Health literacy, a more complex concept than knowledge, is a required capacity to obtain, understand, integrate and act on health information [1], in order to enhance individual and community health, which is defined by different levels, according to the autonomy and personal capacitation in decision making [2]. Medium levels of Health literacy in an adolescent population were found in a study conducted in 2013/2014, being higher in sexual and reproductive health and lower in substance use. It was also noticed that the higher levels of health literacy were in the area adolescents refer to have receipt more health information. The health literacy competence with higher scores was communication skills, and the lower scores were in the capacity to analyze factors that influence health. Higher levels were also found in younger teenagers, but in a higher school level, confirming the importance of health education in these age and development stage. Adolescents seek more information in health professionals and parents, being friends more valued as a source information in older adolescents, which enhance the importance of peer education mainly in older adolescents [3]. As a set of competences based on knowledge, health literacy should be developed through education interventions, encompassing the cultural and social context of individuals, since the society, culture and education system where the individual is inserted can define the way the development and enforcement of the health literacy competences [4]. The valued sources of information should be taken into account, as well as needs of information in some topics referred by adolescents in an efficient health education. Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic mental illness which has a profound effect on the health and well-being related with the well-known nature of psychotic symptoms. The exercise has the potential to improve the life of people with schizophrenia improving physical health and alleviating psychiatric symptoms. However, most people with schizophrenia remains sedentary and lack of access to exercise programs are barriers to achieve health benefits. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of exercise on I) the type of intervention in mental health, II) in salivary levels of alpha-amylase and cortisol and serum levels of S100B and BDNF, and on III) the quality of life and selfperception of the physical domain of people with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 31 females in long-term institutions in the Casa de Saúde Rainha Santa Isabel, with age between 25 and 63, and with diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Physical fitness was assessed by the six-minute walk distance test (6MWD). Biological variables were determined by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Psychological variables were assessed using SF-36, PSPP-SCV, RSES and SWLS tests. Walking exercise has a positive impact on physical fitness (6MWD -p = 0.001) and physical components of the psychological test...

Background Preventing intimate partner violence or dating violence (DV) among adolescents is a public health priority due to its magnitude and damaging short and long-term consequences for adolescent and adult health. In our study protocol, we complement prior experiences in DV prevention by promoting protective factors (or assets) against gender violence such as communication skills, empathy and problem-solving capability through “Cinema Voice”, a participatory educational intervention based on adolescents’ strengths to tackle DV. Methods/design A longitudinal quasi-experimental educational intervention addressed to boys and girls ages 13–17 years, enrolled in secondary education schools in Alicante (Spain), Rome (Italy), Cardiff (UK), Iasi (Romania), Poznan (Poland) and Matosinhos (Portugal). Both process and results evaluations will be carried out with 100–120 intervention and 120–150 control group students per city at three time periods: before, after and 6 months after the implementation of the following interventions: 1) Training seminar with teachers to promote knowledge and skills on the core issues of intervention; 2) Workshops with intervention groups, where participants produce their own digital content presenting their perspective on DV; and 3) Short film exhibitions with participants, their families, authorities and other stakeholders with the objective of share the results and engage the community. Outcome measures are self-perceived social support, machismo, sexism, tolerance towards gender violence, social problem-solving and assertiveness as well as involvement in bullying/cyberbullying. Other socio-demographic, attitudes and violence-related co-variables were also included. Discussion This study may provide relevant information about the effectiveness of educational interventions that combine a positive youth development framework with educational awareness about the importance of achieving gender equality and preventing and combating gender violence. To our knowledge, this is the first study that involves six European countries in an educational intervention to promote violence protective assets among enrolled adolescents in secondary schools. This study may provide the needed tools to replicate the experience in other contexts and other countries. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03411564 . Unique Protocol ID: 776905. Date registered: 18-01-2018.

O presente documento constitui uma reflexão crítica sobre os pressupostos gerais das metodologias feministas aplicados ao exercício da Psicologia especificamente em contextos terapêuticos. É feita uma breve alusão ao enquadramento histórico que esteve subjacente à emergência da Psicologia feminista, bem como aos princípios que estiveram na base do desenvolvimento de novas e inovadoras práticas terapêuticas dirigidas, sobretudo a mulheres, numa lógica de intervenção feminista. Ao advogar o princípio da emancipação feminina, totalmente adverso ao regime patriarcal, os/as psicólogos/as feministas assumem a sua opção pela não neutralidade da ciência psicológica e das suas práticas e politizam os espaços terapêuticos onde se movimentam. Esta tomada de posição é particularmente significativa nas situações de violência, uma vez que possibilita que as vítimas vejam validadas as suas experiências pessoais.

A utilização dos serviços de saúde pelas populações imigrantes tem vindo a ser considerado um dos mais importantes indicadores da sua integração nas sociedades receptoras (Dias e col., 2009). No entanto, o conhecimento em torno da qualidade e da eficácia do acesso dos/as imigrantes aos cuidados de saúde, especialmente no que respeita às mulheres imigrantes, é ainda escasso em Portugal (Fonseca e col., 2005). Embora os estudos nacionais tenham vindo, nas últimas décadas, a procurar traçar os diferentes perfis sociais das mulheres imigrantes em Portugal, sobretudo no que concerne às suas relações familiares ou laborais (Wall e col., 2005), a investigação no domínio da saúde é ainda parca e exclusora de uma análise centrada no género ou interseccional. Neste texto apresenta-se uma reflexão sobre os determinantes que condicionam a (in)acessibilidade das mulheres imigrantes aos cuidados de saúde, enfatizando-se os fatores que poderão estar a agir no sentido contrário à sua integração neste setor. Palavras-chave: Mulheres imigrantes; Acessibilidade aos cuidados de saúde.

Children and adolescents living in residential childcare have a higher prevalence of mental health problems as a result of a history of adverse childhood experiences. Therefore, this population should be a priority target for mental health preventive interventions. The current study analyses the effectiveness of the Wave by Wave surf therapy program, that combines surfing with a psychological group intervention, through a randomized controlled trial. Seventy-three youth (7-17 years) living in residential care participated in the study. Main mental health outcomes (adjustment problems, depression, anxiety, and wellbeing) and secondary outcomes (self-efficacy, self-regulation, sleep quality, physical activity, pro-social behavior, and social connectivity) were assessed at pre- and post-intervention. The results indicated a significant impact of the intervention on mental health outcomes reported by the key residential worker, with medium to large effect sizes. Specifically, after the intervention, there was a significant reduction in the total emotional and behavioural problems, and a significant increase of youth pro-social behaviour and quality of life that was not observed for the waiting list group. There were no significant effects on other measures reported by the children (e.g., depression and anxiety, self-esteem, emotion regulation, social connectedness, sleep quality, physical activity) and on executive functions measures. The Wave by Wave program seems to be an effective intervention to reduce behavior problems and to promote pro-social behavior in a high-risk sample. The absence of significant effects on other dimensions may indicate the need of some complementary support to address specific difficulties of this population.