The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale in Italian adolescent populations: Construct validation and group discrimination in community and clinical eating disorders samples

Anxiety in situations where one’s overall appearance (including body shape) may be negatively evaluated is hypothesized to play a central role in Eating Disorders (EDs) and in their co-occurrence with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Three studies were conducted among community (N = 1995) and clinical (N = 703) ED samples of 11- to 18-year-old Italian girls and boys to (a) evaluate the psychometric qualities and measurement equivalence/invariance (ME/I) of the Social Appearance Anxiety (SAA) Scale (SAAS) and (b) determine to what extent SAA or other situational domains of social anxiety related to EDs distinguish adolescents with an ED only from those with SAD. Results upheld the one-factor structure and ME/I of the SAAS across samples, gender, age categories, and diagnostic status (i.e., ED participants with and without comorbid SAD). The SAAS demonstrated high internal consistency and 3-week test–retest reliability. The strength of the inter-relationships between SAAS and measures of body image, teasing about appearance, ED symptoms, depression, social anxiety, avoidance, and distress, as well as the ability of SAAS to discriminate community adolescents with high and low levels of ED symptoms and community participants from ED participants provided construct validity evidence. Only SAA strongly differentiated adolescents with any ED from those with comorbid SAD (23.2 %). Latent mean comparisons across all study groups were performed and discussed

Are the Male Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Muscularity scales reliable and valid instruments?

The Drive for Muscularity Scale and Male Body Dissatisfaction Scale were developed for use with men and correspond to measures of drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction in women. The psychometric properties of these measures were evaluated in a sample of 655 Italian men, who completed other 11 measures also. Both scales demonstrated excellent internal consistency and temporal stability as well as criterion-related and concurrent validity. Both measures distinguished between men with high and low levels of disordered eating. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the unidimensional factor structure of both scales. Directions for future research are discussed

Body image dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptomatology: a latent structural equation modeling examination of moderators among adolescent girls

Introduction According to meta-analytic review, body dissatisfaction (BD) is recognized as the strongest risk factor of all forms of eating disorders (EDs).Yet, it has been found that BD is so prevalent among adolescent girls and young adult women that it is “normative”. The present study investigates why only a minority of adolescents girls report severe levels of ED symptomatology, when so many are body dissatisfied? Aims Five theoretically relevant variables are investigated as potential moderators of the BD-ED symptomatology relationship (drive for thinness and bulimic behaviours). Methods A sample of 401 Italian adolescent girls completed questionnaire measures of BD, drive for thinness, bulimic behaviours, as well as the proposed moderating variables of body checking, perfectionism, appearance control beliefs, internalization of socio-cultural standards of beauty, and self-esteem. Results Structural equation modeling with latent factor interactions indicated that body checking, perfectionism, appearance control beliefs and internalization of socio-cultural standards of beauty intensified the primary BD-ED symptomatology, such that BD was strongly related to drive for thinness and bulimic behaviours when levels of each moderator were higher. By contrast self-esteem buffered the deleterious effects of BD, such that when levels of the moderator were higher, the relationship between BD and each criterion variable representing female's ED symptomatology was weaker

The developmental effects of media-ideal internalization and self-objectification processes on adolescents’ negative body-feelings, dietary restraint, and binge eating

Despite accumulated experimental evidence of the negative effects of exposure to media-idealized images, the degree to which body image, and eating related disturbances are caused by media portrayals of gendered beauty ideals remains controversial. On the basis of the most up-to-date meta-analysis of experimental studies indicating that media-idealized images have the most harmful and substantial impact on vulnerable individuals regardless of gender (i.e., “internalizers” and “self-objectifiers”), the current longitudinal study examined the direct and mediated links posited in objectification theory among media-ideal internalization, self-objectification, shame and anxiety surrounding the body and appearance, dietary restraint, and binge eating. Data collected from 685 adolescents aged between 14 and 15 at baseline (47 % males), who were interviewed and completed standardized measures annually over a 3-year period, were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. Results indicated that media-ideal internalization predicted later thinking and scrutinizing of one’s body from an external observer’s standpoint (or self-objectification), which then predicted later negative emotional experiences related to one’s body and appearance. In turn, these negative emotional experiences predicted subsequent dietary restraint and binge eating, and each of these core features of eating disorders influenced each other. Differences in the strength of these associations across gender were not observed, and all indirect effects were significant. The study provides valuable information about how the cultural values embodied by gendered beauty ideals negatively influence adolescents’ feelings, thoughts and behaviors regarding their own body, and on the complex processes involved in disordered eating. Practical implications are discussed

