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Introducción: La capacidad funcional está disminuida en personas con Enfermedades Cardiovasculares y Enfermedades Respiratorias Crónicas. Estas enfermedades también han sido asociadas a disfunción cognitiva. El estudio examina la eficacia de un programa de rehabilitación cardiopulmonar en la recuperación de la capacidad funcional, y analiza si sujetos con enfermedades cardiopulmonares sufren disfunción cognitiva. Materiales y métodos: Participaron 50 personas adultas con instrucción media-alta que completaron un programa de rehabilitación cardiopulmonar de entre 3 y 6 meses basado en educación física, educación nutricional, promoción de hábitos saludables y manejo de medicación. Se evaluó la capacidad funcional con el índice Duke al iniciar y finalizar el programa. Se administró también, por única vez, al iniciar el programa, pruebas de memoria y de lenguaje, comparando los valores obtenidos con estudios normativos argentinos. Se analizó los datos con test Wilcoxon, correlaciones bivariadas y regresión lineal. Resultados: La capacidad funcional aumentó significativamente al finalizar el programa. De todos modos el valor Duke pos- programa sugiere que la capacidad funcional de los pacientes continúa afectada. Por otro lado, una prueba de memoria explicó el 10,8% de la varianza en el índice Duke, y no hay hallazgos de disfunción cognitiva. Conclusión: La capacidad funcional de los pacientes cardiopulmonares mejoró con el programa de rehabilitación, aunque dicha mejora, es clínicamente insuficiente. Mejor rendimiento de memoria predijo mayor capacidad funcional, por lo que se sugiere añadir talleres de estimulación cognitiva a los programas de rehabilitación cardiopulmonares. Esta muestra con enfermedad cardiopulmonar no presenta disfunción cognitiva, probablemente por su elevada reserva cognitiva.

El objetivo fue evaluar las variables psicológicas en adultos mayores de Argentina durante la pandemia por COVID-19, e identificar predictores psicológicos del miedo a la COVID-19. Participaron 198 adultos mayores de Rosario, Argentina (Medad= 66.6 años, DE=4,8). Se aplicaron los siguientes instrumentos: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Medical Outcomes Study- Social SupportSurvey, Purpose in life Test y Fear of COVID-19 Scale. El 25.1% y el 19.1% presentaron diagnóstico potencial de trastorno de ansiedad generalizada y episodio depresivo mayor, respectivamente, el 71.4% suficiente apoyo social y el 40.8% propósito de vida indefinido. El miedo a la COVID-19 presentó correlación negativa con propósito de vida y apoyo social, y correlación positiva, con ansiedad y depresión. El propósito de vida predijo el miedo a la COVID-19 (β =-.229, t =-3.38, p =.001). Se requieren políticas estatales para mitigar y contener los efectos subjetivos del aislamiento en población mayor.

Resumen Introduccion La literatura cientifica indica que hay relacion entre la vitamina D (VitD) y el inicio, el tratamiento y el pronostico de la depresion. Sin embargo, esta linea de investigacion continua siendo motivo de controversia. El proposito del trabajo es analizar la relacion entre la depresion y los valores de VitD, controlando por la influencia de la estacion. Material y metodos Estudio observacional y transversal. La muestra quedo conformada por 150 voluntarias adultas (edad, 28-78 anos). Se estratifico la muestra en 3 grupos: depresion sin tratamiento, depresion en tratamiento con antidepresivos y sin depresion (control). Se compararon los valores de VitD. Resultados Se hallaron diferencias significativas entre los 3 grupos de comparacion. El grupo con depresion sin tratamiento obtuvo los valores de VitD mas bajos (media, 18,62 ± 8,42 ng/ml), compatibles con una insuficiencia grave. El grupo de participantes con depresion en tratamiento obtuvo valores mas altos que el grupo anterior, aunque en la franja de insuficiencia (23,80 ± 11,30 ng/ml). El tercer grupo (control) obtuvo los valores mas altos y acordes con el intervalo deseable (30,19 ± 10,21 ng/ml). No hubo diferencias de edad entre los grupos. Al controlar por posibles efectos de la estacion del ano, las diferencias previas de VitD entre los 3 grupos se mantuvieron, con un descenso ostensible de todas las medias en el periodo invernal. Conclusiones La depresion se asocia con valores de VitD insuficientes. El tratamiento con antidepresivos mejora esos valores, aunque continuan siendo insuficientes. Los hallazgos de este estudio refuerzan la evidencia de una asociacion entre la depresion y la VitD.

