Xavier, Ana

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Xavier

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Ana

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Ana Xavier

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Ana Xavier. Doutorada em Psicologia, especialidade em Psicologia Clínica, pela Faculdade de Psicologia e Ciências da Educação da Universidade de Coimbra. Professora Auxiliar na Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique (UPT, Porto). É investigadora no CINTESIS – pólo UPT, e investigadora colaboradora no Centro de Investigação em Neuropsicologia e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental (CINEICC) da Universidade de Coimbra. É Psicóloga Clínica, com experiência na prática privada, exercendo atualmente funções no PIN – Partners in Neuroscience, Porto. Afiliação: I2P - Instituto Portucalense de Psicologia. DPE - Departamento de Psicologia e Educação. I2P Instituto Portucalense de Psicologia. Centro de Investigação em Neuropsicologia e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental (CINEICC), Universidade de Coimbra.

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CINTESIS.UPT - Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde
Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde (CINTESIS.UPT), former I2P, is an R&D unit devoted to the study of cognition and behaviour in context. With an interdisciplinary focus, namely on Education, Translational and Applied Psychology

Resultados da pesquisa

A mostrar 1 - 10 de 25
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Aberto
    The Clinical Interview for Psychotic Disorders (CIPD): Preliminary results on interrater agreement, reliability and qualitative feedback
    2019 - Martins, Maria João; Castilho, Paula; Macedo, António; Pereira, Ana Telma; Pinto, Ana; Carreiras⁠, Diogo; Barreto-Carvalho, Célia; Palmeira, Lara; Xavier, Ana
    Given the recent treatment paradigm shift in psychosis, focusing on the recovery process, new assessment tools are needed. The Clinical Interview for Psychotic Disorders (CIPD) is an integrative and comprehensive assessment tool for psychotic disorders. CIPD encompasses the evaluation of diagnosis, psychosocial correlates and most relevant comorbidities. The study's aims were to examine CIPD inter-rater reliability, the relationships between CIPD and other instruments assessing positive and negative symptoms and functionality, and to explore participants’ qualitative feedback. The sample included 30 individuals with psychotic disorders, aged between 18 and 62 years old. Two experts in clinical psychology conducted the interviews and independently rated other assessment tools (PANSS, GAF and PSP) to determine severity of psychotic symptoms and levels of functionality. Results indicated high inter-rater reliability for the majority of CIPD items and agreement regarding diagnosis was between 73% and 93%. Moreover, positive and moderate to strong correlations were found between CIPD, PANSS, GAF and PSP. From the qualitative analysis five themes emerged, namely: CIPD applicability and utility, comparison with previous interviews, interviewer aspects, negative and positive aspects. Overall, these preliminary results suggest that CIPD is a reliable and valid assessment instrument that seems to be well suited for people with psychosis.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Restrito
    Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: The role of shame, self-criticism and fear of self-compassion
    2016-01-18 - Pinto-Gouveia, José; Cunha, Marina; Xavier, Ana
    Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious and relatively prevalent problem in adolescence. Although several studies have identified risk factors for the aetiology and maintenance of NSSI, little is known about the impact of individual and contextual variables in such pervasive behaviors among adolescents. This paper aims to test whether specific internal traits characterized by shame, self-criticism and fear of self-compassion impact on NSSI, through their effect in daily peer hassles and depression. Participants are 782 adolescents with 12–18 years-old from middle and secondary schools (years of education’s mean = 9.46). This study has a cross-sectional design. Self-report measures include external shame, self-criticism, fear of self-compassion, daily peer hassles, depressive symptoms and NSSI. External shame, hated self and fear of self-compassion indirectly predict NSSI, through their effect in daily peer hassles and depression. The most pathological form of self-criticism (hated self) is strongly associated with NSSI. These findings contribute to clarification of the paths through which the belief that one is seen negatively by others, the hostile self-to-self relationship and the inability to direct compassion for self may increase NSSI. Daily peer hassles and current depressive symptoms seem to play an important role in the association between internal traits and NSSI. Preventive and intervention actions for reducing NSSI in adolescence should address not only interpersonal difficulties but also self-to-self relationship.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Restrito
