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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of the psychosocial work environment on the association between precarious employment (PE) and increased risk of common mental disorders (CMD), substance use disorders and suicide attempts. METHODS: This longitudinal register-study was based on the working population of Sweden, aged 25-60 years in 2005 (N=2 552 589). Mediation analyses based on a decomposition of counterfactual effects were used to estimate the indirect effect of psychosocial risk factors (PRF) (mediators, measured in 2005) on the association between PE (exposure, measured in 2005) and the first diagnosis of CMD, substance use disorders, and suicide attempts occurring over 2006-2017. RESULTS: The decomposition of effects showed that the indirect effect of the PRF is practically null for the three outcomes considered, among both sexes. PE increased the odds of being diagnosed with CMD, substance use disorders, and suicide attempts, among both men and women. After adjusting for PE, low job control increased the odds of all three outcomes among both sexes, while high job demands decreased the odds of CMD among women. High job strain increased the odds of CMD and suicide attempts among men, while passive job increased the odds of all three outcomes among women. CONCLUSION: The results of this study did not provide evidence for the hypothesis that psychosocial risks could be the pathways linking precarious employment with workers` mental health. Future studies in different social contexts and labour markets are needed.
(2024) Mendez-Rivero F.; Matilla-Santander N.; Gunn V.; Wegman D.H.; Hernando-Rodriguez J.C.; Kvart S.; Julia M.; Kreshpaj B.; Bodin T.; Hem-Mingsson T.; Muntaner C.; Padrosa E.; Almroth M.Cannabis remains by far the most consumed illicit drug in Europe. The availability of more potent cannabis has raised concerns regarding the enhanced health risks associated with its use, particularly among pregnant women. Growing evidence shows that cannabis use during pregnancy increases the risks of child psychopathology. We have previously shown that only male rat offspring prenatally exposed to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a rat model of prenatal cannabinoid exposure (PCE), display a hyperdopaminergic phenotype associated with a differential susceptibility to acute THC- and stress-mediated effects on sensorimotor gating functions. Here, we explore the contribution of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, key regulator of body adaptive stress responses, to the detrimental effects of acute stress on ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons and sensorimotor gating function of PCE rats. We report a sex-dependent compromised balance in mRNA levels of genes encoding mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors in the VTA, alongside with stress-induced pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) impairment. Notably, VTA dopamine neuronal activity is causally linked to the manifestation of stress-dependent deterioration of PPI. Finally, pharmacological manipulations targeting glycogen-synthase-kinase-3-β signaling during postnatal development correct these stress-induced, sex-specific and dopamine-dependent disruption of PPI. Collectively, these results highlight the critical sex-dependent interplay between HPA axis and dopamine system in the regulation of sensorimotor gating functions in rats.
(2024) Serra, Valeria; Traccis, Francesco; Aroni, Sonia; Vidal-Palencia, Laura; Concas, Luca; Serra, Marcello; Leone, Roberta; Porcu, Patrizia; Busquets Garcia, Arnau, 1985-; Frau, Roberto; Melis, MiriamThis article examines national parliamentary debates in 13 EU member states of eight CSDP military deployments underway between 2016 and 2021. It reviews discussions about whether, and why, to send troops on EU missions and operations, and the extent to which these debates differ from expectations in the literature derived from involvement in NATO operations. The survey includes small states, which have been previously excluded from such analysis. Drawing on a dataset of 411 statements by national parliamentarians from across Europe, the article employs eight discursive frames to understand how MPs articulate their acceptance (or not) of CSDP deployments. We supplement this with detailed data on national troop contributions. We find that CSDP debates in national parliaments resemble those of 'high-salience' deployments when considering frame usage and party position. We present limited evidence supporting the claim that small states frame deployment debates similarly to large states.
(2025) Kissack, Robert; Michaels, Eva; Fernández, ÓscarEn aquest text intento oferir una valoració analítica sobre la nova proposta de finançament autonòmic, allunyada d’apriorismes, sense entrar en detalls ni xifres que encara es desconeixen, però sí en els trets estructurals més bàsics.
(2026-01) López i Casasnovas, GuillemMaternal time investment is widely acknowledged as a critical determinant of child health, but fathers’ time investment is less understood. This paper identifies the effect of paternity leave on child health. To do so, it exploits the sequential implementation of Spanish paternity leave within a difference-in-discontinuities (RD-DD) design using health records. Results indicate almost 8% fewer health diagnoses and 9% fewer infections, especially respiratory infections. Eligibility for one month and three months paternity leave led to almost one and a half fewer diagnoses and half an infection within the first two years of life. The number of diagnoses decreases significantly for children under one year of age and among children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. A shift from formal to parental care comes up as a potential mechanism since it reduces exposure to environments where infections are likely to be spread. These findings provide policy insights into how family policies promoting parental involvement, particularly fathers’ involvement, can influence children’s environments and health.
(2026-01) Regueiro-Ons, Camila; González López-Valcárcel, Beatriz; Pinilla Domínguez, Jaime