The scientific literature suggests a relationship between vitamin D (VitD) and the onset, treatment and prognosis of depression. However, this line of research continues to be controversial. The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between depression and VitD values, controlling for the influence of the season.Observational and cross-sectional study. The sample was made up of 150 adult female volunteer participants (aged between 28 and 78 years). The sample was stratified into three groups: a) depression without treatment, b) depression under treatment with antidepressants, and c) without depression (control). VitD values (ng/ml) were compared.Significant differences were found between the three groups surveyed. The group of participants with depression without treatment obtained the lowest VitD values (mean 18.62 ng/ml; SD 8.42), compatible with severe insufficiency. The group of participants with depression in treatment obtained higher values than the previous group, although in an insufficient range (mean 23.80 ng/ml; SD 11.30). The third group (control) obtained the highest values and in accordance with the desirable range (mean 30.19 ng/ml; SD 10.21). There were no age differences between the groups. When controlling for possible effects of the season, the previous differences in VitD between the three groups were maintained, with an evident decrease of all the mean levels in the winter period.Depression is associated with insufficient VitD values. Treatment with antidepressants improves these values, although they continue to be insufficient. The findings of this study reinforce the evidence for an association between depression and VitD.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only had health, economic, and political impacts, but also significant psychosocial and mental health consequences worldwide. In this article, different documentation and studies on mental health were analyzed, with the aim of identifying the various problems detected during the pandemic. Methodologically, a narrative and integrative review of the scientific literature was carried out. In Latin America, the most recent studies have documented and made patent effects on the various vulnerized populations such as migrants, women, children, the elderly, people living with significant disabilities, people experiencing marked housing and food insecurity, and temporary workers laboring in what has been referred to as the informal economy. In light of this, it is proposed that addressing these issues should involve the coordination of transnational policies and the definition of an agenda of critical priorities to focus and address. For this to come about, it is important that the empirical evidence generated by regional epidemiological studies contribute to the design of public policies on mental health of the Latin American population, so that they reduce the negative effects as well as prevent the future consequences of a pandemic that is not yet over.

Este artículo analiza el estado de salud mental de población adulta de México en el contexto de pandemia ocasionada por el virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Participaron 899 participantes de diferentes regiones de México Medad = 34. 8, DE= 11.38, mujeres= 641, hombres=258, durante el contexto de pandemia por COVID-19. Los instrumentos aplicados fueron la Escala de Miedo al COVID-19 (FCV-19S), la Escala para el Trastorno de Ansiedad Generalizada (GAD-7), el Test de Propósito de Vida (PIL), el Cuestionario de Salud del Paciente (PHQ-9) y el Cuestionario Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) para el apoyo social. La aplicación se realizó de manera individual, durante el período del 12 de junio al 14 de septiembre de 2020. Los resultados indicaron que los participantes no presentaron síntomas agudos de miedo hacia la COVID-19. No obstante, se encontró presencia considerable de ansiedad generalizada y de depresión en diferentes niveles. El apoyo social y propósito de vida se encuentran presentes, contrarrestando la ansiedad y la depresión, mientras que el miedo y la cantidad de horas de exposición a pensamientos sobre COVID-19 contribuyeron de forma positiva a estas variables psicológicas. Se concluye que la crisis sanitaria ocasionada por COVID-19 ha impactado fuertemente en la salud mental de los participantes, no obstante, existen fortalezas como el apoyo social y el propósito de vida que ayudan a sobrellevar los efectos de la pandemia y se debería trabajar en ellas para promover la salud mental durante los momentos de la crisis sanitaria.

