Marta Pinto

• Professor
• Professor (Assistant) at University of Porto

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread lockdowns and remote work and educational practices that have impacted the lives of many families. Objective: We aimed to investigate how parents and caregivers altered their routines due to online schooling and teleworking, exploring their association with increased anxiety and depression symp...

Objective To describe a protocol to achieve consensus on valid and important indicators to assess primary health care (PHC) quality regarding all clinical contexts of PHC in European health systems. Study design Qualitative study using the Delphi technique to gain consensus among European panels of experts comprising a heterogeneous professional b...

Objective This study aimed to evaluate psychological and emotional violence in relation with sociodemographic characteristics and anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of Portuguese residents. Methods A cross-sectional online study using snowball sampling collected data on demographics, socioeconomic factors, men...

Drug checking services (DCS) allow people who use drugs to submit substances of concern for chemical analysis and then provide results and specialized counselling when needed. DCS intersect risk management, from a public health perspective, with an activist take that provides people who use drugs with agency over their use by helping them detect an...

We interviewed TB patients to gain insight into the patients` TB literacy levels, attitudes and practices behind diagnosis delay in Portugal.

Clinical psychology is a topic involving theory, research, and practice. It has been dynamically maturating since the 18 th /19 th century [1]. In contrast to strictly academic areas, the scope of clinical psychology is determined by simultaneously solving research problems and promoting educational and practical tasks. The scientific level of clin...

Clinical psychology is a topic involving theory, research, and practice. It has been dynamically maturating since the 18 th /19 th century [1]. In contrast to strictly academic areas, the scope of clinical psychology is determined by simultaneously solving research problems and promoting educational and practical tasks. The scientific level of clin...

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is an illustration of how a physical illness can damage people's minds. In this regard, the goal of this study was to see how different sociodemographic and behavioral factors were linked to anxiety and depression symptoms in a group of individuals living in Portugal. Methods: Between November 2020 and Februar...

Objectives This study evaluated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing symptomatic and severe disease. Study design This was an observational test-negative case-control study. Methods Study participants were adults with at least one symptom included in the World Health Organization COVID-19 definition who sought healthcare in a publ...

Pain is an important cause of disability and constitutes the main reason people seek medical care, especially in general practice. Nevertheless, nearly half of adult Europeans with chronic pain receive inadequate pain treatment. Limited knowledge about pain among physicians is recognized as a key barrier to treatment. This is due to the well-known...

Recent studies have shown that people who attend electronic dance music events and use drug checking services (DCS) are a predominantly white male, highly educated middle-class population. However, there is still a lack of data beyond sociodemographic characteristics that must be addressed. This paper aims to describe the drug use patterns and prot...

To respond to the consequences felt by the COVID-19 pandemic, a community-led intervention was developed by the Portuguese national Movement of Sex Workers. With this exploratory study, we aimed to document their work and analyze their perceptions of this impact. To do so, we interviewed them individually, between May and August of 2020. Additional...

In late November 2020, when Europe reached the highest 14-day incidence of COVID-19 cases, the resource-intensive and time-consuming traditional contact tracing performed by Public Health was challenged. In this context, innovative approaches were necessary to guarantee a timely interruption of disease transmission. “COVID-19 Collaborative Screenin...

Vaccines against COVID-19 approved for use in the EU/EEA have been shown to be highly effective against wild-type SARS-CoV-2. However, their effectiveness against new variants may be reduced. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19 in the prevention of symptomatic and severe disease, during pre- and post-omicron p...

Introduction: Mental health is an important aspect of overall well-being. It is a significant and growing disease burden over the world. Mental health is a complicated public health issue in which environmental influences play a key role. In this regard, we want to look into the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related confinement...

This article explores the psychedelic experience from the users' point of view and through the lens of self-care, a concept within the domain of health and well-being. In a time of renewed interest in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of these substances by exploring their role in different settings....

A saúde mental é um aspeto essencial do bem-estar geral. Trata-se de uma questão complicada de saúde pública na qual as influências ambientais desempenham um papel fundamental. Nesta conversa falaremos sobre os efeitos psicológicos da pandemia e as medidas de confinamento associadas, bem como as variáveis individuais e socioambientais da saúde ment...