Testing the cognitive-behavioural maintenance models across DSM-5 bulimic-type eating disorder diagnostic groups: A multi-centre study

The original cognitive-behavioural (CB) model of bulimia nervosa, which provided the basis for the widely used CB therapy, proposed that specific dysfunctional cognitions and behaviours maintain the disorder. However, amongst treatment completers, only 40–50 % have a full and lasting response. The enhanced CB model (CB-E), upon which the enhanced version of the CB treatment was based, extended the original approach by including four additional maintenance factors. This study evaluated and compared both CB models in a large clinical treatment seeking sample (N = 679), applying both DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for bulimic-type eating disorders. Application of the DSM-5 criteria reduced the number of cases of DSM-IV bulimic-type eating disorders not otherwise specified to 29.6 %. Structural equation modelling analysis indicated that (a) although both models provided a good fit to the data, the CB-E model accounted for a greater proportion of variance in eating-disordered behaviours than the original one, (b) interpersonal problems, clinical perfectionism and low self-esteem were indirectly associated with dietary restraint through over-evaluation of shape and weight, (c) interpersonal problems and mood intolerance were directly linked to binge eating, whereas restraint only indirectly affected binge eating through mood intolerance, suggesting that factors other than restraint may play a more critical role in the maintenance of binge eating. In terms of strength of the associations, differences across DSM-5 bulimic-type eating disorder diagnostic groups were not observed. The results are discussed with reference to theory and research, including neurobiological findings and recent hypotheses

Famiglie ad alto potenziale. Comprendere e accompagnare la crescita dei figli

La letteratura scientifica internazionale ha messo in evidenza come le famiglie con bambini ad AP spesso affrontano sfide educative particolari, diverse da quelle dei genitori di bambini a sviluppo tipico. I bambini ad AP dimostrano una spiccata sensibilità e intensità che li porta ad avere profondi bisogni emotivi di fronte ai quali i genitori si trovano spesso impreparati e che vengono frequentemente confusi e male interpretati anche da specialisti del settore. Le difficoltà che incontrano sono di due tipi: quelle che derivano dall’interazione con l’ambiente esterno (altre famiglie, scuola, ambiente culturale, amici) e quelle che dipendono principalmente dalle peculiari caratteristiche di questi bambini. In questi casi un valido supporto familiare può ridurre il rischio di disaffezione scolastica, di sviluppo di comportamenti disfunzionali e traiettorie di sviluppo disadattive. Nel testo si arricchisce anche di un contributo della dottoressa Maria Landi dottore di ricerca presso l’Universita La Sapienza di Roma. Il libro si articola in due parti. Nella prima viene presentato il tema dell’alto potenziale, in relazione agli stili genitoriali e alle dinamiche familiari. Nella seconda parte si propone un percorso di parent training basato su incontri mensili e attività di gruppo, presentando esperienze e materiali realizzati all’interno del LabTalento dell’Università di Pavia. Il libro ha una duplice finalità da un lato innalzare la consapevolezza e l’autoefficacia dei genitori nell’accompagnare i loro figli con una crescita sana ed equilibrata per promuovere benessere, dall’altro offrire ai professionisti spunti e strumenti per accompagnare genitori con figli ad alto potenzial

Dirigere Scuole

Ripensare l'orientamento nel contetso scolastico come sfida per accompagnare in una prospettiva di life design scelte consapevoli

