Introduction: Previous studies have shown that adverse childhood experiences negatively impact child development, with consequences throughout the lifespan. Some of these consequences include the exacerbation or onset of several pathologies and risk behaviors.Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of 398 individuals aged 20 years or older from the Porto metropolitan area, with quotas, was collected. The evaluation was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire that included sociodemographic questions about exposure to adverse childhood experiences, a list of current health conditions, questions about risk behaviors, the AUDIT-C test, the Fagerström test and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–brief form. Variables were quantified to measure adverse childhood experiences, pathologies, and risk behaviors in adult individuals for comparison purposes.Results: Individuals with different forms of adverse childhood experiences present higher rates of smoking dependence, self-harm behaviors, victimization of/aggression toward intimate partners, early onset of sexual life, sexually transmitted infections, multiple sexual partners, abortions, anxiety, depression, diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol, hypertension, and stroke. Different associations are analyzed and presented.Discussion and Conclusions: The results show that individuals with adverse childhood experiences have higher total scores for more risk behaviors and health conditions than individuals without traumatic backgrounds. These results are relevant for health purposes and indicate the need for further research to promote preventive and protective measures.

Background: Workplace violence in healthcare settings has long been studied in scientific literature, particularly in the nursing profession. Research has explored mostly user violence probably for its high prevalence and impact on health and job satisfaction. Yet this focus may overshadow another dangerous type of workplace violence: coworker violence. Exerted by co-workers with similar status, lateral violence differs from that yielded by a co-worker with a higher rank, known as vertical. This study aims to deepen the knowledge about lateral violence perceived by nurses and its interaction with other variables commonly associated with workplace violence in healthcare: burnout, job satisfaction, and self-perceived health. Method: A random block sampling was performed, prompting a total sample of 925 nursing professionals from 13 public hospitals located in the southeast of Spain. The sample distribution (mean and standard deviation) and the response percentages according to the study variables of the ad-hoc questionnaire were analyzed and classified with cluster analysis. Results: Through the cluster analysis, two subgroups were obtained: Cluster 1, composed of 779 participants, with low scores in the variables used for the classification, high levels of both extrinsic and intrinsic satisfaction, low levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism, and low rates of somatization, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression; and Cluster 2, composed of 115 participants and characterized by moderate-high scores in the variables used for the classification, moderate extrinsic satisfaction, and low intrinsic satisfaction, high emotional exhaustion and cynicism and lower somatization, anxiety, social dysfunction, and depression scores. Excluded cases amounted to 31. Conclusion: Nursing professionals who experience lateral violence reveal a lower intrinsic satisfaction, feeling less self-accomplished in their job, and less positive work experience. Emotional exhaustion rises as a concerning progressive and long-term outcome of experiencing this type of violence.

Despite the occurrence of encouraging political and social changes in the past few years, many beliefs about women’s role in intimate relationships persist, influencing their response to domestic violence (DV). This study aims to analyze the influence of recent policies against DV in Portugal, concerning particularly intimate partner violence against women and their perceptions about the victimization process. Two samples of women (n = 126 each) reporting an aggressive act allegedly perpetrated by the current or former male partner were interviewed with a hiatus of 5 years (before and after some most relevant policy updates). Results suggest a positive influence of the recent policies against DV. Many significant and encouraging changes were found in the more recent women sample (S2) relatively to the first sample (S1) regarding their information, awareness, perceptions, and attitudes toward DV. They seem to show less tolerance and endurance to DV, placing responsibility on the offender, as well as seem more empowered to report. In S2, there was a decrease in the acceptance of violent behaviors as normal and of reasons to explain violence; the fears, shame, and helplessness about DV; the elapsed time between the beginning of the abuse and its report; and the prevalence of more severe types of physical abuse. In S2, there was an increase on the acknowledgment of DV as a crime, the number of reports in cases without cohabitation, the report of psychological abuses, and the feeling of safety and assurance while reporting.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is simultaneously assumed as a serious crime and a major public health issue, having recurrences as one of its main characteristics and, consequently, re-entries of some alleged offenders in the criminal justice system (CJS). The main goal of this study is to assess if in cases of female victims of IPV, violence decreases after the first entry of the alleged offender in the CJS. A retrospective study was performed based on the analysis of police reports of alleged cases of IPV during a 4-year period. The final sample (n = 1 488) was divided into two groups according to the number of entries in the CJS (single or multiple) followed by a comparative approach. Results suggest that violence decreases after the first entry of alleged offenders in the CJS. Re-entries were found in only 15.5% of the cases but they were accountable for 3.3 times more crimes on average. Besides, victims of recidivism presented more injuries and required more medical care. Thus, a small group of alleged offenders seems to be more violent and accountable for most of the IPV crimes registered in the CJS suggesting that regardless of legal sanctions aiming to deter violence, these measures may not be enough for a certain group of offenders. This study sustains the need for a predictive model to quantify the risk of repeated IPV cases within the Portuguese population.

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) refer to traumatic life events occurred in childhood that comprise abuse (e.g., psychological, physical, sexual), neglect (psychological and physical), indirect violence or household dysfunctions. Such experiences ultimately lead to severe short-, medium- and long-term consequences for the victim’s health. The goal of this study is to analyze the prevalence of health outcomes in children <16 years of age, who were suspected of ACEs by physicians. The specific objectives consist of analyzing 3 health outcome groups: (a) traumatic injuries and intoxications; (b) mental health disorders; and (c) physical disorders.Methods: We performed a real-world, retrospective, observational, cross-sectional, and multicentric study, using complementary data from electronic health records and healthcare registries from the local healthcare unit of Matosinhos, generated between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2021 (total child population <16 years observed during that period=40 536). Keywords and ICD-9, ICD-10, and ICPC-2 codes were applied to find data on the victims.Results: Just over 2% of children were referred to as victims in the available information (n=918). Social problems, injuries and intoxications, mental health disorders, and physical disorders were observed at higher percentages in suspected victims than in the total analyzed population.Discussion: These results reveal that child victims of ACEs may be underdiagnosed, which, given the aforementioned (and described in the literature) severe consequences for their current and future health, should be taken as a critical warning for healthcare professionals. Detections and reports are fundamental for early treatment, aiming to avoid an escalation of damage and prevent re-victimization.

The school context represents a significant occupational risk factor for education professionals. Numerous studies highlight that these professionals often show anxiety, depression, stress or burnout, among other health-related issues. Although various sociodemographic variables have been examined for their influence on the development of these symptoms, there is no clear consensus, especially regarding the role of sex, age or type of teaching. The aim of the present study is to assess psychological well-being and personality traits in a sample of education professionals. The sample includes 257 professionals from public and private centers (M_age = 42.48, SD_age = 9.8; 72.4% women). The results show significantly higher scores in women in depression, anxiety, stress and psychological burnout. In addition, professionals under 30 years of age showed greater enthusiasm for their work, but also higher stress levels. Regarding the type of teaching, Primary Education professionals showed higher scores related to burnout, while Early Childhood Education professionals reported a significantly higher stress level. Differences in personality were only observed according to the type of teaching, with significantly higher pleasantness scores in the group composed of management and other professionals. These results underscore the vulnerability of education professionals and highlight the need for more extensive research into their occupational health. Evidence-based interventions targeting this population are also essential to address these challenges effectively.