BrainMap

Ionut Stelian Florean

Assistant professor

Assistant Professor - UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI

Researcher | Teaching staff | Scientific reviewer

I am an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, where I teach psychometrics and research methods. I completed my PhD there in about three years, focusing on child mental health and parenting factors. Since defending my thesis, I have continued this research on mental health problems in children and adolescents, applying advanced methods to deepen understanding: network analysis (cross-sectional and longitudinal), cross-lagged panel models (CLPM), psychometric studies, meta-analyses, scoping reviews, and randomized clinical trials. As a PhD student I secured two POCU projects, and after my defense I was awarded a Starting Research Grant of €10,000 by the university. I have also contributed as a team member to several projects, including two PCE grants and a PNRR project.

Web of Science ResearcherID: Ionut-Florean

Expertise & keywords

Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety in Adolescents: towards a Precision Treatment based on Idiographic Network Analysis Call name: P 5.1 - Proiecte de Cercetare Exploratorie - Competiția 2023
PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-1950 2025 - 2027

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://sanatatemintalacopii.ro/proiecte/proiectul-sonet/

Abstract:

Social anxiety disorder (SoAD) is a prevalent mental health problem among adolescents that poses significant difficulties for youths functioning. The current treatments have low efficacy, only 22.3% of adolescents with a primary diagnosis of SoAD achieved remission. The main limitations of current psychological treatments for adolescents SoAD consists in: (a) a lack of personalization at an individual level in the context of high heterogeneity of manifestation and mechanism; (b) lack of a data approach to guide the treatment targets selection and (c) limited access to evidence-based mental health care. The solution to these caveats is to advance to precision treatments, personalized for each adolescent, using a data driven approach (idiographic network analysis) and online delivery. Therefore, the current proposal aims to (a) develop the first online Cognitive Behavioral precision treatment for adolescents with SoAD, based on network models and (b) test its usability, clinical efficacy, mechanisms of change as well as cost-effectiveness. Based on idiographic network analysis, conducted on longitudinal intensive data, we will identify the most central symptoms for each individual, that will further represent the target for intervention. Through this approach, changes in the structure and the connectivity of the individual network (estimated through EMA) from pre to post treatment will be estimated and will be analyzed in correlation with changes in symptoms/mechanism of SoAD.

Mechanisms of childhood bullying victimization: profiles and tailored approach to online intervention Call name: P 4 - Proiecte de Cercetare Exploratorie, 2020
PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-2417 2021 - 2023

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://sanatatemintalacopii.ro/proiecte/be-strong/

Abstract:

Bullying is a prevalent phenomenon among children and adolescents worldwide, that has a negative impact on victims’ of bullying mental health. Even though anti-bullying programs have been developed, existent research indicated that such programs have limited effectiveness.One major contributor to these results is the fact that such approaches are delivered in a universal manner, and do not take into consideration children’s unique profiles. The present project aims to contribute both to the fundamental and exploratory research, as it is the first proposal towards a personalized approach to bullying victimization, transcending the limitations of previous interventions that adopt a narrow rationale of one size fits all. Therefore, through the proposed project we aim to advance the knowledge regarding cognitive mechanisms involved in bullying victimization and bullying victimization interventions through rigorous investigation methods (experience sampling methods, randomized controlled trial). We will increase the scalability of evidence-based interventions for bullying victims, through the development and testing an online tailored intervention for Romanian children and adolescents. The present project will bring substantial contributions to the existent research on bullying victimization and will have significant implications to the national approach tacking bullying as its results can be integrated into the national anti-bullying strategy and disseminated to Romanian schools.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects