We are pleased to invite you to the 2nd International Congress on Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children, Adolescents, and Families, which will take place in Santiago, Chile, on November 6, 7, and 8, 2025. The first version of this congress was held with great success in Barcelona in 2023, organized by the Center for Applications of Mentalization (IMAGINA), the Vidal i Barraquer University Institute of Mental Health of the Ramon Llull University, and the Anna Freud Institute. This new version is organized by a partnership between the Diego Portales University, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the University of Valparaíso, the Corporation for the Promotion and Support of Children (NGO Paicabi), and the Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality (MIDAP). It also has the collaboration of the Center for Applications of Mentalization (IMAGINA) and the Anna Freud Institute. PURPOSE This conference seeks to bring together the contributions of models based on mentalization theory (MBT) and attachment in the care of children, adolescents, families, and contexts, from both clinical and psychosocial perspectives, as well as from research. Presenters will share their findings, reflections, and future perspectives for the prevention, promotion, and treatment of child and adolescent mental health. Mentalization-based models, oriented to this type of population, reflect the maturity of mentalization-based psychotherapy for adults, developed since the 1990s by Peter Fonagy, Anthony Bateman, and Mary Target, among others. Our main objective is to disseminate and generate a critical mass of knowledge around mentalization-based and -informed interventions for children, adolescents, families, and contexts, with a view to facilitating and continuing their development and implementation in Latin America and the rest of the world. This involves recognizing the diversity of cultural, social, and economic contexts in which mental health care is provided and valuing the backgrounds of each social and professional group, respecting local knowledge and fostering mutual enrichment in the understanding and practice of child and adolescent clinical practice. More about the Congress here. International guests: Peter Fonagy, Norka Malberg, Nick Migdley, Jordan Bate, Dickon Bevington, Efrain Bleiberg, Ana Calderón, Gerry Byrne, Line Brotnow Becker, Mark Dangerfield, Holly Dwyer Hall, Elliot Jurist, Karin Ensinck, Dana Shai, Carla Sharp, Nuria Tur. National guests: Lucía Nuñez, Stefanella Costa-Cordella, Fanny Leyton Alvarez, Paula Lobos Sucarrat, Javier Antonio Morán Kneer, Marcia Olhaberry Huber, Edgardo Toro Quezada. Program (preliminary): FeesCongress Registration Fees until September 1st Fees from September 2nd Chilean pesos $300,000 $330,000 The congress will have simultaneous English-Spanish translation. It includes the opening day and attendance at all presentations. The registration fee can be paid in up to 3 installments. A discount of 10% is considered for 5 or more registrants from the same institution. Indicate the name of the institution in the Comments section (at the end of the form). *The fee is in Chilean pesos. You can check the conversion from Chilean pesos to your foreign currency at the following link: https://cuex.com/es/ REGISTRATION ONLY FOR THE OPENING DAY Fees until September 1st Fees from September 2nd Chilean Pesos $90,000 $100,000 Includes attendance at the opening day of the conference on November 6th in the morning with lectures by Peter Fonagy, Norka Malberg and Nick Midgley. The registration fee can be paid in up to 2 installments. *The fee is in Chilean pesos. You can check the conversion from Chilean pesos to your foreign currency at the following link: https://cuex.com/es/ To register, please complete the following information. Once your registration is received, instructions on how to complete your registration will be sent to your email. REFUND AND CANCELLATION POLICIES: In the event of cancellation by attendees before September 30th, a refund of 70% of the total amount paid will be issued. Starting October 1st, the registration refund policy will be 50% of the total amount paid. Starting October 15th, the registration refund policy will be 30% of the total amount paid. REGISTER HERE.

With around one hundred attendees, the Personality Disorder Research Update Conference was held on Thursday, April 24th. This event was organized by MIDAP, the Personality Disorders Diploma Program of the School of Psychology at the Catholic University, and PsiConecta. The event featured presentations on the main research being conducted by research teams on topics related to the diagnosis, treatment, and basic psychopathology of Personality Disorders. Presenters included Alex Behn (psychologist, UC professor, PhD in Clinical Psychology, and director of MIDAP), Candice Fischer (psychologist, PhD in Clinical Psychology, UC professor, and MIDAP associate researcher), Félix Bacigalupo (psychiatrist, PhD in Medical Sciences and Neuroscience, UC professor, and MIDAP collaborating researcher), and Paula Errázuriz (psychologist, UC professor, PhD in Clinical Psychology, and MIDAP principal researcher). Candice Fischer began the session with "Stigma and Diagnosis: What Have We Learned from Our Patients?" "This opportunity to present this to you today made me think that the research we do also has a history. We don't research just anything: we research because it interests us, because it touches our hearts, because it motivates us," she commented. "A long time ago, when I did my internship at the Dr. José Horwitz Psychiatric Hospital, I often heard colleagues, psychiatrists, and nurses talk about difficult patients, and that resonated with me because I met people diagnosed with Personality Disorders, which led me to think about the question of what makes professionals consider or perceive a patient as difficult. Could it have to do with the diagnosis, a stigma, or the context?" she added. The researcher presented the work "What Makes a Difficult Patient So Difficult? Examining the Therapist's Experience Beyond Patient Characteristics." “This study aimed to improve understanding of therapists' experience with a “difficult patient” and to understand the variables involved in this label. To this end, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with therapists working in Chile's public health service.” Candice then presented two research projects: Stigma and Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, a qualitative study exploring the experience of 20 participants diagnosed with BPD and their perception of stigma and experience regarding the diagnosis; and Experience of Receiving a BPD Diagnosis. Alex Behn presented Research in BPD: Basic Psychopathology and Treatment. “What kind of innovation and research are we doing to develop novel treatments with a focus on scaling up? We have brand-name treatments that have effects on personality disorders, but that have zero chance of being disseminated and reaching the people who need them,” Behn explained. “They're very good, but what we have to do is take these treatments, scale them down, make them more effective, and we also have to train professionals so they can implement them in the public health system. If we can't do that, they're boutique treatments, which is very good news for those taking that treatment, but has zero effect on public health. But, since they've been carefully developed, we can learn a lot about how to extract useful principles from these treatments,” he added. The director of MIDAP presented the work of the Andes Mind Lab, in which several institutions participate and which is funded by two regular Fondecyts, one Fonis, funds from MIDAP, the UC, among others. He also addressed advances in basic psychopathology (BPD), advances in assessment: case identification and screening, and advances in treatment (BPD and comorbidities). He also presented the results contained in the publications Study Features and Response Compliance in Ecological Momentary Assessment Research in Borderline Personality Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis; Psychoeducational Interventions for Borderline Personality Disorder: Protocol for a Scoping Review, as well as the results of research developed by graduate students. Then, Paula Errázuriz presented the work of the Psiconecta Foundation, which includes the development of psychoeducational materials for people with Personality Disorders. In the afternoon, Félix Bacigalupo presented Trauma and Personality Disorders, where he presented a clinical case and shared part of his review of research related to trauma, post-traumatic stress, adverse childhood experiences, and their link to Borderline Personality Disorder. He also addressed the comorbidity of BPD with mood disorders, major depression, and anxiety disorders, among others. Afterward, Candice Fischer presented the psychoeducational manuals on personality disorders developed by Psiconecta, such as the Manual for Family Members (or Caregivers) of People with Personality Disorders, with the support of MIDAP, and the Guide for People Diagnosed or Suspected of Borderline Personality Disorder. The researcher indicated that two other manuals are currently in development: Delivery of the Diagnosis of Trauma and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Psychoeducation and Care; and Borderline Personality Disorder: Evidence-Based Manual for Professionals. Finally, a panel discussion was held.

A new version of Puerto de Ideas Antofagasta will be held between Thursday, April 24th and Sunday, April 27th. On this occasion, the psychologist, young researcher at MIDAP, and professor at Adolfo Ibáñez University will present the talk: "Does my cell phone trap me or make me happy? How to use social media in a healthy way." It happens to almost all of us: we check our phones to find out what time it is, and unwittingly, we find ourselves glued to them longer than we intended. Why is it so hard for us to control ourselves, and how do social media and what we see on the internet hook us? This talk aims to answer these questions through psychology, empowering you in your use of the internet and social networks. To do this, we'll take a brief journey through the science of emotions and what we do with them, the impact of interpersonal relationships on our health and well-being, and the characteristics of social media that have created new rules of the game. Throughout this journey, we'll learn the value of stopping and noticing how we feel, along with a technique that psychology uses to develop this skill. These tools will help you navigate the digital world with greater freedom. Registration is sold out. More information about Puerto de Ideas Antofagasta here.

