Alfonso Urzua

• Ph.D.; MPH, Psyc.
• Professor (Full) at Universidad Católica del Norte (Chile)

Background Despite the evidence of the sense of coherence (SOC) as a key factor in stress management and health promotion, there is little information about its connection with healthy lifestyles in migrant population. Objective To investigate the relationship between the variables SOC and Healthy Lifestyles in a south-south migrant population. S...

Migration generates changes in the quality of life (QoL) of immigrants. One of the difficulties that the process of migrating can entail is discrimination, which is the set of negative attitudes towards a person, in this case, because of their nationality. Objective: To analyze the effect that the sense of coherence (SOC) has on the relationship th...

In this chapter, we refer to relevant issues related to the mental health of migrants in the region, both from their positive aspects, such as well-being, and from their more psychopathological components, including, for example, epidemiological studies on the prevalence of mental disorders. Special emphasis is placed on the search for distinctive...

Antecedentes: existe una estrecha relación entre salud mental y estilos de alimentación. Indicadores de salud mental como sintomatología ansiosa y depresiva han reportado efectos directos sobre estilos de alimentación que promueven la malnutrición por exceso como la alimentación emocional o restrictiva. Se analizó el efecto de la sintomatología ans...

La relación entre los valores culturales y el bienestar ha sido estudiada principalmente desde los enfoques occidentales tradicionales del bienestar, siendo escasas las investigaciones desde la perspectiva de los pueblos originarios. El objetivo de este estudio es explorar la relación entre los valores y el bienestar desde el enfoque del buen vivir...

(1) Background: To evaluate a model based on the right-to-health approach, considering the impact of associated factors on the future utilization of primary healthcare services among international migrants in Chile. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed to survey 499 South American migrants residing in Chile. Ad-hoc questionnaires were...

This study aimed to report the indirect effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between discrimination and life satisfaction in migrant children and adolescents in Chile. Two studies were conducted with 494 migrant children and adolescents in Chile (Study 1, n=292; Study 2, n=202), ranging in age from 9 to 18 years (Study 1, ME=12.30, SD=2.57;...

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El objetivo de este estudio fue describir las vías de atención para pacientes con una aparición reciente de psicosis y determinar si éstas se ven afectadas significativamente por el origen étnico y las creencias causales del trastorno. Participaron 252 pacientes con esquizofrenia en tratamiento ambulatorio (116 Aymara y 136 No Aymara) con un promed...

This research aimed to analyze the association between irrational beliefs (IB) of Demandingness, Frustration intolerance, and Approval, with life satisfaction (LS) and their moderating effect on the associations between sociodemographic variables and LS. A non-experimental cross-sectional analytical design was used. Participants were 483 Mexican ad...

El sentido de coherencia (SOC, por sus siglas en inglés) ha mostrado diversos beneficios en el estado de salud de personas con diabetes. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de la versión de 13 ítems de la escala de orientación a la vida en español. Se realizó un estudio de tipo instrumental donde participaron 220 perso...

Eating behaviors can be classified as daily (CAC) and risky (CAR), and may vary in frequency and intensity. The objective was to compare daily and risky eating behaviors among men and women living in northern and central Chile. Data were collected from 916 participants, 60% were women and 40% were men, mean age of 35.2 years. The subscale of daily...

Objetivo: diseñar y evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de una escala para medir el involucramiento cultural en un pueblo andino. Metodología: investigación psicométrica. Fueron desarrolladas las fases de: a) revisión teórica; b) abordaje cualitativo, entrevistas semiestructuradas a 16 Lickanantay; c) diseño de la escala preliminar; d) evaluación...

Introduction: Migration affects people’s lives, including their behaviours which impact both physical and mental health. Anxiety and depressive symptoms in migrants have been linked to negative physical and mental health outcomes associated with eating behaviour. This study aimed to analyse the mediating impact of positive and negative affect on th...

Introduction: Discrimination affects the health and well-being of those who experience it. The relationship between discrimination and mental health in migrant communities and in the Chilean child and youth population has been previously studied, however, there is little evidence regarding the effects of discrimination on the general population. O...

Las conductas alimentarias pueden clasificarse en cotidianas (CAC) y de riesgo (CAR), pudiendo variar en frecuencia e intensidad. El objetivo, comparar conductas alimentarias cotidianas y de riesgo entre hombres y mujeres residentes en el norte y centro de Chile. Se recolectaron datos de 916 participantes, el 60% mujeres y el 40% hombres, edad prom...

