Ongoing Projects

General Projects

2023 - Present: Objective risk estratification for suicide attempts in the brazilian population: A multicenter and prospective study

Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among young adults aged 15 to 29 years, with approximately 800 hundred people dying by suicide worldwide each year. In Brazil, suicide rates increased by 18% between 2007 and 2016, though they have remained stable over the last 5 years. While suicide is a tragic problem, it can be prevented through pharmacological and psychosocial interventions. It is known that 83% of individuals who die by suicide sought care in health services within the year before the event, and around 26% of suicides in patients with serious mental illness occur within 6 weeks after hospital discharge. However, it is unclear how to precisely identify those most at risk of attempting suicide so that preventive strategies can be implemented. The present project aims to validate and develop instruments to stratify the risk of attempted suicide in individuals with mental disorders, as well as to identify protective and risk factors. Our hypothesis is that the risk can be stratified on an individual level, allowing for more precise preventive interventions. Our research group recently created a TS prediction model using a representative cohort of the American population in collaboration with the Bureau Census in Washington. The model was developed using machine learning algorithms and achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0,89. Therefore, we will conduct a multicenter observational and prospective study with the participation of 10 centers of Brazil's macro-regions to identify protective and risk factors and validate the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale in the Brazilian population. Additionally, we will create a model using artificial intelligence techniques to predict who will attempt suicide within 1 year after being discharged from a psychiatric hospital. With the final products of this proposal (scale and suicide risk calculator), primary health care professionals will be able to take more precise measures to mitigate the risk of suicide in patients.

2022 - Present: Program to reduce self-injurious behaviors in the school context in Sergipe

Carrying out surveys, mapping, instrument development and conduction of clinical health interventions, as well as training schools community professionals in dealing with self-injurious behaviours in adolescents.

2021 - Present: Analysis of Validity Evidence for the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) for Brazil and Assessment of the Social Distribution of Personality Traits from the Dark Tetrad Theoretical Model

The current research aims to assess the validity evidence of the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) personality scale for use in Brazil. The sample will consist of a minimum of 600 adults invited to participate in the study through electronic invitations distributed on social media. Data analysis will involve procedures for translation, content validity evidence analysis, analysis of the internal structure, the relationship with external measures, item response patterns, and consequential validity. Subsequently, procedures related to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA), and item analysis according to Item Response Theory (IRT) will be conducted. Finally, the social distribution of personality traits measured by the SD4, according to sociodemographic variables, and its relationship with the other measures of the investigation, will be mapped. The main expected impact of this investigation is the adaptation and attainment of validity evidence for the SD4 in Brazilian Portuguese. In addition, the analyses to be conducted will provide greater reliability and robustness for field or research application of the scale, given that the techniques employed in the current research are among the best practices in the current Psychometrics field.

2021 - Present: Health perception, treatment adherence, and chronic diseases from the perspective of Health Psychology

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are characterized by their long duration and slow progression, which can lead to functional impairment or disability, affecting various aspects of life. Additionally, they result in various psychosocial impacts, including the development of other comorbidities such as anxiety and depressive disorders. The person’s concerns and their perception of their own health condition are crucial factors in the process of coping with and adapting to living with a NCD. Health perception relates to the evaluation of objective and qualitative aspects of life, including treatment effectiveness, clinical condition, and the disease itself. Concerns can trigger anxious and/or depressive conditions. The current research proposal aims to analyze the relationships between concerns and health perception in treatment adherence and common mental disorders occurrence in individuals with diabetes and hypertension. For that, a study will be conducted involving participants’ evocations about their health perception and scale use to measure depression, anxiety, and concerns.

2020 - Present: Health psychology, coping, and mental health in the face of COVID-19

The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has been worrying governments and the population in general. To curb the spread of the virus, social isolation is recommended to flatten the contagion curve. This measure has been affecting the lives of thousands of people in Brazil and around the world, leading to an increase in health concerns and a rise in anxiety and depression symptoms in the population. Given this context, the central aim of this research project is to try to understand how individuals are perceiving the pandemic and how this perception may be connected to indicators of health concerns, anxiety (general and health-related), and depression.]

