Hierarchical factor structure of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale short form (IUS-12) in the Italian version

Despite widespread use, few translations are available for the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale short form (IUS-12) as well as limited research on its psychometric properties in Italy. Moreover, recent evidence has suggested a multifaceted hierarchical structure for this scale. We compared the two-factor model to second-order and bi-factor models, in which a General IU factor was posited with two more narrow factors: Prospective IU and Inhibitory IU. Models were tested on a pooled dataset of students (N = 609) taking the IUS-12 alone or with other IUS-27 items. The bi-factor model fitted the sample data better than alternative models. The general factor accounted for 80% of the item variance. Presentation mode did not impact scalar invariance. Convergent validity with neuroticism, need for closure, and the uncertainty response scale was high for the total score. As such, scoring the IUS-12 total score is recommended in clinical research and assessmen

The Complex Trauma Questionnaire (ComplexTQ). Development and preliminary psychometric properties of an instrument for measuring early relational trauma

Research on the etiology of adult psychopathology and its relationship with childhood trauma has focused primarily on specific forms of maltreatment. This study developed an instrument for the assessment of childhood and adolescence trauma that would aid in identifying the role of co-occurring childhood stressors and chronic adverse conditions. The Complex Trauma Questionnaire (ComplexTQ), in both clinician and self-report versions, is a measure for the assessment of multi-type maltreatment: physical, psychological, and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect as well as other traumatic experiences, such rejection, role reversal, witnessing domestic violence, separations, and losses. The four-point Likert scale allows to specifically indicate with which caregiver the traumatic experience has occurred. A total of 229 participants, a sample of 79 nonclinical and that of 150 high-risk and clinical participants, were assessed with the ComplexTQ clinician version applied to Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) transcripts.Initial analyses indicate acceptable inter-rater reliability. A good fit to a 6-factor model regarding the experience with the mother and to a 5-factor model with the experience with the father was obtained; the internal consistency of factors derived was good. Convergent validity was provided with the AAI scales. ComplexTQ factors discriminated normative from high-risk and clinical samples. The findings suggest a promising, reliable, and valid measurement of early relational trauma that is reported; furthermore, it is easy to complete and is useful for both research and clinical practice

Dealing with the aftermath of mass disasters. A field study on the application of EMDR integrative group treatment protocol with child survivors of the 2016 Italy earthquakes

This study explored the effects of the EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol (EMDR-IGTP) on child survivors of the earthquakes that struck Umbria, a region of central Italy, on August 24th and on October 26th 2016. Three hundred and thirty-two children from the town of Norcia and nearby severely disrupted villages received 3 cycles of EMDR-IGTP. The Emotion Thermometers (ET-5) and the Children’s Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-13) were administered before (T0) and about 1 week after the conclusion of the third cycle (T3) of EMDR-IGTP. At T3, older children showed a reduction of distress and anger, whereas younger children reported an increase on these domains; moreover, older children reported a greater reduction of anxiety than younger ones. A greater reduction of distress, anxiety, and need for help was evidenced in females, whereas a greater improvement in depressive symptoms was evidenced in males. The effects of the EMDR-IGTP treatment on post-traumatic symptoms were particularly evident in older children, compared to younger ones, and marginally greater in females than in males; moreover, a greater improvement was found in children who had received a timelier intervention, than in those who received delayed treatment. These results provide further evidence for the utility of EMDR-IGTP in dealing with the extensive need for mental health services in mass disaster contexts. Also, these data highlight the importance of providing EMDR-IGTP in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, to contribute significantly in restoring adaptive psychological functioning in children, especially in older ones

A New Paradigm For Studying The Economic And Behavioral Consequences Of Framing Health-Related Decisions

Traditional attribute framing effects occur when the same object is evaluated differently depending on whether a particular attribute is labeled or framed in positive or negative terms.  For example, in one of our earlier studies, “80% lean ground beef” was evaluated more favorably and was “worth” 8 cents more per pound than “20% fat ground beef.”  In the present study of health-related judgments and decisions, attribute framing effects were extended to situations where consumers had to infer framing valence depending on whether one’s health status was described in comparison to a lower standard or a higher standard of reference.  For example, a person’s health status was rated higher when the same level of vitamin intake was stated in terms of its distance above an established low-protection level compared to when it was stated in terms of its distance below an established high-protection level

Are social support and coping styles differently associated with adjustment to cancer in early and advanced stages?

