Articles publicats en revistes (Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia)

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The Being Method: A Novel Intervention Programme for Emotional Distress Management Through Self-Compassion and Compassion
(Wiley, 2026-03) Bassas, Marina; Grané-Morcillo, Jaume; Segura Bernal, Jordi; Herrero, Olga (Herrero Esquerdo); Soldevilla Alberti, Joan Miquel
Background: Cultivating a compassionate mind has been shown to alleviate and prevent psychological difficulties. Compassion-based approaches, such as compassion-focused therapy (CFT) and mindfulness-based self-compassion (MSC), have expanded rapidly in recent decades. This study introduces the being method (BM), a novel compassion-based programme integrating Buddhist philosophy and contemporary psychology, focusing on fostering self-compassion and compassion. Methods: A non-randomised, wait list controlled, quasi-experimental pre-post design was employed. Participants were 47 women aged 18–53 years (M = 36.02, SD = 11.86), recruited from personal growth contexts within a non-clinical population. They were allocated to an intervention group (n = 25) or a wait list control group (n = 22). Measurements included the Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales (CEAS), Peace of Mind Scale (PoMS), Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Coping Response Inventory (CRI-A), and Cognitive-Behavioural Strategies Evaluation Scale (MOLDES). Results: Significant improvements were observed in (self-)compassion, peace of mind, happiness, and stress coping and cognitive-emotional strategies among intervention participants compared with controls. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large. Self-esteem did not change significantly. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the BM as a feasible and effective intervention for promoting emotional balance and personal growth through (self-)compassion, highlighting its contribution to mental health promotion and well-being.
Levels and changes in cognitive, mental, and physical health as correlates of attitudes to aging in very old age
(Frontiers Media, 2025-07-11) Sabatini. Serena; Numbers, Katya; Kochan, Nicole A.; Sachdev, Perminder S.; Brodaty, Henry
Introduction: Studies investigating the associations between change in health indicators and multidimensional measures of self-perceptions of aging in very old age are scarce. This study investigated whether levels of and 12-year changes in objective and subjective indicators of cognitive, mental, and physical health explain variance in the self-perceptions of aging of very old individuals at follow-up. Methods: Participants were 174 individuals enrolled in the Australian Memory and Aging Study (mean age = 87.41; SD = 3.67; 60% women). As health indicators, we used global cognition, the Memory Assessment Clinic Questionnaire, the Goldberg Anxiety Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale, number of diagnosed health conditions, and self-rated health. Self-perceptions of aging were assessed with the Laidlaw Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, which comprises three subscales capturing perceived psychological growth, psychosocial loss, and positive physical change. Simple and multivariable linear regression models were estimated. Results: Cross-sectionally, in multivariable linear regression models, more anxiety symptoms were associated with higher psychosocial loss (R2 = 6%) and higher self-rated health (R2 = 14%) was associated with higher perceived positive physical change. Cognition was not significantly associated with attitudes to aging subscales. Longitudinally, less increase in depressive symptoms was associated with less perceived psychosocial loss (R2 = 5%) and with greater perceived positive physical change (R2 = 11%). Conclusion: Self-perceptions of aging in different domains are cross-sectionally associated with different health indicators. However, among cognitive, mental, and physical health indicators, changes in depressive symptoms are the most correlated with perceived psychosocial loss in very old age.
Digital strategies and behavior change techniques for preventing sexually transmitted infections: Protocol for an overview of systematic reviews Estrategias digitales y técnicas de cambio de comportamiento para la prevención de infecciones de transmisión sexual: protocolo para una revisión de revisiones sistemáticas
(2025-03-01) Duarte-Anselmi, Giuliano; Sanduvete-Chaves, Susana; López-Arenas, Daniel; Chacón-Moscoso, Salvador
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a leading cause of premature mortality, with unsafe sex as a predominant risk factor. Changing risky sexual behaviors and adopting healthy habits is key to preventing STIs, including HIV, essential for public health. Technological advances in digital interventions have revealed significant opportunities, and systematic reviews have evaluated their effectiveness. These digital interventions, using technologies such as mobile phones, apps, and wearable devices, have shown great potential to reduce STIs, particularly among young people, who are a key population for their implementation.
