromes of the “Youth self report” in comparison to the aforementioned Control Group. These results allow identifying and describing a psychopathological profile characteristic of this type of educative group, in order to establish and improve strategies and intervention programs. Future lines should conduct follow up longitudinal studies and analyze other risk markers, such as endophenotypes.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a screening tool that enables the assessment of emotional and behavioural difficulties, and prosocial behaviour in children and adolescents from a multi-informant perspective. The main goal of this article is to carry out a selective review on the main evidence concerning the psychometric and epidemiologic characteristics of the SDQ. The psychometric properties are adequate with regard to the reliability of the scores and the five-factor structure is the most accepted (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behaviour). In addition, different studies support the appropriateness of the SDQ for use as an evaluation tool in clinical and school contexts. The results show that gender and age have an influence on the phenotypic expression of emotional and behavioural difficulties. In conclusion, the SDQ is a short, easy to use, and useful measurement tool for evaluating problems, difficulties, and capacities related to childhood and adolescence and it may be used with Spanish children and adolescents.

La presencia de experiencias traumáticas tempranas se ha asociado con una gran variedad de alteraciones psicopatológicas en la edad adulta. Esto hace que en la práctica clínica sea importante la evaluación y el abordaje de eventos traumáticos previos en los pacientes con diferentes trastornos mentales. El objetivo fundamental de este trabajo fue realizar una breve descripción y aproximación a los principales instrumentos de medida para la evaluación de las experiencias traumáticas tempranas, preferentemente en adultos; y presentar un nuevo instrumento de medida para la evaluación de las experiencias traumáticas tempranas en pacientes con trastorno mental grave. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los instrumentos existentes proporcionan escaso o ningún apoyo psicométrico y se centran en evaluar un solo tipo de experiencia traumática, lo que reduce su aplicabilidad en la práctica clínica. Del mismo modo, son escasos los instrumentos que han sido adaptados y validados en población española. Futuros estudios deberían seguir examinando las propiedades psicométricas de este conjunto de autoinformes, con la finalidad de mejorar la evaluación de las experiencias traumáticas en la edad adulta.

The presence of early traumatic experiences has been associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. This means that in clinical practice the assessment of and approach to previous traumatic events is important in patients with different mental disorders. The main purpose of this paper is, firstly, to provide a brief description and approximation of the main measurement instruments for the assessment of early traumatic experiences; and secondly to present the new self-report for the assessment of early traumatic experiences in patients with severe mental illness. The results show that most of the existing tools for assessing early traumatic experiences have little or no psychometric support and a number of instruments are designed to measure only one type of trauma, which reduces their clinical applicability. Similarly, there are few instruments that have been adapted to and validated in the Spanish population. Future studies should continue to examine the psychometric properties of this group of self-reports with the aim of improving the evaluation of early traumatic experiences in adulthood.

El Cuestionario de Capacidades y Dificultades (SDQ) es una herramienta de screening que permite la evaluación de dificultades emocionales y comportamentales así como del comportamiento prosocial en la infancia y adolescencia, desde una perspectiva multi-informante. El objetivo de este trabajo es llevar a cabo una revisión selectiva de las características epidemiológicas así como de las principales evidencias a nivel psicométrico del SDQ. Las propiedades psicométricas referidas a la fiabilidad de las puntuaciones son adecuadas y el modelo dimensional de cinco factores (Problemas Emocionales, Problemas Conductuales, Problemas con los Compañeros, Hiperactividad y Prosocial) es el más ampliamente replicado. Asimismo, se han obtenido evidencias de validez que apoyan la utilidad de este instrumento de medida para su uso en el contexto escolar y clínico. Los resultados también indican que el género y la edad influyen en la expresión fenotípica de las dificultades emocionales y comportamentales. En conclusión, el SDQ es un instrumento de medida breve, sencillo de administrar y útil para la valoración de este tipo de problemática en la infancia y adolescencia y puede ser de sumo interés para su uso en población infanto-juvenil española.

