Browsing by Author "Fernandez, Olga"

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    An Adjunctive Internet-Based Intervention to Enhance Treatment for Depression in Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial
    (2021) Carola Perez, J.; Fernandez, Olga; Caceres, Cristian; Carrasco, Alvaro E.; Moessner, Markus; Bauer, Stephanie; Espinosa Duque, Daniel; Gloger, Sergio; Krause, Mariane
    Background:Internet-based interventions promise to enhance the accessibility of mental health care for a greater number of people and in more remote places. Their effectiveness has been shown for the prevention and treatment of various mental disorders. However, their potential when delivered as add-on to conventional treatment (ie, blended care) is less clear.
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    "How it is said": Analyses of WhatsApp communications in a postpartum depression preventive intervention
    (2024) Fernandez, Olga; Perez, J. Carola; Alamo, Nicolle; Fernandez, Sofia; Franco, Pamela; Coo, Soledad; Garcia, M. Ignacia; Aravena, Marcela
    Introduction: "m-What Were We Thinking" (m-WWWT) is an m-health, intervention oriented to prevent symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety in first-time mothers. Mothers receive psychoeducation and socioemotional support through written communication via text-messaging (i.e., WhatsApp) with the program counsellor. Although the use of m-health interventions targeting mental health has increased, the form/style of communication through text messages between participants and program counsellors has been understudied. Objective: The aim was to describe the formal structure of the communication (Basic Forms) and the communicational intentions (Communicative Intentions) used in the messages sent by the counsellor and to determine if these are related to the post-intervention outcomes. Methods: 438 text messages sent by the counsellor to 53 first-time mothers (M = 25.32 years, SD = 4.23) who participated in the m-WWWT intervention were analyzed. The Therapeutic Activity Coding System was used to capture the communication as a "Communicative Action". Results: The study highlighted the counsellor's frequent use of the "assertion" communicative form (82%) and attuned communicative intentions (52%) and explored (39%) in her messages. The attractors of communication were "assert to attune" and "assert to explore", indicating an empathetic and informative communication style. With respect to their relationship with the intervention outcome, only "assert to explore" messages were positively related to maternal self-efficacy increases. The number of messages was not associated with participants' characteristics at baseline, except for educational level. Discussion: Our results show the relevance of combining the delivery of information with a communication style that allows the counsellor to connect with the specific needs and emotional tone of the participants.
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    "I am strong and I can get on with my life": The subjective experience of recovery of patients treated for depression
    (2022) Fernandez, Olga; Altimir, Carolina; Reinel, Mahaira; Duarte, Javiera; Krause, Mariane
    Depression has a high prevalence throughout the world, and its management and recovery still constitute a challenge for mental health professionals. Objective : The aim of the study was to characterize the subjective experience of recovery from depression based on the perspective of those who suffer from it.
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    Online Intervention Targeting Postnatal Depression and Anxiety in Chilean First-Time Mothers: Feasibility Trial
    (Oxford Univ Press INC, 2023) Coo, Soledad; Garcia, Maria Ignacia; Perez, J. Carola; Aldoney, Daniela; Olhaberry Huber, Marcia; Fernandez, Olga; Alamo Anich, Nicolle Anette; Franco Vivanco, Pamela Veronica; Perez, Francisca; Fernández Sanz, Sofía Alejandra; Fisher, Jane; Rowe, Heather
    Objective: Internet-based interventions may positively impact maternal symptoms of postnatal depression and anxiety. This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, perceived usefulness, and preliminary effectiveness of an m-Health version of “What Were We Thinking?” (mWWWT).Methods: A mixed-methods with a 2-arm randomized parallel design was used. From a total of 477 women, 157 met the inclusion criteria. 128 first-time mothers of full-term infants, aged 4–10 weeks, who received health care at primary public health centers in Chile, were randomly assigned to the experimental (EG, n ¼ 65) or control (CG, n ¼ 63) groups; data of 104 of them (53 and 51, respectively) was analyzed. We used percentages and rates to measure feasibility outcomes and mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) and latent class analyses (LCA) to assess preliminary effectiveness. Participants completed questionnaires on mental health, social support, and maternal self-efficacy upon recruitment and 3 months after completing the intervention. For the qualitative component, 12 women from the EG were interviewed.Results: Quantitative results show good feasibility outcomes, such as high recruitment (82%), low attrition (EG ¼ 12% and CG ¼ 17%), and high follow-up (EG ¼ 97% and CG ¼ 91%) rates. Qualitative results indicate high acceptability and perceived usefulness of m-WWWT. MixedANOVA did not show significant differences between the groups (all p >.05). However, multinomial regression analysis in LCA showed that women with low baseline symptoms of depression and anxiety benefit from the intervention (B ¼ 0.43, 95% confidence interval 1.09–2.16). Conclusion: m-WWWT is feasible to be implemented in Chile; future studies are needed to assess the intervention’s effectiveness.
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    Personal experience of Latin American therapists on their clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic (Experiencia personal de terapeutas latinoamericanos sobre su practica clinica durante la pandemia por COVID-19)
    (2022) Fernandez, Olga; Daniel Espinosa, H.; Krause, Mariane; Altimir, Carolina; Mantilla, Carla; Paz, Clara; Lozano, Arturo G.; Argumedo, Doris; De la Cerda, Cecilia; Juan, Santiago; Fernandez, Sofia; Paz Lancho, M.; Fernandez-Alvarez, Javier
    The health conditions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted in-person therapy, and as a result online therapy was put into practice. The objective of this study was to describe and analyse, from the perspective of the therapist, how the pandemic has influenced their experience and clinical practice. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 Latin American therapists who had performed online therapy during the pandemic. The information was analysed following the coding procedures of the Grounded Theory. Three core categories were constructed from the analysis: (a) impact on the therapist: spiral of uncertainty, oppression and adaptive astonishment; (b) incorporation of technologies into clinical practice: 'I never thought they could help'; and (c) transformation of the practice of psychotherapy: 'water always finds its way'. The model incorporates and relates therapists' perceptions of their professional work, patients' attitudes towards this new psychotherapy method, perception of the therapeutic relationship and process, and the facilitators and obstacles experienced in online therapy.