Acceptability of an internet-delivered intervention for adjustment disorder and its role as predictor of efficacy

Background: Internet-delivered interventions offer a feasible way to facilitate access to mental healthcare and considerable evidence supports their effectiveness for the treatment of different mental disorders. However, potential users' attitudes toward these interventions are crucial for their successful implementation. A better understanding of factors related to treatment acceptance and adherence is required to exploit the full potential of internet interventions. Hence, the aim of the present work was to analyze the acceptability of a therapist-guided internet-delivered CBT intervention for adjustment disorder and its impact on treatment outcomes. Methods: The acceptability was estimated from the acceptance to participate in the randomized controlled trial addressed to explore the effectiveness of the internet intervention in question. Other indicators of acceptability were treatment adherence, expectations, satisfaction, and opinion reported by 34 participants from the trial. Results: Willingness to try an internet intervention was observed and 76.5% of participants completed all seven treatment modules. Less positive initial expectations did not reduce treatment effectiveness, yet they might have led to treatment abandonment. Overall, participants were satisfied with the internet intervention and perceived it as a useful, comfortable and attractive way of receiving psychological assistance. Treatment modules aimed at promoting identification with the treatment goals, relapse prevention, and change in the meaning of the stressor were found to be related to posttraumatic growth and increase in positive affect and quality of life. Participants also expressed that the intervention required considerable motivation. In this regard, therapeutic support was perceived as an important adherence facilitator. Conclusion: The findings from this work support the suitability of internet interventions for the treatment of adjustment disorder. However, further research is required in order to develop guidelines for the design of more attractive and engaging internet interventions

A guided Internet-delivered intervention for adjustment disorders: A randomized controlled trial

Evidence of self‐help interventions for adjustment disorder (AjD) is limited. This study aims at testing in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) the effectiveness of a disorder‐specific, Internet‐delivered cognitive-behavioural therapy (ICBT) intervention for AjD. Participants were randomly allocated to either an ICBT with brief weekly telephone support (n = 34) or a waiting list group (n = 34). Beck's inventories for depression and anxiety were used as primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes were AjD symptoms, post‐traumatic growth, positive and negative affect, and quality of life. In all, 76.5% of the participants completed the intervention. Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention condition showed significantly greater improvement in all outcomes (Cohen's d ranged from 0.54 to 1.21) except in anxiety symptoms measured by Beck Anxiety Inventory (d = 0.27). Only ICBT group showed a significant improvement in post‐traumatic growth, positive and negative affect, and quality of life. The number of cases that achieved clinically meaningful change in all outcome measures was also higher in the ICBT group. All therapeutic gains were maintained at 3‐, 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐ups. The current study provides evidence on the effectiveness of ICBT interventions to reduce the impact of AjD. Results suggest that brief self‐help intervention with minimal therapist support is more effective than the mere passage of time in reducing the distress symptoms associated to the disorder and also can confer additional benefits

Experiencia universitaria con herramientas de la Web 2.0

El estudio describe los resultados de la utilización de la red social Ning, puesta en marcha en las asignaturas de Nuevas Tecnologías y Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación aplicadas a la educación realizadas en la diplomatura de Magisterio de Educación Musical y el nuevo Grado de Educación Primaria en la Universidad de Sevilla, con el objetivo de contribuir a la comunicación, interacción y al trabajo colaborativo, así como al entrenamiento de competencias tecnológicas. Se persigue un cambio de modelo en el que se incorpora herramientas 2.0. fomentando una metodología constructivista y colaborativa y, promoviendo el uso de las herramientas disponibles en la web2.

An internet-delivered Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in adults: A multiple-baseline single-case experimental design study

