Romantic attachment, infertility-related stress, and positive body image of women dealing with infertility

IntroductionInfertility is a condition that can affect the physical, emotional, social, and relational well-being of women. Women’s bodies seem to assume a crucial relevance as part of the experience of infertility and its treatments. An extended body of literature supports the role of romantic attachment orientations in facing infertility-related stress. However, the association between romantic attachment orientations, infertility-related stress, and women’s body image has not been explored.MethodsThis cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the role of romantic attachment and infertility-related stress concerning positive body image in 113 women dealing with infertility. Data were analyzed with correlation and mediation path analyses.ResultsResults showed that high levels of attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and infertility-related stress were negatively associated with positive body image. Path analyses indicated that positive body image may be directly associated with romantic attachment anxiety. The negative association of attachment avoidance with body image appeared to be mediated by infertility-related stress.Discussion:Findings suggest that romantic attachment insecurities and infertility-related stress are significantly associated with a worsened body image in infertile women. Implications for future research are discussed

The extended unconscious group field and metabolization of pandemic experience: dreaming together to keep cohesion alive

Introduction: Working with dreams in groups allows understanding of unconscious phenomena that characterize it as unity and totality. The dreamer becomes the vehicle of emotions, fantasies,and anxieties that dominate the group at a given moment, allowing them to be understood and processed (Friedman et al., 2002). Recognizing a projected theme in the group generates a change of perspective for the group, which becomes a specific psychic space (Kaës, 2001), a shared psychic field. The analysis of the shared dreams helps the understanding of the emotional concerns related to the Covid 19 and its psychological repercussions. Methods: Six matrices of social dreaming of different groups for analytical purposes were conducted during the Covid pandemic period. The sessions were transcribed and the texts were analyzed by performing a thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) with the support of Atlas.ti software. Results: From the analysis of the results, three main themes were identified: a) “Lately I have more nightmares when I am awake than when I am asleep": Nightmares during the Covid-19 pandemic; b) “Losing one’s senses and losing the sense”: Helplessness and environmental mastery across time and space; c) Do play like a child: Recalling the child-past in the uncertain present. Discussion and conclusions: Through dreams and dream narratives we witness the evolution of group thinking through a progressive growth of the links between individuals and the common and shared field. The members of the group are thus able to identify within dreams the meanings that are useful for the entire group to process the painful experience that unites them

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening

Mn(I) tricarbonyl complexes with bidentate N-heterocyclic carbene ligands: synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity in N-formylation and N-methylation of amines with CO2

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Eudaimonic Well-Being of Italian Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Predictive and Mediating Roles of Fear of Death and Psychological Inflexibility

The literature has widely acknowledged the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young adults. Despite extensive research, eudaimonic well-being, which focuses on self-knowledge and self-realization, has been scarcely investigated. This cross-sectional study aimed to add knowledge on the eudaimonic well-being of young adults one year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, verifying its potential linkages with fear of death and psychological inflexibility. A total of 317 young Italian adults (18–34 years), recruited through a chain sampling method, completed measures of psychological inflexibility, fear of death, and eudaimonic well-being included in an online survey. The study’s hypotheses were tested with multivariate multiple regression and mediational analyses. Results showed that psychological inflexibility was negatively associated with all the dimensions of well-being, while fear of the death of others was associated with autonomy, environmental mastery, and self-acceptance. Furthermore, in the association between fear of death and well-being, the mediation role of psychological inflexibility was verified. These results contribute to the extant literature on the factors associated with eudaimonic well-being, providing clinical insights into the work with young adults within challenging times

Psychological inflexibility mediates the effect of death anxiety on the eudaimonic well-being of Italian young adults during the Covid-19 pandemic

After the Covid-19 pandemic, young adults are an at-risk population, showing increased anxiety, depression, and stress (Wąsowicz et al., 2021). Literature has underlined the relevance of the eudaimonic approach to psychological well-being (Ryff, 1995) to account for individuals’ self-realization within existential challenges. Previous research identified psychological inflexibility as a predictor of eudaimonic well-being (Calvo et al., 2020) and of mental health within the pandemic (Hernández-López et al., 2021); little is known about the impacting role of death anxiety elicited by the pandemic as an existential threat. This study investigated the mediating role of psychological inflexibility in the relationship between death anxiety and eudaimonic well-being among young adults. In March 2021, 335 Italian young adults (18-35 yrs) participated in an online survey, including measures of psychological inflexibility (AAQ-II), death anxiety (CL-FODS), and eudaimonic well-being (PWB). Analyses showed that psychological inflexibility significantly mediates the effect of death anxiety on eudaimonic well-being. These findings broaden our knowledge on the factors influencing eudaimonic well-being and provide insights for clinical work with young people challenged by uncertain times

Bis(N-Heterocyclic Carbene) Manganese(I) Complexes in Catalytic N-Formylation/N-Methylation of Amines Using Carbon Dioxide and Phenylsilane

A series of six Mn(I) complexes with general formula [MnBr(bisNHC)(CO)(3)], having a bidentate bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligand (bisNHC), has been developed by varying the bridging group between the NHC donors, the nitrogen wingtip substituents and the heterocyclic ring. The synthesis of the complexes has been accomplished by in situ transmetalation of the bisNHC from the corresponding silver(I) complexes. Removal of the bromide anion affords the corresponding solvento complexes [Mn(bisNHC)(CO)(3)(CH3CN)](BF4). The influence of the bisNHC structure on its electron donor ability has been evaluated by FTIR and C-13 NMR spectroscopy, both in the neutral and cationic complexes. Finally, the isolated Mn(I)-bisNHC complexes have been employed as homogeneous catalysts in the reductive N-formylation and N-methylation of amines with CO2 as C1 source and phenylsilane as reducing agent, showing a high selectivity for the N-methylated product. Preliminary mechanistic investigations suggest that, in the adopted reaction conditions, the formylated product can be formed via different reaction pathways, either metal-catalyzed or not, while the methylation reaction requires the use of the Mn(I) catalyst