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was created by Marshal Folstein et al. in 1975 as an instrument for brief (5–10 min) assessment of mental status in hospitalized patients. It is considered the most widely used test for standardized cognitive assessment in the clinical setting, especially with the elderly population. It has countless translations in different languages, and according to the different international (PubMed) and regional (SciELO, Redalyc, and Dialnet) scientific databases, it has been widely used by the scientific community. This article describes the historical evolution of the MMSE, highlights its evaluative properties, and provides bibliometric data on its impact on scientific publications, with a special focus on Ibero-America. RESUMO El Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) fue creado por Marshal Folstein et al. en 1975 como un instrumento para la evaluación breve (5-10 minutos) del estado mental de pacientes hospitalizados. Se lo considera la prueba más utilizada para la evaluación cognitiva estandarizada en el ámbito clínico, especialmente con la población adulta mayor. Tiene innumerables traducciones a diferentes idiomas y de acuerdo con las diferentes bases de datos científicas internacionales (PudMed) y regionales (Scielo, Redalyc y Dialnet) se puede constatar que ha sido ampliamente utilizada por la comunidad científica. En este trabajo se describe la evolución histórica del MMSE, se destacan sus propiedades evaluativas y se indican datos bibliométricos acerca de su impacto en las publicaciones científicas, con especial énfasis en IberoAmérica.

The aim was to test the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the PIL-SF in a sample of people from seven Latin American countries. Additionally, the characteristics of the PIL-SF items were evaluated and to assess the relationship between purpose in life, as measured by the PIL-SF, and fear of COVID-19. A total of 4306 people from seven Latin American countries participated in the study. The results indicated that the PIL-SF is invariant in the seven participating countries and, therefore, there is evidence that the items reflect the purpose of life in the same way in all countries. This allows comparisons of purpose in life between countries that are free of bias, reflecting the true differences in how countries respond to items. From IRT, the discrimination parameters are adequate and indicate that the items cover a wide range of the purpose in life construct. The difficulty parameters are adequate and increase monotonically. This indicates that people would need a higher level of purpose in life to respond to the higher response categories. Thus, the PIL-SF items would be useful in determining people with a relatively high degree of purpose in life. Identifying people with different levels of purpose in life would allow them to be part of intervention programs, either to support those with low levels or to maintain and reinforce their purpose in life. The evidence of cross-country measurement invariance of the PIL-SF provides a measure to be used in cross-cultural studies about the meaning of life.

Resumen Introduccion El envejecimiento poblacional sin precedentes implica un aumento de las enfermedades cronicas relacionadas con la edad avanzada, incluyendo el deterioro cognitivo y las demencias. El deterioro cognitivo leve (DCL) esta reconocido como prodromo a la demencia tipo Alzheimer, ya que quienes lo padecen tienen mayores probabilidades de desarrollar el cuadro clinico caracteristico. Objetivo El objetivo del estudio fue explorar la prevalencia de DCL en el Area Metropolitana de Rosario, Argentina. Material y metodos Se realizo un estudio exploratorio, descriptivo y transversal. Se encuesto a una muestra de 1075 adultos con edades comprendidas entre los 50 y los 93 anos, seleccionados por un criterio no probabilistico (por disponibilidad). Se administro a cada participante una encuesta de antecedentes clinicos y el Mini Mental State Examination, version rioplatense. Resultados Los resultados reflejan un 3,44% de participantes con valores potencialmente compatibles con DCL. El nivel educativo alcanzado aparece como el principal predictor de las alteraciones cognitivas, por encima de la edad y el genero. Entre aquellos participantes con estudios primarios incompletos, la prevalencia potencial alcanzo un 10,84%. Conclusion Se contrastan los descriptivos hallados con otras investigaciones de la region. Se discute el alcance de nuestro estudio, las limitaciones del Mini Mental State Examination como instrumento de pesquisa de DCL y algunas posibles alternativas.

