Cristina Velasco

Dr. Cristina Velasco

CEU San Pablo University
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

8Years (2019-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 November 2020 in International Psychogeriatrics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
GPGema Pérez-Rojo
Gema Pérez-Rojo
Cristina NoriegaCristina Noriega
Cristina Noriega
ICIsabel Carretero
Isabel Carretero
CVCristina Velasco
Cristina Velasco
LGL. Galarraga
L. Galarraga
The COVID-19 outbreak could be considered as an uncontrollable stressful life event. Lockdown measures have provoked a disruption of daily life with a great impact over older adults´ health and well-being. Nevertheless, eudaimonic well‐being plays a protective role in confronting adverse circumstances, such as the COVID-19 situation. This study aims to assess the association between age and psychological well-being (personal growth and purpose in life). Young-old (60-70 years) and Old-old (71 to 80 years) community-dwelling Spaniards (N = 878) completed a survey and reported on their sociodemographic characteristics and their levels of health, COVID-19 stress-related, appraisal and personal resources. Old-old did not evidence poorer psychological well-being than young-old. Age has only a negative impact on personal growth. The results also suggest that the nature of the COVID-19 impact (except for the loss of a loved one) may not be as relevant for the older adults’ well-being as their appraisals and personal resources for managing COVID-related problems. In addition, these results suggest that some sociodemographic and health-related variables have an impact on older adults’ well-being. Thus, perceived-health, family functioning, resilience, gratitude and acceptance had significant associations with both personal growth and purpose in life. Efforts to address older adults’ psychological well-being focusing on older adults’ personal resources should be considered.

Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
GPGema Pérez-Rojo
Gema Pérez-Rojo
Cristina NoriegaCristina Noriega
Cristina Noriega
CVCristina Velasco
Cristina Velasco
Despite efforts to promote good care, many institutionalized older adults (IOA) experience elevated neglectful conditions and reduced person-centered care approaches. Based on the job demand–control model, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between nursing home professionals’ personal and organizational factors and good care provided to institutionalized older people. Data was collected through a self-administered survey completed by 208 nursing home staff members. Three dimensions of personal factors (i.e., personal accomplishment, depersonalization, and negative old age stereotypes) were significant predictors of good care. Depersonalization and negative old age stereotypes were negatively associated with IOA, and both good care and personal accomplishment were positively associated with good care in nursing homes. Only one work-related factor (i.e., management support) was positively associated with good care. Personal factors may play a significant role in good care. Management support offers a promising mechanism to promote good care among nursing home professionals. The findings support the need to change the focus on entirely completing care tasks to providing good care of residents in nursing homes that promotes management support, personal accomplishment, personalization and positive old age consideration, attitudes, and behaviors. Policies and interventions should be developed to address in a more humanized way.

29 October 2021 in Psychogeriatrics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
GPGema Pérez-Rojo
Gema Pérez-Rojo
Cristina NoriegaCristina Noriega
Cristina Noriega
JMJosé Ángel Martínez-Huertas
José Ángel Martínez-Huertas
CVCristina Velasco
Cristina Velasco
Background: Older adults have proven their ability to overcome adversities throughout their life. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on older adultsʼ psychological distress (anxiety and depression) over time.Methods: A community‐dwelling Spaniard population (N = 192) completed a survey and reported on their sociodemographic characteristics, appraisal and personal resources. Older adults took part in a longitudinal online survey collected in April 2020 (during the lockdown restrictions) and at two subsequent time points 3 and 9 months after baseline (without lockdown restrictions and during the third wave of the pandemic respectively).Results: Older adults did not evidence higher emotional distress than during the initial lockdown. Furthermore, depression remained stable and anxiety significantly decreased. Results also suggest that some sociodemographic characteristics, appraisals and personal resources are relevant. Older participants showed less anxiety than younger ones. Furthermore, being a male, resilience, and acceptance were related with the decrease of anxiety. Otherwise, fear of the COVID‐19 outbreak and depression were related with the increase of anxiety.Conclusion: Older adults may adapt to the adverse pandemic impact by using more adaptive resources that reduce their distress. Efforts to ameliorate older adults' anxiety by focusing on older adults' personal resources should be considered.

