Progetti di ricerca in ambito Psicologico

ABSTRACT
Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are interrelated chronic conditions whose global prevalence continues to rise, posing significant clinical and socioeconomic challenges. Their pathophysiological intersection—commonly referred to as “diabesity”—is sustained by a complex interplay of mechanisms, including visceral adipose tissue inflammation, macrophage polarization, disrupted insulin signaling, and adipokine imbalance. These processes contribute to chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, impair pancreatic β-cell function, and exacerbate glucose intolerance. This review critically explores the mechanistic connections between obesity and T2DM, with a focus on recent advances in pharmacological therapies—such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists—alongside evidence-based lifestyle modifications and bariatric procedures. By integrating current translational and clinical findings, we aim to provide a comprehensive perspective to support the development of more effective and individualized treatment strategies for diabesity.

https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13121437

ABSTRACT
Background: One key ingredient for guided imagery interventions’ effectiveness is their capacity to increase emotional arousal. However, individual responses vary, as some people can have negative experiences that undermine treatment adherence or effectiveness. Research is needed to understand predictors of negative reactions to experiencing negative events during imagery. One idea suggests that some individuals struggle to return to baseline, making the experience unpleasant or distressing. Which predictors contribute to slower recovery after imagery of negative events?
Aims and hypothesis: We tested the following hypotheses in a non-clinical sample: (H1) participants experienced an increase in physiological arousal upon recalling an unpleasant autobiographical event, (H2) participants returned spontaneously to baseline physiological levels during the recovery period, but (H3) emotion dysregulation, depression and trait anxiety predicted recovery arousal, and (H4) repetitive thinking (rumination and worry) was also associated with recovery arousal.
Methods: Participants completed questionnaires assessing repetitive thinking (rumination and worry), trait anxiety, depression, and emotion dysregulation. Arousal was measured through continuous recording of Skin Conductance Response (SCR) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV).
Results: After the predicted arousal increase following imagery, participants returned to baseline. There were individual differences in average physiological return to baseline as measured by SCR, but not HRV. Emotion regulation, trait anxiety, rumination and worry significantly predicted physiological recovery.
Conclusions: Individuals with severe tendencies towards repetitive thinking and, to a lesser extent, with higher trait anxiety and emotion dysregulation may require preliminary work before undergoing imagery aimed at working through distressing memories.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102059

ABSTRACT
It has been hypothesized that core pain-related symptoms of fibromyalgia (FM) might be associated with alterations of pain processing mechanisms. On the one hand, several fMRI studies were conducted to evaluate possible alterations of neural responsiveness toward the presentation of different kinds of noxious stimuli among patients with FM. On the other hand, a quantitative summary of these findings is still lacking. Accordingly, it was conducted an ALE meta-analysis (FWE, p < .05) of studies comparing brain responsiveness to the administration of painful stimuli between patients with FM and healthy controls (HCs). Twenty-one studies were included for meta-analytic procedures. Results showed 3 main findings: i) key areas of the pain matrix (i.e., dorsal anterior cingulate cortex [dACC], basal ganglia and thalamic nuclei) were commonly involved in pain processing in both FM patients and HCs; ii) pain processing in FM patients were characterized by a recruitment of the right insula; whereas, HCs mainly recruited prefrontal areas; iii) patients with FM, compared to HCs, showed an increased magnitude of dACC and supplementary motor area responsiveness toward the presentation of painful stimuli.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106303

ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study aims at investigating the initial efficacy of a 6-month therapeutic community (TC) intervention integrated with a standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training (DBT-ST) program (DBT-ST-TC) for treating impulsivity among patients with SUDs.

Methods: Impulsivity was assessed through self-report (UPPS-P) and neuropsychological (Attentional Network Test [ANT]-conflict monitoring, Go/No-Go, Iowa Gambling Task) measures. Furthermore, mindfulness (FFMQ, MAAS) emotion dysregulation (DERS) and distress tolerance (DTS) were evaluated. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed to evaluate pre- post-treatment changes controlling for baseline levels. Pre- and post-treatment results of the DBT-ST-TC group were also compared to baseline levels of variables of interest measured in two control groups (i.e., untreated outpatient with SUDs; healthy controls [HCs]).

Results: Sixty-eight patients with SUDs were screened and admitted to the DBT-ST-TC. Thirty-eight (55.9%) patients completed the first cycle of DBT-ST-TC. The clinical control group included 41 untreated individuals with SUDs. The HC group was composed of 53 participants. DBT-ST-TC patients reported pre- post-treatment improvements of emotion dysregulation (t (67) = −2.10; p = 0.04), positive urgency (t (67) = −3.27; p = 0.002) and sensation seeking (t (67) = −2.08; p = 0.04). The improvement of ANT-conflict monitoring performances was the most relevant pre- posttreatment change (t (67) = −2.98; p = 0.005): no significant differences between posttreatment performances of the DBT-ST-TC group and HCs were detected.

Conclusion: The DBT-ST-TC might be a promising intervention for treating patients with SUDs. Future long-term outcomes are needed to corroborate and extend these provisional results.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23799

ABSTRACT
Central sensitization (CS) has been considered a precursor of different nociplastic pain (NP) conditions and it has been considered a core pathophysiological mechanism involved in the maintenance of these syndromes. Clinical frameworks and empirical evidence have suggested that traumatic experiences (TEs) might play a role in the development of CS and they could represent relevant factors reinforcing clinical manifestations characterizing NP conditions. Nevertheless, there are no studies that have empirically tested whether TEs might be involved in CS features across the NP spectrum and how TEs together with CS could affect the quality of physical and mental health among these conditions. The current study enrolled a sample of 464 participants, including treatment-seeking patients with chronic migraine (CM; N = 97), fibromyalgia (FM; N = 130) and comorbid FM-CM (N = 91) together with a healthy control (HC; N = 141) group. TEs, CS and quality of physical and mental health were assessed by self-report instruments. ANCOVA, MANCOVA and moderated mediational models were conducted. Patients with FM-CM showed the highest levels of traumatization (F(3, 459) = 6.15; p < .01), especially compared to CM (d = .40) and HC (d = .56). TEs were significantly associated to CS symptoms across the NP spectrum (a: b = .31; p < .05), independently of condition. Furthermore, TEs indirectly affected the quality of physical and mental health (−.19 ≤ ab ≤ −.06; [−.30 – −.01]) of patients with NP conditions through CS (b: −.66 ≤ b≤ −.55; p < .001). This is the first study that has supported a key role of TEs in core pathophysiological mechanisms of NP syndromes, especially those characterized by complex and severe manifestations. These data support the systematic inclusion of evidence-based psychotherapeutic strategies for trauma-related reactions in the treatment of NP conditions.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2025.2605193

ABSTRACT
Purpose: This scoping review explores the documented effects of assistive products on video game players with disabilities.
Research Design: The review was conducted using the PRISMA-ScR methodology. PubMed, Web of Science, and IEEE databases were systematically searched.
Results: The search yielded a total of 1254 articles, of which only eight met the inclusion criteria after screening. Of these, three studies investigated the impact of assistive products for adapted gaming on quality of life, employment, and social isolation, while five studies reported on the development of novel hardware solutions to improve accessibility of video games for players with motor difficulties.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the potential benefits of enabling people with disabilities accessing off-the-shelf video games. However, the limited number of studies identified in this review highlights a significant gap in this research area.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10554181251355418

ABSTRACT
Introduction: Emotional Disorders (EDs) with and without comorbid personality disorder (ED-PD vs. ED-noPD) show distinct symptom patterns. ED-PDs involve pervasive, ego-syntonic traits, whereas ED-noPD conditions are more ego-dystonic. This study examined whether these differences extend to the interplay between metacognitive processes, repetitive negative thinking, and symptoms.
Methods: 962 Italian-speaking adults (mean age = 36.9; 336 males, 626 females) seeking treatment at our outpatients’ service (inTHERAPY) participated. Of these, 653 had a primary ED (mainly depressive or anxiety disorders), and 309 had a comorbid PD. Participants completed assessments of repetitive negative thinking styles, metacognitive beliefs, symptoms, and psychosocial functioning. A network analysis was conducted on the total sample and by subgroup, assessing Bridge Expected Influence and network invariance.
Results: Negative metacognitive beliefs about danger and uncontrollability of thoughts, depressive symptoms and depressive rumination were central in both groups. In the ED-noPD group, Negative metacognitive beliefs about danger and uncontrollability of worry exerted the strongest influence, whereas in the ED-PD group, depressive rumination emerged as the most central feature. Bridge connections revealed that depressive rumination and cognitive self-consciousness acted as key links in ED-PD, possibly reinforcing ego-syntonicity. However, no significant structural differences emerged between networks.
Conclusion: Findings indicate that the structure linking symptoms, repetitive negative thinking, and metacognitive beliefs is broadly similar in ED-PD and ED-noPD. Yet, the specific bridge patterns in ED-PD may reflect stronger ego-syntonicity, underscoring the importance of interventions targeting self-focused attention and metacognitive awareness in this subgroup.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.121062

ABSTRACT
Background: Metacognitive beliefs, as proposed in the Self-Regulatory Executive Function (S-REF) model, are considered to play a central role in the development and maintenance of psychological disorders; however the intergenerational dimension of these beliefs remains poorly understood. Existing studies suggest potential associations between parental and offspring metacognitive beliefs, while preliminary genetic evidence indicates that some domains may be more strongly influenced by biological predispositions.Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, EBSCOhost, and SCOPUS was conducted between January and April 2025, examining studies assessing the association between parental and offspring metacognitive beliefs, as described in the S-REF model, and studies exploring links with genotype. Effect sizes were pooled for domains assessed in at least three studies, and moderator analyses considered age, study quality, and the number of covariates included.Results: Nine studies met inclusion criteria, eight focusing on parent–child associations and one on genotype. Meta-analytic results indicated small-to-moderate associations for positive metacognitive beliefs (r = .24) and negative beliefs about danger and uncontrollability of thoughts (r = .17), whereas Cognitive self consciousness did not show significant associations. Limited molecular genetic evidence suggested that Cognitive confidence and Need to control thoughts may be more strongly linked to biological predisposition. Heterogeneity was observed across studies, and moderator analyses did not reveal significant effects.Conclusion: The intergenerational dimension of metacognitive beliefs is an underexplored area with heterogeneous findings. Associations between parental and offspring beliefs are evident, particularly for Positive and Negative metacognitive beliefs, while some domains may reflect biological influences. Future research should employ longitudinal designs, comprehensive assessment across all metacognitive domains, and integrate both genetic and environmental factors to clarify the mechanisms underlying these associations.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1674793

ABSTRACT
Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) is a clinical construct characterized by symptoms such as excessive daydreaming, mental confusion, slowed behavior, and reduced cognitive and motor activity. Increasing evidence suggests a potential overlap between CDS and Emotional Dysregulation (ED), a transdiagnostic construct associated with difficulties in regulating emotional responses. This narrative review synthesizes current empirical findings and theoretical perspectives on the co-occurrence of CDS and ED, with a particular focus on insights provided by behavioral genetics—especially twin studies. We describe the core principles and models used in twin research and evaluate how they have been applied to disentangle genetic and environmental contributions to these phenotypes and their overlap. While some studies support a shared etiology between CDS and ED, particularly through non-shared environmental influences, research in this area remains limited and conceptually fragmented. The review identifies critical knowledge gaps, including the lack of longitudinal studies, inconsistent definitions of ED, and limited exploration of developmental trajectories. We argue that future twin studies are essential for clarifying these unresolved issues. Nonetheless, limitations include the scarcity of twin-based studies directly examining the CDS–ED association and methodological inconsistencies across the existing literature.

https://doi.org/10.3390/app15116067

ABSTRACT
Population-level evidence on how different phases of assistive technology service delivery contribute to user satisfaction with assistive products remains limited, despite its importance for strengthening provision systems. This study investigates how different aspects of assistive technology service delivery influence user satisfaction with assistive products and their perceived usefulness. Drawing on data from 992 Italian respondents to the WHO rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) survey, hierarchical regression and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the relative contribution of pre- and post-delivery services (i.e., assessment and training, and maintenance and follow-up) to overall product satisfaction. Results showed that satisfaction with pre-delivery services (β = 0.571, p < 0.001) was the strongest predictor of product satisfaction, followed by post-delivery services (β = 0.280, p < 0.001). Together, both service dimensions explained nearly 60% of the variance in product satisfaction (R2 = 0.595). Mediation analysis further revealed that satisfaction with pre-delivery services partially mediated the relationship between product satisfaction and perceived usefulness (β = 0.147, p < 0.001), accounting for 29% of the total effect. These findings suggest a complementary pattern, in which pre-delivery services may provide a foundation for positive user experiences, while post-delivery services contribute meaningfully to sustaining satisfaction and perceived usefulness. The results provide population-level insights that may support national reflections on how to strengthen assistive technology service delivery, while recognizing that both early- and later-stage service components play important and interdependent roles.

