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Ana Relvas

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Ana Paula Pais Rodrigues da Fonseca Relvas - Social Sciences / Psychology. Full Professor of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of the Coimbra, Psychologist, Family Therapist, PhD in Clinical Psychology, Aggregate in 1995. Research interests and teaching activity focus on family studies and family intervention under a systemic approach

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Dr Mhairi Bowe FHEA CPsychol AFBPsS

Heriot-Watt University

University of Chester

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

University College London

University of Sussex

Texas A&M University

Henrique Vicente

Instituto Superior Miguel Torga

UFF - Universidade Federal Fluminense

Recep Tayyip Erdogan University-Turkey

Utrecht University

Kelly G . Wilson

University of Mississippi

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Papers by Ana Relvas

One (Financial Well-Being) Model Fits All? Testing the Multidimensional Subjective Financial Well-Being Scale Across Nine Countries

Journal of happiness studies, Feb 1, 2024

A multidimensional model of emerging adults' subjective financial well-being was proposed (Sorgen... more A multidimensional model of emerging adults' subjective financial well-being was proposed (Sorgente and Lanz, Int Journal of Behavioral Development, 43(5), 466-478 2019). The authors also developed a 5-factor scale (the Multidimensional Subjective Financial Well-being Scale, MSFWBS) intending to measure this construct in the European context. To date, data using this instrument have been collected in nine countries:

Jogos de sorte ou azar: funcionamento familiar, conjugal e individual dos jugadores

Mosaico : revista de la Federación Española de Asociaciones de Terapia Familiar = Journal of the Spanish Federation of Family Therapy Associations, 2015

Intervenção com pais: Significações parentais e complexidade

Revista portuguesa de psicologia, 2006

Economic stress among couples with emerging adult children in Portugal

Journal of Family Psychology, Sep 1, 2021

Macroeconomic crises occur cyclically, entailing devastating social consequences for individuals ... more Macroeconomic crises occur cyclically, entailing devastating social consequences for individuals and families. Previous research addressing families' responses to socioeconomic upheavals has been mainly conducted with couples with young or adolescent children. Less research attention has been given to middle-aged couples with emerging adult children who might be struggling to support their offspring's transition to adulthood emotionally and financially. The present study examines the impact of economic stressors on family and individual functioning reported by couples with emerging adult children in Portugal. Using a sample of 317 heterosexual middle-aged couples, structural equation models were built to assess the links between economic hardship, economic pressure, and family functioning and psychological well-being. Following an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) approach, both actor and partner effects were tested. The results showed that greater economic hardship was indirectly linked with (a) poor family functioning as reported by men and women, via the economic pressure felt by men, revealing an actor and a partner effect and (b) poor psychological well-being via each partner's own feeling of economic pressure, revealing only actor effects. Findings also indicated that economic stress processes may operate differently across socioeconomic status (SES) groups, with men from low/medium-low SES reporting a more pronounced association between economic pressure and family functioning. This study added support to previous literature on the adverse impact of economic stressors on family and individual functioning, extending family economic stress research to the Portuguese cultural setting and to an understudied stage of the family life cycle. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Information and Communication Technologies and Family: Patterns of Use, Life Cycle and Family Dynamics

Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy, 2016

Inventário de avaliação pessoal orientado para a crise em família (F-COPES)

Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra eBooks, Dec 19, 2016

cinco primeiras dimensões podem ser utilizadas como subescalas (alfa de Cronbach entre .75 e .88)... more cinco primeiras dimensões podem ser utilizadas como subescalas (alfa de Cronbach entre .75 e .88), devido à fraca consistência interna apresentada pelas outras duas. O estudo apresenta algumas limitações (e.g., amostra não probabilística de conveniência, não estratificada), sugerindo-se a continuidade dos estudos do F-COPES (e.g., melhorar as propriedades psicométricas dos fatores Avaliação Passiva e Aceitação Passiva).