Drug checking services (DCS) allow people who use drugs to submit drug samples for chemical analysis and provide feedback of results and counseling. Our study tested the validity of behavioral intention measures against reports of actual behavior and the adoption of protective behavioral strategies. DCS patrons at Boom Festival 2018 completed three...

Não é fácil convencer um país a permanecer em casa durante semanas. Também não é simples desconfiná-lo, mas foi esse o desafio que recebemos no início de 2021, um ano após o SARS-CoV-2 ter surgido à escala global e ainda a atravessar um dos piores picos da doença. Abraçamo-lo como um serviço público que procurámos cumprir da melhor forma. Feito ess...

As a global threat, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an important factor in increasing death rate worldwide. As the virus spreads across international borders, it causes severe illness, death, and disruptions in our daily lives. Death and dying rituals and customs aid bereaved people in overcoming their grief. In this sense, the purpose of this study...

Introduction: The current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has been having a considerable impact not only on health but also on the economy of societies, emphasizing food insecurity as a significant public health concern. Aim: The objective of this study was to characterize the scenario of food insecurity in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic and ex...

Introduction: Food insecurity is associated with poor mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety and COVID-19 could increase these relations. In this sense, we aimed to explore the relationship between food insecurity and mental health features and behaviors in adults from Portugal. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional onlin...

Objective There is still a lack of health indicators for monitoring and evaluating health planning at the local level. In Portugal, local health plans (LHP) include a prioritized set of health priorities, which should be monitored and evaluated. This study is an example of a low-resource method to identify and reuse indicators for LHP monitoring an...

Highlights • The health and socioeconomic conditions created by the measures implemented against the pandemic has bred people mental health. • In this research, we accessed COVID-19-related levels of anxiety and depression symptoms in a Portuguese resident sample. • We found that COVID-19 has affected mental health in younger, females, and those w...

Background: The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and all physical distance measures implemented across the world have caused significant stress, anxiety and mental health implications in the general population. Unemployment, working from home and day-to-day changes may lead to a greater risk of poor mental health outcomes. Objec...

Introduction: Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. It constitutes a relevant and increasing burden of disease worldwide. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the physical distancing measures that all countries have implemented caused disruptions to daily routines that may have, even more, a substantial imp...

In this article, we present the bibliographic data used to prepare Portugal’s phased approach to easing lockdown restrictions (while suppressing COVID-19), outlined by this group of authors.

Introduction: The current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has been triggering a huge impact not only on health but also on the economy of societies, highlighting food insecurity as an important public health concern. Aims: To characterise the scenario of food insecurity in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore its related socio-demograph...

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and all the physical distance measures implemented worldwide have caused stress, anxiety, and mental health implications in the general population. Unemployment, working from home, and unpredictability may lead to a greater risk of poor mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to e...

Background During these unprecedented times, individuals who experience the sudden death of a family member or friend, already miss the anticipatory grief and are now also prevented from a proper farewell. This study aimed to address prolonged grief disorder since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Methods A virtual snowball sampling survey wa...

Background COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting population’s health and economies, in which food insecurity appears as important concern, particularly considering its associations with mental health and adverse behaviours. This study explored the relationship between food insecurity and mental health features and behaviours in adults from Portugal....

Background The use of psychoactive substances frequently starts at a younger age than adulthood. Considering the perspective of young people, this retrospective study tried to provide them with a role in identifying their own needs regarding drug use and interventions focused on it; the obstacles in accessing both general health and harm reduction...

BACKGROUND The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and all physical distance measures implemented across the world have caused significant stress, anxiety and mental health implications in the general population. Unemployment, working from home and day-to-day changes may lead to a greater risk of poor mental health outcomes. OBJECT...

Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB) and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) relate to environmental factors, understanding of which is essential to inform policy and practice and tackle them effectively. The review follows the conceptual framework offered by the World Health Organization Commission on Social Determinants of Health (defined...

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many institutes, organisations, researchers and medical staff have predicted significant disruption to TB care. Many scientific reports, including have identified the main challenges faced and possible ways of adapting TB clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the adjustments, rules and restri...

