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- Experiências sexuais online, satisfação com a relação amorosa e dependência do smartphonePublication . Leal, Caroline; Patrão, Ivone; Leal, Isabel
- What distresses sexual well-being among older adults in different cultures? A qualitative study with Slovenian and Portuguese older adultsPublication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Rolo, J.; Ribeiro-Gonçalves, José Alberto; Benko, Ester; Low, Gail; Leal, IsabelObjective To analyze the perspectives of sexual unwellness (SU) of Portuguese and Slovenian older adults was the objective of this study. A qualitative research was carried out, in which these perceptions were analyzed at a cultural level. Methods The sample of this study consisted of 136 older participants, between 65 and 96 years of age. Participants were of two different nationalities and lived in the community. Participants were interviewed, and all interviews were carried out through the process of literal transcription and subsequent content analysis. Results Eight key mutually exclusive themes emerged from the interviews: unavailability of partner; traditional values; body restrictions; low self-esteem and well-being; poor social support; dissatisfaction with physical appearance; pain during sex; and difficulties meeting new people. Unavailability of partner was the most important theme (17.9%) for the studied sample and specifically among Portuguese participants. Conversely, difficulties meeting new people were the least reported theme (6.8%) for the entire sample. For Slovenians traditional values were most relevant with respect to feeling sexually unwell. Conclusions Older adults from two different countries reported diverse sexual experiences. Eight mutual-exclusive themes were extensively illustrated. Policy Implications These findings are evidence for cultural-adapted interventions and policy making in the context of older adults’ sexual well-being, particularly in terms of its relation with aging well.
- Older and heavier: How obesity is experienced by older adults?Publication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Ilyas, Namrah; Leal, IsabelThe interplay between obesity and mental health in old age is complex and widely impacted by different biological, psychological, and social factors. The primary objectives of this qualitative research study are: a) To explore the influence of obesity on older adults’ well-being; b) to understand emotional experiences related to obesity in old age and; c) to explore how obesity influences the mental health of older adults. This study included 692 participants aged 65 to 84 years (M = 73.9; SD = 5.61) from three different nationalities (English, Spanish, and Portuguese). The study involved in-depth interviews conducted via telephone or online, with questions designed to elicit detailed narratives about participants’ experiences, and the data were analyzed using content analysis to identify key themes and patterns. This study identified four main themes regarding the influence of obesity on older adults’ well-being: (1) Body image dissatisfaction (66%); (2) Fat shaming (65%); (3) Increased isolation (57%); and (4) Loss of opportunities (46%). Three main themes for emotional experiences were frequently verbalized by the participants: (1) Shame (81%); (2) Guilt (78%); and (2) Worthlessness (76%). Finally, three main influences in mental health due to obesity were reported: (1) Self-esteem (88%); (2) Distress (78%); and (3) Depression (63%). These results highlighted that obesity negatively influences older adults’ well-being and emotional experiences and has serious mental healthrelated negative outcomes for older adults. Interventions like communitybased weight loss programs can be effective in controlling weight and improving the social interaction of obese older adults.
- Back to kindergarten? Paternalistic care behavior in healthcare contexts and older adults’ mental healthPublication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Silva, Sara; Leal, IsabelObjectives: Paternalistic care behavior in health contexts reduces involvement in the decision-making process and dissatisfaction in healthcare, which may negatively influence older adults’ mental health. This study comprised two main objectives: (1) to explore older adults’ experiences of paternalistic behavior in the context of health services and (2) analyze the influence of paternalistic behavior on older adults’ mental health. Methods: The sample involved 416 participants aged 65 to 81 (M = 70.1 ± 5.73) with three different nationalities (English, Brazilian ad Portuguese). All interviews went through content analysis. Results: For the first objective, content analysis identified seven themes: (1) perceived inattention to the uniqueness of each person (81%); (2) feeling a duality of supporting and suppressing independence (79%); (3) selective disclosure of information to keep the person’s spirit up (74%); (4) feeling neglected (66%); (5) feeling unable to make decisions (64%); (6) receiving opposition to the person’s requests (60%); and (7) routine actions being considered as the best action (57%). For the second objective, three main themes emerged: (1) feeling anxious and stressed (88%); (2) feeling frustration and despair (87%); and (3) feeling injustice and anger (72%). Conclusions: Healthcare paternalism negatively affects older adults’ mental health, emphasizing the need for their agency, involvement in decisions, and personalized care. These findings highlight the negative influence of paternalistic behavior on the mental health of older adults and may contribute to future targeted interventions and policy programs among the older population.
- Are the children alright? A systematic review of psychological adjustment of children conceived by assisted reproductive technologiesPublication . Carneiro, Francis Anne Teplitzky; Leong, Valéria; Nóbrega, Sara; Salinas-Quiroz, Fernando; Costa, Pedro Alexandre; Leal, IsabelThe present systematic review aims to assess the psychological adjustment of children born through assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and to screen for clinical problems when compared with normative data from the standardized indexes of mental health. Following PRISMA guidelines, the search was conducted from inception through September 2021 using APA PsycInfo, APA PsycArticles, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, Academic Search Complete, Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo, and RCAAP. Search terms related to ART and children’s psychological adjustment were combined to Boolean operators to identify relevant published studies in English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Peer-reviewed studies focused on the psychological adjustment of ART children aged between the 3 and 11 years were included. From a total of 337 results, 45 papers were eligible to be included in this review. Data extraction was performed independently by two authors and revised and confrmed by other two authors. All children scored below the clinical range for psychiatric symptoms when compared with normative data for the Strengths and Difculties Questionnaire (SDQ) or the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA), regardless of type of ART and diferent family confgurations. Further, some evidence suggests that surrogacy children with gay fathers present the lowest levels of psychological problems when compared to normative data. These fndings enable practitioners to develop an informed view of ART children mental health outcomes to help parents fnd more adaptive strategies to navigate their chosen pathways in healthier ways
- Expressão emocional : análise fatorial e qualidades psicométricas do DDI e Opener ScalePublication . Rocha, Raquel; Antunes, Catarina; Figueiroa, Francisca; Carixas, Inês; Ramos, Catarina; Leal, Isabel
- PreâmbuloPublication . Ribeiro-Gonçalves, José Alberto; Garcês, Soraia; Leal, Isabel
- A expressão emocional, o suporte social e o ajustamento diádico no crescimento pós-traumático em doentes oncológicosPublication . Figueiroa, Francisca; Antunes, Catarina; Carixas, Inês; Rocha, Raquel; Ramos, Catarina; Leal, Isabel
- ‘The War Made Me a Better Person’: Syrian Refugees’ Meaning-Making Trajectories in the Aftermath of Collective TraumaPublication . Matos, Lisa; Costa, Pedro Alexandre; Park, Crystal; Indart, Monica J.; Leal, Isabelfirst_pagesettings Open AccessArticle ‘The War Made Me a Better Person’: Syrian Refugees’ Meaning-Making Trajectories in the Aftermath of Collective Trauma by Lisa Matos 1,*ORCID,Pedro A. Costa 1ORCID,Crystal L. Park 2ORCID,Monica J. Indart 3 andIsabel Leal 1 1 William James Center for Research, ISPA—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal 2 Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA 3 Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Academic Editors: Alessandra Talamo and Camilla Modesti Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8481; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168481 Received: 6 July 2021 / Revised: 3 August 2021 / Accepted: 6 August 2021 / Published: 11 August 2021 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Refugees across Communities: Health and Place Attachment in Resettlement) Download PDF Browse Figure Citation Export Abstract The centrality of the collective to Syrian identity and the ability of war to disrupt community ties have led to significant violations of Syrians’ pre-war assumptions about themselves, the world, and their place in the world. Guided by the integrated meaning-making model, this qualitative cross-sectional study assessed Syrian refugees’ meaning trajectories through their reappraisals of the war, attempts to repair community-informed shattered meanings, and those processes’ outputs (i.e., meanings-made) and outcomes (i.e., perceived psychological adjustment). We conducted semi-structured cognitive interviews with 39 Syrian war-exposed adults living in urban communities across Portugal, most of whom were beneficiaries of higher education programs for refugees. Interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. Results suggest that the war severely disrupted Syrians’ sense of collective self, and that they repeatedly engaged in search for meaning, appraisals of the war, and reappraisals of shattered beliefs, life goals, and sense of purpose, both during wartime and in resettlement. In Portugal, despite persistent negative beliefs about the collective and ongoing and distressing searches for meaning, participants’ lived experiences concomitantly informed positive meaning reappraisals, including progressive restoration of worldviews, new opportunities for self-realization, and newly-found purpose, leading to perceived psychological benefits and growth. These findings suggest that meaning-making is both a trajectory and a dynamic process, informed by place and sociopolitical context. Clinical work to facilitate adaptive meaning-making and meaning-informed psychosocial interventions that help restore refugees’ shattered beliefs about safety, predictability, trust, and belonging, may be helpful directions to promote positive psychological adjustment and improve long-term integration prospects in refugees.
- Patterns of sexuality, adjustment to aging and satisfaction with life: A cluster analysis of adults across the lifespanPublication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Miguel, Isabel; Low, Gail; Leal, IsabelSexual satisfaction, adjustment to aging, and satisfaction with life are relevant dimensions of overall well-being across the life cycle. Through cluster analysis procedures, this study aims to describe the specific profile of adjustment to aging, sexual satisfaction and satisfaction with life of adults across the life span. This cross-sectional study involved a community-based sample of 619 Portuguese individuals, aged between 18 and 92 years old (M=47.53 SD=18.34) evaluated using a two-step cluster analysis. Fours clusters emerged. The most adjusted participants were mostly of a younger age, women and had a high education. The least adjusted participants globally presented low education, poor perceived health, and poor engagement in leisure activities. Well-being focused participants were mostly women of older age, with high education and spirituality. Finally, moderately satisfied participants were mostly men of older age, had a lower education, and presented poor reported health. Complementary comparative analysis among the identified subgroups was performed. The most adjusted participants had the highest perceived overall sexual well-being, sexual attractiveness, sexual openness and communication, and sexual satisfaction. These data characterize the profile of this population and can be used as the basis for developing efficient strategies aimed a combining adjustment to aging, satisfaction with life and sexual satisfaction for tailored interventions to the specific needs of populations across the lifespan.