Catholic University of Valencia, Spain

The role of emotional regulation in disorders throughout childhood and adolescence

This roundtable presents a revision on the current state and the models that explain emotional regulation and their role in the psychopathology of various disorders, with an emphasis on disorders that occur during childhood and adolescence. Studies will be presented that support, on the one hand, the efficacy of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), implemented in a hospital unit, in the treatment of adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and on the other hand, the efficacy of an intervention based on emotional regulation, using mindfulness, in comparison with others, observing improvements in the measurements related to emotional and behavioural skills. In addition, data will be presented from a clinical sample of adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder and Eating Disorder, in which we can see the role that certain variables play, such as Meaning of Life together with emotional dysregulation, when predicting associated symptoms in BPD. To conclude, we want to emphasise that emotional regulation plays an important role in childhood and adolescence disorders and it is advisable to use therapeutic tools to intervene in this process.

Ph.D. in Psychology by the University Jaume I. She is a psychologist specialised in Clinical Psychology. Currently, she works as a professor and researcher, at the Catholic University of Valencia "San Vicente Mártir", in the Developmental and Education Psychology Department. She teaches in Psychology, Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Therapy, at graduate and postgraduate level. At the same university, she also undertakes work related to academic management. She has been an associate professor at the University Jaume I, assigned to the Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment Department. Her clinical experience, with adults, as well as with children and adolescents, has focussed on the treatment of different emotional disorders, standing out over the past few years, her work in the study and treatment of personality disorders and their comorbidity to other disorders. She has presented several researches at Psychology conferences, at a national and international level, and given courses and workshops to students and mental health professionals, all of them related to clinical practice. Furthermore, she is a professor in masters of serveral Spanish universities, in the field of Clinical and Health Psychology. She has also participated in various national and international research projects, in the field of treating psychological disorders.