Background: Many people experience cancer as a chronic disease followed by adaptation to a new reality. Adjustment to cancer is a continuous process that follows the progression of the disease. Aims: We aimed to support the claim that patients in different stages of cancer develop different adjustment patterns, and that the stage of the disease modifies the interrelationships among social support, coping styles, and quality of life. We also hypothesized that greater perceived social support influence more adaptive coping strategies, which mediate the relationship between social support and adjustment, differently in the early and advanced stage of cancer. Methods. One-hundred-two consecutive cancer patients were recruited. Measures. We administered the Social Provision Scale, the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer, the Brief-COPE, and the SF-12 health survey. Results. No differences emerged in adjustment to cancer, coping relate variables and quality of life between stage III and stage IV patients. Subsequent analyses revealed that the stage of the disease moderated the relationships between fatalism and fighting spirit and those between physical health and both avoidance and problem-solving. Regardless of the stage of illness, positive thinking mediated between social support and fighting spirit. Conclusion. Although the average adjustment pattern was the same for early-stage and advanced patients, adjustment processes were different according to cancer stage. The results confirm that social support and disease stage are important for adjustment to cancer. Favouring acceptance, positive reframing, and humour, social support helped patients to be more determined in fighting the disease and contrasted helpless-hopelessness and anxious preoccupation

A New Paradigm For Studying The Economic And Behavioral Consequences Of Framing Health-Related Decisions

Traditional attribute framing effects occur when the same object is evaluated differently depending on whether a particular attribute is labeled or framed in positive or negative terms. For example, in one of our earlier studies, 80% lean ground beef was evaluated more favorably and was worth 8 cents more per pound than 20% fat ground beef. In the present study of health-related judgments and decisions, attribute framing effects were extended to situations where consumers had to infer framing valence depending on whether ones health status was described in comparison to a lower standard or a higher standard of reference. For example, a persons health status was rated higher when the same level of vitamin intake was stated in terms of its distance above an established low-protection level compared to when it was stated in terms of its distance below an established high-protection level

Body mass index, personality traits, and body image in Italian pre-adolescents: An opportunity for overweight prevention

We investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and personality traits, socioeconomic status (SES), and body image (BI) at the beginning of preadolescence. Data were collected from 238 Italian children aged 10?11 years using self-report scales. Information about SES was derived from parental education and professional status. BI was the variable the most strongly associated with BMI. Controlling for BI, SES, and gender, Agreeableness was inversely associated with BMI, whilst Extroversion was related to BMI in girls only. Gender did not moderate the associations between BI and BMI at this age. The relationship of certain personality traits with BMI is likely to emerge during preadolescence. Early interventions to reduce overweight and obesity could consider the interplay of Agreeableness and Extroversion with gender, BI, and SES

Cerebellar damage impairs the self-rating of regret feeling in a gambling task

Anatomical, clinical, and neuroimaging evidence implicates the cerebellum in processing emotions and feelings. Moreover recent studies showed a cerebellar involvement in pathologies such as autism, schizophrenia and alexithymia, in which emotional processing have been found altered. However, cerebellar function in the modulation of emotional responses remains debated. In this study, emotions that are involved directly in decision-making were examined in 15 patients (six males; age range 17-60 years) affected by cerebellar damage and 15 well matched healthy controls. We used a gambling task, in which subjects’ choices and evaluation of outcomes with regard to their anticipated and actual emotional impact were analyzed. Emotions, such as regret and relief, were elicited, based on the outcome of the unselected gamble. Interestingly, despite their ability to avoid regret in subsequent choices, patients affected by cerebellar lesions were significantly impaired in evaluating the feeling of regret subjectively. These results demonstrate that the cerebellum is involved in conscious recognizing of negative feelings caused by the sense of self-responsibility for an incorrect decision

A correlational analysis of the relationships among intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, subjective sleep quality, and insomnia symptoms

In this study, we used structural equation modeling to investigate the interplay among Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU), Anxiety Sensitivity (AS), and sleep problems. Three hundred undergraduate students completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Inventory, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Insomnia Severity Index. 68% and 40% of the students reported poor sleep quality or sub-threshold insomnia problems, respectively. Depression and anxiety levels were above the cut-off for about one-fourth of the participants. Structural equation modeling revealed that IU was strongly associated with AS, in turn influencing both insomnia severity and sleep quality via depression and anxiety. Significant indirect effects revealed that an anxious pathway was more strongly associated with insomnia severity, while a depression pathway was more relevant for worsening the quality of sleep. We discussed the results in the frameworks of cognitive models of insomnia. Viewing AS and IU as antecedents of sleep problems and assigning to AS a pivotal role, our study suggested indications for clinical interventions on a population at risk for sleep disorders