Browsing by Author "Santos, Margarida"
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- Current impact of COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing: young adults' perspectivePublication . Andrade, Graça; Luís, Tamara; Santos, Margarida; Grilo, Ana; Pinto, Marta Vasconcelos; Rodrigues, Matilde A.; Almeida-Silva, MarinaThe European Commission referred to the COVID generation and highlighted an increase of 25% in the number of mental illness problems in adolescents and young people, related to COVID-19 and associated lockdown measures. A critical review of longitudinal studies about the impact of COVID-19 on youth mental health points out the increase in: externalized disorders; suicide ideation and attempts; frequency and problematic use of substances in some higher-risk youth; disordered eating symptomatology. Aims of the study: to understand how young adults perceive short and long-term consequences (positive and negative) of the pandemic on their mental health and psychological well-being; to relate the individual characteristics relevant to psychological adaptation to the pandemic with positive and negative perceptions of pandemic consequences.
- Experiences and post traumatic growth in siblings of cancer childhood survivorsPublication . Santos, Margarida; Torrado, J.; Varela, M.; Moura, M. J.Siblings of children with cancer often experience the disease silently and alone. Despite acknowledging the negative impact of that experience, recent studies have included positive consequences and the possibility of post-traumatic growth (PTG). Research on PTG in siblings is still scarce. This study aimed to explore siblings' memories of their experience during the initial phase of the disease and their perception of the influence of that experience on their self-concept; relationship with others; the meaning of life; and personal and professional choices. A semi-structured in-depth interview according to PTG Model (Tedeschi & Calhoun 1995) was used. A total of 19 siblings (age 17y-32y; 62% female) participated. Results: regarding memories, five themes emerged (related to their brother/sister; to their parents; to changes in family life; to the hospital and other sick children; and to him/herself during the initial phase of the disease). Siblings recognized the influence of some of their experiences on the PTG components. With regards to self-perception, siblings spoke of autonomy; capacity for problems relativization; capacity to live with responsibilities, and in parallel they mentioned introversion; emotional fragility; devaluation of self-emotional feelings, and post-traumatic symptoms. Most siblings mentioned being more able to understand the suffering of others but more exigent in their social e emotional relations. Their learned perception of the ephemerality of life brought the need not to waste time and at the same time greater insecurity in relation to possible unexpected losses. These results highlight the late effects of sibling experiences of children with cancer.
- Influence of cognitive factors on adherence to social distancing and the use of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic by young adults: a systematic reviewPublication . Almeida-Silva, Marina; Andrade, Graça; Luis, Tamara; Santos, Margarida; Grilo, AnaSocial distancing and the use of masks are crucial to prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2. Knowledge of the determinants of this behavior is essential to promote effective communication with the public in future public health crises that require mass public compliance with preventive behaviors. This systematic review focused on scientific evidence related to cognitive factors that underlie young adults’ intention to adhere to preventive social behavior (distancing and/or the use of facial masks) against COVID-19. A systematic literature search on the electronic databases, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO was performed in December 2022 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The PEO (Population: young adults, Exposure: COVID-19, and Outcome: cognitive factors that underlie the intention of young adults to adhere to social distancing and/or the use of facial masks) was developed to identify search terms and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Eight studies met the eligibility criteria. None of the studies were seriously flawed according to the quality assessment, and they were considered to have a low risk of bias for selection. Several cognitive determinants emerged in the analysis. For social distancing and the use of masks, the most relevant factors related to adherence include risk perception and perceived severity, the moral value of fairness, social responsibility, trust in the government, respect for authority, and the quality of institutional communication. Adherence to social distancing was found related to self-efficacy. These results reinforce social cognitive models showing the relevance of cognitions to adherence behavior and highlight the responsibility of official institutions in the development of contexts and in adapting the communication for the effective promotion of adherence to the recommendations they launch.
