Percorrer por autor "Almeida, Telma Catarina"
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- Adverse childhood experiences : relationship with empathy and alexithymiaPublication . Cerqueira, Andreia; Almeida, Telma CatarinaSeveral studies showed that adults who have experienced childhood adversity are more likely to develop alexithymia and low empathy. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the relationship between childhood adversity and alexithymia and empathy in adulthood and verify a predictive explanatory model of alexithymia. The sample comprised 92 adults who responded to the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Childhood History Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Alexithymia Scale of Toronto. Childhood adversity showed a positive relationship with alexithymia and a negative relationship with empathy. Predictive validity showed that marital status, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and empathic concern predicted higher alexithymia scores. These results show the impact of these childhood experiences on adult life, underlining the importance of developing intervention programs in this field.
- Adverse childhood experiences and aggression in adulthood : the moderating role of positive childhood experiencesPublication . Almeida, Telma Catarina; Cardoso, Jorge; Matos, Ana Francisca; Murça, Ana; Cunha, OlgaBackground: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a significant impact on a person's psychological development and predispose them to various harmful consequences in adulthood, such as different forms of aggression. Contrarily, positive childhood experiences (PCEs) operate as protective factors, buffering against the adverse effects of ACEs and promoting adaptive behaviors and psychological well-being. However, the role of PCEs in the relationship between ACEs and aggression remains relatively unexplored. Objective: To explore the moderation role of PCEs in the relationship between ACEs and aggression and its different components across sexes in a community sample. Methods: A sample of 1541 Portuguese adults answered an online protocol with a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale, the Childhood History Questionnaire, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Results: ACEs were positively correlated with aggression, including physical and verbal aggression, anger, and hostility, with women reporting a higher prevalence of ACEs and higher levels of anger. Men revealed higher scores in physical and verbal aggression. Furthermore, moderation analyses clarified the moderating effect of PCEs on the relationship between ACEs and aggression in women and between ACEs and anger in both sexes. PCEs attenuate the adverse impact of ACEs, reducing aggression and anger levels. Conclusions: This study stresses the complex interplay between childhood experiences and adult aggression, highlighting the differential effects of ACEs and PCEs across men and women. By clarifying these dynamics, interventions can be tailored to bolster protective factors like PCEs. This will ultimately foster healthier developmental trajectories and reduce the prevalence of aggression in adulthood.
- Are self-esteem and adult attachment affected by previous experiences of youth victimisation?Publication . Teixeira, Catarina; Santos, Catarina; Diogo, Rafaela; Almeida, Telma Catarina
- Are the self-esteem and the adult attachment affected by previous experiences of youth victimization?Publication . Teixeira, Catarina; Santos, Catarina; Diogo, Rafaela; Almeida, Telma Catarina
- Benevolent and adverse childhood experiences and attachment in adulthood : a comparative study between sex offenders and the general populationPublication . Almeida, Telma Catarina; Costa, Sara MarisaChildhood experiences influence individuals’ perceptions of themselves and their future. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs), adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and attachment in adulthood, compare the general population with sex offenders and assess the variables that impact attachment. The sample comprised 171 participants. A relationship between ACEs and attachment was found. Sexual offenders had higher scores of childhood victimization. BCEs, education level, and emotional and physical abuse are significant predictors of attachment anxiety. BCEs and divorce/parental separation are significant predictors of attachment dependence. ACEs conduct to more difficulty trusting others, and fewer BCEs lead to more anxiety about thoughts of abandonment or rejection.
- Brief measure of affective lability among Portuguese community and justice samples : psychometrics and measurement invariancePublication . Almeida, Telma Catarina; Fernandes, Raquel Margarida; Cunha, OlgaAffective lability is a central feature of several emotional disturbances and is linked to aggressive and risky behaviors. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Affective Lability Scale-18 (ALS-18) among a community sample and a sample of justice-involved adults. We also aimed to test the measurement invariance between sex and sample type. Results revealed good to excellent values of internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the original three-factor structure of the ALS-18 obtained good fits. The ALS-18 demonstrated measurement invariance across sex and sample type. The results support that ALS-18 is a valuable brief and useful measure of affective lability among male and female individuals for use in community and justice samples.
