Joaquim Soler

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau · Psychiatry Services

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as self-inflicted pain, and it is used as a mechanism to alleviate psychological distress. Although NSSI is prevalent in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it is also an increasing concern among college student populations. While emotion dysregulation and negative urgency are associated with NSSI, litt...

Objectives The Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) and the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) are two relevant self-report measures of state mindfulness. The purpose of this study was to examine the internal structure and to offer evidence of the reliability and validity of the Spanish versions of the TMS and SMS.Methods Data from six distinct non-clinical...

Comorbidity between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and other mental disorders is common. Although no specific pharmacological treatments have been approved for the treatment of BPD, many drugs, including antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), mood stabilizers, second-generation antipsychotics, and even benzo...

Engaged Living (values clarity and committed action) is a main process of psychological flexibility as defined by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. However, there is scant research focused on its measurement. The Engaged Living Scale (ELS) was in consequence designed. The purpose of this study was to translate the ELS to Spanish and to examine the...

Introduction The efficacy of interventions based on mindfulness and compassion has been demonstrated in both clinical and general population, and in different social contexts. These interventions include so-called attentional and constructive meditation practices, respectively. However, there is a third group, known as deconstructive meditation pra...

Severity is the main component of the ICD-11 personality disorder (PD) classification, but pertinent instruments have only recently been developed. We analyzed the psychometric properties of the ICD-11 Personality Disorder Severity scale (PDS-ICD-11) in a mixed sample of 726 community and clinical subjects. We also examined how the different compon...

El énfasis en el cambio y la solución de los problemas es palpable en la psicología tradicional. Puede que por ello no nos falten manuales orientados a solucionar problemas, pero escaseen aquellos nos ayudan cuando el problema no se puede cambiar. Los nuevos enfoques de la investigación en psicología clínica apuntan a la necesidad de buscar el equ...

Background Long-term follow-up studies in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) consistently show persistent impairment in psychosocial adjustment, although symptoms tend to decrease over time. Consequently, it might be better to deemphasize symptom-oriented interventions and instead promote interventions that incorporate patient pers...

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of Internet‐based psychological interventions in the treatment of physical, socio‐affective and cognitive symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) to provide currently available evidence. Systematic searches for eligible studies were carried out in...

Objectives Mindfulness has been defined differently in academic scientific contexts and in Buddhist academic contexts. An under-studied area is that of lay (non-academic) theories of mindfulness. The goal of this article is to identify, organize, analyze in detail, and provide themes from the meditators’ definitions of mindfulness. Possible differe...

Objective: Polypharmacy and overprescription of off-label medications are common in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The aim of the present naturalistic study was to explore whether the skills training module of dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT) can reduce polypharmacy in these patients in routine clinical practice. Methods...

Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious public health concern among adolescents, especially in clinical settings. Social support plays a critical role in the onset and maintenance of NSSI in adolescence. NSSI is closely associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD), yet no previous work has analyzed the mediating role of bor...

Among mindfulness measures the three constructs acceptance, decentering, and non-attachment are psychometrically closely related, despite their apparent semantic differences. These three facets present robust psychometric features and can be considered core themes in most “third wave” clinical models. The aim of the present study was to explore the...

Objectives: Previous imaging studies in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have detected functional brain dysfunctions. Mindfulness training may improve the symptoms of BPD, although the neural mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. This study had several key aims: 1) to investigate the role of right anterior insula (rAI) f...

Although previous imaging studies in borderline personality disorder (BPD) have found brain abnormalities, the results have been inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate structural brain abnormalities using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and cortical thickness (Cth) analyses in a large sample of patients with BPD. Additionally, we aimed to dete...

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon associated with many detrimental outcomes, ranging from poor academic performance to suicide attempts. Research on self-harming behaviors has identified emotion dysregulation, negative affect, and borderline pathology as strong risk factors of NSSI, whereas the potential protec...

