Public PhD Defense of Sofia Silva Ribeiro

Sofia Silva Ribeiro, a PhD candidate in the Doctoral Program in Psychology, will defend the thesis titled "Promoting adjustment to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Development of a theory- and evidence-based digital intervention". The public defense is scheduled for September 8, 2025, 14:30 at Sala de Provas, B327 (Building 4) of Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon.

Information about online participation and any updates should be consulted at Iscte's website.

Abstract:

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that greatly impacts individuals’ quality of life. Individuals with SLE inevitably go through an illness adaptation process, which may lead to different levels of adjustment to the disease. This thesis aims to address critical gaps in understanding and promoting good adjustment to SLE. The main aims were twofold: 1)Identify risk and protective factors of SLE adjustment; 2)Develop a theoryand evidence-based digital intervention to promote SLE adjustment for women. To accomplish the first aim: 1)a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on factors associated with SLE adjustment and illness/disease activity; and 2)a qualitative study to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to adjustment by individuals with SLE. This research showed that positive illness representations, resilience, regular physical activity and having supportive interactions with others facilitate good SLE adjustment. A threatening representation of SLE, perceived helplessness, perceived stress, overdoing and unsupportive interactions with others can hamper SLE adjustment. Building on these findings, a user-centered, theory- and evidence-based development process, including behavior change techniques, was followed to develop a digital intervention - “Viver com Lúpus” - to promote SLE adjustment. This webapp aim to 1)promote adaptive SLE representations; and 2)increase self-regulation of activity patterns. A usability test revealed that the intervention is particularly well-received by women with recent diagnoses and active disease. This thesis contributes with novel knowledge about SLE adjustment and illustrates how collaborative, interdisciplinary, and systematic approaches can create innovative tools that enable individuals with chronic conditions to enhance their quality of life.  

Members of the jury:

• Vera Araujo-Soares (Universität Heidelberg)

• David Dias Neto (Ispa-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa)

• Maria Luísa Lima (Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa)

• Cristina Godinho (Universidade de Lisboa)