    Rumination in adolescence: The distinctive impact of brooding and reflection on psychopathology
    2016-06-20 - Cunha, Marina; Pinto-Gouveia, José; Xavier, Ana
    Rumination has a crucial role in the onset, severity and maintenance of depression in adolescent and adult populations. The Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) is the most widely self-report instrument used to assess individual differences in the tendency to engage in ruminative responses style. This paper aims to test the factor structure of the 10-item RRS and the gender-based measurement invariance, in a community sample of adolescents, using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Participants were 542 adolescents (53% females) with a mean age of 14 years old (SD = 1.75) from middle and secondary schools (years of education’s mean = 9.46, SD = 1.60) in Portugal. Results confirm the two-factor structure of the RRS composed by brooding and reflection dimensions (GFI = .93, CFI = .90, TLI = .87, SRMR = .05, RMSEA = .11, 90% C.I. [0.092 to 0.121]) and the invariance across gender (GFI = .91, CFI = .89, TLI = .85, RMSEA = .08, 90% C.I. [0.069 to 0.090], p < .001). RRS and their dimensions presented a good internal reliability (Brooding: α = .80; Reflection: α = .75; RRS total: α = .85). Brooding and reflection dimensions revealed moderate correlations with depression, anxiety and stress symptoms (p < .001). Multiple Regression Analysis through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) showed that brooding is significantly and strongly associated with internalizing symptoms (p < .001). Female adolescents reported more levels of rumination than male adolescents. Overall, these findings support the usefulness of the Portuguese version of RRS and suggest that this short version is an economical, valid and reliable measure to assess ruminative response styles in adolescence.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Aberto
    The forms of self-criticising and self-reassuring scale: Short form for adolescents: Psychometric properties in clinical and non-clinical portuguese samples
    2023-07-31 - Cunha, Marina; Salvador, Maria Céu; Castilho, Paula; Xavier, Ana
    BACKGROUND: Self-criticism is a psychological process largely studied as a vulnerability factor for several psychological difficulties in the adult population and, to a lower extent, in adolescent samples. Thus, the availability of instruments to effectively capture this construct is important, especially for younger populations. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the factor structure, measurement invariance to group samples, and psychometric properties of the short version of the Forms of Self-criticism and Self-reassuring Scale (FSCRS-SF) in Portuguese adolescents in non-clinical and clinical samples. METHODS: Two non-clinical samples (N = 1224 and N = 140) and a clinical sample (N = 103) were used. Participants' ages ranged between 12 and 18 years old for both genders. Participants voluntarily completed a set of self-report questionnaires in the classroom. 418 adolescents completed the FSCRS 6-weeks after the first administration. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the factor structure of the FSCRS-SF was similar to the one found in the adults’ version, with three factors (inadequate self, hated self, and reassured self). The measurement invariance was established for both samples. The FSCRS-SF revealed adequate to good construct validity, reliability, and temporal stability. Gender differences were found for the three subscales. Similarly, adolescents from the clinical sample reported higher levels of inadequate self and hated self and lower levels of reassured self in comparison with the non-clinical sample, as expected. CONCLUSIONS: The FSCRS-SF was revealed to be a valid and reliable measure of self-criticism and self-reassurance for adolescents and seems to be a useful tool for research and clinical purposes.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Aberto
    The longitudinal impact of psychological flexibility and compassion on mother-baby bonding: Care4mmmies study protocol [comunicação oral]
    2023-03-30 - Mateus, Vera; Palmeira, Lara; Xavier, Ana; Silva, Joana Ribeiro da; Vagos, Paula
    Becoming a mother is a life-changing event that is often experienced in a positive way, but may also encompass great vulnerability and uncertainty, with the potential to hinder the mother’s well-being and foster disorganization, particularly for women with attachment difficulties dealing with a difficult infant. Risk factors to the quality of mother-infant emotional bonding are well documented, whereas research into the mothers’ protective and modifiable factors is scarcer. Psychological flexibility and compassion are adaptive emotional regulation strategies that have been linked to the wellbeing and mental health in diverse populations. The current work intends to present the Care4mommies project, which aims to examine whether prenatal maternal compassion (towards others and the self) and psychological flexibility play a protective role in the development of postpartum mother-infant bonding over time and whether this effect remains relevant regardless of mothers’ attachment style and infant