Objective Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew that originated in the Amazon basin. The psychological effects of this drug are becoming better understood due to the growing research interest in identifying new potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of emotion dysregulation and other disorders. Previous studies suggest that ayahuasca enhances min...

Objective Although no psychotropic drugs have been officially approved for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), medications are routinely prescribed for these patients. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the pharmacological management of patients with BPD treated in an outpatient specific unit in Spain over...

Background: Mindfulness skills training is a core component of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) that has proven to be an effective stand-alone treatment for the general symptoms commonly present in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based DBT skills tr...

Congress presentation Results from the Ultreya study -final sample- : The effects of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (The Way of Saint James) on mental health and wellbeing

The Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS) was designed to measure self-criticism (SC) through Inadequate Self (IS) and Hated Self (HS) factors, as well as self-reassurance (RS). However, its long and short forms have yet to be validated in the Spanish Population. The present study examines the psychometric properties...

Objectives. There is burgeoning interest in studying the effectiveness of mindfulness-based and traditional contemplative practices, and brief yet suitably and comprehensive measures of mindfulness are needed to assess related changes. There is preliminary evidence that pilgrimage may share some aspects with contemplative practices. This study exam...

In this chapter, we review the latest research on the neuroscience and therapeutic potential of ayahuasca. Currently, the type of research available ranges from in vitro experiments to clinical studies performed to assess the modulation of neural and psychological processes. We also discuss the most recently reported findings, including (a) the neu...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00224.].

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and highly prevalent psychiatric disorder, more common in females than in males and with notable differences in presentation between genders. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation may modulate gene × environment interactions and impact on neurodevelopment. W...

Objectives We explored whether baseline individual differences in mindfulness related to changes in mindfulness and emotional outcomes, following a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI).Method Self-reported and behavioral mindfulness, as measured with a breath counting tool, and self-reported emotional outcomes were assessed in fifty community parti...

Background: Over the last two decades an increasing number of countries have legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (EAS) leading to considerable debate over the inherent ethical dilemmas. Increasing numbers of people with personality disorders, faced with unbearable suffering, have requested and received assistance in terminating the...

The International Classification of Diseases–11th revision (ICD-11) classification of personality disorders is the official diagnostic system that is used all over the world, and it has recently been renewed. However, as yet very few data are available on its performance. This study examines the Personality Inventory for ICD-11 (PiCD), which assess...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01935.].

Objective: Starting from the controversial results showed by empirical research on Linehan's Biosocial model of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), this study aims to empirically evaluate Linehan's conceptualization of emotional hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity, as well as to investigate the role of pre-existing emotional states in BPD alter...

Background Although executive and other cognitive deficits have been found in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), whether these have brain functional correlates has been little studied. This study aimed to examine patterns of task-related activation and de-activation during the performance of a working memory task in patients with...

Emotion dysregulation (ED) and impulsivity are the two core characteristics of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Although the mindfulness module of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has proven effective to treat general BPD symptomatology, no studies have yet been conducted to determine whether mindfulness specifically targets impulsivity and...

Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) present dysfunctions of the default mode network (DMN). Mindfulness training has proven effective to improve the symptoms of BPD. The present study examines the effect of mindfulness training on BPD symptomatology and DMN activity during the performance of a working memory task in patients with BP...

Personality disorders (PD) are common and burdensome mental disorders. The treatment of individuals with PD represents one of the more challenging areas in the field of mental health and health care providers need evidence-based recommendations to best support patients with PDs. Clinical guidelines serve this purpose and are formulated by expert co...

There has been increased interest in the relationships between religiosity, meditation practice and well-being, but there is lack of understanding as to how specific religious components and distinct meditation practices could influence different positive and negative psychological adjustment outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the explan...

The objective of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the benefits of mindfulness meditation in controlling ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and the impact of the intervention on anxiety, stress and depression levels in a Mediterranean population. Twenty-four and 18 patients [n = 42; mean age 56.5 (7.7) years; similar men and women proport...