The death of a loved one has physical, psychological, and social consequences. Between 9.8 and 21.5 % of people who lose a loved one develop Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Internet- and computer-based interventions (i.e., Internet-delivered Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, iCBT) are cost-effective and scalable alternatives that make it possible to reach more people with PGD. The main goal of the present investigation was to examine the effect and feasibility (usability and satisfaction) of an iCBT (GROw program) for adults with PGD. A secondary objective was to detect adherence to the app (Emotional Monitor) used to measure daily grief symptoms. The study had a single-case multiple-baseline AB design with six participants. The GROw program is organized sequentially in eight modules, and it is based on the dual-process model of coping with bereavement. Evaluations included a pre-to-post treatment assessment of depression, grief symptoms, and typical grief beliefs, along with daily measures of symptom frequency and intensity on the Emotional Monitor App. Treatment opinions and adherence to the App were also collected. Efficacy data were calculated using a Nonoverlap of All Pairs (NAP) analysis and Reliable Change Index (RCI). The mean age of the sample was 29.5 years (SD = 8.19). Two participants dropped out of the study. Adherence to the App varied across patients (4.8 % -77.8 %). Most participants (75 %) showed a clinically significant change (recovered) in depression, and 50 % obtained a clinically significant improvement (recovered) in symptoms of loss and typical beliefs in complicated grief. The participants reported high usability and satisfaction with the treatment content and format. In sum, the GROw program was very well accepted and generally feasible, and it has strong potential for treating PGD. The results support scaling up the treatment by using more complex designs with larger samples (i.e., randomized controlled trials comparing GROw with active conditions

El Servicio de Asistencia Psicológica de la Universitat Jaume I

In this work we analyze in detail the reasons to create the Psychological Assistance Centre at Valencia University first and at Universitat Jaume I in Castellon later. These centres were created with a twofold aim; on one hand, to link the university with the society, and, on the other hand, to achieve the general aims of university, that is, to promote research and clinical training tasks for both students and professionals. In the present work we describe the history of our centre, our lines of work, the structure and how it works. After all these years we can state that it has been consolidated as a useful and important psychological assistance centre in our environment. It has also contributed to train professionals in research and clinical practice. These professionals are devoting their careers to research, teaching and practice in Clinical Psychology.ResumenEn el trabajo se analizan sucintamente las razones que hicieron surgir el Servicio de Asistencia Psicológica de la Universidad de Valencia primero y más tarde de la Universitat Jaume I de Castellón. Dichos servicios se crearon con un objetivo doble, por una parte, servir de puente entre la sociedad y la universidad, y, por otra, facilitar el logro de las funciones generales que pretende la universidad, esto es, tareas de investigación y formación tanto de los estudiantes como de los profesionales. Además, se describe la historia del servicio, así como las líneas de trabajo fundamentales que se siguen, su estructura y su funcionamiento. Después de años de andadura, es posible afirmar que el servicio se ha consolidado como un referente de asistencia psicológica en nuestro entorno, así como un instrumento que ha contribuido a la formación en tareas clínicas y de investigación de profesionales que actualmente dedican su carrera profesional a la investigación, docencia y/o práctica de la Psicología Clínica.AbstractIn this work we analyze in detail the reasons to create the Psychological Assistance Centre at Valencia University first and at Universitat Jaume I in Castellon later. These centres were created with a twofold aim; on one hand, to link the university with the society, and, on the other hand, to achieve the general aims of university, that is, to promote research and clinical training tasks for both students and professionals. In the present work we describe the history of our centre, our lines of work, the structure and how it works. After all these years we can state that it has been consolidated as a useful and important psychological assistance centre in our environment. It has also contributed to train professionals in research and clinical practice. These professionals are devoting their careers to research, teaching and practice in Clinical Psychology

Propiedades psicométricas de la escala de miedo a la evaluación negativa versión breve (BFNE) en muestra clínica

The Brief version of the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE) was built by Leary (1983a) from the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE) (Watson y Friend, 1969). The BFNE consists of 12 items scored on a five-point Likert scale and it assesses the degree to which people fear being evaluated negatively by others. This scale was applied to a sample of 122 participants with a diagnosis of social phobia (DSM-IV, 2000). In this sample the BFNE exhibited a 2-factor structure and the nature of the factors was similar to the factors reported by Rodebaugh et al. (2004) and Weeks et al. (2005). The BFNE showed a high internal consistency for both subescales. With regard to concurrent validity the scale obtained a significant correlation with social phobia, trait anxiety and depression measures. Moreover, the BFNE was able to differentiate among social phobia subtypes (Heimberg et al., 1983).La Escala de Miedo a la Evaluación Negativa versión breve (BFNE) fue creada por Leary (1983) a partir de la Escala de Miedo a la Evaluación Negativa (FNE) (Watson y Friend, 1969). El BFNE está formado por 12 ítems con un formato de respuesta tipo Likert de 5 puntos y mide el grado en el que una persona teme ser evaluado negativamente por los demás. Esta escala fue aplicada a una mues-tra de 122 participantes diagnosticados de fobia social según criterios DSM-IV-TR (2000). En esta muestra, el BFNE obtuvo una estructura bifactorial y la naturaleza de estos factores fue similar a los factores posteriormente informados por Rodebaugh et al. (2004) y Weeks et al. (2005). El BFNE tam-bién mostró una consistencia interna alta para ambas subescalas. En cuanto a la validez concurrente obtuvo una correlación significativa con medidas de fobia social, ansiedad rasgo y depresión. Ade-más, el BFNE fue capaz de discriminar entre los diferentes subtipos de fobia social (Heimberg et al., 1993)