- Knowledge, beliefs and information about medicinesPublication . Andrade, Graça; Coelho, André; Grilo, Ana Monteiro; Santos, MargaridaObjetivos do estudo: 1) Caracterizar as crenças sobre medicamentos; 2) Avaliar o conhecimento sobre de psicofármacos, antibióticos, analgésicos e anti-inflamatórios; 3) Identificar as percepções relacionadas com a informação e fontes de informação sobre segurança dos medicamentos; 4) Identificar agrupamentos homogéneos tendo como base as variáveis em estudo com vista à segmentação da comunicação.
- Maternal pre and perinatal experiences with their full-term, preterm and very preterm newbornsPublication . Gonçalves, Joana L.; Fuertes, Marina; Alves, Maria João; Antunes, Sandra; Almeida, Ana Rita; Casimiro, Rute; Santos, MargaridaBackground: Mothers' reports about pregnancy, maternity, and their experiences during the perinatal period have been associated with infants' later quality of attachment and development. Yet, there has been little research on mothers of very preterm newborns. This study aimed to explore mothers' experiences related to pregnancy, premature birth, relationship with the newborn, and future perspectives, and to compare them in the context of distinct infants' at-birth-risk conditions. Methods: A semi-structured interview was conducted with women after birth, within the first 72 h of the newborn's life. A total of 150 women participated and were divided into three groups: (1) 50 mothers of full-term newborns (Gestational Age (GA)≥37 weeks; FT), (2) 50 mothers of preterm newborns (GA 32-36 weeks; PT) and (3) 50 mothers of very preterm newborns (GA<32 weeks; VPT). Results: Mothers of full-term infants responded more often that their children were calm and did not expect difficulties in caring for and providing for the baby. Mothers of preterm newborns although having planned and accepted the pregnancy well (with no mixed or ambivalent feelings about it) and while being optimistic about their competence to take care of the baby, mentioned feeling frightened because of the unexpected occurrence of premature birth and its associated risks. Mothers of very preterm newborns reported more negative and distressful feelings while showing more difficulties in anticipating the experience of caring for their babies. Conclusion: The results indicate that Health Care Systems and Neonatal Care Policy should provide differentiated psychological support and responses to mothers, babies, and families, considering the newborns' GA and neonatal risk factors.
- Potenciais evocados somatossensitivos de curta latência: valor preditivo após paragem cardiorrespiratóriaPublication . Fernandes, Ana Leonor; Carneiro, Carolina; Santos, Margarida; Viegas, Ana; Cruz, Cláudia; Oliveira, Daniel DiasIntrodução - Os Potenciais Evocados Somatossensitivos (PESS) são um teste neurofisiológico e a sua principal utilidade clínica, em contexto de Paragem Cardiorrespiratória (PCR), consiste no poder de prognóstico para um indivíduo acordar de um coma. A ausência de respostas corticais, nomeadamente do potencial N20 nos PESS do nervo mediano, sugerem uma lesão das projeções tálamo-corticais e têm sido correlacionadas com desfechos desfavoráveis. A determinação deste desfecho é de extrema importância, visto que uma das causas de morte entre os sobreviventes de PCR é a limitação ou retirada das medidas de suporte vital, devido à antecipação de um mau prognóstico neurológico. Desenvolvimento - A PCR consiste na “cessação de atividade mecânica cardíaca, que se confirma pela ausência de sinais de circulação”, podendo ocorrer em contexto intra ou extrahospitalar. É imperativo atuar de imediato em vítimas de PCR e, de forma a melhorar a eficácia do socorro, recorre-se a uma sequência de atitudes essenciais, conhecida como cadeia de sobrevivência. Após a PCR, é necessária a implementação de cuidados pós-reanimação, que visam melhorar a taxa de sobrevivência da vítima e assegurar o funcionamento íntegro dos órgãos, principalmente o coração e cérebro. Assim, é fundamental determinar o desfecho neurológico, visando otimizar o tratamento e perceber que pacientes beneficiarão do prolongamento de medidas de suporte vital, bem como aumentar a probabilidade de uma recuperação neurológica significativa. É recomendada uma abordagem multimodal, na qual se englobam os PESS. Na realização dos PESS com estimulação do nervo mediano, a onda N20 é o principal potencial cortical gerado pelo córtex somatossensitivo primário, sendo que a sua ausência poderá refletir uma lesão da projeção tálamo-cortical, que poderá impedir o despertar do coma. Assim, quando os PESS são realizados 24h após retorno da circulação espontânea (RCE), a ausência bilateral da onda N20 é preditora de um mau desfecho neurológico. Contudo, a ausência desta onda só tem significado clínico se estiver associada à preservação dos potenciais periféricos. Apesar do seu elevado valor preditivo de mau desfecho neurológico, o papel dos PESS de curta-latência enquanto preditor de bom prognóstico é falível e cerca de metade dos pacientes que apresentam uma N20 preservada bilateralmente mantêm um mau desfecho neurológico. Os PESS devem ser realizados a todos os doentes em coma ≥72h após RCE com Glasgow Motor Score ≤3 e sem a presença de fatores de confusão. Conclusão - Apesar das suas limitações, os PESS de curta latência têm um valor preditivo importante após PCR e o valor dos Potenciais Evocados enquanto preditores para avaliação prognóstica tem sido cada vez mais estudado. O seu papel apresenta um futuro promissor na determinação do desfecho neurológico dos pacientes comatosos.
- Public information on medication safety: sources, perceived reliability and the influence of educational levelPublication . Andrade, Graça; Grilo, Ana; Santos, Margarida; Coelho, AndréBackground: WHO declared medication safety (MS) a patient safety global concern, placing patient engagement as the centerpiece. Most health psychology models enhance beliefs' influence on health behaviors, being an information-processing determinant of health beliefs. This process it’s influenced by meanings given to information and its sources. Aims: To identify the main information sources about MS, focusing on the Portuguese medicine agency (INFARMED), and assess their perceived reliability and efficacy in transmitting information to the public, considering educational level. Methodology: Data was collected using a convenience sample of 782 participants, who completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic data and perceptions about public information on MS. Study was approved by University Ethics Committee. Results: Pharmacies, doctors, INFARMED and Google represent the top-4 sources of information. Only Google is perceived as non-reliable. 7.7% of the participants never heard about INFARMED, with lower frequencies in higher educational levels (p=0.007). The majority of participants consider INFARMED a reliable source and effective in transmitting information about MS, but its perceived efficacy reduces with increased education levels (p<0.001). The same for the impact of more information in raising confidence in medicines (p=0.05). Stop taking the medicine and searching for more information are the most commonly reported consequences of receiving information about a MS problem, with higher frequencies on the lowest education level (p<0.001). Conclusion: Public sources of information are well known and seen as credible, though educated participants seem to be more demanding of the quality and reliability of the information.
- What people think about medicines and its prescription by doctors: a study in PortugalPublication . Santos, Margarida; Grilo, Ana; Andrade, Graça; Coelho, AndréDespite the general recognition of the benefits of adherence to medical regimes, it has been estimated that 50% of medicines prescribed for long-term illness are not taken as recommended. Adherence is a multidetermined process. The Extended Common‐Sense Model proposes the inclusion of beliefs about medicines as mediators between illness representations and adherence. Stronger beliefs about medicines and their harmful effects have been associated with higher levels of nonadherence. Objective: Explore general beliefs about medicines, and their recommendation by doctors among the Portuguese general population (age > 18 years) who use community pharmacy. Methodology: The two subscales, “general overuse” and general harm”, of the “The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire” (BMQ) and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used. IBM SPSS 26 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 847 Portuguese adults participated, 331 (39,1%) were 25-44 years of age; 427 (50,4%) concluded secondary education, and 198 (23,4%) reported having a chronic condition. The majority of participants endorse the belief that most medicines are addictive, and a large percentage agreed that they are toxic, that doctors overprescribed and could benefit from hearing patients; and that natural remedies are safer than medicines. Differences were found considering age (p=0,093), sex(p=0,08), and having active working (p=0,045) with stronger beliefs in young adults and adults, in males and no active workers. No differences were found considering the presence/absence of chronic disease". These results are discussed considering their possible contribution to the promotion of adherence through better communication with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.