temperament. Participants will be pregnant women to be assessed between 22 and 30 weeks of gestation (T0) and when the infant is three (T1) and nine months old (T2). Participants will respond to an online survey that includes sociodemographic information and questionnaires about their compassion and psychological flexibility to be completed at all three assessments. In addition, mothers’ own attachment style will be reported during pregnancy, and infant temperament and mother-infant bonding questionnaires will be administered at T1 and T2. Recruitment will take place through social media advertising, colleagues and acquaintances of the research team members, and family health units attending pregnant women. Data will be analysed using a structural equation modelling approach. Overall, we expect that higher levels of mother’s compassion and psychological flexibility will predict higher quality of mother-infant bonding. In addition, we expect that the impact of less adaptive maternal attachment styles and infant difficult temperament on mother-infant bonding will be moderated by mother’s compassion and/or psychological flexibility. Finally, we expect mother-infant bonding at T2 to be predicted by mothers’ attachment style, compassion and psychological flexibility, infant temperament, and mother-infant bonding previously assessed. The study findings will clarify whether mothers’ compassion and psychological flexibility may be protective for mother-infant bonding, which can inform future studies in designing and testing specific parental interventions to promote a secure mother-infant bond in the postpartum period.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Aberto
    The Me and the Us of Emotions: a cluster-randomized controlled trial of the feasibility and efficacy of a compassion-based social– emotional learning program for children
    2023-11-01 - Menezes, Paulo; Patrão, Bruno; Mendes, Sofia; Tavares, Marta; Xavier, Ana; Palmeira, Lara; Vagos, Paula
    There are well-established benefits of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for children within educational contexts. Combining social–emotional skills and compassion abilities has been seldomly done, and it may be valuable at individual and societal levels, for resilient, empathetic, and inclusive societies. This study explored the feasibility and efficacy of a program designed to promote socioemotional and compassion skills in children attending the 3rd and 4th grades, by using in-class dynamics complemented with serious games. This program, named “The Me and the Us of Emotions,” is part of the Gulbenkian Knowledge Academies 2020 and consists of 10 group sessions embedded in the school curriculum. Using a cluster-randomized controlled trial design, school classes were allocated to intervention (classes, n = 8; children, n = 163) and control groups (classes, n = 6; children, n = 132). During the program, facilitators assessed adherence to the sessions’ plan, attendance, dosage (i.e., how many sessions were delivered), and participant responsiveness. Children completed self-report measures of social–emotional skills and emotional climate at pre-, post-intervention, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups. Results indicate that the program is feasible, with high adherence, high attendance rate, and participant responsiveness. Results also indicate empathy, soothing, and drive feelings to change from pre-intervention to all other assessment moments, for the intervention group only. Moreover, cooperation and threat changed over time for participants in both the control and the intervention groups. The current study offers empirical support for the feasibility and utility of a compassion- based social–emotional learning program on promoting children’s empathy, and emotions of soothing and vitality in the school context. Thus, these findings contribute to recent research on the potential added value of compassion practices within an SEL program.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Restrito
    The protective role of self-compassion on risk factors for non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence
    2016-08-02 - Pinto-Gouveia, José; Cunha, Marina; Xavier, Ana
    Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescence is a serious public health problem. Although self-compassion is a protective factor of mental health difficulties in adult populations, its potential impact on adolescence remains scarcely explored. Therefore, we aimed to test whether self-compassion can mitigate the impact of daily peer hassles and depressive symptoms on NSSI. The participants were 643 adolescents (51.6 % female) with ages between 12 and 18 years, from middle and secondary schools. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure daily peer hassles, depressive symptoms, self-compassion and NSSI. Daily peer hassles were positively correlated with depressive symptoms and NSSI. Self-compassion was inversely associated with daily peer hassles and depressive symptoms and NSSI. Path analysis showed that self-compassion had a moderator effect on the association between depressive symptoms and NSSI. Results suggest that self-compassion can be a protective process, as it may buffer against the impact of depressive symptoms on NSSI. This study presents preventive and clinical implications for educators and therapists working with adolescents.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Aberto