On Tuesday, April 8, the 10th Research Meeting and the first Expanded Meeting of the year of MIDAP were held in the Domingo Asún auditorium of the Faculty of Psychology at Diego Portales University, one of the host institutions of MIDAP. “This is a very important meeting, in a period of transition,” said the director of the institute, Alex Behn, at the beginning of the day. Later, the dean of the Faculty of Psychology, Antonio Stecher, stated that “all the host institutions are very expectant, hopeful, and also confident, given the quality of the work that MIDAP has done and its contribution to the country and society in terms of mental health, that this renewal can be realized.” Dean Stecher highlighted the collaborative work carried out by the Center for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Studies (CEPPS), led by principal investigator Claudio Martínez, and also involving MIDAP associate researcher and alternate director Alemka Tomicic, and young researchers Javiera Duarte and Stefanella Costa, which "has allowed the Faculty of Psychology to become involved in the development of MIDAP. This partnership has also been very important for the training program for the doctoral program in Psychology: many doctoral students have had the opportunity to participate and nurture their research processes through the MIDAP research ecosystem," he added. “Looking at the history of MIDAP, at its inception as an institute in 2015, it was a very different world: before the pandemic, the social outbreak, the revolution, technological and geopolitical changes on a global level, and there is a challenge in conceiving a scientific research institute on a subject that is, moreover, deeply linked to social and technological changes (...) It seems to me that there is value in MIDAP's ability to adapt and respond to new scenarios and challenges (...) I believe that the work MIDAP has done is extraordinary, worthy of admiration; and that they have made a substantive contribution to different fields of basic and applied science in mental health issues,” said the dean. Recognition of Juan Pablo Jiménez and Marcia Olhaberry This meeting was also an opportunity to celebrate the arrival of Alex Behn and Alemka Tomicic as director and alternate director, respectively, and of Alexies Dagnino, who officially joins MIDAP as principal investigator. Likewise, recognition was given to Juan Pablo Jiménez and Marcia Olhaberry, who served as director and alternate director since 2019 and 2020, respectively. Alex Behn dedicated a few words to Marcia Olhaberry, highlighting her humility, excellence, commitment, willingness to work, generosity, and concern for her teams. Regarding Juan Pablo Jiménez, she highlighted his "tremendous contribution": "He has been a constant, a driving force behind all the initiatives that, in a coordinated manner over time, have led to the existence of something like MIDAP. I'm thinking about my doctorate, the beginning of scientific research in psychotherapy in Chile, coordinating and working with Mariane Krause at the Núcleo (Milenio "Psychological Intervention and Change in Depression"), directing large projects that have been very important and ambitious, and eventually becoming the head of the Institute for five years, always imprinting a scientific vision with great wisdom, with strong leadership, and with a vision of what research should be like, which you have tirelessly defended." “This year I turn 80, and this is a gift for me. I want to join in thanking Marcia for these years leading MIDAP. I'd also like to mention Guillermo de la Parra and Mariane Krause. It wasn't in my plans to take over as director of MIDAP, but Mariane asked me to. I considered it, and ultimately, for me, it was a gift and the culmination of my academic and professional life, and of work that began in 1992, when we founded the SPR (the Latin American chapter) with Guillermo (de la Parra) and Claudio Martínez, who was an initial driving force and has continued to be a permanent driving force,” said Juan Pablo Jiménez, who also highlighted the work done with María Pía Santelices in directing the doctoral program (in Psychotherapy). “Guillermo and I thought about creating a sort of research ecosystem in psychotherapy that later expanded to mental health. I never thought it would happen the way it did. I'm very happy to leave,” he added. Subsequently, Director Alex Behn shared with the researchers the proposal currently under evaluation in the 2025 Millennium Institutes in Social Sciences competition. In the second part of the day, Deputy Director Alemka Tomicic led the discussion on the prospects for MIDAP's work in the face of this new phase. As part of MIDAP's first Expanded Meeting of the year, new Principal Investigator Alexies Dagnino presented "Deciphering Stress Resilience from MIDAP:

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