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Multiple studies demonstrate benefits of virtual simulations as recreation of reality in the development of instrumental skills, but few randomized studies prove its efficacy in the development of communication and interpersonal relationships skills. The objective was to develop a virtual reality simulator to improve communication skills and compare its results with a traditional workshop based on cases and theoretical content explained through video. This is a randomized and controlled clinical trial, with a pretest and a posttest. Participants were first-year students from the Faculty of Nursing, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain (n = 100). The sample was divided into two groups: the intervention group (n = 50) was provided a virtual reality simulation teaching process as a novel resource, whereas the control group was provided with a case-based traditional workshop. Because data followed a normal distribution, it was analyzed with Student t test for independent samples, the group sample comparison, and analysis of variance, to find differences among age subgroups. Significant changes were observed at the time of evaluating the skills for the intervention group ( P < .01) in comparison with the control group. Both interventions are effective after the first evaluation; however, virtual reality-based intervention stands above the usual method and showed better results in older students.

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This study aimed to validate the Spanish version of the COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ), a 7-item tool assessing COVID-19-related stressors among university students, namely, Relationships and Academic Life, Isolation, and Fear of Contagion. Participants were 331 Spanish university students. Factor analyses sustained the three factor solution of the original tool. Data also revealed satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity, suitable internal consistency, and significant associations with psychological symptoms, as measured by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. The Spanish version of the CSSQ represents a valid tool to be used in clinical settings to timely identify students at high psychological risk and to develop evidence-based interventions during/after the pandemic.

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BACKGROUND: The objective was to analyze the factors that influence reactions to confinement situations, such as personality, humor, coping with stressors, and resilience, and to compare this population with a normal situation of exposure to an intense academic stressor such as a partial test, and with the confinement situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A longitudinal study was performed involving 116 health sciences students from Spain. Three situations were evaluated: a basal situation of normality at the beginning of the course, situation facing an academic stressor (partial test), and confinement situation due to COVID-19. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and NEO-FFI scale were used. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the increase in negative humor and decrease in positive one, as well as decrease in "Focus on and Venting of Emotions". Personality factors that better predict humor at confinement were "conscientiousness" for having positive humor and low "extraversion" for negative humor. CONCLUSIONS: The confinement situation due to COVID-19 has caused changes in predominant humor, as well as in coping strategies. Personality factors positively or negatively influence the situation.

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BACKGROUND: Most studies on improving resilience lack representative samples and pre- and post-intervention assessments. Results regarding the effectiveness of online interventions versus face-to-face interventions are mixed. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of online and face-to-face programmes for the improvement of coping strategies to develop resilience to stressful situations, and to assess their relationship with personality traits, mood, and academic stressors. DESIGN: Randomised controlled clinical trial. Three-armed parallel design. PARTICIPANTS: 245 students of the Nursing and Physical Therapy Degree. METHODS: Students were randomly assigned to the control group (CG), intervention group 1 (IG-1, face-to-face) or intervention group 2 (IG-2, online). They were assessed after the intervention with the following instruments: the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Academic Stressors Scale, the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the NEO-FFI scale. RESULTS: Negative affect was higher in IG-1 (p = 0.12). The greatest stressors were methodological deficiencies of the teaching staff, academic overload, and beliefs about academic performance. The most widely used coping strategies were "Active Problem-Focused Coping" and "Seeking Social Support". There were differences between IG-1 and IG-2 only regarding "Focus on and Venting of Emotions" (p = 0.086). On the Resilience scale, "Persistence, Tenacity, and Self-Efficacy" was higher in the CG, and there were differences with IG-1 (p = 0.06). With respect to the traits measured by the NEO-FFI questionnaire, higher levels of emotional instability (neuroticism) were observed in IG-1 than in the CG (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The results of both interventions are similar, with increased self-awareness of negative personality traits, which is useful for those ignoring their areas for improvement. In addition, these factors are further increased in individuals with high levels of neuroticism and low levels of extraversion. The online intervention was as effective as the face-to-face intervention.

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