Psychological consequences and daily life adjustment for victims of intimate partner violence
(SAGE Publications, 2023-01) Cirici Amell, Roser; Riera Soler, Aloma; Cobo Gómez, J. V.; Soldevilla Alberti, Joan Miquel
Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a distressing reality worldwide. Victims of IPV usually experience long-term mental health disorders and maladjustments in their daily lives. Aims: To examine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder in female victims of IPV that participated in a public mental health care program, and to analyze the relationships between the type of IPV exposure, its psychological consequences, and daily life adjustment. Method: Up to 164 female victims of IPV referred by their primary care doctors to the Adult Mental Health Centre of Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona) between 2010 and 2016 were evaluated using several tests (Index of Spouse Abuse - ISA, Beck Depression Inventory - BDI-II, Sate-Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI, the Maladjustment Scale - MS, and the Severity Symptom Scale for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder - EGS). Results: Of the 164 referred women, 102 (62.2%) agreed to participate (mean age 44.98 years, range 19–71) and 73% scored above the cut-off point in the physical IPV dimension (ISA). Moreover, 73% had depression symptoms, 77% trait anxiety, and 87% state anxiety altered scores. Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder was also high (87%). IPV interfered significantly in all the aspects of the daily lives of 92% of the sample. Conclusions: The participants of the study experienced many psychological symptoms and a high level of interference with all aspects of their daily lives. These consequences were of similar magnitude amongst victims of emotional abuse compared to those who suffered physical violence.
Association between symptomatic profile and remission following antidepressant treatment in unipolar major depression
(Elsevier B.V., 2013) Navarro, Valentín; González, Alejandro; Guarch, Joana; Penadés Rubio, Rafael; Torra, Mercè; Fañanás Saura, Lourdes; Arias Sampériz, Bárbara; Serra, Maria; Pintor Pérez, Luis; Gastó Ferrer, Cristóbal
Background: To evaluate, in patients affected by an acute major depressive episode, what predictive value certain baseline psychopathological characteristics have with regard to expected therapeutic remission following biological antidepressant treatment (pharmacological/electroconvulsive; non-psychological). Methods: Six predefined psychopathological characteristics in acute major depressive episode were evaluated using a logistic regression model through a protocolised antidepressant treatment to assess their predictive value with regard to expected remission rate. Results: The final study sample consisted of 129 subjects affected by an acute major depressive episode. From the baseline evaluation of the anguish/restlessness, reduced emotional reactivity, reduced attention, reduced motor response, feeling of worthlessness, and mood characteristics items, it was possible to correctly classify 88.1% of the sample as remitter/non-remitter with sensitivity of 0.77 and specificity of 0.96. Addition of the 17-item HRSD baseline variable to the regression model increased the capacity for correct classification of the baseline sample by only 0.09%. Limitations: Protocolised antidepressant treatment was used. The results of this study may not be generalisable to pharmacological treatments not included in this protocol. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that certain baseline psychopathological characteristics (and perhaps other clinical variables too) of the acute major depressive episode may be of great use in establishing patient subgroups according to expected clinical remission to the administration of biological antidepressant treatment. This could have considerable consequences for individualised therapeutic decision-making and for future researches (clinical trials included).
Changes in plasma and platelet BDNF levels induced by S-citalopram in major depression
(Elsevier B.V., 2011) Serra-Millàs, Montserrat; López Vilchez, Irene; Navarro, Valentín; Galán, Ana María; Escolar Albaladejo, Ginés; Penadés Rubio, Rafael; Catalán Campos, Rosa; Fañanás Saura, Lourdes; Arias Sampériz, Bárbara; Gastó Ferrer, Cristóbal
OBJECTIVES: Compare BDNF levels in depressed patients and healthy controls in platelet poor plasma and in washed platelets. Observe the effects of 8 and 24 week treatment with S-citalopram on these levels. METHODS: We assessed the levels of BDNF in platelet poor plasma and in washed platelets from 18 major depression patients, and compared them with 14 healthy controls. Blood samples were obtained from patients before and during treatment (8 and 24 weeks) with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, S-citalopram. RESULTS: A significant decrease in severity of depressive symptoms was observed from the first month of treatment with S-citalopram, and symptoms continued decreasing until the 6th month. Plasma BDNF levels in untreated patients appeared significantly increased (p<0.01), but reached values similar to those of controls at the 24th week. In contrast, levels of platelet BDNF appeared significantly decreased (p<0.05), but treatment also normalized levels so that values obtained were equivalent to those of controls. CONCLUSIONS: Untreated depressed patients showed increased plasma BDNF levels and decreased platelet BDNF levels, as compared with control subjects, and tend to normalize during treatment with S-citalopram for 24 weeks, with BDNF reaching levels similar to those in healthy controls at the 24th week in both samples. We observed that improvement in depressive symptoms was accompanied by normalization of plasma and platelet BDNF levels.
Mental Health Screening Tools for Cancer Patients, and Their Caregivers: An Umbrella Review
(John Wiley & Sons, 2026-04-01) Ciria Suárez, Laura; Heifez, Melissa; Martín Parra, Sara; Durosini, Ilaria; Monzani, Dario; Coppini, Veronica; Ferrari, Maria Vittoria; Rutenkröger, Mareike; Lange, Marie; Paillard-Brunet, Guilhem; Dodlek, Nikolina; Charalambous, Andreas; van der Weijst, Lotte; Mollo, Oscar; Pravettoni, Gabriella; Ochoa Arnedo, Cristian
Background: Cancer negatively affects patients' physical status as well as their mental health, increasing the burden of family members and caregivers as well. Thus, the screening of psychological and cognitive functioning is key for the referral to mental health specialists. Aim: Identify available and validated screening tools to assess psychological, psychosocial and cognitive impairment in cancer patients (adults and children), caregivers and family members. Methods: An umbrella review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. The search strategy was applied to five databases. Reviewers screened titles/abstracts, and the articles included in this initial phase were retrieved for full-text assessment. All conflicts during the screening phase were discussed, and a third reviewer was consulted if discrepancies were not solved. A narrative synthesis and tabulated summaries of results were conducted. Results: A total of 2304 records were initially identified through systematic searches. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 67 systematic reviews were included. Across the included reviews, 586 different tools were identified and classified into nine thematic domains: (1) Anxiety and Depression, (2) General Mental Disorders, (3) Distress and Fear of Cancer Recurrence, (4) Body Image, Sexuality, and Self-Perception, (5) Caregiving and Social Impact, (6) Cognitive Functioning, (7) Coping Assessment, (8) Unmet Needs, and (9) Other miscellaneous constructs. Conclusions: A wide variety of mental health screening tools are available, covering key psychosocial and cognitive aspects relevant to cancer care. Although most instruments were not specifically developed for oncological populations, many have been validated in this context and appear to perform adequately.
An Interview Study with Professionals on Shared Decision-Making in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
(Springer, 2026-04-01) Eiroá Orosa, Francisco José; Roura-Roca, Iona
Shared Decision-Making (SDM) is a paradigm that involves collaboration between healthcare professionals and service users to reach decisions jointly. This approach is based on the exchange of information, identification of service users’ values and preferences, analysis of treatment options, and consensus on an action plan. The present study aims to explore the beliefs and attitudes of mental health professionals regarding this model, in a context where its implementation has not yet begun in services for children and adolescents but is starting in the adult mental health system. A qualitative investigation was conducted through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with eleven mental health professionals including social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists. While SDM offers potential benefits, its implementation entails a series of requirements, limitations, and dilemmas that must be addressed. In the child and adolescent context, it is particularly complex to establish specific ages for applying this model and to determine in which situations it is appropriate. The adoption of SDM would represent a significant advancement that could contribute to improving the experience of service users and align with social work values of empowerment and person-centred care.
Sexual exploitation among adolescents in residential care: Prevalence and implications for child protection
(Elsevier, 2026-06-09) Pereda Beltran, Noemí; Águila Otero, Alba
Background: Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a major public health problem that disproportionately affects children and young people involved in the child welfare system. Objective: This study estimated the reported prevalence of CSE among adolescents in residential care facilities in a northern region of Spain and identified associated risk factors. Participants and setting: The sample included 119 adolescents (51.3% male, 45.4% female) aged 14–18 years (M = 15.95), residing in 26 residential care facilities across northern Spain. Methods: An ad hoc online questionnaire assessed (a) sociodemographic characteristics, (b) child protection history, (c) knowledge and perceptions of CSE, and (d) personal experiences of CSE. Results: Overall, 17.6% of participants in this regional sample reported experiencing some form of CSE in the past year. The most prevalent form was sharing sexual images or videos, followed by sexual intercourse and sexual touching. Compared with non-victims, those who experienced CSE were more likely to be female, to have run away from the residential facility, to have received prior CSE education, and to know someone involved in CSE. Conclusions: Findings underscore the urgent need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies addressing CSE among youth in residential care. Comprehensive approaches should include professional training, systematic screening and risk assessment, and direct interventions. These should be implemented through an intersectional framework that acknowledges multiple vulnerabilities and risk factors to better protect young people within the child welfare system.
Mapping the subcortical pathways associated with fear in the human brain: multiple thalamo-amygdala connections revealed by high-resolution tractography
(Elsevier B.V., 2026-07-15) Kosteletou-Kassotaki, Emmanouela; Mengxing, Liu; Cinca-Tomás, Martina T.; Paz-Alonso, Pedro María; Domínguez-Borràs, Judith
Influential models of emotion have proposed multiple direct subcortical pathways, often referred to as “low roads,” linking the thalamus to the amygdala and implicated in fear processing. While such pathways are anatomically well characterized in non-human animals, they have not yet been mapped in the human brain. Here, building on converging evidence from animal models, we provide a comprehensive anatomical characterization of distinct thalamo-amygdala pathways in 113 human participants. Using an advanced high-resolution tractography protocol, we reconstructed pathways originating from posterior, medial, and intralaminar thalamic nuclei and projecting to the basolateral amygdala (BLA). To evaluate their anatomical plausibility, we assessed test-retest reproducibility across sessions. Within the posterior thalamus, projections from the medial geniculate nucleus and the medial and inferior pulvinar to the BLA emerged as the strongest and most robust pathways. Within the medial thalamus, the mediodorsal nucleus showed a prominent connection to the BLA, characterized by a high number of streamlines and moderate-to-high reproducibility. Finally, projections from intralaminar thalamic nuclei were consistently identified but exhibited greater intersession variability and lower reproducibility. Together, these findings provide a unifying anatomical framework for multiple direct thalamo-amygdala pathways in the human brain contributing to the characterization of evolutionarily conserved systems potentially underlying affective processing.
Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)
(Springer Science + Business Media, 2021-12-01) Calderón Garrido, Caterina; Ferrando Piera, Pere Joan; Lorenzo Seva, Urbano; Ferreira García, Estrella; Lee, Eun Mi; Oporto Alonso, Marta; Obispo, Berta M.; Mihic-Góngora, Luka; Rodríguez-González, Adán; Jiménez Fonseca, Paula
Purpose The aim of this study was to analyze the internal structure of the EORTC QLQ-C30, to examine the validity and normative data for cancer patients. Method Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to explore the scale’s dimensionality and test for strong measurement invariance across sex and tumor site. All the analyses were based on a multicenter cohort of 931 patients who completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) and the EORTC QLQ-C30. Results Our findings indicate that the EORTC QLQ-C30 has acceptable psychometric properties and an internal structure that is well accounted for a bifactor model: a general factor that evaluates quality of life and a group factor that would analyze physical health that would be defined by physical function, role function, and fatigue. The result of the multi-group CFA revealed a strong invariance according to sex, tumor, and over time. Reliability of the EORTC exceeding 0.86 and the simple sum of the items of the scale was a good indicator of oncology patients’ quality of life. Both factors correlate closely with depression, anxiety, and psychological distress and are sensitive to change, especially the quality of life, with a significant decrease in the post-test. Conclusion The Spanish version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 proved to be a valid, reliable instrument to appraise quality of life in cancer patients. The normative data collected from this study may be useful for the early detection of initial symptoms of deterioration of quality of life in oncology patients.
Seasonal longitudinal effects of winter birth on psychopathology, cognition, and functioning in schizophrenia-spectrum and affective disorders: Findings from the PsyCourse Study
(Elsevier B.V., 2026-09-01) Pérez Ramos, Anaid; Budde, Monika; Adorjan, Kristina; Amoretti Guadall, Silvia; Anghelescu, Ion-George; Arolt, Volker; Baune, Bernhard T.; Dannlowski, Udo; Dietrich, Detlef E.; Fallgatter, Andreas J.; Figge, Christian; Garriga, Marina; García Rizo, Clemente; Guasch Capella, Nora; Heilbronner, Maria; Lang, Fabian U.; Juckel, Georg; Kohshour, Mojtaba Oraki; Konrad, Carsten; Martínez-Arán, Anabel, 1971-; Mezquida Mateos, Gisela; Navarro Flores, Alba; Reich-Erkelenz, Daniela; Reimer, Jens; Reininghaus, Eva Z.; Senner, Fanny; Schmauß, Max; Schmitt, Andrea; Schulte, Eva C.; Spitzer, Carsten; Vieta i Pascual, Eduard, 1963-; Wiltfang, Jens; Falkai, Peter; Schulze, Thomas G.; Papiol, Sergi; Torrent Font, Carla; Heilbronner, Urs
Aims Winter birth (WB) is a replicated risk factor for mental health conditions, potentially due to third-trimester Vitamin D deficiency and maternal viral infections. Beyond diagnosis, WB is associated with psychopathology, cognition, and functionality as epiphenomena. We analysed these outcomes in psychosis and affective disorders, considering illness duration and sex-specific effects. Methods We included 535 individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum and 667 with affective disorders from the PsyCourse Study, evaluated at four time points over 18 months. Participants were stratified by the birth season: winter vs. other seasons and by duration of illness (</≥5 years). Psychopathology was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for psychosis, Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-C30) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) for affective disorders, functionality with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), and cognitive performance with Trail Making Tests A (TMT-A) and B (TMT-B), Verbal Digit Span, and Digit Symbol Test (DST). Linear mixed models adjusted for covariates were applied. Results No interaction effects between WB and diagnostic group or time remained significant after correction for multiple comparisons. In sex-stratified models, a significant WB × time interaction emerged for DST in females, with WB participants showing improvements over time in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, and a crossover pattern in affective disorders. Conclusions WB has no robust effect on long-term outcomes on schizophrenia-spectrum or affective disorders. Subtle, sex-dependent effects on cognition were observed in females, with divergent longitudinal patterns between diagnostic groups, suggesting a possible early-life influence that attenuates over the course of illness.
A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies on citizenship and mental health
(Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2026-03) Ball, Cassidy M.; Eiroá Orosa, Francisco José
Background: Citizenship, as conceptualized by Rowe and colleagues, emphasizes the significance of relationships and community membership, encapsulated by the ‘5Rs’– rights, responsibilities, roles, resources, and relationships. Methods: A meta-synthesis of 20 qualitative studies on citizenship and mental health was conducted. Results: We identified four central themes: Autonomy and Empowerment, Social Inclusion and Relationships, Social Exclusion, and Non-Relational Resources and Supports. Service users’ experiences illuminate the challenges ofachieving full citizenship, negotiating societal norms, and accessing non-relational resources. Conclusions: This synthesis contributes to our understanding of Citizenship and its relationship with mental health, highlighting its role in fostering social inclusion and empowerment as well as informing potential implications for mental health interventions and policies.
ℛSCZ: A Riemannian schizophrenia diagnosis framework based on the multiplexity of EEG-based dynamic functional connectivity patterns
(Elsevier Ltd., 2024-09-01) Stavros, Dimiatriadis
Abnormal electrophysiological (EEG) activity has been largely reported in schizophrenia (SCZ). In the last decade, research has focused to the automatic diagnosis of SCZ via the investigation of an EEG aberrant activity and connectivity linked to this mental disorder. These studies followed various preprocessing steps of EEG activity focusing on frequency-dependent functional connectivity brain network (FCBN) construction disregarding the topological dependency among edges. FCBN belongs to a family of symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices forming the Riemannian manifold. Due to its unique geometric properties, the whole analysis of FCBN can be performed on the Riemannian geometry of the SPD space. The advantage of the analysis of FCBN on the SPD space is that it takes into account all the pairwise interdependencies as a whole. However, only a few studies have adopted a FCBN analysis on the SPD manifold, while no study exists on the analysis of dynamic FCBN (dFCBN) tailored to SCZ. In the present study, I analyzed two open EEG-SCZ datasets under a Riemannian geometry of SPD matrices for the dFCBN analysis proposing also a multiplexity index that quantifies the associations of multi-frequency brainwave patterns. I adopted a machine learning procedure employing a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation (LOSO-CV) using snapshots of dFCBN from (N-1) subjects to train a battery of classifiers. Each classifier operated in the inter-subject dFCBN distances of sample covariance matrices (SCMs) following a rhythm-dependent decision and a multiplex-dependent one. The proposed ℛSCZ decoder supported both the Riemannian geometry of SPD and the multiplexity index DC reaching an absolute accuracy (100 %) in both datasets in the virtual default mode network (DMN) source space.
Predictors of the impact of rights- and recovery-oriented training for mental health professionals
(American Psychological Association, 2026-05-06) Eiroá Orosa, Francisco José; Seibel, Carolin
Objective: This study examines the factors influencing the effectiveness of a rights- and recovery-based training program for mental health professionals. Methods: From an initial pool of 643 professionals providing informed consent, 218 (33.9%) attended the training activity and completed the first follow-up assessment. Effectiveness was evaluated using a scale measuring beliefs and attitudes toward service users. Potential predictors included gender, age, experience, ideological orientation, education, profession type, personal or close experience with mental distress, and training satisfaction. Results: Interactions showed that profession type and personal experience moderated changes in coercion, with social professionals showing a sharper initial reduction that stabilized, clinical professionals a slower but more continuous decrease, and those without personal experience demonstrating greater overall reductions. Ideology moderated changes in paternalism, with left-leaning professionals showing a consistent decline and right-leaning professionals an initial decrease followed by an increase. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: These findings highlight the training’s broad impact on beliefs and attitudes and the role of key professional characteristics in shaping specific outcomes, suggesting strategies for tailoring recovery-oriented education to diverse professional profiles. Further research should refine study designs, improve assessment tools, and explore behavioral outcomes to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying training effectiveness.
The Evaluation of a Nursing Care Model for Breast Cancer: What Are Women's Priorities?
(John Wiley & Sons, 2025-04-26) Rodriguez Ortega, Ana; Ferro, Tàrsila; Ochoa Arnedo, Cristian; Campos, Gloria; Valverde, Yolanda; Medina, Joan Carles; Borràs Andrés, Josep Maria
Aim: To assess patient satisfaction with the breast care nurse (BCN) model and its adequacy in meeting patients’ needs for information and support. Background: The BCN is a core multidisciplinary member of the breast cancer team. The evaluation of care models is necessary to detect gaps and improve the quality of care. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study took place in a breast pathology unit and included patients with early breast cancer seen between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017 after finishing their treatment. Between July and December 2018, sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected from the clinical history, and satisfaction was measured using a questionnaire sent to the patients. Results: Of the 139 patients included, 99.3% reported that the BCN provided information correctly, 96.2% reported that she provided adequate information on self-care at home (96.2%), and 97.8% reported that the words of the BCN helped them feel better. However, some patients were unsure whether the BCN would have been willing to discuss alternative therapies (41%). Conclusions: Patients were satisfied with the BCN, including her role in meeting information and support needs. However, some issues needed to be sufficiently addressed. Comprehensive, continuous assessment is required to understand patient needs. Training and specific studies on topics that are of interest to patients can help respond to these needs. Implications for Nursing Management: BCN functions are being developed in some countries. BCN results make it easier for healthcare managers to commit to this role and for nurses to develop all their competencies. BCN models must respond to international guidelines but are also determined by organizational resources. The evaluation of these models is essential and must be considered by users. Advanced practice nursing roles, including the BCN, are well established in some countries but developing in others. BCN results make it easier for healthcare managers to commit to this role and for nurses to develop all their skills. BCN models must respond to the elements determined by organizations that work to improve the quality of care for patients with breast cancer. However, they are also determined by organizational resources. The evaluation of these models is essential to correct deficiencies and improve the quality of care. An important part of the evaluation must take into account the user who receives the care, in terms of satisfaction and the form of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
Virtual reality body exposure and attentional bias modification in the treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa
(John Wiley & Sons, 2026-04-14) Ascione, Mariarca; Carulla-Roig, Marta; Meschberger-Annweiler, Franck-Alexandre; Serrano Troncoso, Eduardo; Blasco Martínez, Anna; Guerrero Álvarez, Fernando; Miquel, Helena; Mendoza-Medialdea, María Teresa; Porras-García, Bruno; Ferrer, Marta (Ferrer García); Moreno Sánchez, Manuel; Gutiérrez Maldonado, José
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by intense fear of gaining weight and persistent body image disturbance. Virtual reality–based mirror exposure therapy (VR-MET) may reduce body-related fear through embodied exposure, while attentional bias modification training (ABMT) may enhance exposure learning by promoting balanced attentional allocation. This controlled clinical study tested the hypothesis that adjunctive VR-MET would improve clinical outcomes beyond treatment as usual (TAU) alone, and that preceding VR-MET with ABMT would produce additional benefits in adolescent females with AN. Seventy-five female adolescents with AN were allocated to TAU, TAU+VR-MET or TAU+ABMT+VR-MET. Assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention. Outcomes included eye-tracking indices of attentional bias (number of fixations, complete fixation time), state anxiety and fear of gaining weight, BMI and eating disorder–related measures. Compared with TAU alone, both VR-based conditions showed greater reductions in state anxiety and fear of gaining weight. State body dissatisfaction decreased significantly only in the TAU+VR-MET group. No significant changes were observed for BMI or most trait-level eating disorder measures. ABMT did not enhance clinical outcomes beyond VR-MET. Within the short-term assessment window, adjunctive VR-MET was associated with reductions in state-dependent emotional responses in adolescents with AN. Effects on trait-level symptoms were limited, and ABMT did not confer additional benefit in this unselected sample. Fully randomized studies with larger samples, extended exposure protocols, and follow-up assessments are needed to determine durability and broader clinical impact.
Spontaneous and perturbation-based EEG cortical excitability markers are associated with plasma p-tau181 concentration in healthy middle-aged adults
(Elsevier, 2024-12-30) Perellón Alfonso, Ruben; Abellaneda Pérez, Kilian; Pileckyte, Indre; Cabello Toscano, María del Rocío; Mulet Pons, Lídia; Vaqué Alcázar, Lídia; Cattaneo, Gabrielle; Redondo-Camós, María; España Irla, Goretti; Delgado Gallén, Selma; Solana Sánchez, Javier; Zetterberg, Henrik; Tormos, José María; Franzmeier, Nicolai; Pascual Leone, Álvaro, 1961-; Bartrés Faz, David
In early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition can induce neuronal hyperactivity, thereby potentially triggering activity-dependent neuronal secretion of phosphorylated tau (p-tau), ensuing tau aggregation and spread. Therefore, cortical excitability is a candidate biomarker for early AD detection. Moreover, lowering neuronal excitability could potentially complement strategies to reduce Aβ and tau buildup. There is, however, a lack of understanding of the relationship between cortical excitability and p-tau increase in vivo. Therefore, in a sample of 658 healthy middle-aged (between the ages of 40 and 65) participants of the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative cohort study, we examined the relation of blood-based tau, phosphorylated at amino acid 181 (p-tau181), reflecting neuronal p-tau secretion; neurofilament light chain (NfL), as a passively released control for p-tau181; and electroencephalography (EEG) markers of cortical excitability. A subsample of 47 participants also completed a controlled brain perturbation approach via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with concurrent EEG. Results show that both spontaneous (i.e., resting-state) and perturbation-based TMS-EEG markers, are associated with blood p-tau181, particularly in older individuals. The perturbation-based marker was a significantly more sensitive predictor of p-tau181 concentration than the spontaneous resting state EEG-based marker. The relationships observed are not present for the NfL control. These results show that relationships between p-tau181 and cortical excitability are present in healthy middle-aged subjects and that p-tau181 increases may reflect activity-dependent secretion.
From childhood maltreatment to intimate partner violence perpetration: A prospective longitudinal examination of the roles of executive functioning and self-esteem
(Elsevier Ltd., 2024-05-01) Díaz-Faes, Diego A.; Widom, Cathy Spatz
Background: Previous research has found that childhood maltreatment predicts increased risk for violence and partner violence and there is some evidence for poorer executive functioning and low self-esteem. To date, there have been no longitudinal studies that have examined the extent to which executive functioning and self-esteem play a role in the relationship between child maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Methods: This study aims to fill this gap by utilizing data from a prospective longitudinal study of children with documented court cases of abuse and neglect (ages 0–11 years) from a metropolitan county area in the Midwest (during the years 1967–1971) and demographically matched controls. Both maltreated individuals and matched controls were followed up and assessed over several waves of the study in young and middle adulthood. At mean age 39 years, inhibition and cognitive control were evaluated, while cognitive flexibility and nonverbal reasoning were assessed at mean age 41. Self-esteem was also assessed at mean age 41. Physical IPV perpetration was evaluated at age 47 using two different scoring strategies in separate models: the number of acts and variety of acts, ensuring avoidance of potential score skewness. Results: Childhood maltreatment predicted lower executive functioning and self-esteem, and both independently predicted intimate partner violence perpetration. Lower executive functioning and self-esteem mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and physical IPV perpetration in midlife, irrespective of the scoring method. Conclusion: Findings suggest that executive functioning and self-esteem play a role in the cycle of violence. Implications and suggestions for future directions are discussed.
Problematic gaming use and psychological distress among Spanish young adults: A comprehensive study
(Universidad de Zaragoza, 2025) Suárez Soto, Elizabeth; Peris-de la Hoz, A.; Sánchez-Fernández-Quejo, A.; Rodríguez-Toscano, E.; Lagunas, N.; Reneses, B.; De la Torre Luque, Alejandro
Background and objectives: This study examined problematic video game use and its sociodemographic and clinical correlates in a sample of 1,410 Spanish video game players (33.6% women; mean age = 21.12 years, SD = 3.29). Methods: The participants completed a comprehensive set of assessment scales to evaluate clinical features: a sociodemographic interview, problematic video gaming (using the GAS-7), emotional symptoms (with the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression scales), suicidal ideation (with the Paykel Suicidal Ideation Scale), loneliness (De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale) and impulsivity (UPPS-P scale). Participants were classified based on problematic gaming severity. Differences between groups were explored for the clinical features assessed. Results: As a result, most participants showed a low-risk gaming pattern (88.2%), in comparison to those showing either excessive use of video games (10% of participants) or problematic (pathological) gaming use (almost 2%). Risk groups differed by sex (p < .01), but not age, education, or employment. Game time and frequency varied across risk groups, indicating higher use with greater risk. Clinical correlates were examined, with higher risk groups showing more depressive symptoms (p < .01), anxiety symptoms (p < .01), suicidal ideation (p < .01), and loneliness (p < .01). Impulsiveness dimensions also showed significant group differences, except for sensation seeking. In conclusion, problematic video game use was linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety, suicidal ideation, loneliness, and impulsiveness. Conclusion: This study sheds light on the clinical aspects associated with different levels of problematic gaming.

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