    A different side of the COVID-19 pandemic: Narratives told by older adults
    2024-06-06 - Vagos, Paula; Tavares, Lúcia; Xavier, Ana
    The present study investigated the nature and meaning of the experiences of older adults who lived through the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown periods in Portugal. Narrative Research was used to explore the lived stories of two community-resident female older adults, recruited through convenience sampling. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview and thematically analyzed. Participants’ testimonies revealed a somewhat positive experience and no overwhelming difficulties were expressed. A positive and close relationship with family and personality traits such as optimism and hope emerged as the main coping strategies and resources to overcome challenges. Participants’ stories also highlighted constructs still scarcely studied among older adults: acceptance, self-compassion, and event centrality. Our findings, therefore, highlight the importance of acknowledging the idiosyncrasies of this population, rather than envisioning them as a homogenous at-risk group. Future research should use qualitative methodologies to give voice to older adults with different life stories.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Restrito
    The role of self-compassion in the psychological (mal)adjustment of older adults: a scoping review
    2020-07 - Tavares, Lúcia; Xavier, Ana; Vagos, Paula
    Background: The identification of protection factors regarding older adults’ mental health is essential. Self-compassion, the capacity to be kind towards the self during challenging times, may be one such factor. Although still scarce, some research in this field has already been conducted with older adults. Our research question was the following: what is currently known about the role of self-compassion in the psychological (mal)adjustment of older adults? Objectives: To review any study designs, in any setting, where self-compassion and any indicators of psychological (mal)adjustment were assessed in participants aged ≥60 years. Design: A scoping review of English, Portuguese, and Spanish published and unpublished materials, using the EBSCOhost Research and PubMed databases and reference lists. Search terms included self-compassion, self compassion, older adults, elderly, seniors, and geriatrics. After screening and selection of the studies, we charted the relevant data. Results: Eleven published studies (2012–2018) were reviewed. Self-compassion was associated with, and a predictor of, diverse mental health indicators in older adults. Self-compassion was also associated with indicators of physical health, moderated the relationship between physical health indicators and mental health indicators, and mediated the relationship between diverse mental health indicators. Results were obtained with participants of different nationalities and age. All studies had a cross-sectional design, and most studies recruited well-functioning community residents. Conclusions: Self-compassion is beneficial for the psychological adjustment of older adults and may also benefit their biological functioning. Self-compassion seems particularly relevant for those experiencing more negative life events. Studies with more robust methodologies are needed in order to replicate these findings.
  • PublicaçãoAcesso Restrito
    Longitudinal pathways for the maintenance of non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: The pernicious blend of depressive symptoms and self-criticism
    2017-05-22 - Pinto-Gouveia, José; Cunha, Marina; Dinis, Alexandra; Xavier, Ana
    Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious and alarming phenomenon during adolescence. There is a need for understanding the intrapersonal variables that might contribute to the maintenance of these self-injurious behaviors. This study aims to concurrently compare intrapersonal variables between adolescents with and without a lifetime history of NSSI, and to longitudinally test whether NSSI over lifetime history predicts 6-months NSSI through self-criticism and depressive symptoms among Portuguese adolescents with a self-reported history of NSSI. Adolescents (N = 418, 12–19 years-old) from middle and secondary schools completed self-report questionnaires to assess self-criticism (particularly, the most severe form: hated self), depressive symptoms, and the frequency of NSSI in two points in time over the 6-months interval. Adolescents who reported a lifetime history of NSSI tend to experience greater harsh and persecutory criticism towards themselves and elevated depressive symptoms than adolescents without a history of NSSI. Results from path analysis showed that lifetime NSSI predicts subsequent NSSI, and this association is mediated by self-hatred and depressive symptoms among adolescents with lifetime NSSI. Findings suggest that NSSI is maintained through a sense of self-focused on hatred and disgust feelings and depressive symptoms.