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- Construção e Validação da ERSMG: Escala de Representações Sonoro-musicais na GravidezPublication . Carvalho, Maria Eduarda; Justo, JoãoThis paper describes the construction and validation of the Scale of Sound-Music Representations in Pregnancy (SSMRP). This scale was used with a sample of 211 pregnant women at the second and at the third trimesters of gestation, before the morphologic ultrasound examination by the 22nd week of gestation and previously to the ultrasound examination at the 32nd week of gestation. The SSMRP aims to assess the level of sound-music sensibility from the 22nd week of gestation on. After several factorial analysis and the respective internal consistency analysis, it was decided to retain an unifactorial structure with 25 items and a good internal consistency (α = .815).The adequate psychometric consistency of this scale allows the access to a variable of study yet less developed in research, but that we consider as pertinent to evaluate its relation with the study of the psychological organization during pregnancy and, particularly with the mother-fetus liaison.
- A Defensive "stand-by reaction" at Critical Moments of the Reproductive Life CyclePublication . Justo, JoãoInvestigation about the psychological experiences of the reproductive life cycle showed that in critical moments special reactions may happen. These reactions seem to be defensive in nature, are set in motion in order to promote some kind of emotional protection and are performed in two opposite directions: a) a decreasing of the contact with aggressive impulses and b) an increasing of the use of rationalization and denial of frustrating situations. Examples of those rearrangements were observed at samples of: 1) pregnant women in obstetric high-risk consultation, 2) infertile couples waiting for infertility consultations and 3) pregnant women waiting for amniocentesis results. These data seem to be in accordance with the classical psychological points of view: a) gestation should be considered as a period of protection, b) during pregnancy a “primary maternal preoccupation” (Winnicot, 1958) emerges leading to the mobilization of all resources available for pregnant women and c) along gestational development psychological changes show how flexible maternal functioning may become. What was not expected is that in the absence of pregnancy, infertile couples should behave very similarly to what it is observed when pregnancy is in danger or when medical problems about the mother’s or the baby’s health arise in the horizon. Due to its “freezing” consequences upon emotional development we propose that this kind of reaction will be designated as “stand-by reaction”.
- Reading Processes and Parenting StylesPublication . Carreteiro, Rui; Justo, João; Figueira, AnaHome literacy environment explains between 12 and 18.5% of the variance of children’s language skills. Although most authors agree that children whose parents encourage them to read tend to develop better and earlier reading skills, some authors consider that the impact of family environment in reading skills is overvalued. Probably, other variables of parent–child relationship, like parenting styles, might be relevant for this field. Nevertheless, no previous studies on the effect of parenting styles in literacy have been found. To analyze the role of parenting styles in the reading processes of children. Children’s perceptions of parenting styles contribute significantly to the explanation of statistical variance of children’s reading processes. 110 children (67 boys and 43 girls), aged between 7 and 11 years (M=9.22 and SD = 1.14) from Portuguese schools answered to a socio-demographic questionnaire. To assess reading processes it was administered the Portuguese adaptation (Figueira et al. in press) of Bateria de Avaliação dos Processos Leitores-Revista (PROLEC-R). To assess the parenting styles Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran-parents (EMBU-P) and EMBU-C (children version) were administered. According to multiple hierarchical linear regressions, individual factors contribute to explain all reading tests of PROLEC-R, while family factors contribute to explain most of these tests. Regarding parenting styles, results evidence the explanatory power about grammatical structures, sentence comprehension and listening. Parenting styles have an important role in the explanation of higher reading processes (syntactic and semantic) but not in lexical processes, focused by main theories concerning dyslexia.
- Parenting styles and psychopatology: the importance of grandparentsPublication . Carreteiro, Rui; Justo, JoãoBackground: Controversy exists regarding the role played by parent-children relationships for children’s behavioral and psychosocial development. Crucial for some authors, others consider parenting styles as part of a more complex system. Less adaptive parenting styles are generally associated with childrenwhohave lower involvement at school and may contribute for psychopathology emergence. Objectives: To investigate the contribution of parenting styles for the explanation of child psychopathology. Hypothesis: Parenting styles (H1) and parents’ childhood memories regarding parenting styles (H2) do contribute significantly for the explanation of statistical variance of children’s psychopathology. Method: Participants: 110 children (67 boys, 43 girls) aged 7-11 years (M = 9.22, SD = 1.14) from schools in Portugal as well as 83 fathers and 86 mothers; Instruments: For parenting styles, the Portuguese version of EMBU memories of upbringing (for parents regarding their own parents), EMBU-P (for parents) and EMBU-C (for children) were used. To assess children’s psychopathology the Portuguese version of CBCL was used. Results: According to linear regressions, individual and family factors do contribute significantly for the explanation of all CBCL’s indexes. EMBU-C regarding mothers’ parenting styles only explains the Hyperactivity/Attention index. EMBU-P explains most of CBCL’s indexes. Mothers’ and Fathers’ EMBU Memories of Upbringing explains the overall CBCL’s indexes. Conclusions: The explanation of children’s psychopathology by parenting styles is not restricted to parents’ representations regarding their own parenting styles nor to children’s perceptions regarding parenting styles but extends to memories of parents regarding parenting styles used by theirownparents. The ability of EMBUMemoriesof Upbringing to explain children’s psychopathology seems to exceed the EMBU-P’s and EMBU-C’s capacity.
