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The pandemic situation caused by COVID-19 led countries to adopt harsh and prolonged (over time) measures that--along with the high number of infections and deaths and continuous negative information--have affected the mental health of individuals. In this study, the impact on mental health of the COVID-19 health crisis in Spain was explored through the perceived efficacy of pandemic containment measures as a moderator of the relationship that COVID-19 perceived risk establishes with stress and depression. A questionnaire composed of scales conceived to measure COVID-19 perceived risk, perceived efficacy of COVID-19 prevention measures, stress, and depression was completed by 478 adults living in Spain (66.9% females, Mage = 36.30, SD = 15.32) between May 16, 2021, and June 6, 2021. The results confirmed the moderating role of perceived efficacy. Perceived efficacy acted as a protective factor for stress and depression by decreasing the negative impact that perceived risk had on both variables related to mental distress. Also, the perception that participants had about the effectiveness of prevention measures appeared to be a relevant protective factor regarding mental health during the pandemic. This study highlights the relevance of psychological interventions and government policies that improve positive risk communication and provide adequate information regarding the effectiveness of health-prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown and containment measures have instigated substantial changes in our daily lives and have affected many people's mental health. This paper reports two studies exploring gender-based differences with regard to the impact of COVID-related confinement on individuals' self-efficacy to regulate negative emotions (RESE-NE) and anxiety. Methods: Study 1 (cross-sectional; 269 participants; 52% women) explored the evolution of RESE-NE and anxiety. To this end, participants assessed their status at two time points: a retrospective assessment of the period before confinement in Spain, and a current assessment during confinement. Study 2 (longitudinal; 114 participants; 72.2% women) explored the evolution of the variables by adding a post-confinement time point and analyzed the mediating role of RESE-NE in the positivity–anxiety and resilience–anxiety relationships. Results: The results confirmed that: (a) RESE-NE decreased and anxiety increased more among women than among men during confinement (Study 1); (b) women recovered their pre-pandemic levels of mental health more slowly than did men following confinement; and (c) the mediating role of RESE-NE could be observed in the two relationships under analysis. Conclusion: In practical terms, the research highlights the need to pay special attention to women undergoing mental health interventions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to the differential burden that the pandemic may entail for men and women and to the contrasting social roles traditionally attributed to them. From the gender differences identified, it is possible to infer how stereotypes and social roles influence the behavior and mental health of men and women, leading them to cope differently with stressful situations such as confinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease that is usually diagnosed in childhood, underscoring the importance of early disease control for overall wellbeing. Our aim was to design an explanatory model of subjective emotional wellbeing in children and adolescents with T1D. A longitudinal study was conducted at the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba (Spain). A total of 151 patients (mean age = 14.50, SD = 2.67; 41.1% girls) participated at T1, while 97 participated at T2 (mean age = 14.93, SD = 2.56; 39.2% girls). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire. Descriptive, reliability, correlation, path, and mediation analyses were performed. The explanatory model showed excellent fit indices [χ2 (10) = 8.62, p = 0.57, RMSEA = 0.00, 95% [0.00, 0.10], CFI = 1.00, GFI = 0.98, AGFI = 0.93, and TLI = 1.01]. The results showed significant and positive relationships between family social support and subjective emotional wellbeing and improved self-care skills. Self-efficacy presented a mediating role between family social support and subjective emotional wellbeing. Given that self-efficacy is a self-regulatory mechanism and a determinant of health, it is argued that future psychoeducational interventions could aim to improve self-efficacy to manage chronic diseases, to achieve greater emotional wellbeing in children and adolescents with T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a multicomponent, eHealth‐based self‐efficacy intervention to promote subjective well‐being and self‐efficacy in patients with cardiovascular disease, exploring sex differences. Design: A pilot study of a two‐arm non‐randomized controlled trial. Methods: Forty‐two cardiovascular patients (31% women) participated in the study. The experimental group received a personalized psychoeducational session and a 14‐days eHealth intervention. Subjective well‐being (positive and negative affect) and self‐efficacy (chronic and cardiac) were assessed at baseline, post‐psychoeducational session, post‐eHealth intervention and at two follow‐ups. Results: The levels of the experimental group in positive affect, at post‐eHealth and follow‐up 1, and self‐efficacy, at post‐eHealth, and both follow‐ups, were statistically significantly higher compared to the control group (all ps <.05). When considering sex, the intervention was effective only for men. The results highlight the potential of eHealth interventions for cardiac patients and underline the importance of considering a gender perspective in their treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]