A chronic illness in childhood has a negative impact on the paediatric patient and on family functioning. Psychological stress in parents influences the level of adjustment to the illness of their children. The Pediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP) was designed to measure stress in parents whose child has a chronic illness or requires prolonged medical monitoring. The main objective of this study is to provide a brief version of the Spanish translation of the PIP, across a sample consisting of 465 main familial caregivers (85.2% female, n = 396) between 27 and 67 years old ( = 44.13; SD = 5.35) of paediatric patients between 9 and 18 years old ( = 12.10, SD = 2.20; 56.8% men, n = 264) diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type I (20.9% of the sample; n = 97), short stature (32.5% of the sample; n = 151), or a chronic respiratory disease (asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiolitis obliterans and bronchiectasis) (46.6% of the sample; n = 217). After performing several EFAs (Exploratory Factor Analyses) and CFAs (Confirmatory Factorial Analyses), it was decided that 30 items need to be removed. Reliability and validity results suggest that the new 12-item version possesses appropriate psychometric properties. Cronbach’s alpha value ranging between α = .42 and α = .81 and fit values obtained indicate a good fit: χ2/df (88.393/48) = 1.84 (α < .01); S-B χ2(df) = 88.393 (48); CFI = .95; IFI = .95; RMSEA = .05 (.033 - .074) for the frequency scales and χ2/df (72.002/48) = 1.5 (α < .01); S-Bχ2(df) = 72.002 (48); CFI = .97; IFI = .97; RMSEA = .04 (.011 - .063) for the difficulty scales. The PIP also showed predictive ability in regards to anxiety and depression, a positive relationship between the instrument's own scales and a negative relationship with the caregiver's age. Finally, depending on the paediatric patient's diagnosis, differences in stress levels were found.

Purpose: adolescence is a time of change and it generally entails a greater family vulnerability thus; the aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for poor emotional adjustment to COVID among parents of adolescents. Design and methods: 94 parents of adolescents (11-18 years old, M = 13.90, SD = 1.85) participated at different times during the state of alert in Spain. 91.5% were mothers. Their ages ranged from 35 to 63 years (M = 46.54; SD = 5.09). The variables assessed were anxiety, depression and stress (DASS), moods (MOOD), somatization (SCL) and resilience (CD-RISC). Descriptive analyses, t-tests, ANOVAs, correlations, and hierarchical regressions were performed. All this by means of a cross-sectional and longitudinal study design. Results: at the beginning of the confinement parents showed low levels of emotional distress and moderate levels of positive emotionality and resilience. However, those with a prior psychological problem, who had lost their job, or had lost someone to the pandemic, showed worse emotional adjustment. Resilience was relevant in predicting anxiety-depressive symptoms, and a low level of happiness was relevant in predicting stress. Emotional symptoms improved over time, and resilience remained stable. Conclusions: the emotional impact of COVID over time is influenced by mood, mental health, and resilience. In addition, parents who had a previous health problem, had lost their job or a loved one, had a worse adjustment. Practical implications: it is important to carry out intervention programs that increase resilience, treating parents who require it, since their emotional adjustment has repercussions on the emotional adjustment of family system.

Objective: the objective of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire in a sample of adolescents with chronic endocrine or pneumological conditions and to analyze the dimensionality and reduce the scale elaborating scales by sex and medical diagnosis. Method: we evaluated 510 patients aged 9-16 years using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We carried out tests of reliability, construct and criterion validity and a comparison of means based on the diagnosis and socio-demographic variables. The reliability and validity analyses showed adequate psychometric properties for this scale, with better results obtained for a single dimension after eliminating 3 items. Results: adolescents with type 1 diabetes and girls were found to have an increased threat perception of their illness. Anxiety/depression was positively associated with the perception of illness. Conclusion: this questionnaire is a useful and practical tool for evaluating adjustment to illness in pediatric patients.

La pandemia mundial del COVID-19 ha traído una gran cantidad de cambios vitales para la sociedad. Ante esta situación, las familias y sus hijos han tenido que adaptarse a nuevas rutinas y situaciones, lo que puede haber aumentado o agravado el padecimiento de sintomatología emocional. No obstante, la presencia de resiliencia y de estrategias de regulación emocional positivas, puede amortiguar este impacto en las familias con hijos pequeños. El objetivo del presente trabajo es conocer las variables que explicaban los problemas de ajuste emocional familiar ante la pandemia del COVID-19, teniendo en cuenta las díadas de progenitores y sus hijos adolescentes. Participaron 31 díadas de adolescentes entre 11 y 19 años (M =13.90; DT =1.85) y sus cuidadores principales, siendo el 93,50% madres. Tras aceptar participar en el estudio se evaluó la regulación emocional (Cuestionario de Regulación Emocional; ERQ), la resiliencia (Escala de Resiliencia de Connor-Davidson; CD-RISC) y la sintomatología ansiosa, depresiva y el estrés (Escala de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés; DASS). Se realizaron modelos de análisis comparativo cualitativo de conjuntos difusos (fsQCA). En la explicación del desajuste emocional de los cuidadores, el clima familiar negativo y las estrategias de regulación emocional deficientes en sus hijos fueron las variables más relevantes. En la explicación del malestar emocional de los adolescentes, lo fueron la baja resiliencia de estos y las estrategias deficientes de regulación emocional de sus padres. Nuestro estudio señala la relevancia de atender a los miembros de las familias en su conjunto ante crisis vitales de este tipo, mediante programas de intervención que mejoren los vínculos familiares y las estrategias de regulación emocional.

Introduction. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is a screening instrument that assesses emotional symptoms in different populations and medical conditions. This study analyzes the psychometric properties and factor structure of the HADS in adolescents with chronic disease and the differences based on their medical condition. Method. The HADS was administered to a sample of 302 adolescents with chronic disease. Exploratory factor analyses were done in a subsample of 100 adolescents, while confirmatory factor analyses were performed in the rest of participants (202) to examine the validity and reliability of the HADS (14 items); an analysis of variance for a single factor was also done to study differences among diseases. Results. Patients were aged 12-16 years, with a similar sex ratio; 43 % had respiratory diseases and 47 %, endocrine disorders. The original twofactor structure (anxiety and depression) showed adequate fit indices and incorporated a secondorder factor (emotional distress). Three of the original items were removed, thus obtaining a new 11-item version. This showed adequate psychometric properties, and differences were observed between patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and those with respiratory disease, but not in terms of short stature, in the depression factor. Conclusions. The HADS displays an adequate reliability and validity in pediatric patients with chronic disease and is useful for the early detection of anxiety and depression in the health care setting. Key words: factor structure, patient health questionnaire in the anxiety and depression scale, type 1 diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory diseases, short stature.