2020 - Present: Men’s health: Beliefs and the impact of social and psychological factors on preventive healthcare practices

According to the Brazilian Health Ministry, men tend to have a shorter life expectancy than women because they seek preventive care later, fail to take proper preventive measures, and do not fully embrace preventive health practices. Therefore, it is necessary to identify factors that can improve their adherence to these practices. In this context, the project aims to assess men’s beliefs about health and preventive practices, as well as the influence of social and psychological factors related to health-preventive behaviors among adult men. To achieve this goal, a questionnaire on masculinity and conservatism will be used, along with the free word recall technique, and a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire. The data will be analysed by OpenEvoc and Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). The objective is to encourage further investment in studies focused on understanding the psychological and social aspects associated with motivating men to engage in health practices, and to promote intervention programs targeting the male population.

2019 - Present: Theoretical Model of Burnout in Elementary School Teachers

Every profession has stressful aspects, and some people handle these aspects more positively than others. Perceptions of stressful situations and events are formulated to develop coping strategies, which are not always healthy and can have the opposite effect, worsening the situation. Teaching is a profession with peculiar characteristics that can predispose individuals to burnout: Many teachers accumulate teaching and administrative roles, and most of the time, they are not included in decision-making related to the institution, serving as mere task executors, also having limited time for professional update. This burnout has implications for the quality of work, affecting a wide range of people and resulting in biopsychosocial consequences, not only for the individuals directly exposed to the phenomenon, but also for their personal and professional networks. Due to the consequences of burnout among teachers, it is believed that specific interventions based on the theoretical explanatory model of the phenomenon can reduce its prevalence within the group. Given the above, it is proposed to create an intervention based on the testing of a theoretical explanatory model of burnout among Elementary School teachers in Sergipe. To accomplish this, three studies will be conducted: I) Validation of scales tailored for teachers; II) Testing of the Theoretical Explanatory Model; and III) Development of a burnout intervention protocol for teachers.

2017 - Present: Development of a Predictive Model for Psychological Adaptation Capacity in the Face of Common Mental Disorders

The present proposal objective is to test a theoretical model aimed to explain and predict the capacity for psychological adaptability in the context of common mental disorders, specifically the major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Objectives: Stimulate the prevalence of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in a representative sample of the population of Sergipe. Test a theoretical model of the capacity for psychological adaptability in the context of common mental disorders, focusing on major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.]

Post-doctoral Supervision

2023 - Present

Milena Aragão, Post-doctoral student. Self-injurious and suicidal behavior in the state school system of Sergipe: diagnosis, prevention and intervention.
Dandara Palhano, Post-doctoral student. Self-injurious and suicidal behaviors in the state school system of Sergipe: diagnosis, prevention and intervention

Doctoral Thesis

2019 - Present

Luana Silva-Santos, Doctoral student in Psychology. The development of an explanatory model for self-injury.
Geovanna Santana Turri, Doctoral student in Psychology. Theory of Planned Action and men's health.

2020 - Present

Kely de Souza, Doctoral student in Psychology. Psychological aspects of lupus.
Catiele Reis, Doctoral student in Psychology. Health Psychology and adaptation to adversities in inflammatory diseases.

2021 - Present

Brenda Silva Ferraz, Doctoral student in Psychology. Psychological adjustment in acne - Big Five personality factors, depressive and anxiety symptoms
Milena de Andrade Bahiano, Doctoral student in Psychology. Adaptation to adversity and psychological suffering in the condition of incarceration in the prison system.
Luanna dos Santos Silva, Doctoral student in Psychology. Psychological adjustment of patients diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Daiane Nunes, Doctoral student in Psychology. A theoretical model for college students' self-efficacy.

2023 - Present

Laurisson Costa, Doctoral student in Psychology. Relationship between personality traits and clinical indicators, quality of life, anxiety and depression in the elderly population undergoing dialysis.
Susana Santana, Doctoral student in Psychology. Psychological adjustment of people in the process of losing their sight due to glaucoma.

Master's Dissertation

2023 - Present

Gessica Leal, Master’s student in Psychology. Health Psychology and teacher training for mental health tutors.

Honor Thesis Supervision

Amanda Lima Barros Feitosa. B.A. (Hons) student in psychology. Comparison of anxiety levels between years of the pandemic (2020-2023) in a Brazilian community sample.
Luiza Ramos de Carvalho Oliveira. B.A. (Hons) student in psychology. Perceptions about COVID-19 in 2022.
Hugo Vinicius Santana. B.A. (Hons) student in psychology. Construction of a character for Serious Games on the theme of self-injury in adolescents.
Thayslane Larissa Ribeiro Almeida. B.A. (Hons) student in psychology. Coping and weight gain after bariatric surgery.
Luiz Guilherme Lima-Silva. B.A. (Hons) student in psychology. Mediation of perfectionism between body dysmorphia and depression.