- Caesarean Birth vs. Vaginal Delivery: Effects upon Maternal Satisfaction, Maternal Confidence and Maternal Perception of the Newborn BehaviourPublication . Justo, João; Marques, Ana Raquel; Ferreira, AnaIn order to test the hypothesis that caesarean birth has negative consequences upon newly mothers’ satisfaction and perceptions, women delivering by caesarean birth (WCB) were compared with women delivering by vaginal birth (WVB). Subjects: 180 newly mothers; 93 WCB and 87 WVB. Instruments: A Socio-Demographic Questionnaire developed for this research, the Childbirth Perceptions Questionnaire and the Mother and Baby Scales. Results: WCB had significantly lower scores in perceptions of baby as alert/responsive and nearly significant lower scores for baby as alert during feeds. WVB showed a significantly higher level of satisfaction with delivery and conduct during labour, as also had significantly lower scores for perceptions of baby as irritable during feeds and for lack of confidence in feeds. After controlling for the kind of anesthesia received in labour, three conclusions must be taken into account: 1) between WCB with regional anaesthesia and WCB with general anaesthesia there is only one significant difference, with the former having higher scores for perception of baby as alert during feeds; 2) between WVB with regional anaesthesia and WVB with no anaesthesia there are only two significant differences, with the former having higher scores for lack of confidence in feeding and having lower scores for global confidence; 3) between WCB with regional anaesthesia and WVB with regional anaesthesia four significant differences emerge, with the former having a lower level of satisfaction with delivery and conduct in labour and having lower scores for perception of baby as alert responsive, and also having higher scores of perception of baby as irritable in feeds and higher scores for lack of confidence in feeding. Data seem compatible with the hypothesis that caesarean birth has some negative consequences upon mothers’ satisfaction and perceptions and, for this reason, psychological surveys should constitute a routine procedure in maternity hospitals, especially when newly mothers pertain to families affected by risks of psychological or social nature.
- Evolução da ansiedade e dos mecanismos de defesa ao longo da gravidezPublication . Justo, João; Leal, Maria Rita Mendes, 1921-Nos dias de hoje, o ciclo de vida dos seres humanos ó alvo de investigações e tentativas de controlo cada vez mais aperfeiçoadas. Paralelamente, a vivência psicológica da gestação e dos estados de infertilidade, reprodução e procriação ocupa um lugar cada vez mais importante nos estudos que visam aperfeiçoar as unidades globais de saúde e de protecção social da mulher grávida, do nascituro e da família que acolhe no seu seio um recém- nascido. No estudo que agora encetamos, centrar-nos-emos, sobretudo, no estudo dos recursos psicológicos que permitem uma evolução saudável da grávida, da jovem mãe e da família em que se integra. Interessa-nos aclarar os elementos facilitadores da boa resolução adaptativa neste momento crítico da vida, que facilitam uma interacção adequada entre as necessidades evolutivas do bebé e as capacidades estruturantes da organização familiar. Desejando delimitar o problema, propusemo-nos estudar a forma como os mecanismos de defesa e a ansiedade evoluem durante a gravidez. Estas dimensões foram escolhidas a partir da prospecção sumária que fizemos neste campo e dos instrumentos de pesquisa à nossa disposição. Na nossa opinião, a utilidade desta proposta ;de estudo deveria ser extensível à elucidação de outras questões da mulher grávida. Por exemplo, parece importante esclarecer porquê determinadas mulheres revelam todas as condições fisiológicas necessárias para a gravidez e não conseguem reproduzir? Ou porquê determinadas mulheres têm uma gravidez serena e sem complicações e apresentam dificuldades graves no trabalho de parto? Porquê algumas se deprimem após o trabalho de parto e outras não? E ainda, porquê algumas jovens mães têm tantas dificuldades em se organizarem na relação precoce mãe-filho sem que, para isso, se evidenciem motivos biológicos e sociais. (...)