https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14010010

ABSTRACT
Inhibitory control is a fundamental component of executive functioning, enabling the suppression of one’s own cognitive and behavioral responses. Although inhibitory control exerts substantial effects on everyday life and clinical settings, its neural underpinnings and relationship with other higher-order cognitive functions remain poorly understood. The right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) has been proposed as a potential target for neuromodulation, given its putative role in the inhibition of premature or maladaptive motor responses. In this study, we applied transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the rIFG in thirty one healthy participants, each undergoing two experimental sessions—one with active stimulation and one with sham stimulation. Prior to stimulation, participants completed the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 and a Monetary Intertemporal Choice Task (MICT) to assess delay discounting. During stimulation, subjects performed the Go/NoGo and the Stop-Signal tasks to evaluate inhibitory control. Following stimulation, they repeated the MICT. Our results show that anodal tDCS over the rIFG enhances inhibitory control compared to sham stimulation. Significant interaction effects on inhibitory control were also observed between tDCS protocol and baseline measures of metacognitive beliefs and delay discounting. Although rIFG stimulation did not steeply reduce delay discounting, significant time-by-protocol and metacognition-by-protocol interactions were detected. These findings not only suggest that tDCS effects on inhibitory control are affected by subjects’ cognitive profiles but also pave the way for future research on the efficacy of tDCS in enhancing inhibitory control and reducing delay discounting in psychological conditions where these higher-order cognitive functions are impaired, such as mood disorders and substance addiction.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2025.11.016

ABSTRACT
Play is essential for sensorimotor, cognitive and social development, because it enhances the experience-based long-term plasticity, stimulating the optimal interplay between the stimulus-driven and goal-directed attentional control. However, the emotional, psychophysiological and neurocognitive mechanisms associated with a single game session are not fully understood. In a single-blind randomized-crossover experiment, we investigated the short-term effects upon emotional, psychophysiological and neurocognitive functioning after a short play session with Mario Kart and with a puzzle board game, in a sample of 60 young adult typical (n = 44) and poor readers (n = 16). By enhancing positive and reducing negative emotions, playing an action-like video game increased heart rate and salience processing in both typical and poor readers, whereas an improvement in reading speed was reported only in poor readers. The stimulation of the salience network by play-driven emotional, multisensory and sensorimotor activation, can transiently enhance the feed-forward functioning of the perception and action pathways.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2346693

ABSTRACT
Problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) among adolescents is increasingly recognized as a significant behavioral health concern. Previous studies have found general metacognitive beliefs can positively predict PMPU. However, the longitudinal relationship between specific metacognitive beliefs and addictive behaviors has not been fully explored. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationship between metacognitions about mobile phone use, metacognitions about desire thinking, and PMPU among adolescents using cross-lagged panel network analysis. A sample of 993 adolescents were surveyed at two points over six months. Findings indicated that negative metacognitions about mobile phone use and positive metacognitions about desire thinking emerged as two prominent bridge nodes. Negative metacognitions about mobile phone use were strongly associated with withdrawal and relapse symptoms, while positive metacognitions about desire thinking correlated with tolerance and relapse. These results suggest that interventions aimed at addressing PMPU should consider the distinct impacts of different metacognitive beliefs and tailor their approaches accordingly.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108291

ABSTRACT
Background/Objectives: Interparental conflict, with its multiple dimensions, represents a risk factor for youth mental health, triggering a series of cascading processes. Despite recent evidence highlighting that psychological inflexibility is a risk factor for adolescents’ psychopathology after stressful events, a limited number of studies have investigated its role in family conflicts. This study aims to investigate whether psychological inflexibility mediates the impact of conflict characteristics (intensity, frequency, and resolution) and threat appraisal of interparental conflict on the psychological difficulties of adolescent offspring. Methods: A sample of 195 adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years old completed the Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth on Google Forms. Results: The findings revealed that adolescents living in a family environment characterized by high levels of perceived interparental conflicts exhibit a wide spectrum of psychological difficulties, either emotional or behavioral, partially mediated by their psychological inflexibility. However, when conflict between parents is interpreted as threatening, adolescents’ inflexibility appears to mediate the relationship between conflict and psychological difficulties. Conclusions: While future studies are needed to better understand this association, psychological flexibility might represent a relevant treatment target in adolescents exposed to interparental conflict.

https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric17020033

ABSTRACT
Il conflitto inter-parentale, soprattutto se frequente, intenso e irrisolto, si configura come un fattore di rischio per un’ampia gamma di difficoltà internalizzanti ed esternalizzanti nei figli. La ricerca ha cercato di spiegare in che modo questa tipologia di conflitto tra i genitori possa influire sull’adattamento di bambini e adolescenti, concentrandosi sul ruolo di diversi fattori. Tuttavia, il ruolo dell’inflessibilità psicologica negli adolescenti esposti a situazioni di conflitto tra i genitori ad oggi non è stato analizzato. L’obiettivo della presente ricerca è indagare se l’inflessibilità psicologica possa mediare l’effetto del conflitto inter-parentale sulle difficoltà emotive e comportamentali dei figli adolescenti. I dati sono stati raccolti su un campione di adolescenti italiani (N = 195; F = 79,50%; M età = 17,31; DS età = 1,22) attraverso l’utilizzo della versione italiana di alcuni questionari autosomministrati: Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict scale (CPIC), Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) e Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (I-AFQ-Y). Le analisi di correlazione hanno evidenziato che conflitti genitoriali distruttivi, ossia frequenti, intensi e caratterizzati da una ridotta propensione alla risoluzione da parte dei genitori, sono positivamente correlati all’insorgenza di difficoltà emotive e comportamentali nei figli. L’analisi di mediazione ha rivelato che l’inflessibilità psicologica agisce come mediatore parziale nella relazione tra conflitto inter-parentale e difficoltà psicologiche degli adolescenti. Questo risultato fornisce un supporto agli interventi volti a promuovere la flessibilità psicologica negli adolescenti esposti a situazioni di conflittualità genitoriale distruttiva, come l’Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

https://doi.org/10.14605/PCC3112501

ABSTRACT
Background/Objectives: Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) is a clinical condition primarily characterized by inattention, hypoactivity, and mind-wandering, which has not yet been recognized as an official diagnostic category. Although there are overlaps between CDS and ADHD, evidence supports the semi-independence of CDS from the ADHD-Inattentive subtype. Importantly, while the impact of ADHD on parenting styles has been studied, no previous research has investigated the potential influence of CDS difficulties on parenting behaviors. Both CDS and ADHD are associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms, which are influenced by negative parenting styles. The severity of ADHD is known to predict the use of dysfunctional parenting patterns; however, no studies have yet investigated how CDS difficulties might affect parenting styles. Due to the similarities between CDS and ADHD, it is reasonable to hypothesize a similar relationship. This study aims to examine the potential mediating role of parenting styles—both negative and positive—in the relationship between CDS difficulties and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Methods: The sample is composed of 369 Italian school-aged children (9.38 ± 2.34 years old). Parents reported on their children’s psychopathology, CDS difficulties, and their own parenting strategies. Results: Analyses conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS tool indicated that only negative parenting styles partially mediated the relationship between CDS difficulties and parent-reported youth anxiety, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of interventions aimed at both addressing CDS in children and improving parenting strategies to enhance youth psychopathological outcomes.

https://doi.org/10.3390/children12091134

ABSTRACT
Objective: In adolescents, dysfunctional behaviors often stem from accumulated psychological tension, amplified by anger rumination. This study investigates how anger-biased cognitions, anger rumination, and psychopathological symptoms – specifically oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety, and depression – interrelate.

Method: A sample of 180 students (mean age = 13.72; 99 males, 81 females) from middle (N = 94) and high school (N = 86) participated in this observational study and completed assessments measuring anger-related cognitive distortions (Angry Cognitions Scale-Revised), anger rumination (Anger Rumination Scale), and symptoms of ODD, anxiety, and depression. Network analysis was used to explore the structure of associations, focusing on centrality and bridge strength (BS).

Results: Anger rumination emerged as a central node linking cognitive distortions and psychopathological symptoms. Among cognitive patterns, hostile verbal labels and catastrophic attributions showed the highest centrality. BS analysis revealed that these distortions were most strongly connected to ODD symptoms (r = .18), while anger rumination had the strongest ties to anxiety (r = .32) and to the key cognitive distortions (r = .33).

Conclusion: Anger rumination plays a pivotal bridging role between maladaptive cognitions and emotional-behavioral symptoms, contributing to both internalizing (e.g. anxiety) and externalizing (e.g. ODD) outcomes. These findings challenge the strict dichotomy between internalizing and externalizing disorders, suggesting instead a shared underlying process. Therapeutic interventions should target both cognitive distortions and emotion regulation strategies to more effectively address adolescents’ overt behavioral issues.

Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank all the children and their families for their valuable participation, which enabled the completion of this study.

https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2025.2610000

ABSTRACT
Background and aim: There is evidence that executive function (EF) deficits might act as transdiagnostic risk factors for a wide range of psychopathology in typically developmental children. We aim to test the implications of EF deficits on internalizing, externalizing and autistic symptoms in youth with Cornelia de Lange (CdLS) and Rubinstein-Taybi syndromes (RSTS).
Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 14 patients with CdLS (64 % girls, age = 8.00 ± 4.55) and 15 patients with RSTS (53 % girls, age = 10.27 ± 4.65) recruited through follow-ups. Executive functioning, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and ASD-related traits were assessed with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Social Communication Questionnaire. Stepwise linear regression analyses were performed.
Results: Inhibition, set-shifting and planning emerged as the most robust EF predictors of clinically relevant emotional and behavioral difficulties in CdLS and RSTS, as well as of the triads of impairments associated with syndromic autism.
Conclusion: Being aware of the neuropsychological deficits underneath a broad spectrum of psychological symptoms might foster the setting up of proper rehabilitative programs targeting EF deficits to reduce psychopathology in rare genetic syndromes.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.07.030

ABSTRACT
The current progressive adoption of online platforms and web-based interventions, within the context of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) services, offers a novel opportunity to scale evidence-based psychotherapy. In the present work, we depict the development of a web and native application within the Italian landscape, GRETA (Graphic Robotic Engine for Therapy Automation). GRETA provides the following functions: (a) Management of therapy appointments and payments; (b) Clinical data, therapy progress, and sessions summary between professionals; (c) Production of the medical report and notes for external institutions; (d) Homework, materials, psychometric measures, progress reports, and therapy notes; (e) Systematic monitoring of the therapeutic process and outcomes; (f) Ensuring confidentiality, security, and integrity of patient information; (g) Collection, aggregation, and analysis of anonymized patient data through statistical reports and graphical dashboards. Beyond the technological implementation, this study also assesses the effectiveness of therapy delivered through GRETA. Pre-post treatment comparisons were conducted on a sample of 442 patients discharged for any reason by the CBT service, categorized into three diagnostic groups: anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and comorbid anxiety and depressive disorder. Results revealed significant improvements in symptom severity and functional adjustment across all groups. Future developments of GRETA will involve integrating Artificial Intelligence-based features, such as predictions of clinical outcomes.

https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941251409157

ABSTRACT
Background: People with intellectual disability and severe visual impairment or blindness tend to have low levels of functional activity engagement and low levels of mobility/ambulation.
Objective: The study assessed a new technology-aided program to support four adults with intellectual disability and blindness in their activity and mobility engagement.
Methods: The program was implemented following single-case research methodology. The activity consisted of completing object kits. The objects needed for the kits were distributed over a relatively large space and the participants moved around that space to collect them and distribute them in the kits. The program (a) was based on the use of a smartphone, tags with radio frequency identification codes, and a tag reader linked to the smartphone, and (b) ensured that the participants would receive physical support, verbal instructions, and preferred stimulation.
Results: During the baseline phase (without the program), the participants were unable to engage in activity and mobility. During the intervention (using the program), all participants managed to engage in activity and mobility correctly completing the object kits available during the sessions.
Conclusions: The results suggest that the program might be useful to support activity and mobility in people like the participants of this study.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10554181251322383

• Among participants from the general population, the tendency to endorse metacognitive beliefs is associated with greater positive emotion dysregulation.
• Among outpatients seeking psychological treatment, the tendency to endorse metacognitive beliefs is associated with greater positive emotion dysregulation.
• Assessing metacognitive beliefs may allow clinicians to gain a clearer understanding of treatment trajectories to reduce difficulties in the regulation of positive emotions.
• Metacognitive beliefs could be the potential therapeutic target to reduce positive emotion dysregulation.
• Metacognitive Therapy techniques could be suitable approaches to reduce positive emotion dysregulation.