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue evaluar si la motivación tiene un efecto moderador en la relación entre cursar una carrera no deseada y el bienestar psicológico en personas estudiantes de educación superior. La muestra estuvo conformada por 333 estudiantes; se evaluó si las personas se encontraban estudiando la carrera que habían desea...

Objetivo: analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Discriminación en la Vida Cotidiana (Everyday Discrimination Scale [EDS]) en niños y adolescentes del norte de Chile entre 8 y 18 años. Método: se recogió una muestra no probabilística compuesta por 4.955 participantes entre 8 y 18 años, con una edad media de 12,8. El 50,9% fueron de...

Introducción. La seguridad alimentaria (SA) se define como la existencia de acceso físico y económico a suficientes alimentos, inocuos y nutritivos para satisfacer las necesidades alimenticias. Durante la pandemia de covid-19, todas las dimensiones de la SA se vieron afectadas dado el impacto de las medidas sanitarias. Objetivo. Comparar el nivel d...

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of social determinants (i.e., gender, educational vulnerability, and socioeconomic status) and resilience on the mental health of Chilean adolescents in pre-, during, and post-COVID-19 pandemic contexts. The study included a group of 684 students, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years, who were atte...

El 21 de marzo de 2022 se conmemoró un nuevo aniversario del inicio de la enseñanza de la psicología en Chile el año 1947, cumpliéndose 75 años formando psicólogas y psicólogos profesionales en el país. En este escrito buscamos conmemorar la ocasión, repasando brevemente el histórico camino recorrido hasta el presente y señalando algunos desafíos p...

In this article, we analyze the internal structure of the scale for experience in exercising the right to health care (EERHC), based on the focus from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the right to health care, from the perspective of international migrants, in Chile. The methodology was an instrumental study (n = 563) conducted to analyze the...

OBJETIVO: Determinar el efecto mediador de la motivación a buscar venganza en la relación de la ansiedad y la evitación en el apego con la calidad de vida. METODOLOGÍA: estudio transversal correlacional. La muestra estuvo constituida por 558 personas de 18 a 65 años de la ciudad de Antofagasta, Chile. Fueron utilizados los instrumentos: Cuestionari...

El objetivo del presente estudio fue investigar la supresión que ejerce el optimismo en la intolerancia a la incertidumbre cuando se relaciona con el propósito con la vida. Para establecer esta posible relación de supresión se toma como referencia inicial el rol protector del optimismo sobre la salud mental. Para aproximarse a esta propuesta, se hi...

El objetivo del presente estudio es investigar el papel supresor que pudiera tener el optimismo en la relación entre la intolerancia a la incertidumbre y el propósito en la vida en la población universitaria. Con el objetivo de establecer esta posible relación de supresión se toma como referencia inicial el rol protector del optimismo sobre la salu...

Background migration is a worldwide phenomenon that is growing at an accelerated pace. When people who migrate come into contact with a new culture, they are immersed in a process called acculturation. In this process, people oscillate between maintaining their own culture or acquiring the culture and customs of the host country, resulting in the s...

Unlabelled: The psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still represent a focus of concern, especially in children and adolescents who are a group particularly vulnerable to the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly due to the loss of socialization and leisure spaces. The aim of the study is to determine the variation...

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with poor mental health symptoms, particularly among vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ+ individuals. In the present study, we aimed to (i) identify different psychological adjustment profiles among LGBTQ+ young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare LGBTQ+ young adults in relation to (...

(1) Background: Migration causes effects on the people who migrate and on the societies that receive them, which can be positive or negative, depending on the characteristics of the interaction. One negative effect is the emergence of mental health disorders associated with the presence of discrimination, a relationship for which there is abundant...

The present study provides evidence of how positive social interaction and the perception of psychological kinship are mechanisms by which identity fusion with the host country is associated with the psychological well-being of Venezuelan migrants in Chile. The sample consisted of 323 Venezuelan migrants, of whom 147 (45.5%) were men. The participa...

The study aim was to longitudinally assess internalized stigma in a sample of patients from Northern Chile with a diagnosis of schizophrenia along with indicators of patient recovery, including quality of life, psychotic symptomatology, social cognition, premorbid adjustment, and years of untreated psychosis. The 10-year follow-up of stigma measure...

In this article, meanings and practices in intercultural health for international migrants in health establishments are described from the perspective of health personnel in the city of Antofagasta in northern Chile. Methodology: The methodology was qualitative with a phenomenological descriptive design, through which discourses from health perso...

(1) Background: Discrepancies between children’s self-reports and their parents’ reports on mental health indicators are associated with measurement errors or informant bias. However, they are a valuable tool in understanding the course of child psychopathology. This study aims to determine the level of discrepancies between parents’ perceptions an...

