Executive functions (EFs) are a multifaceted construct, important for several outcomes throughout life. The most commonly addressed executive components are inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. To map how other executive components are addressed conceptually and methodologically in the literature, a scoping review was carried out. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guideline was used. The database search (2017-2022) was carried out on the APA PsycInfo, Medline, Scopus, LILACS, and SciELO databases. A total of 3,473 articles were identified; 1,302 remained after screening. Given the large number of articles, a sample calculation was performed (95% CI and 5% error), with 297 articles randomly selected for full-text reading and 242 studies included for analysis. There was a predominance of health application studies in adults and older adults and in developed countries. There is relative conceptual consensus that EF are a multidimensional construct; however, there is no explicit identification of the theoretical model used in the studies. A diversity of EF was evidenced, which broadens the understanding of the construct, its assessment, and intervention targets. Furthermore, there was a variety of instruments used to assess these skills, with a predominance of performance tests, often with construct-instrument ambivalence between studies. The mapping showed a diversity of skills referred to as EF in addition to the core components and identified the instruments used in their assessment. Greater conceptual and structural clarity and greater methodological care are fundamental to support the assessment of EF and their intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Transtornos Mentais Comuns (TMC) caracterizam-se por sintomas que causam sofrimento. Esta revisão sistemática teve por objetivo descrever e analisar artigos sobre prevalência de TMC entre universitários brasileiros. A busca foi realizada no Portal da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde com os descritores “Acadêmicos” OR “Universitários” AND “Transtornos Mentais Comuns”. Dentre os 229 artigos elegíveis, foram incluídos 18. A prevalência de TMC detectada variou de 19% a 55,3%, e em 11 estudos foi maior que 40%; frequência superior às identificadas em estudos internacionais com universitários, nacionais com população geral e outras amostras. Sugere-se medidas de atenção em saúde mental para este público.

Introduction: Attentional bias, the tendency that a person has to drive or maintain attention to a specific class of stimuli, may play an important role in the etiology and persistence of mental disorders. Attentional bias modification has been studied as a form of additional treatment related to automatic processing. Objectives: This systematic literature review compared and discussed methods, evidence of success and potential clinical applications of studies about attentional bias modification (ABM) using a visual probe task. Methods: The Web of Knowledge, PubMed and PsycInfo were searched using the keywords attentional bias modification, attentional bias manipulation and attentional bias training. We selected empirical studies about ABM training using a visual probe task written in English and published between 2002 and 2014. Results: Fifty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Most (78%) succeeded in training attention in the predicted direction, and in 71% results were generalized to other measures correlated with the symptoms. Conclusions: ABM has potential clinical utility, but to standardize methods and maximize applicability, future studies should include clinical samples and be based on findings of studies about its effectiveness.