ABSTRACT
Background: The flight response is part of the repertoire of adaptive behavioral responses all animals possess and use to face threats coming from their environment. Compared to the other responses, flight requires a high degree of physical effort and is thought to be related to those active coping strategies that can be observed in several psychopathological conditions, including anxiety and depressive disorders. In recent years, a new protocol of auditory fear conditioning has been shown to induce a learned flight response in mice, based on a conditioned stimulus that includes pure tones and white noise, the serial compound stimulus (SCS).

Methods: In this review, we examine the effects of stimulus characteristics in fear learning paradigms, particularly in the context of the recently developed SCS paradigm. We will discuss how factors such as conditioned stimulus (CS) modality (e.g., tone versus white noise), stimulus salience, and the temporal relationship between stimuli influence conditioned flight responses.

Results: For the study of both physiological and maladaptive behaviors, fear conditioning still represents the paradigm of choice, e.g., for the modeling of psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder or phobias. Albeit its relevance in this context, up to now only a few studies have focused on developing procedures for eliciting conditioned flight responses in the laboratory, in favor of freezing/immobilization, the so-called fright response. The SCS protocol poses new interesting questions on the impact of noises and other stimuli on learning and behavioral responses.

Conclusion: The discovery of SCS already led to interesting findings in the neurobiology of fear learning and shows great potential for the study of maladaptive responses in animal models of psychopathology.

https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70561

ABSTRACT
This cross-sectional study aims to identify clusters of internalizing and externalizing traits during adolescence using a bottom-up approach. The second aim is to investigate whether the different clusters differ by environmental risk factors and specific epigenetic profiles. A total of 205 adolescents, who had been referred for psychopathology in childhood, were recruited. Behavioral problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist/6–18 (CBCL). Different clusters of psychopathological profiles were analyzed using a Finite mixture model. Differences in environmental risk factors and epigenetic profiles were tested with χ2-tests and Bonferroni-corrected t-tests. Two clusters were identified: a LOW cluster (51% of the sample), characterized by the presence of subclinical mean scores in both internalizing and externalizing problems, and a HIGH cluster (49% of the sample), characterized by high mean scores in both domains. The HIGH cluster had a significantly greater number of perinatal complications and changes in methylation of specific CpG sites of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, Insulin-like growth factor-2, and Oxytocin receptor, whereas no difference was found for FK506-binding protein 5. Our results confirm the existence of a strong association between early adverse events, DNA methylation, and the presence of behavioral problems and psychopathological traits in adolescence.

https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15081142

ABSTRACT
Following natural disasters, children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the onset and persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms, which can significantly affect developmental trajectories and mental health. Although PTSD networks have been extensively studied in adults, less is known about youth, and no previous studies have examined how PTSD clusters relate to social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties (SEBD). This study applied network analysis to examine how PTSD clusters relate to psychosocial problems in a large sample of trauma-exposed youth. A total of 635 Italian children and adolescents (M_age = 11.19 years, SD = 1.43; 51.5% male), exposed to the 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake, completed the UCLA PTSD-RI and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Network estimation and centrality indices were computed for the overall sample. Network Comparison Tests assessed differences by gender, age group, and proximity to the epicenter. Emotional problems and Increased Arousal emerged as the most central nodes, whereas Peer Problems were consistently peripheral. Gender differences were significant, whereas no differences were detected by age; moreover, youth living closer to the epicenter exhibited a more densely connected network. Despite its limitations, the study identifies co-occurrence patterns between PTSD clusters and specific SEBD, outlining clinical implications that warrant further investigation.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15110225

ABSTRACT
Background: Exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) during childhood and adolescence is relatively common and may result in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent studies have demonstrated the utility of the network approach for examining PTSD symptoms. However, to date, no systematic review has focused exclusively on network-analytic evidence from child and adolescent samples, who require developmental specific evidence to inform clinical practice. Therefore, the present review aimed to summarize network-analytic studies investigating PTSD symptoms among trauma-exposed youth. Methods: Guided by the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search for network-analytic studies exploring the symptom structure of PTSD-only in children and adolescents was conducted using PubMed and EBSCOHost. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: Twelve studies (n = 12498; k = 18) were retrieved, with seven rated as of fair quality. Studies examined DSM-IV (n = 10) and DSM-5 (n = 2) PTSD symptoms in children and/or adolescents exposed to PTEs (mostly natural disasters). Although central symptoms varied, heightened physiological reactivity consistently emerged among the most central. The strongest associations were observed between symptoms within the same PTSD cluster, and preliminary evidence suggests that network connectivity may increase with time since exposure. Conclusions: Heightened physiological reactivity to trauma-related cues appears to be a clinically relevant feature of youth exposed to PTEs, warranting consideration in assessment and intervention. Clinical and methodological implications and future directions for pediatric PTSD research are discussed.

https://doi.org/10.3390/children12111516

ABSTRACT
Background: Maladaptive personality traits are transdiagnostic risk factors associated with functional impairment, lower treatment efficacy, and poor mental health outcomes. These traits, encompassing domains such as Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, Psychoticism, and Anankastia, contribute to difficulties in emotional regulation, interpersonal relationships, and occupational functioning. While increasing evidence suggests that personality traits can change over time, longitudinal research examining within-person fluctuations in maladaptive traits during psychotherapy remains limited. Methods: This preregistered longitudinal study investigates the dynamic interplay between maladaptive personality domains and treatment outcomes in patients undergoing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A total of 200 participants will be recruited from an Italian outpatient psychotherapy service and assessed across five time points over one year (baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months). At each point, participants will complete validated self-report measures of personality domains and clinical symptoms (anxiety, depression, psychosocial functioning). The study will use Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models to examine reciprocal relationships between personality traits and clinical outcomes while distinguishing between within-person fluctuations and between-person differences. Latent Growth Curve Models will be used to assess mean-level change in personality traits over time. An exploratory analysis will examine whether patients show the greatest change in the trait domain most elevated at baseline. Discussion: This study will provide novel insights into the temporal dynamics of maladaptive personality traits during CBT and their association with therapeutic change. Identifying which traits change most significantly – and whether these changes predict symptom improvement – may inform the development of more personalized interventions. The findings may also guide clinical decision-making by highlighting which personality factors influence treatment trajectories, ultimately supporting better planning and outcomes for patients with elevated maladaptive traits.

https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941251358219

ABSTRACT
La concettualizzazione del caso è un elemento fondamentale della terapia cognitiva e comportamentale, che consente di organizzare le informazioni portate dal paziente allo scopo di ricavare una formulazione dei problemi e pianificare un intervento adeguato. La letteratura evidenzia una notevole frammentazione in questo ambito, che si traduce nella coesistenza di varie modalità di concettualizzazione, ognuna delle quali è spesso ancorata a uno specifico modello di cura. In questo panorama nasce il modello LIBET (Life and Themes Implication Biased: Elicitation and Treatment), allo scopo di fornire uno strumento di concettualizzazione del caso svincolato da specifici approcci terapeutici, che consideri elementi storicamente contemplati dalla terapia cognitiva e comportamentale, unitamente ad aspetti evolutivi e processuali. Obiettivo di questo studio è offrire un contributo alla validazione del questionario per la concettualizzazione LIBET (LIBET-Q) attraverso un confronto tra popolazione clinica e non clinica. Lo studio ha dimostrato differenze significative nei due gruppi nelle variabili processuali, a dimostrazione della sensibilità dello strumento. Le variabili processuali inoltre sono risultate predittori significativi di livelli di ansia e depressione nella popolazione clinica. Le conclusioni sottolineano l’utilità di uno strumento per la concettualizzazione che agevoli la pratica clinica e favorisca l’alleanza di lavoro tra terapeuta e paziente.

https://doi.org/10.14605/PCC3112502

ABSTRACT
Case conceptualization in psychotherapy allows clinicians to hypothesize the origins of patients’ difficulties and to plan interventions. The LIBET model (Life and Themes Implication Biased: Elicitation and Treatment, Sassaroli et al., 2022) is a cognitive-behavioral framework designed to construct a case conceptualization. The present study aims to investigate differences in the dimensions assessed by the LIBET model among individuals without a diagnosis, those with symptomatic disorders, and those with comorbid personality disorders. A total of 738 participants completed a psychological assessment, which included semi-structured interviews, LIBET-Questionnaire, and self-report instruments. Findings revealed group differences in the selection of strategies used to manage psychological distress, as well as significant differences across three out of the four metacognitive axes included in the LIBET model. Metacognitive axes were found to be correlated with personality rigidity and potential predictors of psychosocial wellbeing, supporting the model’s sensitivity. The study presents limitations primarily related to participant recruitment and research design. Further studies will be required to enhance the validation of the LIBET model. Nonetheless, the LIBET-Questionnaire appears to be a promising tool for assessment purposes and for monitoring therapeutic progress. It can help identify phases of improvement or lack of progress and guide adjustments to the treatment plan within a shared therapeutic framework.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-025-00634-w

ABSTRACT
Using the Elaborated Intrusion Theory of Desire and the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model of psychopathology as bases, this study explored whether metacognitive beliefs and desire thinking (DT) are associated with higher levels of Compulsive Sexual Behavior (CSB). A total of 1185 participants from the general population were included in the study (mean ± SD age = 25.32 years ± 5.58; age range = 18–19 years; females = 76.7 %). Metacognitive beliefs, DT, CSB, anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed. Correlation analyses and path analyses were run. Results of the path analysis showed that positive metacognitive beliefs about DT were associated with DT-Imaginal Prefiguration (DT-IP), which in turn was positively associated with DT-Verbal Perseveration (DT-VP). The latter was strongly and positively associated with negative metacognitive beliefs about DT, which in turn was linked to CSB. Moreover, DT-VP was also found to be directly linked to the outcome variable and positive metacognitive beliefs about DT were also directly linked to DT-VP and negative metacognitive beliefs about DT. The total Coefficient of Determination (0.45) indicated a good fit to the observed data. Metacognitive beliefs and DT may be potential maintenance factors in CSB. Metacognitive beliefs and DT could also be considered as potential therapeutic targets in clinical interventions aimed at reducing the severity of CSB.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108214

ABSTRACT
La seguente revisione sistematica ha l’obiettivo di esplorare l’associazione dello stile genitoriale sul rischio suicidario in adolescenza. Per raccogliere e analizzare i dati, sono state seguite le linee guida PRISMA 2020. La ricerca della letteratura è stata condotta durante marzo 2023, utilizzando il database PubMed, che ha prodotto un totale di 100 articoli, dai quali sono stati selezionati un totale di 7 studi in linea con i criteri di eleggibilità. I risultati della revisione sistematica hanno mostrato che lo stile genitoriale autoritario è quello più significativamente associato al rischio suicidario adolescenziale. Allo stile autoritario segue lo stile genitoriale trascurate/rifiutante, e infine, con un impatto minore sul rischio suicidario in età adolescenziale, lo stile permissivo. Lo stile autorevole, al contrario, ha mostrato un effetto protettivo rispetto a questo rischio. In merito ai limiti della revisione sistematica, si evidenzia che i risultati possono mostrare poca coerenza tra loro, per sistematiche misinterpretazioni derivate dal substrato culturale a cui l’individuo fa riferimento e dalla scarsità di ricerche scientifiche disponibili sul tema. In conclusione, sarebbe auspicabile che la ricerca futura si focalizzasse sugli stili genitoriali significativamente associati al suicidio adolescenziale.

https://doi.org/10.14605/PCC3132502

• The Italian version of the MSQ is a suitable clinical tool that may help clinicians assess specific metacognitions about smoking.
• Higher endorsement of metacognitions about smoking may be associated with more severe nicotine/cigarette dependence.
• Higher endorsement of metacognitions about smoking may be associated with more severe emotional distress.
• Assessing metacognitions about smoking may allow clinicians to gain a clearer understanding of treatment trajectories among smokers.
• Metacognitions about smoking may be a suitable therapeutic target to maximize clinical outcomes among smokers.