El presente artículo analiza la violencia en el noviazgo mediante el estudio de sus tasas de prevalencia en Latinoamérica y Chile en las dos últimas décadas, comparándolas con los datos procedentes de otros países. Se constata la relevancia del problema en este último país, donde se llega al 51% en violencia psicológica y al 25% en la física. Se exponen además posibles causas de la poca relevancia y difusión de este problema en las políticas públicas, comparando metodologías e instrumentos de evaluación utilizados.

Algunos estudios indican que los programas universitarios para mayores pueden tener un impacto positivo en la autopercepción del apoyo social y la salud de los participantes. Sin embargo, dichos estudios no evalúan estas variables con instrumentos de medida estandarizados y grupos de control dentro y fuera del programa. En el presente trabajo se utilizó un grupo experimental y dos grupos control que fueron evaluados en dos momentos con instrumentos estandarizados. Los resultados no confirmaron los efectos beneficiosos esperados de los programas. Es necesario seguir profundizando en esta línea de actuación y explorar el efecto de variables socioafectivas en estudios longitudinales.

El principal objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar la estructura interna y la invarianza de medición en función del género y la edad del Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), versión autoinforme, en adolescentes españoles. La muestra está formada por 1.547 participantes, 606 varones (39,1%), con una media de edad de 15,15 años (DT=1,99). Los resultados del análisis factorial confirmatorio mostraron que el modelo de cinco factores y el modelo bifactor con modificaciones presentaron los mejores índices de bondad de ajuste. Sin embargo, en el modelo bifactor algunas cargas factoriales no fueron estadísticamente significativas. La hipótesis de invarianza de medición de las puntuaciones del SDQ en función del género y la edad fue apoyada. El valor de consistencia interna de la puntuación Total de dificultades fue 0,84, mientras que para las subescalas osciló entre 0,71 y 0,75. El estudio de las propiedades psicométricas de la versión española del SDQ autoinforme parece indicar que se trata de una herramienta adecuada y útil para el cribado de problemas emocionales y comportamentales en la adolescencia. En investigaciones futuras se debería analizar la estructura interna de la SDQ en otras poblaciones y someter a prueba la invariancia de medición en función de las culturas.

The aim of this paper is to bring recent advances developed in the assessment of negative symptoms in psychotic spectrum disorders and related conditions to the professional psychologist. First, we briefly discuss the historical development of negative symptoms, their conceptualisation, and their impact on clinical practice and research. Second, the tools available for the assessment of negative symptoms are mentioned. The discussion focuses on the newly constructed tools and mentions their psychometric characteristics. Additionally, the measuring instruments for the assessment of negative symptoms as an expression of risk or vulnerability to psychosis are shown, within both the paradigm of high clinical risk and the psychometric paradigm. Third, and finally, we review and consider some conclusions, guidelines and possible future developments in this area of study.

El presente trabajo tiene como objeto acercar al profesional de la psicología los últimos avances desarrollados en el campo de la evaluación de los síntomas negativos en los trastornos del espectro psicótico y condiciones relacionadas. En un primer lugar, se comenta brevemente el desarrollo histórico de los síntomas negativos, su conceptualización, y su impacto en la práctica clínica y la investigación. En segundo lugar, se mencionan los instrumentos disponibles para la evaluación de los síntomas negativos. Se focaliza el discurso en las herramientas de nueva construcción, y se mencionan sus características psicométricas. Asimismo, se señalan diferentes instrumentos de medida para la evaluación de los síntomas negativos como expresión de condición de riesgo o de vulnerabilidad a la psicosis, tanto dentro del paradigma de alto riesgo clínico como psicométrico. En tercer lugar, y para finalizar, se diserta a modo de recapitulación sobre algunas conclusiones, directrices y posibles desarrollos futuros en este área de estudio.