Psychosocial Risk Factors and Psychopathological Outcomes: Preliminary Findings in Italian Pregnant Women

The perinatal period may represent a particularly challenging time for expecting parents. Previous studies have highlighted an association between several perinatal risk conditions (e.g., childhood maltreatment, poor social support, and stress levels) and the development of psychopathological symptoms in pregnant women, especially depression symptoms. The current study examined the effects of psychosocial risk factors (childhood maltreatment, poor social support, and stressful events) on anxiety, depression, perceived stress, irritability/anger, relationship problems, psychosomatic symptoms, specific physiological problems, and addiction/at-risk behaviors. Sixty-one pregnant women (age range = 24–45) participating in a larger study completed questionnaires about childhood maltreatment (CECA Q.), Maternity Social Support Scale (MSSS), questionnaire on stressful events, and the Perinatal Assessment of Maternal Affectivity (PAMA) during their pregnancy. Results from regression analysis indicated that the presence of childhood maltreatment predicted elevated depressive symptoms, elevated irritability and anger, and elevated relationship problems. Further, stressful events in the year prior to pregnancy predicted elevated psychosomatic symptoms during pregnancy. No other significant associations were found. In this study, traumatic childhood events were strongly associated with mental health symptoms during pregnancy. This is an important finding that suggests the importance of screening and targeting psychotherapeutic interventions for vulnerable women during pregnancy

Healthy orthorexia vs. orthorexia nervosa: Italian validation of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS)

Purpose: Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) is a potentially pathological condition characterized by a fixation on healthy diet. An increasing number of studies have been conducted on this mental preoccupation, but the validity and reliability of some of the psychometric instruments employed in its assessment are still under debate. Among these measures, the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) seems to be promising, given that it allows to differentiate between OrNe and other non-problematic forms of interest with healthy eating, named as healthy orthorexia (HeOr). The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the TOS, by testing its factorial structure, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and validity. Method: Through an online survey, we recruited 782 participants from different regions of Italy, asking them to complete the following self-report instruments: TOS, EHQ, EDI-3, OCI-R, and BSI-18. From the initial sample, 144 participants agreed to complete a second TOS administration 2 weeks later. Results: Data confirmed the validity of the 2-correlated factors structure of the TOS. The questionnaire also showed good reliability, both in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability. With regard to the TOS validity, results showed that OrNe was significantly and positively associated with measures of psychopathology and psychological distress, while HeOr showed no correlations or negative associations with the above-mentioned measures. Conclusion: Based on these results, the TOS can be considered a promising measure for the assessment of both pathological and non-problematic forms of orthorexic eating behavior also in Italian population. Level of evidence: Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study

Healthy Orthorexia vs. Orthorexia Nervosa: Italian validation of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS).

Purpose Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) is a potentially pathological condition characterized by a fixation on healthy diet. An increasing number of studies have been conducted on this mental preoccupation, but the validity and reliability of some of the psychometric instruments employed in its assessment are still under debate. Among these measures, the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) seems to be promising, given that it allows to differentiate between OrNe and other non-problematic forms of interest with healthy eating, named as healthy orthorexia (HeOr). The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the TOS, by testing its factorial structure, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and validity. Method Through an online survey, we recruited 782 participants from different regions of Italy, asking them to complete the following self-report instruments: TOS, EHQ, EDI-3, OCI-R, and BSI-18. From the initial sample, 144 participants agreed to complete a second TOS administration 2 weeks later. Results Data confirmed the validity of the 2-correlated factors structure of the TOS. The questionnaire also showed good reliability, both in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability. With regard to the TOS validity, results showed that OrNe was significantly and positively associated with measures of psychopathology and psychological distress, while HeOr showed no correlations or negative associations with the above-mentioned measures. Conclusion Based on these results, the TOS can be considered a promising measure for the assessment of both pathological and non-problematic forms of orthorexic eating behavior also in Italian population. Level of evidence Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study

Childhood maltreatment, personality vulnerability profiles, and borderline personality disorder symptoms in adolescents