Successful metabolic control in diabetes type 1 depends on individual neuroeconomic and health risk-taking decision endophenotypes: a new target in personalized care

Psychological Medicine, Mar 18, 2021

Background. Neurobehavioral decision profiles have often been neglected in chronic diseases despi... more Background. Neurobehavioral decision profiles have often been neglected in chronic diseases despite their direct impact on major public health issues such as treatment adherence. This remains a major concern in diabetes, despite intensive efforts and public awareness initiatives regarding its complications. We hypothesized that high rates of low adherence are related to risk-taking profiles associated with decision-making phenotypes. If this hypothesis is correct, it should be possible to define these endophenotypes independently based both on dynamic measures of metabolic control (HbA1C) and multidimensional behavioral profiles. Methods. In this study, 91 participants with early-stage type 1 diabetes fulfilled a battery of self-reported real-world risk behaviors and they performed an experimental task, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Results. K-means and two-step cluster analysis suggest a two-cluster solution providing information of distinct decision profiles (concerning multiple domains of risk-taking behavior) which almost perfectly match the biological partition, based on the division between stable or improving metabolic control (MC, N = 49) v. unstably high or deteriorating states (NoMC, N = 42). This surprising dichotomy of behavioral phenotypes predicted by the dynamics of HbA1C was further corroborated by standard statistical testing. Finally, the BART game enabled to identify groups differences in feedback learning and consequent behavioral choices under ambiguity, showing distinct group choice behavioral patterns. Conclusions. These findings suggest that distinct biobehavioral endophenotypes can be related to the success of metabolic control. These findings also have strong implications for programs to improve patient adherence, directly addressing risk-taking profiles.

Cross‐Cultural Validity of Bowen Theory in Southern European Countries

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Dec 1, 2019

We present a comparison between Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal to test the cross-cultural val... more We present a comparison between Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal to test the cross-cultural validity of the Differentiation of Self Inventory Revised (DSI-R) Scales of emotional cutoff (EC) and emotional reactivity (ER). Our study focuses on the importance of in-depth analyses of the differentiation of self-constructs from a cross-cultural perspective and reflects on the possibility of conceptualising the universality of Bowen theory in southern European countries. The study involved 1,807 healthy individuals. All participants completed the DSI-R (Skowron & Schmitt, 2003). It was found that the measurement models had a suitable fit for each country group. Nevertheless, in our study, the two DSI-R subscales, ER and EC, highlighted a weak invariance, specifically demonstrating only the invariance of the pattern factor loadings and the magnitude of factor loadings in the four samples. The empirical and clinical implications of these data are discussed.

Healthconomics: trust-based decision-making in the health context discriminates biological risk profiles in Type 1 Diabetes

Research Square (Research Square), Mar 29, 2022

Theoretical accounts on social decision-making under uncertainty postulate that individual risk p... more Theoretical accounts on social decision-making under uncertainty postulate that individual risk preferences are context-dependent. Generalization of models of decision-making to dyadic interactions in the personal health context remain to be experimentally addressed.In economic utility-based models, interactive behavioral games provide a framework to investigate probabilistic learning of sequential reinforcement. Here, we model an economic trust game in the context of a chronic disease (Diabetes Type 1) which involves iterated daily decisions in complex social contexts. Ninety-one patients performed experimental trust games in both economic and health settings and were characterized by a multiple self-report set of questionnaires. We found that although our groups can correctly infer pay-off contingencies, they behave differently because patients with a biological profile of preserved glycemic control show adaptive choice behavior both in economic and health domains. On the other hand, patients with a biological profile of loss of glycemic control presented a contrasting behavior, showing non-adaptive choices on both contexts. These results provide a direct translation from neuroeconomics to decision in the health domain and biological risk profiles, in a behavioural setting that required difficult and self-consequential decision with health impact. Our findings also provide a contextual generalization of mechanisms underlying individual decision under uncertainty.

Families navigating macroeconomic hard times: The particular case of Portuguese emerging adults and their parents

O Ciclo Vital da Família

Revista portuguesa de filosofia, 1997

Economic strain and quality of life among families with emerging adult children: The contributions of family rituals and family problem‐solving communication

Family Process, Apr 11, 2023

Young people and their families around the world are especially vulnerable to macroeconomic hard ... more Young people and their families around the world are especially vulnerable to macroeconomic hard times. This study sought to provide a more comprehensive view on how families with emerging adult children can successfully overcome economic distress. Specifically, we examined the links between economic strain—that is, the subjective perceptions of one's current and future financial situation—family ritual meaning, family problem‐solving communication, and quality of life, as reported by emerging adults and their parents. Data were collected from 1017 individuals nested in 334 families living in Portugal in 2016/2017. Results from multilevel modeling provided evidence for a negative impact of economic strain on family members' quality of life (β = −0.30, p &lt; 0.001); and for the role of family ritual meaning (β = 0.01, p = 0.022), but not family problem‐solving communication, as a buffer against the negative effect of economic strain on quality of life. Findings also suggested that the subjective evaluations that family members formulated about their financial situations played a greater role than objective economic conditions (e.g., income) in establishing a deeper understanding on the impact of economic demands on individuals and families' lives in today's complex financial world. This study provides a significant contribution to family economic stress research, advancing family ritual meaning as a key family dynamic contributing to positive adaptation to economic distress. The implications of these findings for clinical interventions include the potential benefits of symbolic forms of family communication in the work carried out with economically stressed family members.

Missingness Amount and Mechanisms in Family Economic Stress Research: Mapping (Non)answers to Economic-Related Variables of Fathers, Mothers, and Emerging Adult Children

Journal of family and economic issues, Jan 2, 2021

The percentage of missing data among economic-related items is likely to be particularly high. Th... more The percentage of missing data among economic-related items is likely to be particularly high. This study aimed at examining the amount, mechanisms, and variables associated with missingness of different family members participating in a family economic stress study. Portuguese emerging adults (N = 418) and their parents (N = 748) were required to answer objective and subjective economic items and complete measures assessing individual and family psychological functioning. Results showed that, for all participants, non-response was more likely to occur among objective economic items than among subjective ones. Children presented higher percentages of item/construct-level missingness than parents, which could reflect a reduced financial awareness on the part of these family members. Although the identification of mechanisms explaining missing data proved to be complex, family members’ missingness was associated with sociodemographic and psychological indicators, suggesting that non-answers do not occur purely by chance. Implications of these findings for further family economic stress research are discussed.

“Estudar, trabalhar, casar: quando?”: Extensão temporal das expectativas futuras de adultos emergentes portugueses

Durante a adultez emergente, a maioria das pessoas pensa nos compromissos que tenderão a definir ... more Durante a adultez emergente, a maioria das pessoas pensa nos compromissos que tenderão a definir a estrutura das suas vidas futuras 1,2 , provavelmente enfrentando mais decisões e transições neste período de vida do que em qualquer outro 8. Actualmente, considera-se que os principais processos de exploração de identidade ocorrem nesta fase 2 , sendo esta também descrita como um período de grande instabilidade 1,2 , a qual pode revelar-se mais acentuada em contextos macroeconómicos desfavoráveis 3. Apesar do número de estudos sobre a orientação para o futuro (i.e., imagem subjectiva que os indivíduos desenvolvem sobre o seu futuro) neste período desenvolvimental ter vindo a aumentar nos últimos anos 3,8 , a maioria foca-se no seu conteúdo temático-e.g., que expectativas futuras reportam os indivíduos?; quais os domínios de vida mais/menos salientes?-sendo dada menor atenção à sua extensão temporal, isto é, ao horizonte temporal previsto para a concretização dessas expectativas.

Enurese e enureses : as várias realidades dum mesmo fenómeno

Tese de doutoramento em Psicologia (Psicologia Clinica) apresentada a Fac. de Psicologia e de Cie... more

Qualidade de vida: versão reduzida (QOL-VR)

Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra eBooks, Dec 19, 2016

A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitali... more A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitalis, UC Pombalina e UC Impactum, pressupõem a aceitação plena e sem reservas dos Termos e Condições de Uso destas Bibliotecas Digitais, disponíveis em https://digitalis.uc.pt/pt-pt/termos. Conforme exposto nos referidos Termos e Condições de Uso, o descarregamento de títulos de acesso restrito requer uma licença válida de autorização devendo o utilizador aceder ao(s) documento(s) a partir de um endereço de IP da instituição detentora da supramencionada licença. Ao utilizador é apenas permitido o descarregamento para uso pessoal, pelo que o emprego do(s) título(s) descarregado(s) para outro fim, designadamente comercial, carece de autorização do respetivo autor ou editor da obra. Na medida em que todas as obras da UC Digitalis se encontram protegidas pelo Código do Direito de Autor e Direitos Conexos e demais legislação aplicável, toda a cópia, parcial ou total, deste documento, nos casos em que é legalmente admitida, deverá conter ou fazer-se acompanhar por este aviso. Qualidade de vida: versão reduzida (QOL-VR)