The objective was to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in 7 Latin American countries (Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay). The participants were 2944 people, selected through non-probability sampling for convenience, where the majority were women. Data collection occurred between 12 June and 14 September 2020. The results indicated that the model with two related factors presents a better fit to the data and has partial scalar invariance among the 7 countries. Differences in emotional and physiological reactions were observed between the countries.

The present study examined how conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines specifically relate to symptoms of fear of COVID-19 in a sample of four South American countries. A total of 1785 people from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru participated, responding to a sociodemographic survey, the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19 S) and the Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale-COVID-19 (VCBS-COVID-19). Network analysis identified the most important symptoms of fear and conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines (nodes) and the associations between them (edges). In addition, the robustness of the network of these indicators of centrality and the possible differences in the structure and connectivity of the networks between the four countries were evaluated. The results suggest that the nodes with the highest centrality were items 2 and 5 of the FCV-19 S and item 2 of the VCBS-COVID-19. Likewise, item 6 is the belief that most predicts conspiracy beliefs about vaccines against COVID-19; while item 6 was the symptom that most predicts fear of COVID-19. The findings strongly support cross-cultural similarities in the networks across the four countries rather than differences. Although it was expected that a higher presence of symptoms of fear of COVID-19 may lead people to compensate for their fear by believing in conspiratorial ideas about vaccines and, consequently, rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine, the results do not clearly show this relationship. This could lead other researchers to generate evidence to explain the differences between Latin American countries and countries in other contexts in terms of vaccination rates. This evidence could be useful to develop policies favoring vaccination against COVID-19 that are more contextualized to the Latin American region, characterized by social instability and economic recession during the pandemic.

The main objective of this article is to determine the prevalence of anxiety, depression and fear symptoms at the face of COVID-19 in the Salvadorean population. In like manner, to determine the seriousness in each psychological variable as well as to find out whether there is a connection with the socio-demographic characteristics of the sample. This is an exploratory study with a transversal design; in order to collect the data, an online survey was conducted via Google Forms. A non-probabilistic sample of 328 Salvadoreans was taken. The mean for the age is 27.90 years old, with a SD of 9.10; in regards to gender, the mean is of 29.05 for men, with a SD of 9.94, and for women, a mean of 27.42, with a SD of 8.70. The findings show a high prevalence of anxiety symptoms; these fluctuate between 60 % and 80 %. Those symptoms related to depression are between 50 % and 70%, and finally, in relation to fear to COVID-19, there was a prevalence between 20 % and 40 %. In terms of the degree in which it affected people, 90 % of the sample shows moderate to severe anxiety and depression levels. It was possible to establish connections among gender, age, and the amount of hours spent thinking about COVID-19. In regards to fear of COVID-19, the findings show that about 30 % of the sample has been affected by it in relation to gender and the number of hours spent thinking about COVID-19. Keywords: Anxiety, Depression, Fear - psychological aspects, Fear of death, Covid-19 - Psychological aspects. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5377/entorno.v0i70.10373URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11298/1183

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of reproductive aging on executive functions. We assessed executive functions in three groups of healthy women in the premenopausal (n = 45, mean age = 30.89, SD = 10.5), perimenopausal (n = 31, mean age = 50.06, SD = 3.6) and postmenopausal (n = 24, mean age = 63.39, SD = 6.5) phase. No differences between groups were observed in working memory, verbal fluency, inhibitory control, planning, and cognitive flexibility. However, when the analyses were repeated with participants with occupations with lower intellectual demands, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women performed worse than premenopausal women in semantic verbal fluency. This study provides important evidence to understand the effects of reproductive aging on cognitive performance in healthy women. Our findings indicate that cognitive reserve-related factors may be important to understand the differences in executive functions associated with reproductive aging.

