Background: Mental health among university students is a public health problem in Chile, understanding that this population is susceptible to mental disorders.Objective: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and variables influencing depression, anxiety, and stress in Chilean university students.Method: A representative sample (n = 1,062) of Chilean university students and a cross-sectional study design were used. Bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were performed to identify risk factors associated with symptomatology. They were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A questionnaire with sociodemographic variables was applied in November 2022, in addition to the depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21), instruments with excellent reliability in this population (α = 0.955; ω = 0.956). On the other hand, the Questionnaire of Problematic Alcohol and Drug Consumption (DEP-ADO) was applied. A descriptive analysis was performed, followed by bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression using SPSS version 25. The variables showed a value of p <0.05; they were declared statistically significant in the final model. Odds ratios (OR) were adjusted to a 95% confidence interval (95% CI), which was used to determine the independent predictors.Results: The prevalence of mental health problems in this population was high, with depressive symptoms in 63.1% of the sample; 69.2% with anxiety; 57% with stress; 27.4% with problematic alcohol consumption; and 14.9% with inappropriate marijuana consumption. Some 10.1% of the sample reported daily medication with antidepressants and/or anxiolytics. Concerning significant variables for depression, these were: being female, belonging to sexual, not having children, having problematic marijuana use, and using prescription drugs. Concerning anxiety, the significant variables were being a woman, belonging to sexual minorities, being an adolescent, and consuming prescription medication. Finally, concerning stress, the significant variables were being a woman, belonging to sexual minorities, being a student dedicated exclusively to academic activities, and taking prescription medication.Conclusion: Chilean university students presented a high prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress, where being female and belonging to sexual minorities seem to be the variables that have the greatest impact on susceptibility to mental health problems. These results should call the attention of political and university authorities in Chile to improve this population’s mental health and quality of life since they are the following professional generation of our country.

The main objective of this study was to estimate the psychometric properties of the Emotional Fatigue Scale (ECE) in a sample of 1308 Chilean university students and confirm the unifactorial structure of the scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out. The ECE assessment had an internal consistency of 0.893 (Cronbach’s Alpha). An exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation and a confirmatory analysis were performed, obtaining the factor that explains 52.3% of the variance. The results indicated that the ECE has adequate psychometric properties for use with higher education students in Chile. The ECE scale has good psychometric properties to be applied in the Chilean university context. Its usage may be very relevant to contribute to higher education institutions to emphasize students’ mental health and prevent possible severe pathologies in future professionals. It is suggested to use the ECE scale together with the EES-Int, which is the only interpretation table for this instrument.

Introduction: emotional exhaustion among trainee teachers is a relevant topic since it could have repercussions regarding the lives of their future pupils. Our objective was to determine the degree of trainee teachers’ emotional exhaustion and associated variables during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: the design was cross-sectional and descriptive. Questionnaires with sociodemographic variables, perceptions of mental health, and the Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE) (α = 0.890; ω = 0.893) validated for the Chilean context were answered by 204 trainee teachers. The results were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 and the Emotional Exhaustion Interpretation Table (EES-Int). Results: the results show that 92.2% of the trainee teachers presented a worsening in their mental health, stress (66.2%), irritability (38.2%), anxiety (37.7%), and depressive symptoms (32.8%). Online classes (73.04%) and the pandemic (67.6%) were the main influencing factors. Education students who perceived their mental health had worsened became 6.63 times more likely to develop emotional exhaustion [AOR = 6.63; 95% CI: 1.78, 24.69]. In addition, education students with a high perception of academic stress were 7.45 more likely to develop emotional exhaustion [AOR = 7.45; 95% CI: 1.98, 28.09]. Conclusion: we can conclude that trainee teachers have high levels of emotional exhaustion and their perception of their mental health and the academic stress they are being subjected to during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead them to present symptoms of frequent or permanent problems with concentration, attention, recall of information, dissatisfaction with their performance, and frequent learning difficulties. From the affective dimension, they present frequent or permanent anxiety, restlessness, irritability, indifference, low mood, and psychomatization. From the socio-interactional dimension, they present frequent or permanent social withdrawal, interpersonal problems, problems at work or school, and family and relationship problems. Increasing the sample to delve into emotional exhaustion by subject area is necessary. For future studies, research should be conducted on the causes of emotional exhaustion by subject area and the coping strategies of trainee teachers to understand differences and provide input on emotional support in practice.

The mental health of children and adolescents in the Chilean Educational System (ChES) has become a severe post-pandemic public health problem. This cross-sectional study, which included 1,174 children and adolescents from five Chilean regions, used the DASS-21 scale, focusing on determining the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as identifying associated risk factors. The results exposed a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress (60.2%, 63.6%, and 50.2%, respectively). Risk factors for depression involve being female, having separated parents, being in high school, having a cell phone, difficulty sleeping, ruminative thoughts, and low self-esteem. For anxiety, factors included being female, being 12 years old, owning a cell phone, having sleep problems, having ruminations, having low self-esteem, and being an atheist. For stress, factors were identified as being female, owning a cell phone, sleep problems, ruminations, low self-esteem, being atheist, as well as extensive use of social networks. The research underscores the urgent need for intervention by educational authorities, given the marked deterioration in the mental health of children and adolescent students in the ChES, to prevent long-term consequences.

The assessment of the strength and muscle mass of the hand-finger segment are reliable indicators of health and predictors of cardiometabolic risk in the adult population. However, there are no valid and reliable tests to assess the muscle power of this segment in healthy adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine the validity and inter-day reliability of a grip power test (Grip_W test) in healthy adolescents. Twenty-one adolescents (15.61 ± 2.20 years old) were part of the study. All participants were instructed to perform a grip with incremental load sets from 1–10 kg as fast as possible. The validity of the Grip_W test was determined with the load-power curve and linear regression equation. Inter-day reliability considered the coefficient of variation (CV), intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), and standard error of the mean (SEM). The significance level for all statistical analyses was p < 0.05. The parabola in the load-power curve for both hands showed normality for the Grip_W test. In addition, the analysis showed a CV = 4.63% and ICC = 1.00 for the right hand, while the left hand showed a CV = 3.23% and ICC = 1.00. The Grip_W test proved to be valid and reliable for assessing gripping muscle power functionally and unilaterally in healthy adolescents.

Variable resistance (VR) is a methodology that has shown good results in developing muscular strength and power. However, no updated information relates to the use of VR as an activation to trigger post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE). The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to review and qualitatively describe studies published between 2012 and 2022 that used VR to generate PAPE in muscle power-dominant sports. The secondary objective was to calculate the effect size of the different power outcomes reported in the selected studies. The search was designed following the PRISMA^® guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and performed in the Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and MEDLINE between 2012 and 2022. The methodological quality and risk of bias were evaluated with the Cochrane Collaboration tool. The main variables were the throwing speed, time in sprint tests, and jump height. The analysis was conducted with a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) through a Hedges’ g test (95% CI). Twenty-two studies were included in the systematic review and ten in the meta-analysis, revealing a trivial effect for throwing speed (SMD = 0.06; CI = 95%: −0.23–0.35; p = 0.69), a small effect for the time in sprint tests (SMD = −0.37; CI = 95%: −0.72–−0.02; p = 0.04), and a moderate effect for jump height (SMD = 0.55; CI = 95%: 0.29–0.81; p ˂ 0.0001). All forms of VR used for neuromuscular activation effectively triggered PAPE. Specifically, the results showed that activation with VR generates performance increases in time, in sprint tests and jump height, and a trivial effect in throwing tests (speed and distance).