Avaliação familiar: vulnerabilidade, stress e adaptação vol. II

Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra eBooks, 2016

A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitali... more A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitalis, UC Pombalina e UC Impactum, pressupõem a aceitação plena e sem reservas dos Termos e Condições de Uso destas Bibliotecas Digitais, disponíveis em https://digitalis.uc.pt/pt-pt/termos. Conforme exposto nos referidos Termos e Condições de Uso, o descarregamento de títulos de acesso restrito requer uma licença válida de autorização devendo o utilizador aceder ao(s) documento(s) a partir de um endereço de IP da instituição detentora da supramencionada licença. Ao utilizador é apenas permitido o descarregamento para uso pessoal, pelo que o emprego do(s) título(s) descarregado(s) para outro fim, designadamente comercial, carece de autorização do respetivo autor ou editor da obra. Na medida em que todas as obras da UC Digitalis se encontram protegidas pelo Código do Direito de Autor e Direitos Conexos e demais legislação aplicável, toda a cópia, parcial ou total, deste documento, nos casos em que é legalmente admitida, deverá conter ou fazer-se acompanhar por este aviso.

Abnormal Responses in Cognitive Impulsivity Circuits Are Associated with Glycosylated Hemoglobin Trajectories in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Impaired Metabolic Control

Diabetes & Metabolism Journal, Nov 30, 2022

Background: Risky health decisions and impulse control profiles may impact on metabolic control i... more Background: Risky health decisions and impulse control profiles may impact on metabolic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We hypothesize that the neural correlates of cognitive impulsivity and decision-making in T1DM relate to metabolic control trajectories. Methods: We combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), measures of metabolic trajectories (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] over multiple time points) and behavioral assessment using a cognitive impulsivity paradigm, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), in 50 participants (25 T1DM and 25 controls). Results: Behavioral results showed that T1DM participants followed a rigid conservative risk strategy along the iterative game. Imaging group comparisons showed that patients showed larger activation of reward related, limbic regions (nucleus accumbens, amygdala) and insula (interoceptive saliency network) in initial game stages. Upon game completion differences emerged in relation to error monitoring (anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]) and inhibitory control (inferior frontal gyrus). Importantly, activity in the saliency network (ACC and insula), which monitors interoceptive states, was related with metabolic trajectories, which was also found for limbic/reward networks. Parietal and posterior cingulate regions activated both in controls and patients with adaptive decision-making, and positively associated with metabolic trajectories. Conclusion: We found triple converging evidence when comparing metabolic trajectories, patients versus controls or risk averse (non-learners) versus patients who learned by trial and error. Dopaminergic reward and saliency (interoceptive and error monitoring) circuits show a tight link with impaired metabolic trajectories and cognitive impulsivity in T1DM. Activity in parietal and posterior cingulate are associated with adaptive trajectories. This link between reward-saliency-inhibition circuits suggests novel strategies for patient management.

How culturally unique are pandemic effects? Evaluating cultural similarities and differences in effects of age, biological sex, and political beliefs on COVID impacts

Frontiers in Psychology

Despite being bio-epidemiological phenomena, the causes and effects of pandemics are culturally i... more Despite being bio-epidemiological phenomena, the causes and effects of pandemics are culturally influenced in ways that go beyond national boundaries. However, they are often studied in isolated pockets, and this fact makes it difficult to parse the unique influence of specific cultural psychologies. To help fill in this gap, the present study applies existing cultural theories via linear mixed modeling to test the influence of unique cultural factors in a multi-national sample (that moves beyond Western nations) on the effects of age, biological sex, and political beliefs on pandemic outcomes that include adverse financial impacts, adverse resource impacts, adverse psychological impacts, and the health impacts of COVID. Our study spanned 19 nations (participant N = 14,133) and involved translations into 9 languages. Linear mixed models revealed similarities across cultures, with both young persons and women reporting worse outcomes from COVID across the multi-national sample. Howev...

Employment Disruption and Wellbeing Among Young Adults: A Cross-National Study of Perceived Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown

Journal of Happiness Studies

Young adulthood (18-30 years old) is a crucial period due to its developmental tasks such as care... more Young adulthood (18-30 years old) is a crucial period due to its developmental tasks such as career establishment and financial independence. However, young adults' relative lack of resources makes them vulnerable to employment disruptions (job loss and income loss), which may have both immediate and long-term effects on their financial wellbeing and mental health. The economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions resulted in an increase in unemployment and a decrease in income worldwide, especially for young adults. This study examined to what extent and how job loss and income loss due to the pandemic influenced young adults' perception of their present financial wellbeing, future financial wellbeing, and psychological wellbeing by using cross-sectional survey data collected from six countries (China, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, and the United States). Results showed that the impact of income loss and job loss on all three types of wellbeing were mediated by young adults' negative perception of the COVID-19 lockdown restriction (i.e., perceived as a misfortune). Crosscountry differences existed in the key variables. The association between employment disruptions, young adults' perception of the COVID-19 lockdown restriction, and wellbeing were equivalent across countries except China. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

One (Financial Well-Being) Model Fits All? Testing the Multidimensional Subjective Financial Well-Being Scale Across Nine Countries

Journal of happiness studies, Feb 1, 2024

A multidimensional model of emerging adults' subjective financial well-being was proposed (Sorgen... more A multidimensional model of emerging adults' subjective financial well-being was proposed (Sorgente and Lanz, Int Journal of Behavioral Development, 43(5), 466-478 2019). The authors also developed a 5-factor scale (the Multidimensional Subjective Financial Well-being Scale, MSFWBS) intending to measure this construct in the European context. To date, data using this instrument have been collected in nine countries:

Jogos de sorte ou azar: funcionamento familiar, conjugal e individual dos jugadores

Mosaico : revista de la Federación Española de Asociaciones de Terapia Familiar = Journal of the Spanish Federation of Family Therapy Associations, 2015

Intervenção com pais: Significações parentais e complexidade

Revista portuguesa de psicologia, 2006

Economic stress among couples with emerging adult children in Portugal

Journal of Family Psychology, Sep 1, 2021

Macroeconomic crises occur cyclically, entailing devastating social consequences for individuals ... more Macroeconomic crises occur cyclically, entailing devastating social consequences for individuals and families. Previous research addressing families' responses to socioeconomic upheavals has been mainly conducted with couples with young or adolescent children. Less research attention has been given to middle-aged couples with emerging adult children who might be struggling to support their offspring's transition to adulthood emotionally and financially. The present study examines the impact of economic stressors on family and individual functioning reported by couples with emerging adult children in Portugal. Using a sample of 317 heterosexual middle-aged couples, structural equation models were built to assess the links between economic hardship, economic pressure, and family functioning and psychological well-being. Following an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) approach, both actor and partner effects were tested. The results showed that greater economic hardship was indirectly linked with (a) poor family functioning as reported by men and women, via the economic pressure felt by men, revealing an actor and a partner effect and (b) poor psychological well-being via each partner's own feeling of economic pressure, revealing only actor effects. Findings also indicated that economic stress processes may operate differently across socioeconomic status (SES) groups, with men from low/medium-low SES reporting a more pronounced association between economic pressure and family functioning. This study added support to previous literature on the adverse impact of economic stressors on family and individual functioning, extending family economic stress research to the Portuguese cultural setting and to an understudied stage of the family life cycle. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Information and Communication Technologies and Family: Patterns of Use, Life Cycle and Family Dynamics

Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy, 2016

Inventário de avaliação pessoal orientado para a crise em família (F-COPES)

Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra eBooks, Dec 19, 2016

cinco primeiras dimensões podem ser utilizadas como subescalas (alfa de Cronbach entre .75 e .88)... more cinco primeiras dimensões podem ser utilizadas como subescalas (alfa de Cronbach entre .75 e .88), devido à fraca consistência interna apresentada pelas outras duas. O estudo apresenta algumas limitações (e.g., amostra não probabilística de conveniência, não estratificada), sugerindo-se a continuidade dos estudos do F-COPES (e.g., melhorar as propriedades psicométricas dos fatores Avaliação Passiva e Aceitação Passiva).

Successful metabolic control in diabetes type 1 depends on individual neuroeconomic and health risk-taking decision endophenotypes: a new target in personalized care

Psychological Medicine, Mar 18, 2021

Background. Neurobehavioral decision profiles have often been neglected in chronic diseases despi... more Background. Neurobehavioral decision profiles have often been neglected in chronic diseases despite their direct impact on major public health issues such as treatment adherence. This remains a major concern in diabetes, despite intensive efforts and public awareness initiatives regarding its complications. We hypothesized that high rates of low adherence are related to risk-taking profiles associated with decision-making phenotypes. If this hypothesis is correct, it should be possible to define these endophenotypes independently based both on dynamic measures of metabolic control (HbA1C) and multidimensional behavioral profiles. Methods. In this study, 91 participants with early-stage type 1 diabetes fulfilled a battery of self-reported real-world risk behaviors and they performed an experimental task, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Results. K-means and two-step cluster analysis suggest a two-cluster solution providing information of distinct decision profiles (concerning multiple domains of risk-taking behavior) which almost perfectly match the biological partition, based on the division between stable or improving metabolic control (MC, N = 49) v. unstably high or deteriorating states (NoMC, N = 42). This surprising dichotomy of behavioral phenotypes predicted by the dynamics of HbA1C was further corroborated by standard statistical testing. Finally, the BART game enabled to identify groups differences in feedback learning and consequent behavioral choices under ambiguity, showing distinct group choice behavioral patterns. Conclusions. These findings suggest that distinct biobehavioral endophenotypes can be related to the success of metabolic control. These findings also have strong implications for programs to improve patient adherence, directly addressing risk-taking profiles.

