DSpace Repository :: Browsing by Author "Silva, Jaime R."

Browsing by Author "Silva, Jaime R."

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Adapting to Adversity: Effects of COVID-19 on Parenting in Chile
(2022) Perez Ewert, J. Carola; Aldoney, Daniela; Vivanco-Carlevari, Anastassia; Coo, Soledad; Guzmán, Eugenio J.; Silva, Jaime R.
The pandemic outbreak in March 2020 and its associated sanitary regulations and restrictions triggered an abrupt and significant change for society in general and for families’ organization in particular. In Chile, the Santiago Metropolitan District was under a strict lockdown that involved the closure of the entire educational system. From a systemic-family stress perspective, the impact of these changes might have consequences not only for each individual family member, but for the parental dynamic and, consequently, for children’s well-being. This paper presents the results of a followup study showing changes in self-reported parental depression and the perceived home organization of mothers and fathers assessed at three different moments: before the pandemic, at the initial outbreak, and after 1 month of strict lockdown. Relevant moderators were explored using linear mixed models to understand the within-subject changes in mothers’ and fathers’ self-reports across the different assessment times. Financial strain, personality traits of self-criticism and dependency, previous parent– child quality interaction, recent major stressful events, and number of children are highlighted as relevant factors that moderate changes in home chaos and parental mental health perception. Significant risks and protective factors are described for fathers and mothers. The use of pre-pandemic measures as baseline levels enabled the identification of personal and family characteristics that were related to better outcomes. The results help increase our understanding of the sanitary regulations’ impacts on the family system and identify vulnerability indicators that should be considered.
Affective Style and Eating Disorders: a Field Study
(2011) Silva, Jaime R.; Ortiz, Manuel; Quiñones, Álvaro; Vera-Villarroel, Pablo; Slachevsky, Andrea
Eating disorders (ED) are a heterogeneous group of problems related to restraint and/or overeating. It is proposed that individual differences in affective reactivity and moods (affective style) might be related to these behaviours. Variations in affective style are expressed by differing levels of sensitivity to the motivation systems of approach and avoidance. The present study tested whether a relation exists between ED and variations in the sensitivity of motivational systems as well as mood dispositions. A total of 2020 undergraduate students completed the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS), the Behavioural Inhibition System and Behavioural Activation System Scales (BIS/BAS), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The results showed a significant within-subject interaction of Alimentary group x Motivation (F=4.056; p<0.007). It was also observed that the Overeating group had lower levels of motivation asymmetry than the Normal (p<0.01) and Restrictive (p<0.005) groups and marginally lower levels than the Purgative group (p<0.07). The study results suggest mainly that the avoidance/inhibition motivational system is related to eating problems connected with overeating, including chronic alimentary restraint (chronic dieters). The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed. (Eating Weight Disord. 16: e73-e80, 2011). (C)2011, Editrice Kurtis
Biological Stress Reactivity and Introspective Sensitivity: An Exploratory Study
(2020) Barrientos, Mauricio; Tapia, Leonel; Silva, Jaime R.; Reyes, Gabriel
Reaction to stressful events has an impact on several cognitive processes. High levels of stress can be detrimental to working memory, attention and decision-making. Here, we investigated whether individuals’ reactivity to stress is related to their introspective sensitivity (i.e., how well individuals monitor their own cognitive processes). To this aim, 27 participants (16 women, mean 20 years old) were exposed to a psychosocial stress protocol (trier social stress test, TSST), where individuals were asked to simulate a job interview and perform arithmetic calculations in front of a panel of experts. The salivary cortisol concentration, which is considered a hormonal index of stress reactivity, was collected during the TSST through the enzyme immunoassay DRG cortisol ELISA kit. Based on literature recommendations, we classified participants as responders and non-responders to the TSST. In a second session, through a visual search paradigm, we evaluated the introspective sensitivity of the participants. We evaluated how these individuals (i) monitor their own performance (through a confidence estimation), (ii) monitor their own attentional shifts (through a subjective number of scanned items estimation, SNSI), and (iii) monitor their own response times (through an introspective response time estimation, iRT). We found that individuals with lower biological reactivity to stress are more accurate in estimating their SNSI (p = 0.033) and iRT (p = 0.002), and in evaluating their own performance (p = 0.038) through their confidence. We argue that the effect of stress on introspection is not limited to a particular type of introspective evaluation, but rather consists of a general alteration of the introspective mechanism.