ABSTRACT
Body awareness consists of aesthetic body image, functional body image, and interoception. Previous studies indicated a link between these components of body awareness and mental health. This study aims to clarify the relationship among these variables during the period of pubertal body changes. As puberty progresses, individuals’ perceptions of their bodies shift, which has been associated with a decline in mental health, according to the existing literature. To investigate this issue, a sample of 294 post-pubertal adolescents assigned female at birth completed assessments related to body awareness, mental health, psychosomatic symptoms, gender congruence, and eating disorders. A network analysis was conducted to illustrate the intricate interactions among the observed variables, and a mediation model was utilised to explore how body image influences overall health, with interoception and functional body image acting as mediators. The study identifies three key variables—body image, mental health, and interoception—as central within the network. Additionally, functional body image was significantly associated with other variables in the study. Ultimately, both direct and indirect effects of body image on mental health were found, mediated through interoception and functional body image. The clinical implications emphasise the importance of enhancing awareness of bodily sensations and functions to support psychological well-being, particularly during a developmental stage characterised by challenges related to body image due to rapid changes in puberty.

https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5020014

ABSTRACT
Background: Metacognition refers to the ability to reflect on and regulate cognitive processes. Despite advances in neuroimaging and lesion studies, its neural correlates, as well as their interplay with other cognitive domains, remain poorly understood. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is proposed as a potential substrate for metacognitive processing due to its contribution to evaluating and integrating reward-related information, decision-making, and self-monitoring. Methods: This study examined OFC involvement in metacognition using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while participants performed a two-alternative forced choice task with confidence ratings to assess their metacognitive sensitivity. Before stimulation, the subjects completed the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 and a monetary intertemporal choice task for the quantification of delay discounting. Results: Linear mixed-effects models showed that anodal tDCS over the left OFC reduced participants’ metacognitive sensitivity compared to sham stimulation, leaving perceptual decision-making accuracy unaffected. Moreover, real stimulation increased self-reported confidence ratings compared to the sham. Significant correlations were found between metacognitive sensitivity and negative beliefs about thinking. Conclusions: These results highlight the potential involvement of the OFC in the processing of retrospective second-order judgments about decision-making performance. Additionally, they support the notion that OFC overstimulation contributes to metacognitive dysfunctions detected in clinical conditions, such as difficulties in assessing the reliability of one’s thoughts and decision outcomes.

https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071522

ABSTRACT
The use of dietary supplements is widespread among athletes and physically active individuals, yet their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains insufficiently understood. This study investigated the associations between supplement use, physical activity patterns, and HRQoL in a heterogeneous sample of 537 adults engaged in sports at amateur, professional, or recreational levels. Participants completed an online survey assessing demographics, supplement use, physical activity habits, and quality of life using the SF-36 questionnaire. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and independent-samples t-tests to explore relationships between supplement use, body mass index (BMI), motivational variables, and HRQoL outcomes. Results indicated that 46.7% of participants reported consuming at least one supplement or substance, with an average of 1.91 products. The primary motivations included performance enhancement (30.7%) and combined performance and aesthetic goals (12.1%). A significant association emerged between supplement use and the consistency of physical activity over time, as well as the individual’s motivation for engaging in exercise. Participants who maintained stable activity levels and those driven by performance or competitive motives were more likely to use supplements. In contrast, individuals exercising primarily for physical and psychological health were less likely to report supplement use. When comparing HRQoL scores, supplement users showed significantly lower levels of impairment due to emotional issues (RE), social functioning (SF), and bodily pain (BP). Among these variables, only Bodily Pain presented a small effect size, suggesting a meaningful difference between users and non-users. These findings highlight that while supplements are commonly used in athletic contexts, their association with improved quality of life is limited, and may even reflect attempts to manage physical discomfort. Further research is needed to clarify the directionality of these relationships and inform safe and evidence-based consumption.

https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13090321

ABSTRACT
Background/Objectives: The psychological well-being of athletes has garnered increasing interest due to its strong association with physical performance. While somatic indicators such as Body Mass Index (BMI) are routinely monitored in sports, the role of psychological resources—especially coping strategies—in shaping Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the influence of psychological and physical factors on HRQoL among amateur and professional athletes, controlling for sex, age, and BMI.Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted, involving 537 athletes (326 males, 211 females; mean age = 32.44, SD = 13.64), aged 18–76 years. Participants were recruited via online platforms and sports organizations and completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, including the SF-36 to assess HRQoL and the COPE-NVI-25 to evaluate coping strategies. BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the relative contributions of demographic, anthropometric, and psychological variables to HRQoL.Results: Demographic variables and BMI explained a limited proportion of the variance in HRQoL. In contrast, coping strategies significantly contributed to HRQoL outcomes, accounting for up to 22.5% of the variance in the global SF-36 score. Positive attitude and social support were associated with better physical and mental health, while avoidance strategies showed consistent negative associations across all HRQoL dimensions.Conclusion: Adaptive coping strategies, particularly positive attitude and social support, play a pivotal role in enhancing athletes’ HRQoL, surpassing the influence of BMI, sex, and age. These findings support the development of tailored psychological interventions to foster athlete wellbeing across competitive levels.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1626037

ABSTRACT
Background: Depression during pregnancy and postpartum can severely impact psychological and physical well-being, with significant consequences for the child and family. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of online interventions during pregnancy in reducing postpartum depressive symptoms and enhancing well-being.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English involving pregnant women over 18 years old who participated in online interventions, with or without the support of a health worker, were included. Studies were required to use validated measures for depression and well-being assessed during pregnancy and postpartum. Exclusion criteria comprised literature reviews, meta-analyses, theses, self-help groups and assessment of symptomatology during the period concurrent with maternity blues. A search was conducted using PubMed and EBSCOhost databases, concluding on July 29, 2024. The risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2.

Results: Eighteen studies with a total of 9,565 participants met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 38.8% involved clinical populations. Variability was noted in theoretical models, gestational age, professional involvement, and intervention activities. The overall effect size was significant (Cohen’s d = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.66; p = 0.0114) with greater efficacy observed in studies using treatment as usual (TAU) as a control and those incorporating relaxation and physical activity.

Discussion: Limitations include the absence of standardized protocols and uncertainties regarding long-term efficacy. Although the findings suggest potential effectiveness of online interventions in reducing depressive symptoms, further research is required to address gaps in the existing evidence.

Other: The study received no funding and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023420999).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-025-01575-0

ABSTRACT
Psychiatric conditions can affect the experience of pain. Several reports indicate that Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with an increased pain threshold, while Anxiety Disorders (ADs) may amplify the perception of pain. However, available data on the nociceptive threshold in these psychiatric conditions are controversial. This meta-analysis examines: 1) the nociceptive threshold among people diagnosed with MDD or ADs compared to healthy controls, and 2) the available evidence that pharmacological treatments affect these relationships. Electronic searches were conducted in PubMed and PsycINFO between June 2022 and December 2024. A total of 25 studies were included. “Pain threshold” measurement was considered as a direct comparison between subjects affected by MDD or ADs (both medicated and unmedicated) and healthy control subjects. For each study, the effect size (ES) was calculated, with a positive ES indicating a lower pain threshold. The heterogeneity of the specific set of effect sizes and the effects of selected moderators were tested using the I² index and the Q statistic. Results indicated that patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) had a higher pain threshold (ES: −0.60), while those with Anxiety Disorders (ADs) had a lower pain threshold (ES: −0.34) compared to healthy controls. These findings were confirmed when analyses were limited to studies of unmedicated patients. Exploratory analyses restricted to studies containing medicated MDD patients were inconclusive, and for medicated ADs patients, analyses were not possible due to insufficient data. These meta-analytic data support higher pain threshold associated with MDD, and lower pain threshold associated with ADs.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106014

ABSTRACT
Data on the genetic and environmental factors underlying the co-occurrence of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Emotional Dysregulation (ED) are limited. This study aimed to explore the nature of the associations between CDS, ADHD with ED, and to assess the role of shared etiological factors in explaining their comorbidity. We analyzed a sample of 400 Italian twin pairs aged 8–18, from Northern Italy and enrolled in the Italian Twin Registry. Bivariate genetic analyses were conducted using parent-rated CBCL scores for CDS, ADHD, and ED. For both CDS–ED and ADHD–ED associations, the best-fitting models were Cholesky AE models (−2LL = −849.167 and −339.030, respectively; p > 0.05), suggesting that the covariation was mainly due to additive genetic factors (CDS–ED—A = 0.81, 95% CI [0.66–0.95]; ADHD–ED—A = 0.86, 95% CI [0.75–0.95]). More than half of the genes were shown to be shared among the phenotypes. Non-shared environmental contributions were smaller (CDS–ED—E = 0.19, 95% CI [0.05–0.34]; ADHD–ED—E = 0.14, 95% CI [0.05–0.25]), indicating interrelated but distinct constructs. Despite some limitations, particularly the exclusive use of the CBCL, findings highlight the importance of monitoring ED symptoms in individuals with CDS or ADHD, and vice versa.

https://doi.org/10.3390/mps8040094

ABSTRACT
Coping strategies are essential for adolescents’ socio-emotional well-being and academic success. This study aims to explore the predictive role of temperament traits, parental care, and overprotection in shaping adolescents’ coping strategies. A cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 1,195 Italian adolescents aged 14–18 years. Stepwise regression analyses were conducted to identify significant predictors of coping strategies. Findings revealed that temperament traits, particularly depressive and cyclothymic temperaments, were the strongest predictors of coping strategies. High parental care perceived by adolescents promoted adaptive coping strategies such as Social Support and Problem Solving, whereas lower parental care levels perceived by adolescents were linked to Avoidance coping strategies. Temperament traits play a more prominent role than parenting in shaping adolescents’ coping strategies, suggesting that interventions should focus on biological predispositions while fostering a supportive ­family environment.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2025.2599530

ABSTRACT
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in later life poses a substantial burden on public health and social care systems. However, research in this population remains scarce. In this Personal View, we review the current state of research on PTSD and ageing, as presented by the On Traumatic Stress and Ageing: A Global Network task force, part of the Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress. Evidence-based knowledge on PTSD in older (aged 60 years or older) trauma survivors was synthesised across four clinical domains: ageing mechanisms, assessment, treatment, and care. 142 publications were reviewed to integrate available evidence and establish consensus-based research priorities. The findings highlight the urgent need for high-quality research across all four domains on older trauma survivors. Future studies should focus on older under-represented groups, such as women; individuals with multiple comorbidities, including neurocognitive disorders; and populations in low-income and middle-income countries. Using standard diagnostic instruments, establishing clinically meaningful functional outcomes, and engagement of people with lived experience should be prioritised to be applied in future research.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100720

ABSTRACT
Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome frequently associated with severe pain, sleep disturbances, worry, and depressive rumination. Although previous studies have shown links among these factors, no study has specifically examined the mediating role of sleep disturbances in the relationship between forms of Repetitive Negative Thinking (i.e., worry and rumination) and pain intensity. This study aimed to investigate whether sleep disturbances mediate the relationship between: (1) worry and pain intensity and (2) depressive rumination and pain intensity. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 867 Italian adults who reported having received an FM diagnosis from a rheumatologist or pain physician. After screening, 733 participants (97.3% female; mean age = 51.0 ± 9.95 years) were included in the analyses. Participants completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, the Ruminative Response Scale, the Brief Pain Inventory, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Mediation analyses were performed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4). Results: Depressive rumination was associated with pain intensity both directly (B = 0.021, 95% Confidence Intervals [CIs] 0.012, 0.030) and indirectly through sleep disturbances (B = 0.014, 95% CIs 0.010, 0.020), indicating partial mediation. In contrast, worry showed no direct effect on pain intensity (B = 0.011, 95% CIs −0.003, 0.025) but demonstrated a significant indirect effect via sleep disturbances (B = 0.018, 95% CIs 0.012, 0.025), consistent with full mediation. Conclusions: Pain intensity, sleep quality, worry, and depressive rumination are interrelated in FM. Depressive rumination plays a particularly strong role in pain perception, independent of sleep quality. Interventions that integrate cognitive–behavioral and metacognitive strategies with sleep-focused treatments may help improve both sleep and pain outcomes in individuals with FM.