Cross‐Cultural Validity of Bowen Theory in Southern European Countries

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Dec 1, 2019

We present a comparison between Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal to test the cross-cultural val... more We present a comparison between Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal to test the cross-cultural validity of the Differentiation of Self Inventory Revised (DSI-R) Scales of emotional cutoff (EC) and emotional reactivity (ER). Our study focuses on the importance of in-depth analyses of the differentiation of self-constructs from a cross-cultural perspective and reflects on the possibility of conceptualising the universality of Bowen theory in southern European countries. The study involved 1,807 healthy individuals. All participants completed the DSI-R (Skowron & Schmitt, 2003). It was found that the measurement models had a suitable fit for each country group. Nevertheless, in our study, the two DSI-R subscales, ER and EC, highlighted a weak invariance, specifically demonstrating only the invariance of the pattern factor loadings and the magnitude of factor loadings in the four samples. The empirical and clinical implications of these data are discussed.

Healthconomics: trust-based decision-making in the health context discriminates biological risk profiles in Type 1 Diabetes

Research Square (Research Square), Mar 29, 2022

Theoretical accounts on social decision-making under uncertainty postulate that individual risk p... more Theoretical accounts on social decision-making under uncertainty postulate that individual risk preferences are context-dependent. Generalization of models of decision-making to dyadic interactions in the personal health context remain to be experimentally addressed.In economic utility-based models, interactive behavioral games provide a framework to investigate probabilistic learning of sequential reinforcement. Here, we model an economic trust game in the context of a chronic disease (Diabetes Type 1) which involves iterated daily decisions in complex social contexts. Ninety-one patients performed experimental trust games in both economic and health settings and were characterized by a multiple self-report set of questionnaires. We found that although our groups can correctly infer pay-off contingencies, they behave differently because patients with a biological profile of preserved glycemic control show adaptive choice behavior both in economic and health domains. On the other hand, patients with a biological profile of loss of glycemic control presented a contrasting behavior, showing non-adaptive choices on both contexts. These results provide a direct translation from neuroeconomics to decision in the health domain and biological risk profiles, in a behavioural setting that required difficult and self-consequential decision with health impact. Our findings also provide a contextual generalization of mechanisms underlying individual decision under uncertainty.

Families navigating macroeconomic hard times: The particular case of Portuguese emerging adults and their parents

O Ciclo Vital da Família

Revista portuguesa de filosofia, 1997

Economic strain and quality of life among families with emerging adult children: The contributions of family rituals and family problem‐solving communication

Family Process, Apr 11, 2023

Young people and their families around the world are especially vulnerable to macroeconomic hard ... more Young people and their families around the world are especially vulnerable to macroeconomic hard times. This study sought to provide a more comprehensive view on how families with emerging adult children can successfully overcome economic distress. Specifically, we examined the links between economic strain—that is, the subjective perceptions of one's current and future financial situation—family ritual meaning, family problem‐solving communication, and quality of life, as reported by emerging adults and their parents. Data were collected from 1017 individuals nested in 334 families living in Portugal in 2016/2017. Results from multilevel modeling provided evidence for a negative impact of economic strain on family members' quality of life (β = −0.30, p &lt; 0.001); and for the role of family ritual meaning (β = 0.01, p = 0.022), but not family problem‐solving communication, as a buffer against the negative effect of economic strain on quality of life. Findings also suggested that the subjective evaluations that family members formulated about their financial situations played a greater role than objective economic conditions (e.g., income) in establishing a deeper understanding on the impact of economic demands on individuals and families' lives in today's complex financial world. This study provides a significant contribution to family economic stress research, advancing family ritual meaning as a key family dynamic contributing to positive adaptation to economic distress. The implications of these findings for clinical interventions include the potential benefits of symbolic forms of family communication in the work carried out with economically stressed family members.