Challenges in the development of psychological interventions and care practice in mental health

Aunque hemos avanzado notablemente en el desarrollo de recursos preventivos y especialmente, en la eficacia de los tratamientos psicológicos que intentan paliar los trastornos mentales, estamos aún lejos de la situación óptima. Este trabajo se centra en dos grandes cuestiones que consideramos retos y necesidades fundamentales en este ámbito: (a) la necesidad de mejorar y extender la prevención, la intervención temprana y la promoción de la salud mental y (b) la necesidad de una mayor divulgación de los tratamientos psicológicos eficaces, el desarrollo de nuevas intervenciones y la mayor comprensión de los mecanismos de acción de los tratamientos psicológicos. El objetivo es promover la discusión entre los agentes implicados y reflexionar sobre las líneas de trabajo que creemos prioritariasAlthough we have made significant progress in the development of preventive tools and especially in the efficacy of the psychological treatments, we are still far from an optimal situation. This paper focuses on two major issues which we consider fundamental challenges and urges in this area: (a) the need for improving and spreading prevention, early intervention, and the promotion of mental health and (b) the need for greater dissemination of effective psychological treatments, the development of new interventions and greater understanding of the mechanisms of action of psychological treatments. The aim is to promote discussion among all stakeholders and debate on those lines we think as priorityEste trabajo ha sido financiado por el Ministerio Español de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), a través de la Red de Excelencia PROMOSAM financiada por el MINECO (PSI2014-56303-REDT

Repensando África: perspectivas desde un enfoque multidisciplinar

Beatriz Suárez Relinque y Susana Moreno Maestro (coords.)La presente publicación es una recopilación de algunas de las intervenciones que fueron realizadas durantes las jornadas "Repensando África: reflexiones desde un enfoque multidisciplinar" desarrolladas durante el mes de marzo de 2012 en Sevilla y Granada. Durante los días en que tuvieron lugar tuvimos la suerte de compartir enriquecedoras intervenciones personas provenientes de diferentes espacios -como movimientos sociales en África, universidades andaluzas, colectivos africanos en Andalucía y personas del mundo de la investigación- que abordaron reflexiones sobre el continente africano abordando cuestiones como las culturas, los feminismos, los recursos naturales, la economía, las migraciones, las relaciones de cooperación desde las universidades y desde otros actores, o las luchas y demandas de las organizaciones y sociedades africanas. Varias de dichas intervenciones se presentan como artículos en las siguientes páginas. Para completar la publicación se han sumado dos artículos realizados por alumnos de la Universidad de Sevilla como memoria final de las jornadas donde exponen sus reflexiones para contribuir a repensar África.Cette publication est un recueil de certaines des interventions prononcées durant les rencontres intitulées «Repenser l’Afrique. Réflexions sous un angle pluridisciplinaire», organisées en mars 2012 à Séville et à Grenade. Lors de ces journées, nous avons eu la chance d’assister à des interventions enrichissantes de personnes provenant de divers horizons – tels que les mouvements sociaux en Afrique, les universités andalouses, les collectifs africains en Andalousie et le monde de la recherche –, qui se sont livrées à des réflexions sur le continent africain, abordant des questions comme les cultures, les féminismes, les ressources naturelles, l’économie, les relations de coopération des universités et d’autres acteurs ou les luttes et les attentes des organisations et des sociétés africaines. Plusieurs de ces interventions sont présentées sous forme d’articles dans les pages suivantes. Pour compléter la publication, deux articles écrits par des étudiants de l’université de Séville constituent le mémoire final des journées, dans lequel exposent leurs réflexions pour contribuer à Repenser l’Afrique.Fundación Habitáfrica. Agencia Andaluza de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AACID). Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID