Interacciones

Realist Evaluation and Synthesis in Psychology: Thriving in Complexity, Stalled by Language Barriers

Alejandro Argüelles Bullón — 2025-05-10

[Editorial]

The Role of Religiosity and Intrafamilial Relationships in Suicidal Ideation among High-school Adolescents: A PLS-SEM Analysis

Diego Andre Guevara Rabanal — 2025-04-22

Suicidal ideation is a critical public health concern, particularly among adolescents, where various psychosocial factors may influence its prevalence. This study examines the relationship between religiosity, intrafamilial relationships, and suicidal ideation among high school students in Metropolitan Lima, Peru. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we analyzed data collected from 339 students of one high school in Metropolitan Lima, Peru to determine how different dimensions of religiosity (subjective religiosity and religious practice) and intrafamilial relationships (positive perception and difficulties) predict positive and negative suicidal ideation. Results indicate that the perception of family unity and support significantly reduces negative suicidal ideation and enhances positive suicidal ideation, while difficulties in intrafamilial relationships contribute with enhances negative suicidal ideation and reduces positive suicidal ideation. Contrary to expectations, only subjective religiosity was found to have a positive significant impact on positive suicidal ideation, suggesting that personal religious beliefs, rather than formal religious practices, play a role in shaping adolescent mental health. These findings have implications for suicide prevention strategies, emphasizing the importance of family cohesion and the nuanced role of religiosity in adolescent well-being. Future research should explore these relationships longitudinally and incorporate qualitative insights to better understand the underlying mechanisms.

Construction, validity, and reliability of the Scale of Readiness for Change (SRCAA) in adults with alcoholism

Angie Lizet Mestas-Mamani — 2025-05-22

Introduction: To establish better approaches to alcoholism, this scale was developed with a focus on cognitive-behavioral aspects. Objective: Considering alcoholism as an issue that requires self-efficacy attention, the scale is designed to guide the psychotherapist in the behavioral change process of the alcoholic patient. Method: This psychometric research, with a non-experimental mixed-method descriptive design, is delineated by a non-probabilistic sampling method that employs structural equation modeling for an infinite sample. Using statistical software, the Aiken's V was obtained from seven expert judges, and 20 items were considered in the exploratory factor analysis for factor loadings (two factors) and factorial weights (λ = 0.62 - λ = 0.94), with Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartlett's test of sphericity results (KMO = 0.96, p < 0.01). Results: A two-factor model was found with adequate goodness-of-fit values (CFI = 0.987; TLI = 0.985; SRMR = 0.073; RMSEA = 0.077), with the removal of item C11 due to its low factorial loading (λ = 0.24). The scale, which contains 19 items and 2 factors, shows a good reliability coefficient (Cronbach's Alpha and McDonald's Omega ranging from 0.801 to 0.963). In terms of convergent validity, a strong inverse correlation (Rho = -0.670; p = 0.000) was found between the SRCAA and GAD-7. Conclusion: Based on these statistical findings, the scale demonstrates that it meets the objective of identifying the degree of awareness regarding alcohol consumption and the behavioral changes a person makes to overcome the detrimental habit.

Cyberbullying in high school and university: Description, comparison, and associations between behaviors in victims and aggressors

Brenda Mendoza González — 2025-05-14

Introduction: Experiences of cyberbullying can have lasting effects on victims' self-esteem, social relationships, and overall well-being. Objective: This study aims to determine the association between cyberbullying behaviors, both as victims and aggressors, in high school and university students, identifying differences and similarities between the two educational contexts. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 402 participants (203 women and 199 men), including 200 high school students and 202 university students. Both institutions were public and located in urban areas of the State of Mexico's capital. Cyberbullying was assessed using the Cyberbullying Questionnaire, which evaluates multiple forms of cyberbullying. Results: University students were more likely than high school students to engage in cyberbullying as aggressors, with a large effect size. Among high school students, a strong association was observed between being victims of cyberbullying through the spread of secrets and the repeated receipt of disturbing messages (r = .659). In university students, significant co-occurrence of behaviors was identified within the aggressor subscale, revealing associations between grooming, sexting, denigration, exclusion, and happy slapping. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of implementing intervention programs in upper secondary and higher education settings, where action protocols are typically less established compared to basic education levels.

Sample, sample size and sampling: a review of current recommendations

José Gamarra-Moncayo — 2025-05-16

Introduction: The present review is based on the need to know the current recommendations on the sample, sample size and sampling that are considered in various empirical studies, aspects that certainly can generate confusion especially in novice researchers. In this sense, a theoretical and methodological framework is established that attempts to answer different questions raised on this subject, based on publications in high impact journals, guaranteeing their credibility and suitability. Objective: Provide a guide that offers different views on sample sizes and their practical application for researchers, teachers and students. Method: Theoretical study in the form of a narrative review. Results: Current recommendations revolve around performing power analysis to calculate the sample size, regardless of the type of sampling to be used, in addition to the fact that it is a good practice to be guided by the sample sizes of other studies with similar characteristics, preferably from journals indexed in high-level databases. However, it is necessary to clarify that this work should not be taken as a definitive guide, but that it is the duty of the researcher to be informed of new updates in methodologies that may arise on this subject. Conclusions: The choice of sample size depends on multiple factors that should be carefully analyzed.

Intimate partner violence in lesbian, gay, transgender, men who have sex with men, women who have sex with women, and bisexual people: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence

Juan Trujillo-Guablocho — 2025-06-02

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) in LGBT populations represents a major public health problem, and although research on the topic is increasing, knowledge remains limited, as current reviews have focused on specific populations. The prevalence of IPV in some studies reaches up to 48% in lesbian populations and 33% in MSM, while among transgender individuals, 37.5% have experienced physical violence and 25% sexual violence. Various factors aggravate the impact and make data collection more difficult.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the prevalence of intimate partner violence among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults, considering the different forms of IPV and providing more precise estimates to inform future interventions and policies.

Methods: Our study is a systematic review. We searched four specialized databases of scientific articles: Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and PubMed. We included studies where the population was adults 18 to 65 years of age, who are in a casual or formal same-sex or same-gender partner relationship. We included cross-sectional studies and baseline cohort study measurements. We used the JBI Systematic Reviews "Checklist for Prevalence Studies" tool to assess the risk of bias for each study. Our study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024529982).

Results: Twenty-six studies met inclusion criteria; 17 were included in the meta-analysis, comprising 17,144 participants from various LGBT subgroups. The pooled prevalence was 29.5% (95% CI: 20.8%–39.0%), with high heterogeneity across studies (I² = 99.2%). Prevalence rates varied widely, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM) (8.1% to 54.5%) and transgender individuals (15.2% to 57.0%), highlighting significant variability depending on the subpopulation analyzed.

Conclusions: Our study concluded that IPV represents a significant global concern for both MSM and transgender individuals. Notably, psychological and emotional violence emerged as the most prevalent form of IPV in both groups. On the other hand, the need for more inclusive research that reflects diverse cultural and social contexts is highlighted.

The term “Mental” within Mental Health is not Dualist

Santiago Castiello — 2025-04-22

[Letter to the Editor]