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Scale of Fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S) in a sample of 1,291 Argentines. The two-related factor structure of the FCV-19S had satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices using structural equation modeling and item response theory. Further results showed that the reliability was adequate, the factor structure was strictly invariable across age groups, and the model that evaluated the relationships between fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and depression had adequate goodness of fit indices as well. The results indicated that FCV-19S has strong psychometric properties to measure fear of COVID-19 in the general population of Argentina. Fil: Caycho Rodríguez, Tomás. Universidad Privada del Norte; Perú Fil: Vilca, Lindsey W.. Universidad Peruana Unión; Perú Fil: Cervigni, Mauricio Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina Fil: Gallegos de San Vicente, Miguel Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina Fil: Martino, Pablo. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Portillo, Nelson. Boston College; Estados Unidos Fil: Barés, Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Calandra, Manuel Santiago. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Burgos Videla, Carmen. Universidad de Atacama.; Chile

Diversas investigaciones han advertido que el ejercicio de algunas profesiones puede conllevar efectos moduladores en la estructura cerebral y el funcionamiento cognitivo. Se presentan los resultados de un estudio exploratorio transversal referente a las modificaciones que las experticias en arquitectura (N = 41, edad: X = 39, DE = 10) y en psicología (N = 40, edad: X = 35, DE = 7) producen sobre procesos cognitivos específicos. El objetivo general fue contribuir a la determinación de perfiles cognitivos diferenciales. Los arquitectos mostraron un mejor rendimiento en tareas que involucran la retención y manipulación de información visoespacial. No se hallaron diferencias significativas en la resolución de tareas verbales. Estos resultados sugieren que la experiencia en arquitectura podría conducir a un desempeño conductual mejorado en procesos cognitivos correspondientes a la memoria de trabajo visoespacial. Se discuten los alcances de la presente exploración y las instancias necesarias para la validación de estas observaciones. Se sugiere la realización de nuevos estudios que integren seguimiento longitudinal y tecnologías de neuroimagen. Several investigations have warned that the exercise of some professions can have modulating effects on the brain structure and cognitive functioning. The results of an exploratory cross-sectional study referring to the modifications on specific processes between experts in Architecture (N = 41, age: X = 39, SD = 10) and in Psychology (N = 40, age: X = 35, SD = 7) are presented. The general objective was to contribute to the determination of differential cognitive profiles. The architects showed better performance on tasks that involve the retention and manipulation of visuospatial information. No significant differences were found in solving verbal tasks. These results suggest that experience in architecture could lead to improved behavioral performance in cognitive processes corresponding to visuospatial working memory. The scope of the present exploration and the necessary instances for the validation of these observations are discussed. New studies are suggested that integrate longitudinal monitoring and neuroimaging technologies. Fil: Cervigni, Mauricio Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Alfonso, Guillermo. Universidad Argentina de la Empresa; Argentina Fil: Deleglise, Álvaro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Gallegos, Miguel. Universidad Catolica de Maule; Chile Fil: Martino, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) was recently developed to assess dysfunctional anxiety related to COVID-19. Although different studies reported that the CAS is psychometrically sound, it is unclear whether it is invariant across countries. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the measurement invariance of the CAS in twelve Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay). A total of 5196 people participated, with a mean age of 34.06 (SD = 26.54). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the measurement invariance of the CAS across countries and gender. Additionally, the graded response model (GRM) was used to provide a global representation of the representativeness of the scale with respect to the COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety construct. The unidimensional structure of the five-item CAS was not confirmed in all countries. Therefore, it was suggested that a four-item model of the CAS (CAS-4) provides a better fit across the twelve countries and reliable scores. Multigroup CFA showed that the CAS-4 exhibits scalar invariance across all twelve countries and all genders. In addition, the CAS-4 items are more informative at average and high levels of COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety than at lower levels. According to the results, the CAS-4 is an instrument with strong cross-cultural validity and is suitable for cross-cultural comparisons of COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety symptoms in the general population of the twelve Latin American countries evaluated. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02563-0.