Adverse childhood experiences are significant risk factors in the development of adolescent borderline personality disorder symptoms (BPDs). Theorists have posited that two personality vulnerabilities factors, self-criticism and dependency, may inform our understanding of this relationship. However, no research has examined the associations between early negative experiences, personality vulnerabilities, and adolescent BPDs. The current study aimed to identify profiles of dependency and self-criticism to examine the associations of these profiles with cumulative forms of childhood maltreatment (CM) and BPDs as well as to explore the mediating and moderating role of vulnerable personality profiles in the relationship between cumulative CM and BPDs. Two hundred and forty-one nonclinical and clinical adolescents participated in the study (Mage = 16.37, SD = 1.84). The findings indicated three different profiles: average dependent profile, dependent and self-critical profile, and self-critical profile. Individuals in the average dependent profile presented lower levels of CM and BPDs. Mediation analyses showed that relative to the average dependent profile, a higher cumulative CM history predicted a higher probability of belonging in the dependent and self-critical profile or the self-critical profile and, in turn, this was associated with higher levels of BPDs. No moderating effects of profiles of dependency and self-criticism were found

The Italian version of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire: psychometric properties and validation in students, community, and clinical groups

The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Italian validation of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), conceived as a measure of self-criticism and dependency, i.e. two personality factors acting, according to Blatt (2004), as risk factors for depression in particular and psychopathology in general. A series of standardized measures [Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), DEQ, Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, 3rd edition (MCMI-III)] was administered to three samples (i.e., students, community and clinical). Factorial validity was evaluated along with convergent and predictive validity. In order to evaluate the reliability and internal consistency, a specific subgroup of participants was retested on the DEQ and BDI-II. Results showed correlations between DEQ dimensions and some personality traits of the MCMI-III. The traditional three-factor model of the DEQ structure as identified by principal component analysis appears to be as stable factors as typically found in American samples, although some items showed elevated cross-loading or low loadings on any factor. Clinical and diagnostic implications of the findings will be discussed

The relationship between attachment styles and internalizing/externalizing problems: the mediating role of self-criticism

Objectives. Many recent studies have explored the potential links between attachment style dimensions, personality vulnerability factors for psychopathology, and psychological and be-havioral problems, particularly those along the internalizing and externalizing spectrum. However, previous studies have not examined these links within a structural equation model that can examine multiple predictors and outcomes, and therefore have not fully investigated the specificity of links between these factors. This cross-sectional study examined the mediat-ing role of self-criticism in the relationship between attachment style dimensions and interna-lizing and externalizing problems. Method. The sample included 420 nonclinical adolescents aged 14-20 years who were re-cruited in school settings and completed self-reported measures of attachment style dimen-sions (Attachment Style Questionnaire), self-criticism (Depressive Experiences Question-naire), and internalizing and externalizing problems (Youth Self-Report). Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation model and to ascertain direct and indirect effects among study variables. Results. Results shown that self-criticism mediated the link between both attachment avoidance and anxiety, and internalizing problems. Results were not moderated by gender. Conclusions. Results suggest that self-criticism is associated with psychopathology during adolescence, and accounts for the asso

Elementi di psicologia dei gruppi

Nonostante gran parte della nostra esistenza sia in qualche modo contrassegnata dall'appartenenza a diversi gruppi, dentro e attraverso i quali cresciamo, lavoriamo, impariamo, giochiamo, l'interesse scientifico verso di essi, e ancor di più il loro studio e utilizzo, sono stati segnati da non poche resistenze, ambiguità e pregiudizi che non hanno pari nella storia delle discipline psicologiche. La letteratura sui rapporti individuo-gruppo, individuo-società e sui problemi d'identità connessi con questi termini è molto vasta e spazia dalla sociologia alla psicologia, dall'antropologia al diritto. Grazie ai contributi di grandi studiosi afferenti ad aree della psicologia apparentemente differenti tra loro, è stato possibile sottolineare la natura profondamente sociale (gruppale) dell'uomo, superare la presunta dicotomia ontologica tra individuo e gruppo, considerare il gruppo straordinario strumento di sviluppo e trasformazione degli individui, spazio mentale e fisico in cui la convivenza con gli altri consente di soddisfare bisogni soggettivi e plurali, di valorizzare la propria autenticità, nell'incontro con la diversità. "Per comprendere l'intimità e la distinzione tra l'individuo e il gruppo - afferma Solomon Asch - dobbiamo cogliere l'insolito processo che dà vita ai gruppi a livello umano. è un processo nel quale i singoli assumono una parte straordinaria, mettendoci di fronte a un tipo di rapporto parte-tutto che non ha riscontri in natura... Ciascuna persona è un centro di forze per il gruppo." è su queste basi concettuali ed epistemologiche che il testo intende muoversi: un'analisi non riduttiva, articolata e multiforme dei possibili ambiti applicativi del gruppo psicologico, che, per poter essere compreso e soprattutto utilizzato, ha bisogno di diversi vertici osservativi che si soccorrano reciprocamente