https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14207267

ABSTRACT
Combining cognitive or behavioral interventions with non-invasive brain stimulation techniques has shown promising yet preliminary results for improving clinical symptoms across several disorders. This study aims to investigate the possibility of augmenting the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy (MCT), a third-wave cognitive-behavioral intervention, through tDCS in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and individuals with high levels of anxiety (HA). The two populations share high levels of repetitive negative thinking (RNT), a dysfunctional thinking style characterized by being repetitive, difficult to control, and focused on negative content. According to MCT, RNT contributes to the emergence and maintenance of psychopathology and, therefore, represents the psychotherapy intervention target.
We ran two independent randomized sham-controlled trials, including 30 MDD patients and 42 HA. In both studies, real or sham tDCS was administered concurrently with the attention training technique, which is a core exercise of MCT. The treatment lasted 8 weeks, with MCT sessions held once per week by a psychotherapist. TDCS was delivered three times a week for the first three weeks and then once weekly. The anode was positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC), and the cathode over the contralateral supraorbital area. Self-report questionnaires measuring anxiety, depressive symptoms, and RNT features were administered before and after the treatment and at four follow-ups: two weeks, three, six, and twelve months after the end of the treatment.
Preliminary findings showed a robust and stable reduction in symptoms after the treatment, confirming MCT’s effectiveness as a transdiagnostic intervention. Moreover, in line with previous evidence, tDCS effectiveness did not emerge immediately after the intervention but at later follow-ups, reducing the experienced RNT three and six months after the end of the treatment.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2024.12.681

ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to examine the metacognitive model in explaining adolescent problematic mobile phone use (PMPU). A total of 1469 Chinese adolescents participated in the study, completing a series of self-report questionnaires designed to assess metacognitions about desire thinking, desire thinking, craving, and PMPU. Structural equation modeling revealed that desire thinking and craving partially mediated the relationship between positive metacognitions about desire thinking and PMPU; negative metacognitions about desire thinking partially mediated this relationship. Additionally, desire thinking and negative metacognitions about desire thinking jointly partially mediated the relationship between positive metacognitions about desire thinking and PMPU. The study’s findings highlight the significant role of metacognitions in influencing PMPU, providing valuable insights for both research and practice in understanding and intervening in adolescent PMPU.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-025-08138-7

ABSTRACT

The developing domain of mental health in sports has gained much interest, acknowledging its pivotal role in athlete performance and well-being. The aim of this research is to provide a quantitative description concerning the levels of mental health, physical activity, cognitive fusion, cognitive flexibility, and coping strategies that characterize rugby athletes by using a data-driven approach. A total of 92 rugby athletes took part in this study and filled out a set of self-administered questionnaires. A correlational analysis showed that general well-being was positively associated with years spent playing rugby (r = 0.23) and coping mechanisms (r = 0.29). Athletes’ well-being was also negatively correlated with cognitive inflexibility (r = −0.41) and cognitive fusion (r = −0.39). A k-means cluster analysis identified two unique groups: group 1, characterized by higher levels of psychological well-being, lower levels of physical activity, greater cognitive flexibility, improved coping techniques, and reduced cognitive fusion, and group 2, which exhibits opposite characteristics. The discrepancies observed in psychological characteristics such as coping strategies, cognitive fusion, and cognitive inflexibility highlight their potential impact on the general health of rugby players. To comprehend the complex interplay between psychological and physical elements in rugby athletes, long-term studies with larger samples are crucial.

https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14030292

ABSTRACT

Tic disorders (TDs) are neurodevelopmental conditions which affect 0.3–0.9% of individuals aged < 18 years. Although tics often improve or resolve spontaneously over time, treatment is often recommended. Pharmacological approaches are widely used as primary interventions. However, their side effects encouraged the development and the interest in nonpharmacological approaches, whose efficacy in pediatric populations remains poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments for children and adolescents with TDs. A literature review was performed using PubMed, EBSCOhost, and JABA databases up to 16 May 2024. Eligible articles were randomized controlled trials, written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals, investigating the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments in pediatric populations diagnosed with TDs. Significant evidence supported the efficacy of behavioral interventions such as the Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), its reduced version the Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT), and the Exposure and Relapse Prevention (ERP) in reducing tics and tic-related impairment among young people, as assessed through the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale. Behavioral interventions were generally effective in reducing tics, although some studies reported higher effects on motor tics when compared to vocal tics. High level of efficacy was observed for both face-to-face and online treatments. While future studies are needed to improve treatment effects, especially on vocal tics, as well as to have a better understanding of treatment components and modalities, taken together, the present findings support the use of nonpharmacological intervention for TDs in youth.

https://doi.org/10.3390/app14209466

Objectives: Approximately one-third of bariatric surgery patients experience weight regain or suboptimal weight loss within five years post-surgery. Pathological eating styles and psychopathological traits (e.g., emotion dysregulation) are recognized as potential hindrances to sustain weight loss efforts and are implicated in obesity development. A comprehensive understanding of these variables and their interplays is still lacking, despite their potential significance in developing more effective clinical interventions for bariatric patients. We investigate the prevalence of and interactions between pathological eating styles and psychopathological traits in this population.

Materials and methods: 110 bariatric surgery candidates were characterized using the Binge Eating Scale (BES), Hamilton Depression/Anxiety Scales (HAM-D/A), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). We analyzed these variables with multiple logistic regression analyses and network analysis.

Results: Patients with pathological eating styles showed more pronounced anxiety/depressive symptoms and emotion dysregulation. Network analysis revealed strong connections between BES and DERS, with DERS also displaying robust connections with HAM-A/D and ECR scales. DERS and attention impulsivity (BIS-11-A) emerged as the strongest nodes in the network.

Discussion: Our findings demonstrate the mediating role of emotion dysregulation between pathological eating styles and psychopathological traits, supporting existing literature on the association between psychopathological traits, insecure attachment styles, and pathological eating behaviors. This research emphasizes the significance of emotion regulation in the complex network of variables contributing to obesity, and its potential impact on bariatric surgery outcomes. Interventions focusing on emotion regulation may thus lead to improved clinical outcomes for bariatric patients.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1495351

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Approximately one-third of bariatric surgery patients experience weight regain or suboptimal weight loss within five years post-surgery. Pathological eating styles and psychopathological traits (e.g., emotion dysregulation) are recognized as potential hindrances to sustain weight loss efforts and are implicated in obesity development. A comprehensive understanding of these variables and their interplays is still lacking, despite their potential significance in developing more effective clinical interventions for bariatric patients. We investigate the prevalence of and interactions between pathological eating styles and psychopathological traits in this population.

Materials and methods: 110 bariatric surgery candidates were characterized using the Binge Eating Scale (BES), Hamilton Depression/Anxiety Scales (HAM-D/A), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). We analyzed these variables with multiple logistic regression analyses and network analysis.

Results: Patients with pathological eating styles showed more pronounced anxiety/depressive symptoms and emotion dysregulation. Network analysis revealed strong connections between BES and DERS, with DERS also displaying robust connections with HAM-A/D and ECR scales. DERS and attention impulsivity (BIS-11-A) emerged as the strongest nodes in the network.

Discussion: Our findings demonstrate the mediating role of emotion dysregulation between pathological eating styles and psychopathological traits, supporting existing literature on the association between psychopathological traits, insecure attachment styles, and pathological eating behaviors. This research emphasizes the significance of emotion regulation in the complex network of variables contributing to obesity, and its potential impact on bariatric surgery outcomes. Interventions focusing on emotion regulation may thus lead to improved clinical outcomes for bariatric patients.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1369720

ABSTRACT

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating mental illness, and it is considered to be one of the leading causes of disability globally. The etiology of MDD is multifactorial, involving an interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors. Early life represents a critical period for development. Exposure to adverse childhood experiences is a major contributor to the global burden of disease and disability, doubling the risk of developing MDD later in life. Evidence suggests that stressful events experienced during that timeframe play a major role in the emergence of MDD, leading to epigenetic modifications, which might, in turn, influence brain structure, function, and behavior. Neuroplasticity seems to be a primary pathogenetic mechanism of MDD, and, similarly to epigenetic mechanisms, it is particularly sensitive to stress in the early postnatal period. In this review, we will collect and discuss recent studies supporting the role of epigenetics and neuroplasticity in the pathogenesis of MDD, with a focus on early life stress (ELS). We believe that understanding the epigenetic mechanisms by which ELS affects neuroplasticity offers potential pathways for identifying novel therapeutic targets for MDD, ultimately aiming to improve treatment outcomes for this debilitating disorder.

https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14100882

ABSTRACT

The assessment of personality pathology based on dimensional models may improve self–other agreement, but previous research mainly adopted a categorical approach and overlooked the role of the person of the therapist. Our study examined patient–clinician agreement in a mixed sample of Italian outpatients using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and the PID-5-Informant Form (PID-5-IRF). Moreover, the role of clinician personality traits on agreement was preliminary explored. Sixty-eight outpatients (51.4% male, M = 30.30, SD = 12.05 years) and their treating clinicians (N = 22; 77.3% female, M = 43.77 ± 8.45 years) entered the study. Patients completed the PID-5, whereas clinicians filled-in the PID-5-Brief Form (PID-5-BF) and the PID-5-IRF for each patient they involved. A multilevel Bayesian analysis showed that rank–order agreement was large for domains (mean r = .60) and moderate for facets (mean r = .44). As regards mean-level agreement, patient ratings on cognitive/perceptual dysregulation, distractibility, eccentricity, and emotional lability were higher than clinician ratings, whereas patients’ scores on depressivity were lower than clinicians’ ones. Scores on the PID-5-BF detachment positively predicted agreement on anhedonia, anxiousness, depressivity, distractibility, separation insecurity, and suspiciousness, while scores on the PID-5-BF negative affectivity, antagonism, and disinhibition negatively predicted agreement on few specific facets. Current findings suggest that clinician personality traits may contribute to agreement on maladaptive personality traits, but areas of discrepancies remain in case of low observable internal ones. Since patient–clinician agreement is crucially involved in therapeutic alliance, further research on this issue is highly encouraged. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

https://doi.org/10.1037/per0000639

ABSTRACT

This study explored the relationships among psychological, relational, and sexual factors and their impact on sexual satisfaction among Italian women during the COVID-19 lockdown. Data were collected via an online survey with 3803 participants. The survey assessed mental health, relationship quality, frequency of sexual intercourse, frequency of masturbation, body awareness, and sexual satisfaction. Correlation analyses revealed positive relationships among all the variables and negative relationships with low mental health. A network analysis showed that sexual satisfaction was the most central variable, strongly linked to relationship quality, frequency of sexual intercourse, and body awareness. An exploratory mediation model examined the indirect effects of mental health and frequency of masturbation on sexual satisfaction through the other variables as mediators. The results indicated that mental health negatively influenced sexual satisfaction both directly and indirectly through relationship quality and body awareness, while frequency of masturbation had a positive indirect effect through body awareness. These findings highlight the complex interplay among mental health, body awareness, relational factors, and sexual satisfaction, emphasizing the importance of holistic approaches in enhancing sexual well-being. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to establish causality and explore interventions that promote positive body awareness and relationship quality.

https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes5040031

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Preschool Anxiety Scale-Revised (PAS-R), a parent-reported measure of their preschool child’s anxiety symptoms. The participants were mothers of 279 Italian preschoolers (age 2–7 years, M = 4.5 years). According to information criteria derived from a confirmatory factor analysis, the four originally identified factors (generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, specific fears) provided the best fit to the data. Reliability was excellent for the total score and acceptable for the subscales. PAS-R total score showed moderate correlation with internalizing subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and of the Child Behavior Checklist and weak correlation with the externalizing subscale of the SDQ, demonstrating convergent and concurrent validity, respectively. Test–retest reliability of the PAS-R was good after 1 month. The results suggest good psychometric properties of the Italian PAS-R, although its factor structure needs further investigation with different samples.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2023.2250120

