0000000000077475
AUTHOR
Verónica Guillén
showing 25 related works from this author
An adaptive display to treat stress-related disorders: EMMA's World
2009
ABSTRACT Most of the virtual environments currently available in the field of psychological treatments were designed to solve a specific problem. Our research group has developed a versatile virtual reality system (an adaptive display) called ‘EMMA's world’, which can address a wide range of problems. It was designed to assist in clinical situations where a person has suffered a stressful experience, for example post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, and pathological grief. To accomplish therapeutic goals, a series of emotional virtual elements are used and personalised so that they are meaningful to the user and contain the fundamental emotional elements that the person must …
Psychometric properties of the Spanish validation of the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)
2012
Background and Objectives: Mindfulness-based therapies have demonstrat- ed effectiveness in many clinical contexts. Various therapies that train mindfulness skills have proliferated in recent years. There is increasing interest in mindfulness-based thera- pies and in incorporating instruments that measure mindfulness in order to understand its role in clinical and basic research. The Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is a questionnaire for measuring mindfulness; it was derived from a factor analysis of five different questionnaires that measure a trait-like general tendency to be mindful in daily life. The objective of this study is to validate the FFMQ in a Spanish sample. Me…
Implementation of a Positive Technology Application in Patients With Eating Disorders: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial.
2018
Background: Positive psychological interventions (PPIs) have been suggested to produce benefits in patients with eating disorders (ED) by improving well-being, which might act as a buffer of the harmful effects caused by the disorder. Best Possible Self (BPS) is a PPI which consists of writing and envisioning a future where everything has turned out in the best possible way. In this regard, positive technology (PT) can be of considerable benefit as it allows to implement specific PPIs that have already shown efficacy. Objective: This study tested the preliminary efficacy of the BPS exercise implemented through a PT application and carried out for 1 month, in improving positive functioning m…
An Internet-Based Self-Help Program for the Treatment of Fear of Public Speaking: A Case Study
2008
ABSTRACT This article discusses the development of the first totally self-administered online CBT program for the treatment of a specific social phobia (fear of public speaking) called talk to me. The online program includes three parts. The assessment protocol gives the patient information about the problem, including impairment, severity, and the degree of fear and avoidance regarding the main feared situations. The structured treatment protocol ensures that the patient does not skip any steps in the treatment. The treatment protocol is a CBT program that provides exposure to the feared situation using videos of real audiences. Finally, the control protocol assesses treatment efficacy, no…
Confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric properties of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire in participants with personality disorders
2021
Emotional dysregulation is a key symptom in participants with personality disorders. The Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) has been studied with nonclinical samples; however, it is necessary to confirm the factorial structure of the ERQ in participants with personality disorders. The aims of the present study were to confirm the factorial structure of the Spanish version of the ERQ and analyse its psychometric properties as well as the association between the ERQ and the Borderline Symptoms List (BSL-23) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). The overall sample was composed of 250 patients with personality disorders, of whom 195 met the criteria for borderline perso…
Neuropsychological Impairments in Anorexia Nervosa: A Spanish Sample Pilot Study
2014
This work was aimed at obtaining a profile of neuropsychological impairments in young Spanish participants with anorexia nervosa (AN) to demonstrate that right-hemisphere and frontal capacity impairments are present not only in the acute phase but also after weight recovery in a Spanish sample compared with a healthy control group. Twelve patients with AN in the acute phase (body mass index [BMI]= 17) matched by age, IQ, and educational level by utilizing a wide neuropsychological battery. Differences were found between AN groups only for long-term verbal memory, which worsens as BMI increases. Among participants with AN as a group, results showed differences in speed of information process…
A smartphone application of “Family Connections” to increase the use of skills and improve psychological symptoms in relatives of people with borderl…
2022
The literature reveals that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is an important public mental health problem that affects both the patients and their families. Moreover, studies indicate a high prevalence of psychological symptoms and burden in relatives of people with BPD. Therefore, it is necessary to develop useful and accessible interventions specifically addressed to the caregivers. Smartphone interventions with Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and Ecological Momentary Interventions (EMI) offer several potential advantages in this regard. The aims of our study are to test the effectiveness of a combined intervention supported by a smartphone app versus the same intervention supp…
Users’ Opinion About a Virtual Reality System as an Adjunct to Psychological Treatment for Stress-Related Disorders: A Quantitative and Qualitative M…
2018
This study aims to explore patients’ and therapists’ attitudes about the psychological treatment they received (patients) or applied (therapists). The treatments were standard CBT protocols for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complicated grief (CG), or adjustment disorders (ADs), depending on each patient diagnosis. The treatments were delivered following a traditional format or supported by a virtual reality (VR) system “EMMA’s WORLD” designed for the treatment of stress-related disorders. “EMMA’s WORLD” is a VR application in which patients can explore negative experiences using different virtual elements that can be customized to make them more meaningful to the user. The sample w…
Meaning in Life Buffers the Association between Perceived Burdensomeness, Thwarted Belongingness, and Frequency of Non-Suicidal Self-Injuries in Span…
2021
Background: Adolescence is a developmental stage when there is a high risk of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). There is recent interest in the study of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensome as variables associated with the frequency of NSSI in adolescents. Meaning in life (MIL) might be negatively associated with thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. To date, no studies have analyzed the buffering role of MIL in the association between thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness and the frequency of lifetime NSSI in Spanish adolescents. Aims: (a) To test whether thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness are associated with frequency of …
Interventions for Family Members and Carers of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Systematic Review.