This study explores the relevance of the breathalyzer test as a harm reduction tool in outreach interventions implemented in nightlife environments. Specifically, it analyzes (i) gender and age differences on Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC); (ii) the association between BAC levels and expected effects and (iii) the relationship between BAC levels...

Compared to single trauma experiences, complex trauma has a more negative impact on an individual’s functioning (Ford, 2017; Ford, Elhai, et al., 2010; Karatzias et al., 2017; B. A. van der Kolk, 2005), such as internalizing and externalizing problems (Dierkhising et al., 2019; Kisiel et al., 2009), re-victimization (Karam et al., 2014; Segura et a...

Background The use of psychoactive substances frequently starts at a younger age than adulthood. Having in mind the advantages of taking into consideration the youth perspective, this retrospective study tried to provide them with a role in identifying their own needs regarding drug use focused interventions, the obstacles in accessing both general...

The current epidemiological situation caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has forced us to adjust our lifestyle and most of our behaviors as no other recent health circumstance has. In addition to the social, emotional, economic and financial impact, the measures to control the disease have also affected the way we, both as a society...

Objectives To translate and culturally adapt an English language patient decision aid addressing prostate cancer screening, so it can be used by Portuguese men. Design Qualitative study. We followed the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC) five-step, stakeholder-based approach to adapting health communication materials: (1)...

Coded data are the basis of information systems in all countries that rely on Diagnosis Related Groups in order to reimburse/finance hospitals, including both administrative and clinical data. To identify the problems and barriers that affect the quality of the coded data is paramount to improve data quality as well as to enhance its usability and...

Introduction Prostate cancer is one of the most frequent cancers among men. However, screening for prostate cancer carries many risks and a small benefit. Thus, based on the available evidence, most medical organisations advocate a shared decision-making process, in which decision aids may play an important role. Nevertheless, to date there is no s...

Background: Drug checking services are being implemented in recreational settings across the world, however these projects are frequently accused of a lack of evidence concerning their impact on people who use drugs. This paper describes the implementation of a drug checking service at the Boom Festival 2016 and explores the impact of this service...

Background. Clinical coding is the process of transforming the information about diseases or procedures recorded in the health records, into numeric or alphanumeric codes, using an international classification system. Recently, a new version of the classification system (ICD-10-CM/PCS) started being used in Portugal.

Background: Health records are the basis of clinical coding. In Portugal, relevant diagnoses and procedures are abstracted and categorised using an internationally accepted classification system and the resulting codes, together with the administrative data, are then grouped into diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Hospital reimbursement is partially...

This study explores the daily life and its psychological meaning in a young refugee camp in Molé, in the North of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is an original case study that aims to understand aspects from daily life in the camp, like health, education, food, shelters, hobbies, jobs, psychological needs, and its main psychological c...

This report was designed to present a comprehensive analysis of the drug-­‐related deaths -­‐ more specifically the drug-­‐induced deaths issue -­‐ as well as of the existing and necessary measures to mitigate it. The first chapter is related to the mapping (according to existing data) of the extent of the issue of drug-­‐related mortality in the 2...

El Abuso de sustancias es uno de los principales problemas sociales y de salud pública a escala mundial. Este estudio analiza la investigación científica sobre los trastornos relacionados con sustancias generado a lo largo del período 2006-2010 así como sus implicaciones sociales. A partir de los artículos científicos de la base de datos Medline re...

Este artigo tem como objectivo fundamental discutir algumas questões relacionadas com o estado do desenvolvimento da investigação científica sobre o fenómeno droga em Portugal. Traça, em primeiro lugar, um breve panorama deste campo de pesquisa desde a emergência dos primeiros dispositivos da droga no nosso país e procede, em seguida, a um exercíci...

O presente texto dá conta dos principais resultados duma investigação realizada no ano de 2004 a propósito do trabalho de redução de riscos e minimização de danos levado a cabo em Portugal. Trata-se dum estudo efectuado no âmbito dum projecto europeu em parceria com instituições francesas, italianas e espanholas com vista à criação duma rede de tra...