The present study provides evidence of how perceived social support is a mechanism by which identity fusion with the country of origin is associated with psychological well-being in a migrant population. The study design was cross-sectional. We use intentional sampling based on the accessibility of the participants and using the snowball strategy t...

During the last decades, migration increased considerably in Chile, generating concern for the health of migrants. On the one hand, food preferences oriented to the host territory have been associated with lower food quality and indicators of malnutrition; on the other hand, migrant schoolchildren present a lower risk of excess malnutrition. The ob...

The purpose of this study was to validate the GEOPTE scale of social cognition for its use in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in Latin American countries. The participants were 253 patients with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia and 253 main caregivers from mental health services in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. The psychometric properties of the GEOP...

El propósito de este estudio fue validar la escala GEOPTE de cognición social para su uso en pacientes con diagnóstico de esquizofrenia en países Latinoamericanos. Participaron 253 pacientes con un diagnóstico de esquizofrenia y 253 cuidadores principales provenientes de los servicios públicos de salud mental de Bolivia, Chile y Perú. Las propiedad...

The following study aims to describe the perception of international migrants who use the primary level of care by health personnel and to explore how this perception can affect the care process in the commune of Antofagasta, north of Chile. Methodology: The methodology was qualitative using a phenomenological descriptive design, through which the...

Introducción: La migración ha sido asociada a un mayor consumo de alimentos de alta densidad energética y aumento de peso. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la relación entre la calidad global de la alimentación y estrategias de aculturación alimentarias en migrantes colombianos residentes en Chile Métodos: Estudio no experimental, descript...

Introduction There are few reports on mental health among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population in the context of COVID-19, especially in South America. Objective To describe the prevalence of symptoms associated with mental health disorders, as well as to analyze the risk of their occurrence, in different groups of the Chi...

The purpose of this study is to describe and compare the prevalence of mental health problems in Aymara and non-Aymara children and adolescent. The study sample comprised 1839 students from 8 to 19 years, from educational institutions of Northern Chile. Forty-nine percent of students identified with the Aymara ethnic group. The Child and Adolescent...

Premorbid adjustment (PA) has classically been defined as psychosocial functioning in the areas of education, occupation, social and interpersonal relationships prior to evidence of characteristic positive symptomatology. It is a concept which possesses ample evidence regarding its predictive nature for the course of Schizophrenia. The study aimed...

The research aimed to establish important predictors for addressing internalized stigma from a series of clinical measures relevant to recovery such as symptomatology, functionality, and psychological recovery of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. This cross-sectional study analyzed the information obtained through interviews and surveys of 165...

(1) Background: Religious involvement and spirituality have proven to be sources of well-being for individuals at different moments in life and are also associated with a decrease in depression, anxiety, and substance use. Therefore, these could be protective factors against stressful conditions and contribute to mental health. The aim of the prese...

The association between life satisfaction, resilience, self-esteem, and social competence has been scarcely studied in developing countries, despite the existing literature regarding its effects on youth mental health. This study aimed to analyze the mediating role of self-esteem and resilience in the relationship between social competence and life...

Evaluate the relationship between the cultural involvement and the different dimensions of the Lickan-Antay well-being, as well as the possible mediating effect of ethnic identity and the self-esteem in this relationship. An observational design was used. Three hundred ninety-five Lickan-Antay adult men and women residing in Lickan-Antay developmen...

Substance use is a risk behavior that has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in adolescence. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between behavioral problems, emotional problems, and substance use as well as the mediating role of contextual problems and sensation seeking in this relation. A cross-sectional study of 2...

RESUMEN Objetivo: Identificar la capacidad predictiva de variables demográficas y psicosociales en el autorreporte de la salud física de migrantes colombianos y peruanos en Chile. Material y Método: Diseño no experimental de tipo transversal, correlacional, con muestreo intencional. Participaron 853 inmigrantes (51,7% colombianos y 48,3% peruanos;...

Migration processes can often trigger negative interactions with the context, generating problems in both the physical and mental health of migrants, which have an impact on both their well-being and their quality of life. In this framework, the research aimed to assess the mediating effect of ethnic identity and collective self-esteem on the inver...

Background Acculturation stress is associated with poorer physical and mental health and a lower level of psychological well-being. The causes of acculturation stress are diverse, but most are similar in the migrant population. Despite the importance of evaluating this variable, few studies have reported culturally adapted and validated instruments...