- Childhood matters : how benevolent and adverse childhood experiences shape alexithymia in perpetrators of sex crimes and the community samplePublication . Albuquerque, Bárbara Mestre; Almeida, Telma CatarinaBackground: Benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) influence individuals' emotional and behavioral development. ACEs can lead to alexithymia, increasing the risk of sexual offending. Objectives: To analyze the link between ACEs, BCEs, and alexithymia; compare perpetrators of sex crimes with community participants regarding ACEs, BCEs, and alexithymia; and assess the predictors of alexithymia. Participants: A sample of 732 adult males (523 from the community and 209 perpetrators of sex crimes) was used. Method: Application of a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACEs), the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale (BCEs), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Results: We identified positive correlations between ACEs and TAS, and negative correlations between BCEs and TAS in both samples. Perpetrators of sex crimes show higher levels of ACEs, TAS, difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), and difficulty describing feelings (DDF) compared to the community sample. ACEs and BCEs are predictors of DIF and DDF in both samples. Conclusion: The results highlight the significant influence of ACEs and BCEs on alexithymia and the differences between community individuals and perpetrators of sex crimes. It underscores the need for interventions to boost BCEs and reduce ACEs, alexithymia, and criminal behavior.
- Children exposed to interparental violence : a study of Portuguese children from 7-9 years of agePublication . Almeida, Telma Catarina; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Sani, Ana IsabelIntroduction: Exposure to interparental violence is a type of child maltreatment linked to a higher risk of physical and mental health problems. This research considers the experiences of young Portuguese children exposed to interparental violence. The goal is to explore the associations between interparental conflict in children, their perceptions of conflict properties, threat, self-blame, and the relationship with their parents. Method: The research protocol was applied to 888 Portuguese children between 7 and 9 years of age, of whom 123 are victims of interparental violence. Results: The results showed that witnessing interparental conflict is positively correlated with children’s self-blame and insight into conflict properties and negatively correlated with children’s insight into the parent-child relationship. Conclusion: These results provide strong support for the hypothesis that witnessing interparental conflict is associated with adverse outcomes in young children. Findings highlight the importance of identifying children exposed o interparental conflict in order to develop appropriate intervention programmes.
- Effectiveness of the motivational interviewing techniques with perpetrators of intimate partner violence : a non-randomized clinical trialPublication . Cunha, Olga; Almeida, Telma Catarina; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Caridade, SóniaThe effectiveness of perpetrators’ intervention programs (PIPs) remains controversial. Readiness and motivation for change are associated with treatment success among intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. In this study, we aimed to verify whether adding Motivational Interviewing Techniques (MIT) during the intake phase of a standard PIP (SPIP) increases treatment adherence. We also sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the MIT plus SPIP concerning an SPIP alone. In this non-randomized clinical trial, 50 participants were assigned to one of the two conditions SPIP alone or MIT plus SPIP. Data were collected at baseline and the end of the intervention. Proximal outcomes (dropout, intervention dose, motivation, attitudes toward IPV, problem-solving skills) and final outcomes (IPV perpetration, risk of IPV) were assessed. The Reliable Change Index (RCI) was also computed. Results indicated that SPIP plus MIT participants concluded the curriculum in a more advanced stage of change, revealed more readiness to change, evidenced greater clinical improvements, and displayed higher reductions in attitudes toward IPV, IPV perpetration, and recidivism risk than SPIP participants. These findings point to MIT’s ability to promote readiness to change and progression into the stages of change, enhancing intervention efficacy with IPV perpetrators. (NCT05484440)
- Emotion regulation in the context of protective and adverse childhood experiences : a comparative study of perpetrators of sex crimes and a community samplePublication . Nunes, Sofia Faísca; Albuquerque, Bárbara Mestre; Almeida, Telma CatarinaBackground: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have an impact on emotional development, affecting the ability to regulate emotions effectively. Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) can also occur, enhancing the ability to cope with stressful situations and improving emotional regulation skills. Objective: Analyze the relationship between the ACEs, PCEs, and emotional regulation difficulties (ERD); compare a sample of the community with a sample of perpetrators of sex crimes in terms of these variables, and analyze the predictors of ERD. Participants: The sample comprised 764 males (537 from the community sample and 209 serving time for sex crimes). Method: A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Results: Positive correlations were verified between ACEs and ERD, and negative ones between PCEs and ACEs, and between PCEs and ERD. Perpetrators of sex crimes have more ACEs and fewer PCEs and ERD compared to the community sample. Age, education level, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, parental divorce, family mental illness or suicide, and PCEs are predictors of ERD. Conclusion: This study increases the understanding of the relationship between ACEs, PCEs, and their impact on ERD in adulthood, as well as the differences between the community sample and perpetrators of sex crimes in some of the variables studied. Furthermore, it also highlights the importance of intervening with families to increase PCEs, mitigate the effects of ACEs on ERD, and prevent crime.