11 October 2022 in BMC Geriatrics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
GPGema Pérez-Rojo
Gema Pérez-Rojo
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
Cristina NoriegaCristina Noriega
Cristina Noriega
CVCristina Velasco
Cristina Velasco
ICIsabel Carretero
Isabel Carretero
LGL. Galarraga
L. Galarraga
Researchers have mainly focused on aging risk factors and COVID-19 consequences. However, older adults have proved their ability to overcome adversities along their life. Resilience is a protective variable that dampens the impact of stress. Based on MacLeod’s et al. (2016) approach, we aimed to analyze the relationship between older adults’ resilience and COVID-19 related-stressors as well as their physical, mental, and social characteristics. Eight hundred eighty-nine people aged 60 and over participated in this study. Older participants, women, having better perceived health and not losing a loved one because of the virus were associated with more resilience. Moreover, higher levels of gratitude, personal growth, life purpose and lower levels of depression were associated with greater scores in resilience. This study offers a change of perspective in which aging is perceived from a positive viewpoint by focusing on easily accessible resources that may help older adults to cope with adverse situations.

1 August 2021 in Psicothema
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
GPGema Pérez-Rojo
Gema Pérez-Rojo
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
Cristina NoriegaCristina Noriega
Cristina Noriega
JMJosé Ángel Martínez-Huertas
José Ángel Martínez-Huertas
CVCristina Velasco
Cristina Velasco
KPKarl Pillemer
Karl Pillemer
Although several biopsychosocial variables could play an important role as risk and protective factors of mental health, COVID-19 outbreak studies among older people have seldom focused on protective factors. The purpose of this study was to analyze how older adults' personal strengths predict their well-being and emotional distress. 783 Spanish people aged 60 and over completed a survey that included sociodemographic characteristics, perceived health, direct or indirect infection by COVID-19, resilience, gratitude, experiential avoidance, family functioning, emotional distress and well-being. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was performed. SEM invariance was also used to analyze whether there were differences between older people affected by COVID-19 and those not affected. The best model supports the mediation effect of resilience, gratitude and experiential avoidance on older people's well-being and emotional distress. Whether participants or relatives had been infected by the virus or not did not affect the results. Variables used as criteria in older adults are related to well-being and emotional distress, but only indirectly and mediated by resilience, gratitude and experiential avoidance. This confirms the importance of considering psychological strengths in older people's well-being. Interventions focused on these personal resources should be considered.

15 April 2021 in BMC Geriatrics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
GPGema Pérez-Rojo
Gema Pérez-Rojo
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
Cristina NoriegaCristina Noriega
Cristina Noriega
JMJosé Ángel Martínez-Huertas
José Ángel Martínez-Huertas
CVCristina Velasco
Cristina Velasco
Background: There is extensive concern about older people’s care in institutions, especially recently in the past years. One of the reasons is linked to the cases of elder abuse, not only shown by academic and scientific sources, but also by social and mass media and their impact on public perception of the institutional setting. What is more, current COVID-19 pandemic consequences on older people have provoked alarm and worry especially about what is happening in institutions. Methods: The sample for this study consists of 286 staff working in nursing homes in Spain. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Professional Good Care Scale in Nursing Homes (GCS-NH). Results: Results of parallel analyses and exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) showed a four-factor model for the 32-item scale: humanization (9 items), non-infantilization (10 items), respect (7 items) and empowerment (6 items). Then, psychometric properties were tested analysing internal consistency (reliability) and convergent, divergent and criterion validity. High internal consistency (reliability) and different validity evidence were obtained for the total scores of the GCS-NH and its subscales. GCS-NH scores were also capable of detecting risk of probable institutional elder abuse. Conclusions: Results show that this scale is an appropriate, valid, and reliable multidimensional instrument to evaluate good care in older institutionalized people by staff. Good care is an outcome of a complex construct in which a wide range of factors converge (staff, older people, and environmental characteristics). The GCS-NH has potential to be used as a multidimensional tool to assess good care.