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION In Chile, the migrant population generally reports lower rates of cigarette and alcohol consumption. However, the migratory process and assimilation of behaviors after extended exposure to the host country could increase the consumption of these substances. The aim of this study was to compare cigarette and alcohol consumption...

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to implement strategies to maintain behaviours for the prevention of infections, however, it has not been possible to persuade the entire population to take such measures. Thee use of psychological models helps account for the adoption of health-promoting behaviour. This study examines...

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on 120 patients with schizophrenia, and their caregivers (control group), in the city of Arica, northern Chile. The hypotheses of this study hold that (1) self-reports of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among patients and caregivers would be positively correl...

Multiple research has indicated that group identity processes are critical to understanding the dynamics of psychological well-being linked to migration. However, few studies have analyzed the relationship between identity from different theoretical perspectives, and the mental health of migrants in the Latin-American context. Therefore, the purpos...

Objetivo: Evaluar la asociación entre sentido de coherencia y control glucémico en adultos con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2. Métodos: Estudio de tipo transversal desarrollado durante el año 2018 en el cual fueron encuestados 220 diabéticos de tres unidades de Salud de la Secretaría de Salud del Estado de Jalisco en Ciudad Guzmán, México. Se les aplicó...

Background Eating disorders (ED) are associated with internalized problems (INTP), such as depression and anxiety. Evidence shows that ED and INTP are associated with comorbidities. The relationship between these variables has not been the focus of studies on young people from Northern Chile. Children and adolescents are considered as an at-risk gr...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of adherence to antipsychotic treatment on the recovery of patients with schizophrenia in northern Chile. One hundred and fifty-one patients diagnosed with schizophrenia completed the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS), Recovery Assessmen...

Introduction: the migration process involves change, modification, or acquisition of new eating patterns and ways of eating, which do not always positively impact the health of migrants, being frequently associated with a higher risk of metabolic diseases and excess malnutrition when the quality of food is not adequate. Objective: to analyze the...

La Organización Mundial de la Salud ha puesto el foco en el impacto del proceso migratorio sobre la salud de las personas debido al considerable aumento a nivel mundial durante las últimas décadas. En este contexto, la alimentación es un componente central para el desarrollo y mantenimiento de un buen estado de salud, sin embargo, la evidencia es e...

This study aimed to evaluate the association between learning difficulties and self-esteem in adolescents in northern Chile. The study sample comprised 116 students aged 13–17 years from government-subsidized schools. The Child and Adolescent Assessment System (SENA) was used to measure the variables considered in this study. The results showed tha...

The aim of this research was to evaluate the mediating effect of the value orientations of collectivism and individualism on the relationship between ethnic identity and well-being, the latter conceived from the worldview of Andean natives. For this purpose, under an observational and cross-sectional design, 395 Lickan-Antay adults (57% women) livi...

Substance use is a public health problem that affects the normal physical, neurological, and psychological development of adolescents. Apparently, discrimination is an important variable for explaining the initiation and continued use of alcohol and marijuana. Since most research focused on discrimination based on factors, such as race, ethnicity,...

The World Health Organization has focused on the impact of the migration process on people’s health due to its considerable increase worldwide during the last decades. In this context, food is a central component for developing and maintaining a good state of health; however, the evidence is scarce. This research aims to analyze the evidence on foo...

There is not much evidence on the effects of south–south migration and its consequences on physical and mental health. Our objective was to examine the mediating role of Acculturative Stress in the association between ethnic discrimination and racial discrimination with physical and mental health. This research is a non-experimental, analytical, cr...

Approximately 1.251.225 foreign-born migrants reside in Chile, including 183.315 children. This study compares mental health indicators in immigrant and non-immigrant children to understand the mental health effects of migration. A cross-sectional study of 634 students from Chilean schools was conducted. Fifty percent of the students were immigrant...

The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error in article title.

Editorial materials express the opinions of the scientific community and guides the publication foci; thus, providing insight into the dynamics of the knowledge ecosystem in a scenario that impacts innovation and public policies. The purpose of this bibliometric analysis was to identify the main characteristics of the editorial materials published...

There is abundant evidence about the negative impact of discrimination on well-being, but less research on factors that can reduce this negative effect, mainly focused on North American samples and with incipient development on South-South migration. The objective of this research was to analyze the effect of ethnic identity on the relationship bet...

Migration in Chile has increased exponentially in recent years, with education being one of the main focuses of attention in this cultural transformation. Integration and social competence in the migrant population are determined by several factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential effects of resilience and acculturation stress on...

Discriminatory behaviors among inter-ethnic relations in schools have long been noted and studied, but there are several correlations between discriminatory behaviors and other constructs that need further investigation. As an example, the relation between perceived discrimination and contextual problems—which include family, school and peer proble...