- O Contributo dos Fatores Psicológicos na Ocorrência do Parto Pré-termoPublication . Camarneiro, Ana Paula; Justo, JoãoSome psychological variables of women seem to be in close relationship with the clinical course of pregnancy and delivery outcome. However, about risk factors for preterm birth, it is necessary to deepen the knowledge of the psychological risk area to enable more effective prevention. Aim: To relate the result of delivery, with regard to gestational age, mode of delivery and infant characteristics with psychological variables assessed during pregnancy, prenatal maternal attachment, psychopathological symptomatology and coping. Methodology: A prospective, descriptive correlational study; participants were 395 women at the second trimester of pregnancy and at postpartum, who attended antenatal clinics at the center of Portugal. The following instruments were used: Clinical Questionnaire about the Result of Delivery; Sociodemographic and Clinical Questionnaire in Pregnancy; Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale; Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI); Problems’ Resolution Inventory (PRI). Results: Gestational age and birth weight of the baby, on one side, and variables of prenatal attachment, BSI and PRI, on the other side, did not correlate significantly. The quality of prenatal maternal attachment was higher in women who came to have a delivery by forceps or vacuum extraction, compared with those that had caesarean birth (p = .05). The majority of women had a healthy pregnancy (75.7%). Coping strategies like Interpersonal Sensitivity and Help-seeking seem to influence the occurrence of obstetrical pathology. Women with higher scores on Total Prenatal Attachment and Intensity of Preocupation are more likely to have newborns with health problems. There is an association between clinical variables, the newborn´s health at birth and obstetric pathology of the II and III trimesters. Conclusion: Prenatal psychological factors such as prenatal attachment do not seem to influence the obstetric condition or the result of delivery but appear to play an important role about how pregnant women experience pregnancy and labor.
- Infants' overlapping vocalizations during maternal humming : Contributions to the synchronization of preterm dyadsPublication . Carvalho, Maria Eduarda; Justo, João; Gratier, Maya; Rodrigues, HelenaAbstract Despite the neurological vulnerability of premature newborns, there is evidence that they are able to process temporal aspects of the maternal voice, as a previous study observed more overlapping vocalizations during maternal humming versus speech. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the markers of the infants’ overlapping vocalizations. Our aim was to identify the location of overlapping vocalizations during the humming and the impacts of maternal antenatal and postnatal engagement of infant-directed singing on: (1) the features of humming and (2) the infants’ overlapping vocalizations during humming. Preterm dyads (N = 36) were observed in silent, speech, and humming conditions. Microanalysis was performed using the Elan Program to identify the location of the overlapping vocalizations during the humming phrase. Infants’ overlapping vocalizations were found predominantly at the ends of each humming phrase; almost half of the overlaps occurred on the final note. More overlapping vocalization in the final notes were observed in female infants. Antenatal and postnatal experiences of ID singing are influenced by the mothers’ nationality and contribute to maternal humming style. Preterm newborns synchronize with maternal humming, anticipating the end of musical phrases. The ability to synchronize seems to be phylogenetically associated with gender differences.
- Defence Mechanisms of Infertile Couples vs Fertile CouplesPublication . Justo, João; Melo, Vanessa; Ferreira, AnaDefence mechanisms (DM) were investigated in infertile couples (n = 60) waiting for their first infertility consultation, making use of the Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI). When compared with results of fertile couples (n = 60), infertile men and women showed a significant trend to avoid the use of defence mechanisms that enable the expression of aggressive impulses as well as a tendency to overuse defence mechanisms that enable the rationalization and negation of frustrating sutations. Such data seem to indicate the presence of defensive inflexibility in couples affected by reproductive stress, while in common couples defensive flexibility is to be expected.
- The Portuguese Version of the Placental Paradigm Questionnaire at the Third Trimester of PregnancyPublication . Carvalho, Maria Eduarda; Justo, JoãoThe purpose of this article is to present the adaptation and factorial validation of the Placental Paradigm Questionnaire (PPQ) for the Portuguese population. Method: The original PPQ was translated into Portuguese (designated as ‘Questionário do Paradigma Placentário’, QPP) and then back-translated into English; the Portuguese and the back-translated versions were evaluated by a panel of experts. The participants were 189 pregnant Portuguese women, interviewed twice while waiting for sonogram examinations. At first, between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation, an Informed Consent was obtained as well as sociodemographic information. Between 28 and 36 weeks of gestation, participants answered the QPP. Results: The principal components analysis showed items to load mainly on two factors: in factor one, loads ranged between .778 and .522, while in factor 2, loads ranged between .658 and .421. Accordingly, two subscales of prenatal maternal orientation to motherhood were considered: (1) Facilitator Factor (α = .815) and Regulator Factor (α = .770). Conclusion: Overall, these data suggest that the Portuguese version of the QPP is a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of prenatal orientation for motherhood. In the future, QPP measurements will allow to relate maternal orientation to motherhood with other variables of psychic organisation in pregnancy and after birth.