Missingness Amount and Mechanisms in Family Economic Stress Research: Mapping (Non)answers to Economic-Related Variables of Fathers, Mothers, and Emerging Adult Children

Journal of family and economic issues, Jan 2, 2021

The percentage of missing data among economic-related items is likely to be particularly high. Th... more The percentage of missing data among economic-related items is likely to be particularly high. This study aimed at examining the amount, mechanisms, and variables associated with missingness of different family members participating in a family economic stress study. Portuguese emerging adults (N = 418) and their parents (N = 748) were required to answer objective and subjective economic items and complete measures assessing individual and family psychological functioning. Results showed that, for all participants, non-response was more likely to occur among objective economic items than among subjective ones. Children presented higher percentages of item/construct-level missingness than parents, which could reflect a reduced financial awareness on the part of these family members. Although the identification of mechanisms explaining missing data proved to be complex, family members’ missingness was associated with sociodemographic and psychological indicators, suggesting that non-answers do not occur purely by chance. Implications of these findings for further family economic stress research are discussed.

“Estudar, trabalhar, casar: quando?”: Extensão temporal das expectativas futuras de adultos emergentes portugueses

Durante a adultez emergente, a maioria das pessoas pensa nos compromissos que tenderão a definir ... more Durante a adultez emergente, a maioria das pessoas pensa nos compromissos que tenderão a definir a estrutura das suas vidas futuras 1,2 , provavelmente enfrentando mais decisões e transições neste período de vida do que em qualquer outro 8. Actualmente, considera-se que os principais processos de exploração de identidade ocorrem nesta fase 2 , sendo esta também descrita como um período de grande instabilidade 1,2 , a qual pode revelar-se mais acentuada em contextos macroeconómicos desfavoráveis 3. Apesar do número de estudos sobre a orientação para o futuro (i.e., imagem subjectiva que os indivíduos desenvolvem sobre o seu futuro) neste período desenvolvimental ter vindo a aumentar nos últimos anos 3,8 , a maioria foca-se no seu conteúdo temático-e.g., que expectativas futuras reportam os indivíduos?; quais os domínios de vida mais/menos salientes?-sendo dada menor atenção à sua extensão temporal, isto é, ao horizonte temporal previsto para a concretização dessas expectativas.

Enurese e enureses : as várias realidades dum mesmo fenómeno

Tese de doutoramento em Psicologia (Psicologia Clinica) apresentada a Fac. de Psicologia e de Cie... more

Qualidade de vida: versão reduzida (QOL-VR)

Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra eBooks, Dec 19, 2016

A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitali... more A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitalis, UC Pombalina e UC Impactum, pressupõem a aceitação plena e sem reservas dos Termos e Condições de Uso destas Bibliotecas Digitais, disponíveis em https://digitalis.uc.pt/pt-pt/termos. Conforme exposto nos referidos Termos e Condições de Uso, o descarregamento de títulos de acesso restrito requer uma licença válida de autorização devendo o utilizador aceder ao(s) documento(s) a partir de um endereço de IP da instituição detentora da supramencionada licença. Ao utilizador é apenas permitido o descarregamento para uso pessoal, pelo que o emprego do(s) título(s) descarregado(s) para outro fim, designadamente comercial, carece de autorização do respetivo autor ou editor da obra. Na medida em que todas as obras da UC Digitalis se encontram protegidas pelo Código do Direito de Autor e Direitos Conexos e demais legislação aplicável, toda a cópia, parcial ou total, deste documento, nos casos em que é legalmente admitida, deverá conter ou fazer-se acompanhar por este aviso. Qualidade de vida: versão reduzida (QOL-VR)

Avaliação familiar: vulnerabilidade, stress e adaptação vol. II

Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra eBooks, 2016

A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitali... more A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitalis, UC Pombalina e UC Impactum, pressupõem a aceitação plena e sem reservas dos Termos e Condições de Uso destas Bibliotecas Digitais, disponíveis em https://digitalis.uc.pt/pt-pt/termos. Conforme exposto nos referidos Termos e Condições de Uso, o descarregamento de títulos de acesso restrito requer uma licença válida de autorização devendo o utilizador aceder ao(s) documento(s) a partir de um endereço de IP da instituição detentora da supramencionada licença. Ao utilizador é apenas permitido o descarregamento para uso pessoal, pelo que o emprego do(s) título(s) descarregado(s) para outro fim, designadamente comercial, carece de autorização do respetivo autor ou editor da obra. Na medida em que todas as obras da UC Digitalis se encontram protegidas pelo Código do Direito de Autor e Direitos Conexos e demais legislação aplicável, toda a cópia, parcial ou total, deste documento, nos casos em que é legalmente admitida, deverá conter ou fazer-se acompanhar por este aviso.