Editado pela Asociación Latinoamericana de Psicología de la Salud em parceria com a OPAS, a obra trás relatos da experiência dos psicólogos da saúde de 12 países Latino americanos no enfrentamento da pandemia de Covid 19. Obra publicada em espanhol. Disponível gratuitamente para downs load também em www.alapsa.net

CAPÍTULO II. PSICOLOGÍA Y COVID-19. EL CASO DE CHILE.

Mantener un adecuado control de la diabetes se relaciona a variables como autocuidado y sentido de coherencia que reducen las tasas de morbilidad y mortalidad. El objetivo fue evaluar el efecto mediador del sentido de coherencia en la relación entre autocuidado y niveles de glucosa en sangre de personas con diabetes. A 220 sujetos con diabetes mell...

Background: Acculturation stress may influence the development of abnormal eating behaviors. However, some mental health indicators, such as ethnic identity, may have a protective effect on this relationship. This study's main objective is to analyze the mediating effect of ethnic identity on the relationship between acculturation stress and abnor...

Objectives The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the Schizophrenia Caregiver's Quality of Life Questionnaire (S-CGQoL) for use in the Hispanic-American population from the caregiver's perspective. Methods A cross-sectional instrumental model was used, with a sample of 253 caregivers of patients suffering of Schizophrenia in Bolivia, Peru...

Across the world, people have seen their lives interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an online survey, we explored how the psychosocial effects of the pandemic affected the mental health of LGBTQ+ young adults who were confined with their parents during the lockdown period (N = 1,934), from six countries: Portugal, UK, Italy, Brazil, Chile, a...

On 3 March 2020, the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country, approximately five months after 18 October 2019, one of Chile’s biggest episodes of civil unrest since its return to democracy in the 90s [1]. This social unrest was triggered by deep social inequalities and resulted in massive protests throughout the country. The citizens...

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has led many countries around the world, including Chile, to take various measures, including physical and, social isolation. The effects of these measures, necessary to prevent the virus from spreading, must be studied. In particular, quarantines are known to have an impact on quality of life and well-being (for exa...

Résumé Introduction : La pandémie de COVID-19 a conduit de nombreux pays à travers le monde, et notamment le Chili à adopter diverses mesures, y compris le confinement physique et social. Les effets de ces mesures, nécessaires pour empêcher la propagation du virus, doivent être étudiées. En particulier, on sait que les quarantaines ont un impact su...

There is abundant empirical evidence on the negative effects of discrimination on psychological well-being. However, little research has focused on exploring the factors that can mitigate this effect. Within this framework, the present study examined the mediating role of positive and negative affects in the relationship between ethnic and racial d...

Objetivo. Analizar el significado del bienestar desde la perspectiva de un pueblo indígena andino: lickan-antay. Método. Estudio cualitativo, diseño descriptivo con fines comprensivos, con muestreo intencionado por bola de nieve. Se aplicaron entrevistas semiestructuradas, analizando los discursos de 16 lickan-antay de diferentes comunidades del no...

Background Research assessing the association between Life Satisfaction and Resilience has increased considerably because it is recognized as an important variable in enhancing adolescent well-being. However, they have focused on non-indigenous youth and have scarcely addressed the needs of those belonging to ethnic minorities, particularly in Lati...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219485.].

RESUMEN El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el efecto mediador del optimismo en la relación ansiedad-rasgo y el bienestar psicológico en estudiantes de educación superior. La muestra estuvo constituida por 332 estudiantes de educación superior de Antofagasta, Chile, con una media de edad de 21.8 años. Se encuentra que el efecto negativo de la ansie...

Objetivo principal: analizar las prácticas tradicionales y los factores contextuales que influyen en el bienestar, desde la perspectiva de personas lickan-antay (atacameñas). Metodología: Estudio cualitativo, diseño descriptivo, muestreo intencionado por bola de nieve. Se aplicaron entrevistas semiestructuradas, analizando los discursos de 16 licka...

Immigration changes the daily dynamics of migrant individuals and communities, as individuals confront new cultures and environments, including new foods and eating styles. Consequent influences on eating behaviors comprise an individual’s actions in feeding themself that are conditioned by biological, social, cultural, and psychological factors. M...

The objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Food Acculturation Strategies Scale – EdeAA (in Spanish Escala de Estrategias de Aculturación Alimentaria), an instrument designed to evaluate skills based on the categorical model of acculturation strategies proposed by Berry. Three hundred and three Colombian immigrants...