Objective The current evidence indicates that inflammation is highly related to depression but not to anxiety in clinical samples. However, less understood is the relationship between inflammation and symptoms of depression and anxiety in a nonclinical sample. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between three inflammation markers and symptoms of depression and anxiety in a healthy sample without a history of psychiatric disorders. Methods Symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated in 74 healthy adults (mean age = 42.3; SD = 11.8) using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We assessed proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and CRP), and morning cortisol levels using blood samples. Results TNF-α correlates positively with depressive symptoms, but there were no significant relationships between anxiety scores and inflammation markers. Importantly, TNF-α relates to symptoms of depression independently of anxiety scores, age, body mass index, cortisol, and sex. Conclusions Our results indicate that TNF-α is associated with depressive symptoms, independently of anxiety, age, body mass index, cortisol, and sex, even in a sample of hospital health professionals without diagnosis or psychiatric history.

The present study aimed to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) in ten Latin American countries. A total of 2,321 people who had lost a family member or other loved one due to COVID-19 participated, with a mean age of 34.22 years old (SD = 11.99). In addition to the PGS, a single item of suicidal ideation was applied. The unidimensional model of the PGS had adequate fit in most countries and good reliability estimates. There was evidence of measurement invariance by country and gender. Also, a one-point increase in the PGS was associated with an almost twofold increase in the odds of suicidal ideation. Scores greater than or equal to 4 on the PGS are proposed as a cut off to identify individuals with suicidal ideation. Strong evidence of the cross-cultural validity of the PGS is provided. Fil: Caycho Rodríguez, Tomás. Universidad Privada del Norte; Perú Fil: Valencia, Pablo D.. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Facultad de Estudios Superiores de Iztacala; México Fil: Vilca, Lindsey W.. Universidad Peruana Unión; Perú Fil: Lee, Sherman A.. Christopher Newport Universit; Estados Unidos Fil: Carbajal León, Carlos. Universidad Privada del Norte; Perú Fil: Vivanco Vidal, Andrea. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas; Perú Fil: Saroni Aranibar, Daniela. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas; Perú Fil: Reyes Bossio, Mario. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas; Perú Fil: White, Michael. Universidad Peruana Unión; Perú Fil: Rojas Jara, Claudio. Universidad Catolica de Maule; Chile Fil: Polanco Carrasco, Roberto. Centro de Estudios Académicos en Neuropsicología; Chile Fil: Gallegos de San Vicente, Miguel Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais; Brasil Fil: Cervigni, Mauricio Alejandro. Universidad Privada del Norte; Perú. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Martino, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Palacios, Diego Alejandro. Universidad Mariano Gálvez; Guatemala Fil: Moretta Herrera, Rodrigo. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; Ecuador Fil: Samaniego Pinho, Antonio. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; Paraguay Fil: Lobos Rivera, Marlon Elías. Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador; El Salvador Fil: Buschiazzo Figares, Andrés. Centro de Estudios Adlerianos; Uruguay Fil: Puerta Cortés, Diana Ximena. Universidad de Ibagué; Colombia Fil: Corrales Reyes, Ibraín Enrique. Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Granma; Cuba Fil: Calderón, Raymundo. Universidad del Valle de Mexico; México Fil: Pinto Tapia, Bismarck. Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo; Bolivia Fil: Ferrari, Ilka Franco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Flores Mendoza, Carmen. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Brasil Fil: Arias Gallegos, Walter L.. Universidad Católica San Pablo; Perú

The aim of the study was to evaluate the construct validity based on the internal structure, the relationship with other variables, and the internal consistency among items of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in a sample of 743 Ecuadorians. The findings confirm the presence of a bifactor structure, which includes a general factor and two specific factors: one emotional and the other physiological. The general factor, and the specific factors presented adequate levels of internal consistency. Finally, the FCV-19S showed a highly significant relationship with GAD-7 at the latent level. The scale has adequate psychometric properties for its application. Los Olivos

The objective was to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in 7 Latin American countries (Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay). The participants were 2944 people, selected through non-probability sampling for convenience, where the majority were women. Data collection occurred between 12 June and 14 September 2020. The results indicated that the model with two related factors presents a better fit to the data and has partial scalar invariance among the 7 countries. Differences in emotional and physiological reactions were observed between the countries.