Biological stress reactivity as an index of the two polarities of the experience model
(2017) Silva, Jaime R.; Vivanco-Carlevari, Anastassia; Barrientos, Mauricio; Martínez, Claudio; Salazar, Luis A.; Krause, Mariane
The two-polarities model of personality argues that experience is organized around two axes: interpersonal relatedness and self-definition. Differential emphasis on one of these poles defines adaptive and pathological experiences, generating anaclitic or introjective tendencies. The anaclitic pattern, on one hand, has been conceptually related with an exaggerated emphasis on interpersonal relatedness. On the other hand, the introjective pattern has been connected to high levels of self-criticism. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychophysiological basis for this relationship. Specifically, we hypothesized that the anaclitic individual should have a higher biological reactivity to stress (BRS), measured by the cortisol concentration in saliva, in an interpersonal stress induction protocol (Trier Social Stress Test). Contrary to what was expected, the results indicated that introjective participants presented a higher BSR than the anaclitic group. Interestingly, in contrast to their higher BSR, the introjective group reported a diminished subjective stress in relation to the average. In the anaclitic group, a tendency that goes in the opposite direction was found. Theoretical implications of these findings were discussed.
Corrigendum: Biological Stress Reactivity and Introspective Sensitivity: An Exploratory Study
(2020) Barrientos, Mauricio; Tapia, Leonel; Silva, Jaime R.; Reyes, Gabriel
In the published article, there was an error in affiliation
Effects of an Intervention to Promote Socioemotional Development in Terms of Attachment Security: a Study in Early Institutionalization in Chile
(2014) Lecannelier A., Felipe; Silva, Jaime R.; Hoffmann, Marianela; Melo, Rolando; Morales, Raquel
The Chilean government commissioned a quasi-experimental study with a pre-/postintervention design that had two general aims: (a) to assess infants’ psychoaffective developmental levels (pre-intervention phase) and (b) to evaluate whether an intervention based on the promotion of socioemotional development modifies the infant's psychoaffective development. Sixty-two institutionalized infants and their alternative caregivers were evaluated at a pre-intervention stage. An intervention then took place, with the caregivers trained according to an “attachment sensitivity manual.” Results showed normal ranges of psychomotor development (64% normal, 9% delayed) and a very high frequency of attachment insecurity, as compared to the normative population (53%).The intervention significantly improved social orientation and object orientation as well as activity and reactivity levels. We conclude that although institutionalized infants in Chile do not exhibit high levels of atypical attachment, socioemotional deterioration may lead to vulnerability in present and future development. Finally, the scope of this study affected public policies regarding children, initiating a change to a foster family system and a variety of modifications in the strategies for adopting institutionalized infants.
Evaluation of the SF-12. Usefulness of the mental health scale
(2014) Vera-Villarroel, Pablo; Silva, Jaime R.; Celis-Atenas, Karem; Pavez, Paula
Background: The SF-12 is one of the most used questionnaires to evaluate the multidimensional health related quality of life, worldwide. However, the factor structure does not match the structure of the original instrument. Besides, most studies centered in the physical dimension paying less attention to mental health related quality of life. Aim: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the SF-12 and to validate the mental health dimension of this questionnaire. Material and Methods: Two studies were conducted, the first consisting of 840 people aged between 18 and 60 years, who answered the SF-12. In the second study, 970 people aged between 18 and 60 years answered the SF-12 questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Reliability (internal consistency and temporal stability) was analyzed, along with construct and criterion validity for the mental health dimension. Results: The reliability estimate using Cronbach's alpha in both studies was higher than 0.74 in both dimensions (physical and psychological). Construct validity analysis yielded a three factor complex solution. Finally the criterion validity analysis showed appropriate and significant correlations with depression and anxiety. Conclusions: The SF-12 and its mental health scale are suitable for epidemiological characterization studies.
Hydrocortisone decreases metacognitive efciency independent of perceived stress
(2020) Reyes, Gabriel; Vivanco-Carlevari, Anastassia; Medina, Franco; Manosalva, Carolina; Gardelle, Vincent de; Silva, Jaime R.; Sackur, Jérôme
It is well established that acute stress produces negative effects on high level cognitive functions. However, these effects could be due to the physiological components of the stress response (among which cortisol secretion is prominent), to its psychological concomitants (the thoughts generated by the stressor) or to any combination of those. Our study shows for the first time that the typical cortisol response to stress is sufficient to impair metacognition, that is the ability to monitor one’s own performance in a task. In a pharmacological protocol, we administered either 20 mg hydrocortisone or placebo to 46 male participants, and measured their subjective perception of stress, their performance in a perceptual task, and their metacognitive ability. We found that hydrocortisone selectively impaired metacognitive ability, without affecting task performance or creating a subjective state of stress. In other words, the single physiological response of stress produces a net effect on metacognition. These results inform our basic understanding of the physiological bases of metacognition. They are also relevant for applied or clinical research about situations involving stress, anxiety, depression, or simply cortisol use.
Introjective Individuals Tend Toward Anhedonia: Self-Report and Experimental Evidence
(2018) Silva, Jaime R.; Vivanco-Carlevari, Anastassia; Martínez, Claudio; Krause, Mariane
A broad line of research has conceptualized personality based on the interaction of two aspects: interpersonal relatedness and self-definition. This theoretical corpus understands these functions as two poles according to the patterns of interaction and relevance in personality. Additionally, the exacerbation of one of these poles generates a psychopathological model that identifies three types of depressive experience: anaclitic, introjective, or mixed pattern. Understanding the lack of interest as a key symptom of depression, this experiment evaluates a relation for anhedonia and the polarities model configuration using an empirical and experimental protocol. We tested 177 individuals using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) subscale for anhedonia and a visual discrimination task with a specific reward system, which was implemented to study reinforcement sensitivity. Participants were classified into four groups by the polarities of experience model. The subscale’s results showed that individuals with an introjective character exhibited an enhanced anhedonic symptomatology but no co-occurrence of this evidence on the experimental protocol. These results empirically support the two polarities of the depressive personality model and raise new questions regarding how to experimentally test this relation.
Los afectos como mediadores de la relación optimismo y bienestar
(2016) Vera-Villarroel, Pablo; Celis-Atenas, Karem; Urzúa, Alfonso; Silva, Jaime R.; Contreras, Daniela; Lillo, Sebastián
Bajo un diseño no experimental transversal, se evalúa el rol mediador de los afectos (positivo y negativo) en la relación entre optimismo y bienestar (subjetivo y psicológico). Un total de 421 personas, entre 18 y 60 años sin patología mental diagnosticada, participaron en este estudio. Cada participante respondió un set de cuestionarios (optimismo, felicidad, satisfacción con la vida, bienestar psicológico, afecto positivo y negativo). Las relaciones entre las variables se encuentran ajustadas a lo esperado teóricamente: optimismo y bienestar se correlacionan de forma negativa con afecto negativo y de forma positiva con afecto positivo. Los indicadores de ajuste son moderados y muestran que la relación entre optimismo y bienestar (subjetivo y psicológico) es mediada por los afectos. Por lo tanto, el optimismo podría ser considerado como promotor de los niveles de bienestar de las personas, mediada esta relación por los afectos. Los resultados obtenidos contribuyen a los modelos explicativos del bienestar basado en variables internas.
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS): Psychometric Properties and Discriminative Capacity in Several Chilean Samples
(2019) Vera-Villarroel, Pablo; Urzúa, Alfonso; Jaime, Daniela; Contreras, Daniela; Zych, Izabela; Celis-Atenas, Karem; Silva, Jaime R.; Lillo, Sebastian
We evaluated the factor structure, reliability, and discriminative capacity of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) questionnaire in four different samples: two general adult populations (N = 1,548, N = 964), one adolescent population (N = 1,044), and young people with depressive symptomatology (N = 307). Exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) were performed with subsamples from Studies 1 (n = 773) and 2 (n = 527), finding that the two- and three-factor solutions had a good fit. In a confirmatory factor analysis, the two-factor solution resulted in an adequate fit in a second set of subsamples from both studies (n = 775, n = 517). In Study 3, we found good convergent and divergent validity with adequate and significant correlations found for depression (Beck's Depression Inventory), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and neuroticism and extroversion (Big Five Inventory). In Study 4, the results of an EFA performed in a subsample (n = 154) found that the two- and three-factor solutions were appropriate with the former solution being confirmed in a second subsample (n = 153). Reliability was α = .85 for positive affect and α = .87 for negative affect. The PANAS questionnaire showed adequate indicators of validity and reliability in adult and adolescent populations as well as in a sample with depressive symptoms.
