Paula Jauregui Bilbao

Paula Jauregui Bilbao is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, where she holds a PhD in Psychology and coordinates the Psychology Internship program. She is a core member of the Evaluation, Clinical Practice, and Health research team, focusing on behavioral addictions and emotional processes.

Her research spans

• gambling disorder mechanisms
• emotional regulation deficits
• alexithymia in addictive behaviors
• gender-specific addiction patterns
• youth mental health vulnerabilities

with particular emphasis on how attachment styles and emotional processing contribute to pathological gambling and exercise dependence.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a consistent focus on comorbidity patterns between gambling disorders and other behavioral addictions, with increasing attention to digital environments (social media, online gambling) and developmental factors in adolescent populations. Her work frequently employs mediation analysis to uncover psychological mechanisms linking emotional dysregulation to addictive behaviors.

She actively mentors graduate students, directing doctoral theses on exercise dependence and emotional dependency. Her collaborative work extends across Spain and internationally, with recent presentations at conferences in Switzerland, Gibraltar, and the UK. Current projects examine gambling disorder in social exclusion contexts and trauma impacts on young gamblers.