Being a police officer is a very stressful job, characterized by occupational stressors that impact mental health and increasing work-family balance. Quantitative research is unable to clarify how police officers cope with the impact of work challenges on work-family balance. This study aims to understand how police officers narrate the impact of their work on their family experiences. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Portuguese military police and civilian service forces working in the Northern region of Portugal. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed according to the principles of thematic analysis. The main themes indicate that participants are concerned about the work-family conflict. Both common and unique police officers’ perceptions of the impact of professional challenges on work-family balance emerged among both groups. Common work-family balance challenges for both civilian and military police officers included a negative impact on family dynamics and the sharing work experiences with family, but also recognized positive impacts of the profession on the family. For military police officers, making decisions regarding career advancement is a specific challenge. This study enables clinicians and other professional groups, such as commanders and politicians, to further develop a deeper understanding of these challenges and their different levels of impact. It also allows for the development of targeted strategies aligned with the unique needs of these professionals.

Objectives: The aim of this study, as the first review directed at Primary Health Care, is to identify the screening practices and health outcomes related to the care provided by Family Health Teams to the malnourished elderly people/population. Methods: Following PRISMA and PICO strategies, searches were conducted in four electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus & EMBASE) on observational, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed studies, written in Portuguese, Spanish and English language, with participants of 65 years old or older at a community setting. The literature selected for this study ranges from the period 2011 to 2021; additional articles were included through reference lists. Results: From the 483 studies identified, 16 were considered eligible to use in this work. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score appears as the main criteria of choice, however, a standardized practice in the health systems regarding the use of screening methods has not been demonstrated. Studies are more oriented towards the analysis of the relationship of mortality/morbidity and malnutrition than towards the relationship of the cost and quality of life and malnutrition of the elderly. Discussion: Malnutrition is one of the modifiable risk factors which contributes to the vulnerable condition of the elderly, with serious effects, especially when related to other comorbidities. Yet, several authors argue that the Primary Health Care intervention can minimize the negative impacts and improve the health outcomes.

Youth who have been exposed to potentially traumatic events are at risk of developing chronic and severe adjustment problems. However, some youth exposed to potentially traumatic events exhibit better-than-expected adaptation. Person-centered analyses, based on multiple criteria for adaptive behavior and adversity, are well-suited to empirically identifying different patterns of adaptation among high-risk youth. Data from 381 youth from three at-risk subgroups in Portugal were collected using self-reported measures of trauma history, trauma-related symptomatology, coping skills, and perceived social support. Distinct classes of adaptation after traumatic experiences were examined with latent class analysis. Four classes were identified: (a) trauma-related psychopathology class (13.6%), (b) adaptive resilience class (36.8%), (c) low resources class (11.4%), and (d) high resources class (38.2%). Trauma-related psychopathology class and low resources class were characterized by high levels of maladjustment. Similarly to the low resources class, the trauma-related psychopathology class reported a significantly higher likelihood of trauma-related psychopathology and higher levels of problem-solving skills. The adaptive resilience class and high resources class also reported lower levels of maladjustment, and the high resources class reported higher levels of coping skills and lower levels of externalizing problems than any other class. Clinicians treating children's internalizing mental health or externalizing behavior problems should assess trauma history and trauma-related psychopathology, as well as protective resources that may enhance resilience such as skills for problem solving and social support seeking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Police officers are exposed to several operational and organizational stressors that significantly impact on their mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic was a new stressor that further exacerbated existing stressors, highlighting the need for a better understanding of its impact on the mental health of police officers. This study tested the hypothesis that occupational stressors and PTSD are serial mediators of the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and burnout. Two hundred Portuguese police officers completed an online survey that assessed their fear of COVID-19, exposure to operational and organizational stressors, PTSD, and burnout. The results of the serial mediation analysis indicated that not only do occupational stressors act as mediators between fear of COVID-19 and burnout but also that PTSD is a mediator. The findings of this study underscore the need for interventions to reduce the negative impact of operational and organizational stressors on the mental health of police officers. Furthermore, this study highlights the power of police institutions for prevention and intervention with these professionals. By recognizing the specific stressors that contribute to the development of PTSD and burnout, our study provides a foundation for the development of direct interventions that can help to minimize the adverse effects of these stressors