The aim of the present study was to determine 1) whether deficits in two mindfulness dimensions (present-centered awareness and acceptance) were present in individuals with different psychiatric conditions and 2) whether co-existing depressive symptoms affected the mindfulness-related capacities in these groups. A total of 246 individuals, both cli...

Background Research suggests that mindfulness-based interventions may improve mindfulness-related capacities (e.g., decentering, non-judging, and non-reacting) and emotion regulation. Previously, our group reported that ayahuasca could be a potential analogue of mindfulness practice. The main aim of the current study was to examine the effects of a...

Background: Dialectical behaviour therapy skills training (DBT-ST) has proven effective to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, therapy still faces the problem of early dropout. The aim of the present study is to examine which factors are associated with early dropout from DBT-ST in a sample of subjects with BPD....

In the original publication of this article [1] the funding acknowledgement for grant "PI13/00134, ERDF Funds" was missing.

Background: Individuals with eating disorders might be characterized by lower levels of direct engagement with the eating experience. This study aims to explore similarities and differences in direct experience while eating in four different weight conditions and healthy controls (HCs): anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), eating disorders...

In the last decade, positive psychology interventions (PPI) applied in both clinical and non-clinical samples have demonstrated a proven efficacy to increase positive emotions, well-being, and life satisfaction. However, few studies have used objective indicators of performance to explored the efficacy of PPI to increase students' motivation to stu...

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the direct and deliberate destruction of one’s own body tissue in the absence of lethal intent. Following decades of progressive increase in the incidence of NSSI among adolescents and young adults, as well as growing scientific interest, the disorder was listed as a condition for further study in the D...

Several models have been proposed to explain the effects of mindfulness training on health and well-being, including several potential mechanisms. The goal of the present study is to empirically test a model of mindfulness mechanisms by comparing samples of meditators and non-meditators. Multi-sample path structural equation models were estimated a...

As dimensions of effortful control (EC), activation control, attentional control, and inhibitory control could mediate the relationship between mindfulness meditation practice and the facets of mindfulness (i.e., observing, describing, acting with awareness, non‐judging and non‐reacting to inner experience). In this study, we tested whether partici...

People with personality disorders frequently face stigma, ignorance and pessimism regarding the treatability of their disorders. This is despite substantial progress that has been made in developing a number of effective evidence based psychotherapeutic treatments. However, expertise in how to systematically deliver these treatments in a sustainabl...

Ayahuasca is a psychedelic decoction originating from Amazonia. The ayahuasca-induced introspective experience has been shown to have potential benefits in the treatment of several pathologies, to protect mental health and to improve neuropsychological functions and creativity, and boost mindfulness. The underlying psychological processes related t...

Background: The therapeutic effects of the Amazonian plant tea ayahuasca may relate to its ability to enhance mindfulness capacities. Ayahuasca induces a modified state of awareness through the combined action of its active principles: the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and a series of centrally acting β-carbolines, mainly harmine and tet...

Background Structural imaging studies of borderline personality disorder (BPD) have found regions of reduced cortical volume, but these have varied considerably across studies. Reduced hippocampus and amygdala volume have also been a regular finding in studies using conventional volumetric measurement. How far comorbid major depression, which is co...

Relationship of changes found in the whole brain analysis to clinical features: BSL-23 and DIB-R scores. As seen in article, there was a significant negative correlation between the BSL-23 score and mean volume in the combined lateral frontal ROI (r = -0.32; p = 0.02). This remained significant after controlling for age (r = -0.41, p = 0.002) but b...

