GIUV2025-648
The group's research focuses primarily on the field of psychopathology, assessment and treatment of severe psychological disorders, such as eating disorders (ED), personality disorders (PD) and suicidal behaviour (SC)'. In the last 15 years, the group has basically focused on three lines of work:
1.- Psychopathology, assessment and treatment of patients with eating disorders, personality disorders and suicidal behaviour'. The aim is to advance our understanding of the psychopathology and treatment of these disorders. To this end, we have tested empirically supported treatments such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) (Linehan, 1993) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in patients with comorbidity between ED and PD in a randomised controlled clinical trial (RCT) and tested the stability of the results 6 years after treatment. We tested Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving (STEPPS) (Blum et al., 2002) and compared it with DBT in patients with BPD.
2.-Interventions for relatives of people with severe psychological disorders. Witnessing the difficult situation in which the relatives found themselves and seeing to what extent this also disturbed...The group's research focuses primarily on the field of psychopathology, assessment and treatment of severe psychological disorders, such as eating disorders (ED), personality disorders (PD) and suicidal behaviour (SC)'. In the last 15 years, the group has basically focused on three lines of work:
1.- Psychopathology, assessment and treatment of patients with eating disorders, personality disorders and suicidal behaviour'. The aim is to advance our understanding of the psychopathology and treatment of these disorders. To this end, we have tested empirically supported treatments such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) (Linehan, 1993) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in patients with comorbidity between ED and PD in a randomised controlled clinical trial (RCT) and tested the stability of the results 6 years after treatment. We tested Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving (STEPPS) (Blum et al., 2002) and compared it with DBT in patients with BPD.
2.-Interventions for relatives of people with severe psychological disorders. Witnessing the difficult situation in which the relatives found themselves and seeing to what extent this also disturbed the smooth running of the patients' treatment encouraged us to initiate a line of work focused on providing help to the relatives. In this context, we have carried out several studies in which we have analysed the clinical situation of the relatives, verifying the difficulties of emotional regulation, the burden and the impact of the disorder on their quality of life. Therefore, a fundamental objective of the group is to develop and test interventions for relatives. We trained in the most successful intervention so far, the Family Connections (FC) Programme (Hoffman et al, 2005; 2007), translated the materials and validated it in family members of people with BPD through an RCT. Thanks to several research projects: the University of Valencia (UV-INV-AE17-706159), the Generalitat Valenciana (GV/2019/148), the Plan Nacional (PID2019-111036RB-I00), and the Consejería de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia Sociedad Digital de la Generalitat Valenciana (AICO-2021/166), we have adapted the programme and tested it on relatives of people with suicidal behaviours, and we have also adapted and applied the programme on relatives of people with ED and PD. We have validated questionnaires for relatives that measure burden (BAS) and family involvement (IEQ). Two doctoral theses have been defended in this line of work, and another two are currently underway.
3.- The study of Meaning in Life (SeV) as a protective variable of psychopathology in psychological disorders. Seven doctoral theses have been developed in this line of work. We have published numerous papers showing that SeV is a protective factor in depression, anxiety, suicide, hopelessness, non-suicidal self-harm, negative attitudes towards food and the body. We have proposed explanatory models of how SeV acts as a protective variable for psychopathology such as the Meaning Elaboration Model in People with ED (MESTA). We have carried out several studies on the efficacy of psychological treatments to improve meaning in life. To this end, we translated the Meaning-Centred Therapy (SCT; Breitbart and Poppito, 2014) manual and applied it to cancer patients in an RCT comparing SCT with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). We have also developed an intervention protocol to improve meaning in life that reflects the approaches of Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy entitled ¿Meaning-Based Psychotherapy: building a life of wholeness' (Marco and Guillén, 2023) and have tested it in patients with depression, BPD, and in non-clinical samples, such as retired people in transition. We have validated several instruments such as the Purpose in Life (PiL), Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and Multidimensional Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MMLQ).
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- Profundizar en la psicopatologia, evaluacion y tratamiento de pacientes con Trastornos Alimentarios, Trastornos de Personalidad y conductas suicidas
- Desarrollar y someter a prueba intervenciones para familiares de personas con trastornos psicologicos graves
- El estudio del Sentido en la Vida (SeV) en trastornos psicologicos y diseño de intervenciones para potenciarla
- Presentar, dar a conocer, y diseminar todos los hallazgos a traves de distintos foros cientificos y trasladar e este conocimiento a la sociedad
- Psychopathology, assessment and treatment of eating disorders, personality disorders and suicide..The aim is to advance understanding of the psychopathology and treatment of serious psychological disorders, such as eating disorders, personality disorders and suicide.
- Psychological interventions for family members.The research group aims to apply, validate and improve psychological interventions for family members of people with psychological disorders that involve emotional dysregulation.
- Meaning in Life.The aim of this line of research is to study Meaning in Life (MiL) as a protective variable against psychopathology in severe psychological disorders, as well as the application, validation and improvement of psychological treatments to help patients build meaning in their lives.
| Name | Nature of participation | Entity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| VERONICA GUILLEN BOTELLA | Director | Universitat de València | |
| Research team | |||
| JOSÉ HELIODORO MARCO SALVADOR | Collaborator | Universitat de València | |
| ANTONIO ARNAL LLORENS | Collaborator | Universitat de València - Estudi General | UVEG PhD student |
| ELENA GONZÁLEZ PERPIÑÁ | Collaborator | Universitat de València - Estudi General | UVEG PhD student |
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- Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment
