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- ItemFactibilidad y aceptabilidad de una intervención transdiagnóstica digital para la prevención de depresión y ansiedad en estudiantes universitarios(2025) Lira Ampuero, Daniela Paulina; Behn Berliner, Alex Joseph; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Escuela de PsicologíaLa alta prevalencia de ansiedad y depresión en estudiantes universitarios constituye un desafío relevante de salud pública. Aunque existen servicios de apoyo, muchos estudiantes no buscan ayuda profesional. En este contexto, las intervenciones digitales transdiagnósticas se presentan como una alternativa eficaz y escalable, aunque la evidencia en América Latina aún es limitada.El objetivo de este estudio fue adaptar y evaluar la implementación de una intervención preventiva digital transdiagnóstica, basada en una aplicación móvil, dirigida a estudiantes universitarios con sintomatología subclínica de ansiedad y/o depresión en Chile. La investigación se desarrolló en dos fases: (1) adaptación participativa de la aplicación Cuida tu Ánimo, y (2) evaluación de la factibilidad, aceptabilidad y resultados clínicos preliminares de la versión adaptada (Vamos Juntxs) en una muestra de 31 estudiantes de una universidad pública.Los resultados muestran una alta aceptabilidad y factibilidad de la intervención, aunque se identificaron desafíos en el reclutamiento y la adherencia. Además, se observaron disminuciones significativas en sintomatología ansiosa, depresiva y afectación funcional. En conclusión, Vamos Juntxs representa una estrategia preventiva prometedora y adaptable para fortalecer la salud mental universitaria en Chile y la región latinoamericana.
- ItemBridging Science and Politics: An Interdisciplinary Framework for Analysing Uncertainty in Public Policy Decision-Making(2025) González Larrondo, Trinidad; Manzi Astudillo, Jorge; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Escuela de PsicologíaThe doctoral thesis “Bridging Science and Politics: An Interdisciplinary Framework for Analysing Uncertainty in Public Policy Decision-Making” examines how scientific evidence is mobilised in policymaking under conditions of uncertainty. It argues that research on the science-policy interface remains fragmented because uncertainty is unevenly defined and operationalised across disciplines. The study’s overarching goal is to integrate political, methodological, and psychological dimensions of uncertainty to explain how evidence functions within decision-making processes. Grounded in a pragmatic paradigm and employing a sequential mixed-method design, the research combines conceptual, qualitative, and quantitative approaches. The empirical focus is Chile’s Law No. 20.903 on Teacher Professional Development. Three analytical strategies structure the work: (1) the Interdisciplinary Uncertainty Framework (IUF), developed through integrative review; (2) a qualitative case study using discourse and thematic analysis that integrates the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and the Social Identities in the Policy Process (SIPP) model; and (3) a mixed-method design combining qualitative coding with quantitative analyses such as Social Network Analysis, Advocacy Coalition Index, and moderation models. Findings show that evidence operates as a socially and symbolically mediated resource. The thesis demonstrates how interdisciplinary integration enables a multi-level analysis linking cognitive, structural, and behavioural dimensions of policymaking.
- ItemDesigning accessible, low-cost, and personalized psychoeducation guideline recommendations for borderline personality disorder(2025) Labbé Arocca, Nicolás; Behn Berliner, Alex Joseph; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Escuela de PsicologíaBackground: Psychoeducation is crucial in supporting recovery in mental illness, and it is an accessible and cost-effective intervention. However, a series of barriers are keeping those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) from accessing psychoeducational intervention that can satisfy their information needs regarding diagnosis, treatment and recovery to a satisfying degree. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the information needs people experiencing BPD, their caregiver and healthcare providers, as identified by participants in a survey and in the pertinent literature, in order to produce input for those designing pychoeducational interventions. Methods: Two main studies are developed in this dissertation: (1) a scoping review following PRISMA guidelinesthat synthesizesthe state of the art on PeI for BPD and (2) a qualitative content analysis of survey answersthat identified five emerging categories of information needs of persons experiencing BPD, their caregivers, and healthcare providers. Results Scoping review: 25 studies were analyzed in the scoping review. The following were mentioned as consequences of psychoeducational intervention: a reduction in BPD symptoms, improved coping strategies, enhanced well-being, better communication skills, increased quality of life, strengthened social functioning, reduced perceived stress, amelioration of mental health symptoms, and a decrease in stigma. Results of content analysis: A total of 116 individuals (BPD live experience, caregivers, and mental health professionals) participated in the survey, and five information needs were identified: 1) expectations regarding diagnosis disclosure and treatment, 2) diagnosis information 3) support beyond treatment, 4) barriers to seeking help, 5) being prepared. Discussion: Specific and novel information needs regarding BPD diagnosis and treatment were identified in each group’s responses and compared with contents addressed in the PeIs for BPD in the scoping review. Recommendation guidelines for future PeIs for BPD were formulated by synthesizing and analyzing insights from Study 1 and Study 2.
- ItemDiderencias de género en los mecanismos explicativos de los cambios en la conducta delictiva de hombres y mujeres infractores de ley(2024) Condemarín Norambuena, Carolina; Carvacho García, Héctor; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Escuela de Psicología
- ItemComparative Analysis of Etiological models of Adolescent substance use(2025) Soto Martínez, Marcela I.; Vergés, Álvaro; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Escuela de PsicologíaDrug use is a mental health concern with serious physical and psychological consequences, which are especially critical during adolescence. In Chile, approximately 20% of adolescents report alcohol or marijuana use during the last year. For both substances, prevalence is higher among females (alcohol: 26%, cannabis: 21%) than males (alcohol: 20%, cannabis: 17%). Use increases with grade level—from 11% (alcohol) and 10% (cannabis) in eighth grade to 36% and 27%, respectively, by the final year of high school. Additionally, students attending private schools report higher alcohol use (30%) but lower cannabis use (14%) compared to those from other school types.To explain individual differences in substance use patterns, several mediational models have been proposed, focusing on the role of cognitive variables in the relationship between impulsivity and substance use. Two key models in this field are the Acquired Preparedness Model (Smith & Anderson, 2001) and the 3-Component Approach to Reinforcing Substances (3-CARS; Gullo et al., 2010).This study aimed to test and compare the APM and 3-CARS as etiological models of substance use behaviors in adolescence. To this end, three studies were conducted: (1) a systematic review of the literature on impulsivity, expectancies, and substance use in adolescents; (2) an evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Cannabis Refusal Self-Efficacy Scale; and (3) an empirical comparison of the APM and 3-CARS in a Chilean adolescent sample.The systematic review included 17 studies, 23 models, and 123 mediations, focused exclusively on alcohol and tobacco. Few studies used longitudinal designs (n = 4) or probabilistic sampling (n = 7). The most frequently examined impulsivity-related constructs and mediators were sensation seeking (n = 47), impulsivity (n = 31), reward drive (n = 18), positive social expectancies (n = 28), coping motives (n = 28), and refusal self-efficacy (n = 26). Of all mediations analyzed, only 37.6% were statistically significant (n = 50), whereas over half of the direct effects were significant.The validation of the Cannabis Refusal Self-Efficacy Scale yielded good model fit: χ²(74) = 245.662, p < .000, CFI = .974, TLI = .969, RMSEA = .047, SRMR = .029. Psychometric indicators were strong, with factor loadings ranging from .65 to .94, reliability coefficients from ω = .64 to .95, and temporal stability (ICC) between .78 and .88. As expected, the scale was significantly correlated with marijuana use frequency, problems, and reinforcement sensitivity. Scalar invariance was established across sex, age, and problematic use levels, enabling meaningful group comparisons.In the final empirical study, four models were estimated (2 theoretical models × 2 substances: alcohol and cannabis), all showing good fit. The 3-CARS models explained more variance in problematic cannabis use, and included a greater proportion of significant direct effects than the APM. Across all models, positive expectancies emerged as the only consistent significant mediator. The only model in which no significant indirect effects were found was the 3-CARS model predicting cannabis-related problems.This study is the first to compare the APM and 3-CARS models and to evaluate their predictive capacity for cannabis-related outcomes. Reward drive and sensation seeking—identified as significant mediators in the empirical analysis—were also the most frequently studied impulsivity constructs in the systematic review. Positive expectancies consistently emerged as a key mediator, supported by both theoretical and empirical evidence. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.