Scatterplots of amygdala, hippocampus, Lateral ROI and Medial ROI volumes: Comparison between patients with and without antipsychotic treatment. (PDF)

Amygdala and hippocampal volumes from borderline subjects and healthy subjects (mm3 and corrected). (XLSX)

Cluster characteristics in the whole-brain VBM comparison between borderline subjects and healthy subjects. (DOCX)

Commorbid personality disorders in the sample of Borderline Personality Disorder patients. As seen in article, 31,15% of patients had no comorbid personality disorder. We summarize all data for each patient. (SCID II data were missing for 6 patients). (XLSX)

Individual data of Grey Matter volume of hippocampus, amygdala and ROIs in patients with and without antipsychotics. (XLSX)

Normalized volumes of hippocampus and amygdala in the patients and controls. (DOCX)

Normalized volumes of hippocampus and amygdala in the patients with and without Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) history. (DOCX)

Volumes of Grey Matter (GM), White Matter (WM), Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF) and Intracranial Total Volume (ICTV) in Borderline patients and controls. (XLS)

Sociodemographic and clinical data from borderline subjects and healthy subjets. (XLSX)

The term third-wave cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) encompasses new forms of CBT that both extend and innovate within CBT. Most third-wave therapies have been subject to RCTs focused on clinical effectiveness, however the number and quality of economic evaluations in these RCTs has been unknown and may be few. Evidence about efficiency of these...

Differential remission rates observed in patients with early or delayed diagnosis of BPD

Objective: To compare individuals with eating disorders (EDs) to healthy controls (HCs) to assess for differences in direct engagement in the eating process. Method: Participants (n=58) were asked to eat an orange slice. To assess the degree of direct engagement with the eating process, participants were asked to write down 10 thoughts about the...

Clarification of personal values and meditation practice has been associated in most meditation traditions and in academic texts. Both values-related behavior and meditation practice increases well-being, but their relationship has not been well studied. It has been suggested that values, together with self-regulation, psychological flexibility, an...

Despite the long-term use and evidence-based efficacy of meditation and mindfulness-based interventions, there is still a lack of data about the possible unwanted effects (UEs) of these practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of UEs among meditation practitioners, considering moderating factors such as the type, frequency, a...

Objectives Despite the long-term use and evidence-based efficacy of meditation and mindfulness-based interventions, there is still a lack of data about the possible unwanted effects (UEs) of these practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of UEs among meditation practitioners, considering moderating factors such as the type, f...

Content analysis of the unwanted effects. (DOCX)

Background Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skills have become increasingly used to treat several psychiatric conditions, including major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of an intervention that combines emotion regulation and mindfulness skills of DBT to prevent depression relapse/recurrence. Met...

Objective: To describe the pharmacological management of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in Spain from 2001 through 2016, the factors associated with prescriptions, and changes in pharmacotherapy over this time period. Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study conducted in a sample of 457 patients with BPD consecutively...

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent during late adolescence and young adulthood. There is some evidence of a link between NSSI and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), but little is known about the association between BPD traits and the various functions that maintain NSSI. The main purpose of this study was to explore the associa...

Background: Ayahuasca is a plant tea containing the psychedelic 5-HT2A agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala monoamine-oxidase inhibitors. Acute administration leads to neurophysiological modifications in brain regions of the default mode network, purportedly through a glutamatergic mechanism. Post-acutely, ayahuasca potentiates mindfulness ca...

Previous studies have reported that life satisfaction (LS) is positively associated with time perspective (TP) and mindfulness and that mindfulness may provide a holistic TP that integrates and helps to balance different time frames. However, studies performed to date have only been conducted in Eastern and Central Europe. Given the important cultu...

Background: Ayahuasca is a plant tea containing the psychedelic 5-HT2A agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmala monoamine-oxidase inhibitors. Acute administration leads to neurophysiological modifications in brain regions of the default mode network (DMN), purportedly through a glutamatergic mechanism. Post-acutely, ayahuasca potentiates m...

ositive psychology has integrated, more or less clearly, contemplative practices such as mindfulness within the range of grounded and empowering techniques of the positive aspects of being human. Despite this, there has been little depth within this movement on its implications and the inconsistencies that exist between mindfulness and positive psy...