The debate between categorical and dimensional systems has marked the history of psychiatry and psychology from its origins. The former has often been criticized as reductionist, while the latter have been considered as anti-scientific. DSM-5 retained the categorical classification of previous editions for personality disorders (PD) but integrated an alternative evaluation system with dimensional bases. This “compromise solution” between the need to preserve the clinical tradition and the imperative of overcoming important diagnostic restrictions opened the doors for a better approach. This chapter summarizes the advantages and limitations of each perspective, considering the observations that have been made to the most widespread theories of personality, as well as to evaluation instruments that derive from them. The aim is to enrich the theoretical approaches without rejecting the baggage achieved so far. We propose a moderation of the use of self-records of the patient and a deeper analysis of the experiential psychopathological history. We conclude that the dimensional alternatives do not solve all the clinical problems – cutoff point for diagnosis, overlapping of diagnostic criteria, distinction between axis I and axis II disorders, preponderance of the conscious aspects – but provide valuable resources tending to the constant refinement that is expected from any discipline.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global health crisis. The scientific community has responded with a sizable level of research and publications, many of which are beginning to be identified and analyzed in systematic reviews of the literature and bibliometric studies. No readily identifiable, comparable study focused on Latin American scientific literature has been undertaken thus far. Therefore, this article analyzes such literature, focused on COVID-19, and one that has been published in the scientific journals of the region. A search with the keyword “COVID-19” in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) database resulted in the identification of 261 documents. Following PRISMA guidelines, the total number was reduced to 117 for the purpose of the bibliometric analysis (i.e., elimination of preprint duplicates). Such analysis resulted in the following findings: 69 publications were editorial or individual commentaries, and 48 were original articles. The male authors totaled 280, contrasted with 169 female authors. Two Brazilian journals led in the number of publications: Cadernos de Saúde Pública and Clinics. Even though the Latin American scientific productivity regarding COVID-19 is not well represented in the different databases of the region, it is expected that these scientific publications will achieve increased visibility in the coming months. The article emphasizes the importance of systematic and bibliographic reviews ofthe scientific literature in Latin America in orderto evaluate the public health achievements of the region. Fil: Gallegos de San Vicente, Miguel Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina. Universidad Catolica de Maule; Chile Fil: Cervigni, Mauricio Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina Fil: Consoli, Andrés J.. University of California; Estados Unidos Fil: Caicho Rodriguez, Tomás. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú; Perú Fil: Polanco, Fernando Andrés. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Martino, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Psicología. Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnología. Centro de Investigación En Neurociencias de Rosario; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Castro Pecanha, Viviane. University of Chicago; Estados Unidos Fil: Buergos Videla, Carmen. Universidad de Atacama.; Chile Fil: Polanco Carrasco, Roberto. No especifíca; Fil: Cussinato, Adriana Marie. Universidad de Palermo; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Argentina

The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) is a hormone secreted by the heart, and, due to its mechanisms in the central nervous system, it is credited with a possible anxiolytic and stress-reducing effect. The aim of this study consisted of examining the values of ANP in adults and its relationship with anxiety and depression. An exploratory, observational and cross-sectional study was adopted. The sample was composed by 30 attending a Mental Health Service. The Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory were applied, and a negative association between ANP values and the depressive state under Beck scale (p=0.017) was observed, more precisely lower ANP levels in patients with Beck's severe depression state. There were no relevant associations between ANP values and Beck's anxiety states. In order to reinforce this research topic, it is necessary to perform longitudinal studies, gather wider samples and include biological indicators for anxiety and depression as alpha-amylase and cortisol.