2020
Carers of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience high levels of distress. Several studies have been carried out on interventions designed to decrease their burden. However, the evidence from these studies has not been summarized. The objective of this work is to explore the clinical utility of interventions developed for family members of patients with BPD. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines (registration number CRD42018107318), including psychological interventions focused on relatives of patients with BPD. The following databases were used: PsycINFO, PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science. Two independent researchers reviewed the studi…
A virtual reality system for the treatment of stress-related disorders: A preliminary analysis of efficacy compared to a standard cognitive behaviora…
2011
This paper presents preliminary efficacy data in a controlled study of the use of a virtual reality (VR) system for treating stress-related disorders (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD; Pathological Grief, or PG; and Adjustment Disorders, or AD). ''EMMA's World'' is a VR application in which patients can explore negative experiences to the degree required for their specific therapeutic needs. To accomplish therapeutic goals, a series of virtual elements is customized to be meaningful to the user; the elements contain the fundamental emotional components that the person must confront. Thirty-nine participants diagnosed with PTSD (N=10), PG (N=16), and AD (N=13) were randomly assigned t…
An adaptive display for the treatment of diverse trauma PTSD victims.
2009
El trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) puede desarrollarse después de la exposición a un evento aterrador. Las personas que sufren de trastorno de estrés postraumático presentan hiperactividad y evitación, y experimentan síntomas que provocan angustia y deterioro en áreas de vida significativas. Los programas de comportamiento cognitivo, incluida la terapia de exposición, son actualmente el tratamiento de elección para el TEPT. Aunque estos programas son eficaces, hay margen de mejora; La utilización de la terapia de exposición por los médicos es baja y las tasas de desgaste son altas. La aplicación de nuevas tecnologías, especialmente la realidad virtual (VR), podría ayudar a superar …
Personality Profile in Orthorexia Nervosa and Healthy Orthorexia
2021
Little is known about orthorexia in both its pathological (orthorexia nervosa, OrNe) and adaptive (healthy orthorexia, HeOr) forms. To date, few studies have been carried out to analyze the personality profile associated with orthorexia, and the results have been contradictory. The aim of the present study was to explore the characteristic pathological personality traits associated with OrNe and HeOr. A total of 297 participants (Mage= 30.8 years; 94.6% women) from the general population completed the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) and Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Short Form (PID-5-SF) questionnaires. Results showed significant low-medium correlations between OrNe and the four personality…
Psychometric characteristics in normal and social phobic samples for a Spanish version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.
2000
The present paper had three purposes: (a) presenting normative data for the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale in a Spanish sample, (b) studying whether there are significant sex or age differences in self-esteem, and (c) studying whether there are significant differences between a Control group with no psychological diagnosis and a group of social phobics. Of the total sample of 266 persons, 214 belonged to the Control group and 52 to the Social Phobic group. Item-total score correlations and alpha reliabilities supported the internal consistency of the scale. There were statistically significant differences between the Control and Social Phobic groups, but not by sex or age.
Un programa de entrenamiento para familiares de pacientes con trastorno límite de la personalidad basado en la terapia dialéctica comportamental
2021
espanolLos familiares de pacientes con trastorno limite de la personalidad (TLP) experimentan ansiedad y depresion, y estan inmersos en un clima familiar disfuncional. Aunque existen tratamientos eficaces para el TLP, se ha prestado menos atencion a los familiares. El objetivo de este trabajo fue adaptar para familiares el entrenamiento grupal en habilidades de la terapia dialectica comportamental, en 14 sesiones. La muestra estuvo formada por 12 familiares: 50% madres, 41,7% padres y 8,3% parejas. Se evaluaron los niveles de depresion (BDI-II), ansiedad (OASIS) y emocion expresada (LEE-S) antes y despues de la intervencion. Los resultados indican que tras la intervencion se produce una mej…
Resilience as a predictor of Quality of Life in participants with borderline personality disorder before and after treatment.