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Background

METHODS

RESULTS

ABSTRACT

Surveys of the Italian population typically assess general sexual behaviors (e.g., oral, vaginal and anal intercourse). However, little is known about other sexual behavior such as rough sexual behaviors, choking and slapping. Thus, an online cross-sectional survey of 4618 Italian participants was conducted. In the past month, the most prevalent sexual behaviors were solo masturbation (93.6%), partner masturbation (80.0%), oral sex (71.4% received, 75.9% performed), penile–vaginal intercourse (75.7%) and anal intercourse (12.5% received, 7.1% performed). Regarding rough sexual behaviors, the most common behaviors performed were spanking (23.3% received, 55.5% performed), choking (13.2% receive, 60.0% performed), slapping (30.1% received, 20.9% performed) and name calling (44.5% received, 37.0% performed). Our results suggest a gender difference where men and transgender/non-binary individuals perform more rough sexual behaviors compared to women. Moreover, regarding the role of consent in behaviors such as choking and slapping, our results highlight the importance of sexual and affective education to implement sexual assertiveness. In conclusion, this study adds knowledge to the limited literature on this topic, especially with respect to the Italian population.

https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes5020005

ABSTRACT

Twin studies are cutting-edge design methodologies proper to behavioral genetics that aim to investigate how the interplay between genetic and environmental factors can concur to explain individual differences in psychopathology, temperamental traits, and behavior. This particular research design has been widely applied to the study of comorbidity between internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) symptoms, especially in childhood and adolescence. Notably, the high co-occurrence of symptoms of both these diagnostic domains has led to the hypothesis that at their basis, there might be one single latent common susceptibility factor, namely p factor. Twin studies have contributed to marking a relevant turning point in this regard by highlighting the consistent genetic nature of this factor. In light of these premises, the present narrative review aims to outline the path for future twin studies in investigating the comorbidity between Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) and INT-EXT disorders, examining the evidence supporting this need and its clinical implications. Since CDS has not been recognized as a stand-alone syndrome until very recently, research on this condition is still in its infancy and the etiological factors at the basis of its comorbidity with INT-EXT are still unclear. Being aware of the causal factors underneath the comorbidity between INT-EXT might pave the way for improving assessment diagnostic procedures as well as setting up preventive interventions for CDS.

https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/jtgg.2023.51

ABSTRACT

The frequency with which Internalizing and Externalizing symptoms co-occur suggests that, behind both domains, there may be a common susceptibility represented by a general psychopathology factor. However, it’s still unclear whether this common susceptibility is affected by age-related variations. Internalizing (i.e., Fear and Distress) and Externalizing symptoms were evaluated in 803 twin pairs from the population-based Italian Twin Registry. Model-fitting analysis was performed separately in the 6–14 and 15–18 age groups to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to the covariance among symptoms. For the 6–14 group, a multivariate Cholesky model best fitted the data, while, for the 15–18 group, the best fit was provided by a Common Pathway model in which nearly 50% of total variance of each trait was mediated by common genetic factors. Our findings support a common susceptibility behind Internalizing and Externalizing symptoms, mainly genetic in origin, that becomes more evident at the beginning of puberty.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01498-w

Introduction: Parents vary in their gradual adaptation to the demands of caring for an autistic child. Their experiences can be positive, negative, or a combination of both, depending on the severity of the cases and various personal and social factors. Cross-cultural comparisons can aid in understanding how contextual factors, such as the availability of social and health services, and cultural factors, such as family relationships and the distribution of care burden, may influence the caregiving experience. However, there is a limited amount of cross-cultural research on this topic, which is almost exclusively quantitative.

Aims and methods: From an ecocultural perspective, our interview-based study aimed to explore the experiences of Australian (15) and Italian (11) parents of autistic children living in their respective countries.

Results: The analysis identified three main themes. Life through autism, autism through life: coexisting with an unexpected life partner, Parenting autistic children: reorganization of parents’ subjectivity and familiar dynamics, and The unseen side of disability: autism communities between inclusion and segregation.

Discussion: Our comparative approach reveals both commonalities and differences between the two groups of participants. The similarities support features previously identified in the literature: the emotional and physical burden on parents and the positive impact on parental identity. The differences relate to the diagnostic process, interactions with health professionals, the impact of autism on family dynamics and parental perspectives, and the role assigned to siblings. Despite facing similar challenges, these differences reveal how Italian and Australian parents articulate different understandings linked to social and cultural differences.

ABSTRACT

Problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) has become a worldwide phenomenon with negative impacts on adolescents’ daily lives. While self-control has been shown to be related to PMPU, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of this association. Based on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model and the strength model of self-control, the current study aims to examine the association between self-control and PMPU, to identify the indirect role of craving, and to determine whether and how the two components of desire thinking exert differential moderating effects. A sample of 1424 adolescents was recruited to complete the scales of self-control, craving, desire thinking, and PMPU. The results suggested that self-control was indirectly associated with PMPU through craving. Furthermore, this indirect association was moderated by verbal perseveration, rather than imaginal prefiguration. Specifically, the indirect association was stronger for adolescents with higher verbal perseveration. The findings deepen our understanding of how self-control is related to PMPU and distinguish the effects of two components of desire thinking among adolescents.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.09.004

ABSTRACT

L’articolo descrive il caso di una paziente di 17 anni che, a seguito di una scialoadenite, inizia a manifestare i sintomi di un acufene, ovvero la percezione di un suono avvertito in assenza di uno stimolo acustico esterno; questo sintomo è associato alla presenza di ansia e difficoltà relazionali. È stato progettato un trattamento secondo il modello dell’Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) con l’obiettivo di favorire l’adattamento attraverso l’incremento della flessibilità psicologica. Inoltre, tramite un training dell’assertività, sono state affrontate le difficoltà comunicative e relazionali. L’esito della terapia è caratterizzato dalla remissione dell’acufene e una significativa diminuzione della sintomatologia ansiosa, accompagnata da un miglioramento della sfera relazionale. In questo caso i risultati sostengono l’ACT come un trattamento utile per affrontare i problemi psicologici secondari associati al tinnito.

DOI: 10.14605/PCC3022405

ABSTRACT

Background: Diagnosis of child and adolescent psychopathologies involves a multifaceted approach, integrating clinical observations, behavioral assessments, medical history, cognitive testing, and familial context information. Digital technologies, especially internet-based platforms for administering caregiver-rated questionnaires, are increasingly used in this field, particularly during the screening phase. The ascent of digital platforms for data collection has propelled advanced psychopathology classification methods such as supervised machine learning (ML) into the forefront of both research and clinical environments. This shift, recently called psycho-informatics, has been facilitated by gradually incorporating computational devices into clinical workflows. However, an actual integration between telemedicine and the ML approach has yet to be fulfilled.

Objective: Under these premises, exploring the potential of ML applications for analyzing digitally collected data may have significant implications for supporting the clinical practice of diagnosing early psychopathology. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to exploit ML models for the classification of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using internet-based parent-reported socio-anamnestic data, aiming at obtaining accurate predictive models for new help-seeking families.

Methods: In this retrospective, single-center observational study, socio-anamnestic data were collected from 1688 children and adolescents referred for suspected neurodevelopmental conditions. The data included sociodemographic, clinical, environmental, and developmental factors, collected remotely through the first Italian internet-based screening tool for neurodevelopmental disorders, the Medea Information and Clinical Assessment On-Line (MedicalBIT). Random forest (RF), decision tree, and logistic regression models were developed and evaluated using classification accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and importance of independent variables.

Results: The RF model demonstrated robust accuracy, achieving 84% (95% CI 82-85; P<.001) for ADHD and 86% (95% CI 84-87; P<.001) for ASD classifications. Sensitivities were also high, with 93% for ADHD and 95% for ASD. In contrast, the DT and LR models exhibited lower accuracy (DT 74%, 95% CI 71-77; P<.001 for ADHD; DT 79%, 95% CI 77-82; P<.001 for ASD; LR 61%, 95% CI 57-64; P<.001 for ADHD; LR 63%, 95% CI 60-67; P<.001 for ASD) and sensitivities (DT: 82% for ADHD and 88% for ASD; LR: 62% for ADHD and 68% for ASD). The independent variables considered for classification differed in importance between the 2 models, reflecting the distinct characteristics of the 3 ML approaches.

Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of ML models, particularly RF, in enhancing the diagnostic process of child and adolescent psychopathology. Altogether, the current findings underscore the significance of leveraging digital platforms and computational techniques in the diagnostic process. While interpretability remains crucial, the developed approach might provide valuable screening tools for clinicians, highlighting the significance of embedding computational techniques in the diagnostic process.

https://doi.org/10.2196/54577

ABSTRACT

This study explores the interplay between executive functions and body weight, examining both the influence of biological factors, specifically sex, and methodological issues, such as the choice between Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as the primary anthropometric measure. A total of 386 participants (222 females, mean age = 45.98 years, SD = 17.70) were enrolled, from whom sociodemographic (sex, age, years of formal education) and anthropometric (BMI and WC) data were collected. Executive functions were evaluated using the Frontal Assessment Battery–15 (FAB15). The results showed the increased effectiveness of WC over BMI in examining the relationships between executive functions, sex differences, and body weight. In particular, this study revealed that there was a significant moderating effect of sex at comparable levels of executive functioning. Specifically, women with higher executive performance had lower WCs than their male counterparts, suggesting that executive function has a greater impact on WC in women than in men. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting more in-depth investigations of the complex relationship between cognitive deficits and weight gain, considering confounding variables of behavioral, psychobiological, and neurophysiological origin.

https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14030258

ABSTRACT

Grazie ai miglioramenti delle terapie e delle cure assistenziali per i tumori dell’infanzia negli ultimi decenni, la popolazione di lungo sopravviventi è in continuo aumento. La leucemia è la neoplasia più comune in età pediatrica e rappresenta il 25-30% di tutti i casi registrati annualmente. L’elevato tasso di sopravvivenza è accompagnato tuttavia da un rischio di eventi avversi tardivi, incidendo sulla qualità della vita, su morbilità e mortalità. Gli eventi cardiologici tardivi, in particolare da antracicline e radioterapia, sono tra i più frequenti. Questi dati dimostrano l’importanza del fenomeno e della reale necessità di impostare un valido programma di long-term follow-up (LT-FU) per lo screening e la diagnosi precoce dei late effects (LE). Si rafforza la necessità dell’adesione al “Passaporto del Guarito” come strategia per ottenere un follow-up il più possibile personalizzato, aggiornato secondo le conoscenze scientifiche e inserito nella base solida del contesto Europeo. Il ragazzo guarito da tumore pediatrico non è quindi certo una Chimera, ma piuttosto una splendida realtà.

https://www.fondazionevarenna.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FASCICOLO-1_2024_AdolescenzE.pdf

ABSTRACT

Obesity is a major public health challenge and results from the complex interaction of many etiopathogenetic factors. However, food-related hedonic stimuli and poor inhibitory control often appear to be specific maintenance factors, and conventional treatments are sometimes ineffective. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is emerging as a promising treatment option. Targeting specific brain regions, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, was found to be effective in modulating acute food craving and improving cognitive control. This review traces the evolution and development of transcranial magnetic stimulation and presents the results of recent randomized clinical trials conducted in obese subjects. These suggest that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and deep transcranial magnetic stimulation may be effective in reducing body weight, BMI and food cravings. The neural circuits involved and the underlying mechanisms of action of this neurostimulation technique are also reviewed. Finally, outstanding questions and future research directions are identified to further understand and develop this promising therapy.

https://doi.org/10.2174/011874205X309047240503104533

Background: Patients with advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) experience effort dyspnea despite maximal drug therapy. Respiratory BF (R-BF) uses sensors for monitoring of electrophysiological parameters and consisted in the patient’s progressive education in slow and deep breathing (1). We aim to assess if R-BF training in addition to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with optimal pharmacological therapy may determine a benefit on of effort dyspnea.

