Rolando Díaz-Loving

Background. There has been a recent increase in research to empirically verify different personal and contextual variables that impact psychological adjustment indicators, but further research is still needed in the construction of explanatory models, especially for children.

Objective. This study aimed to analyze the role of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and family social support in resilience, and their effect on indicators of psychological adjustment, in children living in at-risk contexts.

Design. A sample of 450 participants (229 boys, 221 girls) aged 9 to 12 years, with a mean age of 1.70 (SD=.67), participated in the study. With the parents’ consent, the children completed a questionnaire containing sociodemographic questions and seven scales for the measurement of each of the variables under study. 

Results. Significant differences in the predictor variables were found according to the levels of resilience, but not with respect to gender, and the correlations between the variables were found to be significant. The proposed structural model was verified, which shows acceptable fit indices and highlights that family social support is related to resilience and psychological adjustment.

Conclusion. Personality characteristics and family social support, as personal and social variables, constitute protective factors during childhood in the context of psychosocial risk, suggesting that they must be taken into account when implementing programs to promote resilience and well-being.   

Background. Coping, within Lazarus transactional theoretical framework, is conceptualized as a dynamic set of cognitive and behavioral processes that adapt continually to manage specific demands, whether internal or external, perceived as exceeding an individual’s available resources. This framework supports understanding healthy coping behaviors, especially regarding adherence to treatment in cardiovascular disease management.

Objective. Develop and validate coping scales designed to assess adherence to pharmacological treatment, heart-healthy eating, and cardiovascular physical exercise in mexican patients diagnosed with ischemic heart disease.

Design. The research employed both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis) methodologies to ensure robustness. The coping scales underwent rigorous testing, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which revealed a two-factor solution for medication adherence coping, a three factors solution for physical exercise adherence coping, and a three factors solution for healthy eating adherence coping.

Results. The findings suggest that coping strategies, although universal in nature, are sensitive to cultural nuances among patients with ischemic heart disease. By capturing the complexities of coping behaviors within a specific cultural context, these scales provide valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of adherence to primary prevention measures.

Conclusion. This study contributes to the understanding of how coping mechanisms intersect with cultural factors in the management of chronic conditions such as ischemic heart disease, highlighting the importance of tailored interventions that consider patients cultural backgrounds and individual coping styles.