2021
Abstract Background Studies have suggested that psychotherapy improves the Quality of Life (QoL) of participants with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). However, there are no studies on the differential efficacy of treatments on the QoL of participants with BPD. Moreover, the relationship between QoL and resilience has rarely been studied in participants with BPD. Objectives: a) to examine whether people with BPD have worse QoL than the non-clinical population; b) to examine whether there are statistically significant differences between Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving (STEPPS), or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-Tre…
Spanish Validation of the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale: Which Dimension of Meaning in Life Is More Associated With Psychopathology in P…
2022
BackgroundTo assess three dimensions of Meaning in Life (comprehension, purpose, and mattering) the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale (MEMS) was developed, however, the MEMS's factorial structure has not yet been confirmed in a Spanish-speaking sample. A question that remains unanswered is which of the three dimensions of MiL are associated with psychopathology in clinical samples.Aims(1) to analyze the psychometric properties of the MEMS in a Spanish non-clinical population, and (2) to identify which of the three dimensions of MiL shows the strongest relationship with depression, anxiety and positive affect in a clinical population.MethodThe non-clinical sample, consisted of N = 1…
Telepsychology and Self-help: The Treatment of Fear of Public Speaking
2007
Abstract This work presents a self-help, Internet-based telepsychology program for the treatment of public speaking fears. The system is comprised of 3 parts: The assessment protocol gives the patient information about his or her problem (i.e., amount of interference it creates in his or her life, severity, degree of fear and avoidance). The system also includes a structured treatment protocol, organized into separate blocks, reflecting the patient’s progress. This ensures that the patient does not skip any steps in the treatment (something quite common in traditional self-help manuals), which provides more control over the process. The treatment protocol is a cognitive-behavioral program t…
Using an adaptive display for the treatment of emotional disorders
2006
A preliminary study on the use of an adaptive display for treating emotional disorders is presented. This adaptive display (named EMMA) varies the contents that are presented depending on the emotions of the user at each moment. The application has been designed to help in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Adjustment Disorder (AD). The specific objective of the present work is to test the effectiveness of this adaptive display, specifically the acceptance of the treatment by patients. EMMA's tools are compared with the standard of care for PTSD and AD. Results showed differences only for the variable aversiveness. Participants in the EMMA condition evaluated the tre…
Positive Technologies for Improving Health and Well-Being
2017
In the last 20 years there have been two important developments of great importance to the field of psychological treatments. On the one hand, this meant the movement of positive psychology, and on the other, the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve the daily clinical practice. In this paper a new field of study that attempts to strengthen ties and build bridges between them is introduced: Positive Technologies. This perspective seeks to promote the use of technology to foster personal growth and the development of human virtues and strengths, thus contributing to social and cultural development. In this chapter, we present four positive technologies: …
Spanish adaptation of the Burden Assessment Scale in family caregivers of people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder
2023
Abstract Background Caregiving is a strong source of stress and leads the family caregiver to experience the burden of being responsible for the care of a severely mentally ill family member. The Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) assesses burden in family caregivers. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the BAS in a sample of family caregivers of people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Methods Participants were 233 Spanish family caregivers (157 women and 76 men aged between 16–76 years old, M = 54.44, SD = 10.09) of people diagnosed with BPD. The BAS, the Multicultural Quality of Life Index, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 were used. Result…
Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the involvement evaluation questionnaire in caregivers of patients with borderline personality diso…
2018
The involvement evaluation questionnaire (IEQ) was created to evaluate the caregiver's experience of burden and the consequences of providing care to people with psychotic disorders. To date, the IEQ has not been validated with caregivers of people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The main objective of the study was to confirm the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Spanish version of the IEQ in 151 caregivers of people with BPD, with an average age of 54.52 (SD = 9.91). Two models were tested by means of confirmatory factor analysis, following the original factor structure. The Models 1 and 2 displayed adequate fit, with comparative fit index and Tuc…
Efficacy of “Family Connections”, a program for relatives of people with borderline personality disorder, in the Spanish population: study protocol f…
2020
Abstract Background Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience significant affect regulation difficulties that cause serious consequences in their work, emotional, and social environments. This dysfunctional pattern also produces great suffering and a heavy burden on their relatives. Fortunately, some studies show that treatment of relatives of people with BPD begins to be important in the patients’ recovery and in improving family dynamics. One of the treatments that has obtained the most empirical support is Family connections (FC). This 12-session program is an adaptation of different Dialectical Behavior Therapy strategies. To test the efficacy of FC, five uncontroll…
PPOSITIVE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND POSITIVE TECHNOLOGIES
2017
Clinical psychology has advanced significantly in the past hundred years, and we now have evidence-based psychological treatments. However, this does not mean that there is no room for further improvement in this discipline. In the past twenty years, two important developments have been identified as being beneficial for this field: on the one hand, the Positive psychology movement and its crystallization in the discipline of positive clinical psychology; on the other, the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve daily clinical practice. In this paper, we address these developments and present a new field of study that attempts to strengthen the ties and …
An Internet-Based Self-Help Treatment for Fear of Public Speaking: A Controlled Trial
2010
Abstract This study offers data about the efficacy of “Talk to Me,” an Internet-based telepsychology program for the treatment of fear of public speaking that includes the most active components in cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for social phobia (exposure and cognitive therapies). One hundred twenty-seven participants with social phobia were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: (a) an Internet-based self-administered program; (b) the same program applied by a therapist; (c) a waiting-list control group. Results showed that both treatment conditions were equally efficacious. In addition, Talk to Me and the same treatment applied by a therapist were more efficacious than the…