Psychotherapy and Genetic Neuroscience: An Emerging Dialog
(2018) Jiménez, Juan P.; Botto, Alberto; Herrera, Luisa; Leighton, Caroline; Rossi, José L.; Quevedo, Yamil; Silva, Jaime R.; Martínez, Felipe; Assar, Rodrigo; Salazar, Luis A.; Ortiz, Manuel; Ríos, Ulises; Barros, Paulina; Jaramillo, Karina; Luyten, Patrick
Recent research in psychiatric genetics has led to a move away from simple iathesisstress models to more complex models of psychopathology incorporating a focus on gene–environment interactions and epigenetics. Our increased understanding of the way biology encodes the impact of life events on organisms has also generated more sophisticated theoretical models concerning the molecular processes at the interface between “nature” and “nurture.” There is also increasing consensus that psychotherapy entails a specific type of learning in the context of an emotional relationship (i.e., the therapeutic relationship) that may also lead to epigenetic modifications across different therapeutic treatment modalities. This paper provides a systematic review of this emerging body of research. It is concluded that, although the evidence is still limited at this stage, extant research does indeed suggest that psychotherapy may be associated with epigenetic changes. Furthermore, it is argued that epigenetic studies may play a key role in the identification of biomarkers implicated in vulnerability for psychopathology, and thus may improve diagnosis and open up future research opportunities regarding the mechanism of action of psychotropic drugs as well as psychotherapy. We review evidence suggesting there may be important individual differences in susceptibility to environmental input, including psychotherapy. In addition, given that there is increasing evidence for the transgenerational transmission of epigenetic modifications in animals and humans exposed to trauma and adversity, epigenetic changes produced by psychotherapy may also potentially be passed on to the next generation, which opens up new perspective for prevention science. We conclude this paper stressing the limitations of current research and by proposing a set of recommendations for future research in this area.
Self-Knowledge Dim-Out: Stress Impairs Metacognitive Accuracy
(2015) Reyes, Gabriel; Silva, Jaime R.; Jaramillo, Karina; Rehbein, Lucio; Sackur, Jérôme
Modulation of frontal lobes activity is believed to be an important pathway trough which the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress response impacts cognitive and emotional functioning. Here, we investigate the effects of stress on metacognition, which is the ability to monitor and control one's own cognition. As the frontal lobes have been shown to play a critical role in metacognition, we predicted that under activation of the HPA axis, participants should be less accurate in the assessment of their own performances in a perceptual decision task, irrespective of the effect of stress on the first order perceptual decision itself. To test this prediction, we constituted three groups of high, medium and low stress responders based on cortisol concentration in saliva in response to a standardized psycho-social stress challenge (the Trier Social Stress Test). We then assessed the accuracy of participants' confidence judgments in a visual discrimination task. As predicted, we found that high biological reactivity to stress correlates with lower sensitivity in metacognition. In sum, participants under stress know less when they know and when they
Social Support and Depressive Symptoms in the Context of COVID-19 Lockdown: The Moderating Role of Attachment Styles
(2022) Costa-Cordella, Stefanella; Vivanco-Carlevari, Anastassia; Rossi, Alejandra; Arévalo-Romero, Camilo; Silva, Jaime R.
Objectives: COVID-19 sanitary measures (social distancing, school closures) have deeply impacted social life, support networks, and their protective role in mental health. The present study aims to understand how attachment styles influence the way individuals experience social support. Particularly, investigating its moderating role in the relationship between social support and depression. Methods: An online survey was designed to clarify the role of adult attachment styles (ECR-S) in the perceived social support (MOSS) and self-reported depressive symptoms (BDI-SF) in the COVID-19 context. Results: Positive social interactions was the most important dimension of social support for lower depression symptoms. Individuals attachment strategies have a moderating role in the relation between of social support and depression. Crucially, insecure attachment style wanes the positive impact of social support in depression. Conclusion: Aligned with the existing literature, attachment security is an essential factor in our current understanding of relationships and mental health. Exploring specific and indivual attachment strategies might be a powerful tool to protect population’s mental health.

Browsing by Author "Silva, Jaime R."

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