Abnormal Responses in Cognitive Impulsivity Circuits Are Associated with Glycosylated Hemoglobin Trajectories in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Impaired Metabolic Control

Diabetes & Metabolism Journal, Nov 30, 2022

Background: Risky health decisions and impulse control profiles may impact on metabolic control i... more Background: Risky health decisions and impulse control profiles may impact on metabolic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We hypothesize that the neural correlates of cognitive impulsivity and decision-making in T1DM relate to metabolic control trajectories. Methods: We combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), measures of metabolic trajectories (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] over multiple time points) and behavioral assessment using a cognitive impulsivity paradigm, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), in 50 participants (25 T1DM and 25 controls). Results: Behavioral results showed that T1DM participants followed a rigid conservative risk strategy along the iterative game. Imaging group comparisons showed that patients showed larger activation of reward related, limbic regions (nucleus accumbens, amygdala) and insula (interoceptive saliency network) in initial game stages. Upon game completion differences emerged in relation to error monitoring (anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]) and inhibitory control (inferior frontal gyrus). Importantly, activity in the saliency network (ACC and insula), which monitors interoceptive states, was related with metabolic trajectories, which was also found for limbic/reward networks. Parietal and posterior cingulate regions activated both in controls and patients with adaptive decision-making, and positively associated with metabolic trajectories. Conclusion: We found triple converging evidence when comparing metabolic trajectories, patients versus controls or risk averse (non-learners) versus patients who learned by trial and error. Dopaminergic reward and saliency (interoceptive and error monitoring) circuits show a tight link with impaired metabolic trajectories and cognitive impulsivity in T1DM. Activity in parietal and posterior cingulate are associated with adaptive trajectories. This link between reward-saliency-inhibition circuits suggests novel strategies for patient management.

How culturally unique are pandemic effects? Evaluating cultural similarities and differences in effects of age, biological sex, and political beliefs on COVID impacts

Frontiers in Psychology

Despite being bio-epidemiological phenomena, the causes and effects of pandemics are culturally i... more Despite being bio-epidemiological phenomena, the causes and effects of pandemics are culturally influenced in ways that go beyond national boundaries. However, they are often studied in isolated pockets, and this fact makes it difficult to parse the unique influence of specific cultural psychologies. To help fill in this gap, the present study applies existing cultural theories via linear mixed modeling to test the influence of unique cultural factors in a multi-national sample (that moves beyond Western nations) on the effects of age, biological sex, and political beliefs on pandemic outcomes that include adverse financial impacts, adverse resource impacts, adverse psychological impacts, and the health impacts of COVID. Our study spanned 19 nations (participant N = 14,133) and involved translations into 9 languages. Linear mixed models revealed similarities across cultures, with both young persons and women reporting worse outcomes from COVID across the multi-national sample. Howev...

Employment Disruption and Wellbeing Among Young Adults: A Cross-National Study of Perceived Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown

Journal of Happiness Studies

Young adulthood (18-30 years old) is a crucial period due to its developmental tasks such as care... more Young adulthood (18-30 years old) is a crucial period due to its developmental tasks such as career establishment and financial independence. However, young adults' relative lack of resources makes them vulnerable to employment disruptions (job loss and income loss), which may have both immediate and long-term effects on their financial wellbeing and mental health. The economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions resulted in an increase in unemployment and a decrease in income worldwide, especially for young adults. This study examined to what extent and how job loss and income loss due to the pandemic influenced young adults' perception of their present financial wellbeing, future financial wellbeing, and psychological wellbeing by using cross-sectional survey data collected from six countries (China, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, and the United States). Results showed that the impact of income loss and job loss on all three types of wellbeing were mediated by young adults' negative perception of the COVID-19 lockdown restriction (i.e., perceived as a misfortune). Crosscountry differences existed in the key variables. The association between employment disruptions, young adults' perception of the COVID-19 lockdown restriction, and wellbeing were equivalent across countries except China. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Enfrentar a Velhice e a Doença Crónica

by Álvaro Mendes, Ana Relvas, and Liliana Sousa