Resilience and Prosocial in Behaviour in Italian Schools

Resilience is a multi-componential construct in which cognitive, emotional, biological, family- related and social factors converge. It may be defined as the successful adaptation in the face of adversity and environmental stressors (Masten, 1994). High levels of resilience are essential for the social and emotional development of children, as well as for their health and ethical development, to increase their motivation and to improve their academic achievement (Elias, Zins, Weissberg, et al., 1997). Schools are the ideal place for all children to build social and emotional learning and resilience, and this is especially important in the case of vulnerable children (Goleman, 1995). The EU Council's "Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training for 2020" (European Commission, 2009) underlines the need for quality education and support for vulnerable groups since these children may be at risk of dropping out of school, absenteeism, school failure, social exclusion and mental health problems. The development of a resilience curriculum for primary education in Europe was an effort to address the difficulties experienced by marginalized children by focusing on their strengths and developing their psychological resources (Cefai et al. 2014). RESCUR Surfing the Waves is a curriculum developed in a European research collaboration within a Comenius project (2012-2015) between 6 European universities (Malta, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Portugal and Sweden). The aim of the project was to promote the academic, emotional and social learning of students at risk of early school leaving, school failure, absenteeism, social exclusion and mental health problems. The curriculum makes it possible for children to develop key competencies to overcome disadvantageous situations and obstacles by enhancing their skills and strengths (Cavioni, et al., 2015). The program was designed using an inclusive perspective and included activities for children at-risk (such as ethnic minorities or refugees), and to foster the integration of children with special educational needs and gifted children, with the aim of addressing their specific educational needs, helping them to cope with difficult situations and strengthen their psychological resources to facilitate their growth process (Zanetti et al. 2017). Furthermore, the program included the involvement of parents, who are constantly informed about the activities carried out at school, and it also included materials and activities to promote the development of resilience within in the family context. The present chapter aims to investigate the impact of the RESCUR Surfing the Waves programme on the promotion of resilience and prosocial behaviour in primary school children in Italy. A significant increase in the variables related to resilience and prosocial behaviour was expected, both in the self-assessment and according to the opinion of teachers and parents

GUIDANCE TO TALENT: ORIENTARE LE ECCELLENZE

L’orientamento rappresenta una risorsa chiave per il percorso accademico di tutti gli studenti e lo è tanto più per gli studenti ad alto potenziale, i quali non solo necessitano di essere riconosciuti ma soprattutto che vengano supportato con occasioni e attività che gli permettano al loro potenziale di svilupparsi. Il percorso Guidance To Talent proposto dal LabTalento (Università di Pavia) presso l’IIS Torriani di Cremona si propone come un progetto di orientamento specifico per studenti ad alto potenziale focalizzato sia sulle competenze disciplinari che su soft-skills trasversali fondamentali per affrontare decisioni e sfide in un’ottica longlif

Potenziale cognitivo e sviluppo socio-emotivo

L’inclusione scolastica ha assunto oggi un valore primario nell’ambito delle politiche scolastiche nazionali e rappresenta l’attuazione dei principi costituzionali di eguaglianza e pari dignità per ogni citta- dino. Adottare in classe una didattica di tipo inclusivo significa pertanto non solo rispondere con adeguati strumenti compensativi o dispensativi a quegli alunni che hanno disabilità o particolari necessità, ma adottare metodologie e strategie didattiche nella normale che consentano realmen- te di personalizzare le proposte formative per offrire risposte ai bisogni di tutti. Ciò significa considerare tra gli studenti con bisogni educativi spe- ciali anche gli alunni ad alto potenziale cognitivo o plusdotati (gifted), in quanto le loro caratteristiche rientrano a pieno titoli negli special needs, come sottolineato nella raccomandazione del Consiglio d’Europa del 1994, in cui si fa esplicito riferimento ai giovani con potenziale eccezionale. La raccomandazione sottolinea anche l’importanza di offrire loro l’assistenza e il sostegno necessari (Eurydice, 2006, p. 5)