Methods: 17 stable COPD patients (all E group) with modified Medical Research Council(mMRC)>3 despite maximal pharmacological therapy were consecutively enrolled for 6 months and randomly divided into two groups: group 1, intervention group(PR+BF); group 2, control group(only PR). The study outcomes were: mMRC, BORG dyspnea, BARTHEL dyspnea, SPPB, 6-minute walk test distance (6MWD), St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), EuroQOL-5 Dimension Questionnaire (EQ-5D™), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA Test), The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS A and D)

Results: after rehabilitation, mMRC, BORG D, BARTHEL dyspnea and quality of life questionnarire increased in both groups. In addition, only group 1 showed improvement in 6MWD(p=0.041) and in cognitive domains(p=0.006), specifically in:Executive Functions(p=0.015), Memory(p=0.019), Language(p=0.045), Orientation(p=0.046)

Conclusions: R-BF does not provide additional benefit on dyspnea, but in combination with PR may promote additional benefits not only on motor but also cognitive outcomes in COPD patients with effort dyspnea despite optimal therapy

ABSTRACT

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a high-incidence neurobehavioral disorder that generally begins in childhood. Several factors play a role in its etiology, including genetic influence and auto-immune activation by streptococcal infections. In general, symptoms subside after the end of adolescence, but, in a significant number of patients, they remain in adulthood. In this study, we evaluated temporal variations in the two core clinical features of TS including tics and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. An observational longitudinal study lasting 15 months (2017–2019) was conducted on a cohort of 24 people recruited in Milan (Italy) who were diagnosed with a subtype of TS known as obsessive–compulsive tic disorder. Inclusion criteria included a global score of the Yale global tic severity scale (Y-GTSS) > 50, a Yale–Brown obsessive–compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) global score > 15, and TS onset at least one year prior. Y-GTSS and Y-BOCS data were acquired at six time points, together with local environmental data. Tics, but not OCD symptoms, were found to be more severe in spring and summer compared with winter and autumn (p < 0.001). Changes in tics displayed an appreciable oscillation pattern in the same subject and also a clear synchrony among different subjects, indicating an external orchestrating factor. Ambient temperature showed a significant correlation with Y-GTSS measurements (p < 0.001). We argue that the increase in tics observed during hot seasons can be related to increasing ambient temperature. We believe that our results can shed light on the seasonal dynamics of TS symptomatology and provide clues for preventing their worsening over the year.

https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12081668

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Although a probable association between metacognitive beliefs (also termed ‘metacognitions’) and emotion dysregulation has been suggested in the literature, the evidence is still sparse and inconclusive. The current study aims to present a comprehensive evaluation of the literature examining the association between metacognitive beliefs and emotion dysregulation. In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, a search was conducted on PubMed and Ebsco. A manual search of reference lists was also run. Search terms were ‘metacognitions/metacognitive beliefs/positive metacognitive beliefs/negative metacognitive beliefs/cognitive self-consciousness/beliefs about the need to control thoughts/cognitive confidence/negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger/AND difficulties emotion regulation/emotion dysregulation’. A total of 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. In both non-clinical and clinical populations, a higher endorsement of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs was found to be associated with emotion dysregulation and vice versa. A higher endorsement of metacognitive beliefs may be associated, either directly or via maladaptive forms of mental control (e.g., worry, rumination and suppression) to emotion dysregulation. Metacognitive beliefs could be the potential therapeutic target in clinical interventions aimed at reducing emotion regulation difficulties.

https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2961

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the possible mediating role of psychological flexibility in the association between fear of COVID-19, affective symptoms and well-being. 403 subjects were recruited; fear of COVID-19, psychological flexibility, affective symptoms and well-being were assessed via self-report measures. Correlation and mediation analyses were run. Psychological flexibility was found to play a mediating role in the association between fear of COVID-19 and more severe affective symptoms (adjusted R-squared = 52%, p < 0.001), and between fear of COVID-19 and poor well-being (adjusted R-squared = 41%, p < 0.001). Psychological flexibility may mitigate the negative impacts of fear of COVID-19 on affective symptoms and well-being Psychological flexibility could be the potential therapeutic target in clinical interventions aimed at reducing the adverse effects of fear of COVID-19 on mental health.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-024-00556-z

ABSTRACT

Studies investigating the effects of an increasing use of social media during the pandemic on youths’ wellbeing mainly focused on screen time or Internet addiction, with mixed results. The present study aimed at investigating adolescents’ social networks use, addressing the relationship between specific motivations and psychological outcomes, also considering exposure to adversities. 1195 Italian adolescents (14–18 years) were administered the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Internet Motives Questionnaire for Adolescents. Demographic information, exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and Covid-19-stressors, and social network use were also investigated. High levels of psychological difficulties were detected, with 49.2% of adolescents reporting abnormal emotional symptoms. Coping was the motivation to use social media that more strongly correlated with psychological problems. The hierarchical multiple linear regression model explained 28% of SDQ emotional symptoms: adverse childhood experiences and coping motivation represented the strongest predictors. According to the moderation model, high levels of ACEs score reduced the differential effect of coping motivation on emotional symptoms. In the pandemic context, using social media to handle difficult emotions represented a relevant risk factor for adolescents’ psychological health, especially for those with lower previous adverse events. Future research should further investigate these findings and their clinical implications.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05008-y

ABSTRACT

Iron is an essential element for the development and functionality of the brain, and anomalies in its distribution and concentration in brain tissue have been found to be associated with the most frequent neurodegenerative diseases. When magnetic resonance techniques allowed iron quantification in vivo, it was confirmed that the alteration of brain iron homeostasis is a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. However, whether iron is the main actor in the neurodegenerative process, or its alteration is a consequence of the degenerative process is still an open question. Because the different iron-related pathogenic mechanisms are specific for distinctive diseases, identifying the molecular mechanisms common to the various pathologies could represent a way to clarify this complex topic. Indeed, both iron overload and iron deficiency have profound consequences on cellular functioning, and both contribute to neuronal death processes in different manners, such as promoting oxidative damage, a loss of membrane integrity, a loss of proteostasis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, with the attempt to elucidate the consequences of iron dyshomeostasis for brain health, we summarize the main pathological molecular mechanisms that couple iron and neuronal death.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-023-02399-z

ABSTRACT

I nostri risultati suggeriscono che la svalutazione della ricompensa sia un perdittore del craving indipendentemente dal trattamento con TMS e che, quest’ultimo, probabilmente agisca su altri processi cognitivi legati al desiderio e alla dipendenza. In conclusione, lo studio evidenzia l’efficacia del protocollo di TMS nel ridurre il craving nei pazienti con dipendenza. Ulteriori ricerche sono necessarie al fine di indagare la relazione tra la rapidità di svalutazione della ricompensa e il craving nel contesto della dipendenza.

https://doi.org/10.14605/PCC3032401

ABSTRACT

The utilization of non-invasive neurostimulation techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), is increasingly prevalent in psychiatry due to their efficacy and safety. Although the precise therapeutic mechanisms remain partially unclear, repetitive TMS, particularly high-frequency stimulation, may enhance cognitive functions, contributing to therapeutic benefits. This within-subjects study examined the impact of TMS on cognitive and symptomatic outcomes in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), substance use disorder (SUD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). A total of 44 patients underwent cognitive tests and symptom assessments before and after an intensive four-week TMS treatment phase, followed by a four-week maintenance phase. Cognitive assessments included Raven’s matrices, verbal fluency, and digit span tests, while symptom severity was measured using the Italian version of the SCL-90-R. Decision-making performance was also evaluated by administering a delay discounting (DD) test. Principal component analysis was used to generate a dimensional characterization of subjects along cognitive and symptom-related axes before and after treatment. The results indicated that TMS significantly improved symptom scores, but no significant cognitive enhancement was observed. Statistical analysis based on linear mixed-effects models confirmed these findings, showing a significant fixed effect of TMS treatment on symptoms but not on cognitive performance. DD metrics remained unchanged. These findings suggest that while TMS effectively alleviates clinical symptoms, it does not produce consistent or appreciable enhancement of cognitive functions in these protocols. This study highlights the need for more personalized and combined therapeutic approaches to maximize the benefits of TMS, potentially incorporating cognitive enhancement strategies. Future studies will be useful to explore whether the results we obtained are valid for other pathologies, cognitive tests, and stimulation protocols.

https://doi.org/10.3390/app14146178

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: Stress is a significant factor influencing the mental well-being of students, and mindfulness strategies have been associated with reduced academic stress. Nevertheless, there is a limited body of research investigating stress and trait mindfulness in a sample of Italian university students. This study aims to explore the relationship between academic stress, effort-reward imbalance, and trait mindfulness. Methods: Perceived stress, effort-reward imbalance, and trait mindfulness in 442 Italian university students (mean age = 23.37 ± 4.33) were assessed through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Effort-Reward Imbalance – Student Questionnaire (ERI-SQ) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Results: Pearson correlation analysis showed that PSS negatively correlates with FFMQ and it positively correlates with ERI-SQ, while FFMQ negatively correlates with ERI-SQ. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that FFMQ partially mediates the effect of ERI-SQ on PSS. Conclusions: This study provides the first examination of the relationships between perceived stress, effort-reward imbalance, and trait mindfulness among Italian students. The findings suggest that trait mindfulness is associated with lower levels of perceived stress and could potentially mediate the relationship between effort-reward imbalance and stress. These insights may inform future research and interventions aimed at reducing academic stress.

https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941241306657

ABSTRACT

Case conceptualization is a widely used tool to describe and organize patient information and plan interventions in psychotherapy. Life themes and semi-adaptive plans: Implications of biased beliefs, elicitation, and treatment (LIBET) is a new method for case conceptualization that validates the diathesis-stress model and incorporates elements from the most important theories in the CBT field. LIBET also includes process-based components as maintaining factors of psychological distress, and it is not anchored to a specific kind of psychotherapeutic approach. The LIBET-Questionnaire (LIBET-Q) is a structured interview which helps clinicians achieve a LIBET case conceptualization, co-constructed with patients. The aim of the present study was to validate the process-based section of the LIBET-Q by analyzing its factorial structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, and clinical relevance. A sample of 396 outpatients was recruited to validate the LIBET-Q, which was administered along with interviews and self-report questionnaires to investigate the presence of diagnoses, anxiety, and depression levels and global functioning and wellbeing. Results from both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed a four-factor structure, with adequate consistency and good convergent validity. Process-based elements investigated with the LIBET-Q resulted in identifying different clinical populations. With satisfactory psychometric properties, the LIBET-Q turned out to be a suitable support for case conceptualization and treatment formulation. The independence of the LIBET method from a specific intervention can improve its sharing between clinicians by offering a common frame in which the rationale of every specific technique can be explained.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-024-00542-5

ABSTRACT

Using the Elaborated Intrusion Theory of Desire and the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model of psychopathology as bases, this study explored whether metacognitive beliefs and desire thinking (DT) are associated with higher levels of Compulsive Sexual Behavior (CSB). A total of 1185 participants from the general population were included in the study (mean ± SD age = 25.32 years ± 5.58; age range = 18–19 years; females = 76.7 %). Metacognitive beliefs, DT, CSB, anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed. Correlation analyses and path analyses were run. Results of the path analysis showed that positive metacognitive beliefs about DT were associated with DT-Imaginal Prefiguration (DT-IP), which in turn was positively associated with DT-Verbal Perseveration (DT-VP). The latter was strongly and positively associated with negative metacognitive beliefs about DT, which in turn was linked to CSB. Moreover, DT-VP was also found to be directly linked to the outcome variable and positive metacognitive beliefs about DT were also directly linked to DT-VP and negative metacognitive beliefs about DT. The total Coefficient of Determination (0.45) indicated a good fit to the observed data. Metacognitive beliefs and DT may be potential maintenance factors in CSB. Metacognitive beliefs and DT could also be considered as potential therapeutic targets in clinical interventions aimed at reducing the severity of CSB.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108214

ABSTRACT

Although collective violence represents a significant public health concern, a limited number of longitudinal studies have addressed this topic, with no systematic reviews focusing on posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) trajectories. The present systematic review and meta-analyses examined PTSS prevalence and trajectories after exposure to collective violence. A systematic literature search across six databases (APA PsycInfo, APA PsycArticles, PSYINDEX, MEDLINE, ERIC, and PubMed) identified 771 studies that were screened for the following eligibility criteria: exposure to collective violence, adult sample, longitudinal design, PTSS assessment using validated measures, PTSS trajectories estimated using latent growth modeling, and report sample prevalence rate for each trajectory. Ten studies met the criteria, and five meta-analyses were performed to assess the overall prevalence of each trajectory. Most included studies (63.6%) identified four trajectories, characterized as low-stable, high–stable, decreasing, and delayed–worsening. The low-stable trajectory was the modal response, with a pooled prevalence of 58.0%, 95% CI [51.0, 65.0]. The high-stable prevalence was 7.0%, 95% CI [4.0, 19.0]; the decreasing trajectory was 13%, 95% CI [9.0, 17.0]; and the delayed-worsening trajectory was 8.0%, 95% CI [5.0, 10.0]. A fifth trajectory, moderately stable, had a prevalence of 19.0%, 95% CI [9.0, 29.0]. The trajectory models robustly identified clinically relevant patterns of response to collective violence, offering a contribution to the literature and a starting point for future research. Further studies are needed, as a better comprehension of symptom trajectories after collective violence events has important clinical and public health implications.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23090

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Using the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model as a basis, this study explored whether, in patients with eating disorders (EDs), metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking are associated with higher levels of perfectionisms.

Methods
One hundred twenty-three outpatients with EDs were recruited. Perfectionism, metacognitive beliefs, worry, rumination, anger rumination, affective and eating symptoms were assessed. Correlation and hierarchal regression analyses were run.

Results
Higher endorsement of positive beliefs about worry was associated with higher levels of ‘personal standards perfectionism’. Higher endorsement of positive beliefs about worry, need to control thoughts, worry and rumination was associated with higher levels of ‘concern over mistakes perfectionism’.

Conclusions
Among patients with EDs, perfectionism appears to be associated with the endorsement of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs, worry and rumination. Dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and repetitive negative thinking could be suitable therapeutic targets to reduce the levels of perfectionism among patients with EDs.

https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2954

ABSTRACT

The adoption of Artificial Intelligence-based chatbots, including ChatGPT, in various sectors has raised concerns about their implications in higher education and scientific research. While the academic world aims to foster critical thinking and produce reliable research, the use of chatbots has elicited resistance from some academics due to fears of inaccuracies. In this paper, we extensively examine this phenomenon in higher education and scientific research, seeking to understand its practical applications, limitations, and potential risks. We investigated how ChatGPT is currently being used by academia, young researchers, and students. We also identified its areas of application and conducted trials by engaging ChatGPT, with transcripts included in the paper. Based on our findings, we discuss the results in the context of the needs in higher education and scientific research, presenting guidelines for responsible adoption. We distinguish positive use cases, areas requiring caution, explicit limitations of ChatGPT, and cases of unethical use. Importantly, we view ChatGPT as a valuable technological innovation but emphasize the necessity for thoughtful and responsible implementation. While we do not consider its use inherently deceitful, consistent, and shared guidelines are essential to ensure its ethical and effective application.

https://doi.org/10.1177/27538699241231862

ABSTRACT

The phenomenon of neural plasticity pertains to the intrinsic capacity of neurons to undergo structural and functional reconfiguration through learning and experiential interaction with the environment. These changes could manifest themselves not only as a consequence of various life experiences but also following therapeutic interventions, including the application of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and psychotherapy. As standalone therapies, both NIBS and psychotherapy have demonstrated their efficacy in the amelioration of psychiatric disorders’ symptoms, with a certain variability in terms of effect sizes and duration. Consequently, scholars suggested the convenience of integrating the two interventions into a multimodal treatment to boost and prolong the therapeutic outcomes. Such an approach is still in its infancy, and the physiological underpinnings substantiating the effectiveness and utility of combined interventions are still to be clarified. Therefore, this opinion paper aims to provide a theoretical framework consisting of compelling arguments as to why adding NIBS to psychotherapy can promote therapeutic change. Namely, we will discuss the physiological effects of the two interventions, thus providing a rationale to explain the potential advantages of a combined approach.

https://doi.org/10.1155/np/7853199

ABSTRACT

First-line treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) encompass a wide range of pharmacotherapies and psychotherapies. However, many patients fail to respond to such interventions, highlighting the need for novel approaches. Due to its ability to modulate cortical activity, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) could represent a valuable therapeutic tool. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to summarize and discuss the existing evidence on the ameliorative effects of NIBS on PTSD and comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms. Our goal is also to debate the effectiveness of an integrated approach characterized by the combination of NIBS and psychotherapy. This search was conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in the PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PSYINDEX, MEDLINE, and ERIC databases. Overall, 31 studies met the eligibility criteria, yielding a total of 26 clinical trials employing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and 5 making use of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS). From these studies, it emerged that NIBS consistently reduced overall PTSD symptoms’ severity as well as comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms. Moreover, we speculate that combining NIBS with prolonged exposure or cognitive processing therapy might represent a promising therapeutic approach for consistently ameliorating subjects’ clinical conditions.

https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14030210

ABSTRACT

Metacognition encompasses the capability to monitor and control one’s cognitive processes, with metamemory and metadecision configuring among the most studied higher order functions. Although imaging experiments evaluated the role of disparate brain regions, neural substrates of metacognitive judgments remain undetermined. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize and discuss the available evidence concerning the neural bases of metacognition which has been collected by assessing the effects of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) on human subjects’ metacognitive capacities. Based on such literature analysis, our goal is, at first, to verify whether prospective and retrospective second-order judgments are localized within separate brain circuits and, subsequently, to provide compelling clues useful for identifying new targets for future NIBS studies. The search was conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines among PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PSYNDEX, MEDLINE, and ERIC databases. Overall, 25 studies met the eligibility criteria, yielding a total of 36 experiments employing transcranial magnetic stimulation and 16 ones making use of transcranial electrical stimulation techniques, including transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial alternating current stimulation. Importantly, we found that both perspective and retrospective judgments about both memory and perceptual decision-making performances depend on the activation of the anterior and lateral portions of the prefrontal cortex, as well as on the activity of more caudal regions such as the premotor cortex and the precuneus. Combining this evidence with results from previous imaging and lesion studies, we advance ventromedial prefrontal cortex as a promising target for future NIBS studies.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.25330

ABSTRACT

Current pharmacological treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) are often only partially effective, with many patients experiencing no significant benefit, leading to treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Psilocybin, a classical serotonergic psychedelic, has emerged as a notable emerging treatment for such disorders. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize and discuss the most recent evidence about the therapeutic effects of single-dose and two-dose psilocybin administration on the severity of depressive symptoms, as well as compare the efficacy of these interventions among patients with a primary diagnosis of MDD or TRD. Articles were collected from EBSCOhost and PubMed following the PRISMA guidelines, yielding 425 articles with 138 duplicates. After screening 287 records, 12 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. A quantitative analysis of the studies indicates that psilocybin is highly effective in reducing depressive symptoms severity among patients with primary MDD or TRD. Both single-dose and two-dose psilocybin treatments significantly reduced depressive symptoms severity, with two-dose administration sometimes yielding more pronounced and lasting effects. However, it is unclear if this was solely due to dosage or other factors. Future research should include standardized trials comparing these dosing strategies to better inform clinical practice.

https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14080829

ABSTRACT

This study investigates dietary supplement use among rugby players and their general health, focusing on prevalence and underlying motivations. Involving 92 athletes, it examines the relationship between supplement usage, motivations, and health outcomes using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey and a 24-item ad hoc questionnaire. Findings reveal a high frequency of supplement usage, motivated by desires to enhance performance, appearance, and mood. Significant differences in health-related quality of life are found between users and non-users, particularly in mental health, social functioning, and emotional stability. Motivations like performance enhancement and body shape manipulation were linked to altered health perceptions, indicating the psychosocial impacts of supplementation. This study emphasizes the need to consider the holistic effects of supplements on athlete well-being, advocating for a balanced approach prioritizing both physical and mental health. It calls for increased awareness among athletes, coaches, and sports professionals about the potential risks and benefits of supplement use and the importance of informed decision-making. Additionally, it highlights the need for further research to understand the mechanisms of supplement use and its impact on athlete health, aiming to enhance sports science and promote overall athlete well-being in competitive environments.

https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12100270

ABSTRACT

Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder (SPD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by repetitive skin picking, often affecting areas like the face, arms, and hands. It has its own diagnostic classification in ICD-10, DSM-5-TR and PDM-2. Individuals with SPD may use various tools to pick at their skin and often struggle to stop the behavior. The disorder typically arises during adolescence and is more common in females, with a lifetime prevalence of 1.4% in adults. SPD is associated with decreased quality of life and increased rates of anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse. Validated assessment tools are essential for diagnosing and monitoring SPD symptoms. The Skin Picking Scale (SPS), Skin Picking Scale-Revised (SPS-R), Skin Picking Impact Scale (SPIS), and Skin Picking Symptom Assessment Scale (SP-SAS) are commonly used instruments for evaluating the severity of SPD symptoms. While these tools have shown reliability and validity, there are limitations, including potential biases in self-reporting and the need for further validation in different populations and languages. Future research is needed to enhance the effectiveness of screening and assessment tools for SPD in clinical settings.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06300-1

ABSTRACT

This study aims to examine the relative contribution of anger cognitions and anger rumination in predicting externalizing and internalizing problems among 180 adolescents (aged 11–18 years) using correlational and linear regression analysis. Our findings showed that anger rumination predicted both externalizing (aggressive behaviors) and internalizing problems (anxious, depressive, and somatic symptoms). In contrast, biased anger cognitions did not appear to meaningfully predict either externalizing or internalizing symptoms, with the only exception of the hostile verbal labels and catastrophic cognitive attributions, a factor that was significantly associated with both rule-breaking behaviors (ß = .339, p < .01) and aggressive behaviors (ß = .238, p < .05). Anger rumination accounted for a higher rate of variance of psychopathology compared with anger cognitions and should be addressed in interventions for either externalizing or internalizing symptoms in adolescence.

https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2023-0050

ABSTRACT

Background: There is evidence that the tendency to adopt a peculiar pattern of causal inference, known as attributional style, is likely related to specific patterns of psychopathology among youth. Objective: This study aims to assess preliminary psychometric properties of the Italian Children’s Attributional Style Questionnaire-Revised (CASQ-R) and to explore the presence of any subgroups of children and early adolescents from the general population who might exhibit internally homogeneous and externally heterogeneous attributional styles through latent class analysis, delving into the potential sociodemographic, namely age and gender, and clinical differences among the identified classes of attributional styles. Method: A sample of 337 children (11.29 ± 1.76 years old, 169 females, and 168 males) was recruited and their attributional styles and depressive and anxious symptoms were analyzed. Results: Two distinct classes were defined using the CASQ-R items in a latent class analysis (LCA). In particular, high levels of depressive (Kruskal–Wallis chi-squared = 9.37, df = 1, Bonferroni-adjusted p = 0.002) and school phobia (Kruskal–Wallis chi-squared = 7.17 df = 1, Bonferroni-adjusted p = 0.037) symptoms were reported by children showing an internal, global and stable attributional style for negative events and an external, specific and unstable attributional style for positive events. Conversely, low levels of depressive and school phobia symptoms were reported by children showing the opposite attributional style. Conclusions: The identified classes shed light on distinct patterns associated with depressive and anxious symptoms, offering potential insights for targeted interventions.

https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7503/16/4/96

ABSTRACT

Deficits in theory of mind (ToM), known as the ability to understand the other’s mind, have been associated with several psychopathological outcomes. The present systematic review aims to summarize the results of genetic studies that investigated gene polymorphisms associated with mentalization performance tasks in children and adults. The systematic review was carried out following PRISMA guidelines, and the literature search was conducted in PubMed and EBSCOhost using the following keywords: ‘theory of mind, mentalizing, mindreading’ and ‘gene, genetic basis’. Nineteen studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Most of the literature focused on the role of DRD4, DAT1, OXTR, OXT, COMT, ZNF804A, AVP, AVPR, SCL6A4, EFHC2, MAO-A, and the family of GTF2I genes in influencing ToM. However, controversial results emerged in sustaining the link between specific genetic polymorphisms and mentalization abilities in children and adults. Available data show heterogeneous outcomes, with studies reporting an association between the same family genes in subjects of the same age and other studies reporting no correlation. This does not allow us to draw any solid conclusions but paves the way for exploring genes involved in ToM tasks.

https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15060717

ABSTRACT

Background: Recent literature highlighted the relevance of parenting strategies and emotions in dealing with children with ADHD and showed that these dimensions were highly affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns. Thus, our research investigated the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on caregivers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We focused on the role of medications, children’s age, and distance learning on changes in caregivers’ emotions and parenting strategies.

Methods: Nine hundred ninety-two caregivers completed an anonymous online questionnaire. The survey enquired caregivers about children’s pharmacological therapy, difficulties in distance learning, and caregivers’ parenting strategies and emotions before and during the lockdown.

Results: Our results showed that caregivers experienced relevant difficulties in distance learning and that they felt more frustration emotions and employed more negative parenting strategies than before the pandemic. While pharmacological therapy was not a significant predictor of changes in neither positive nor negative parenting strategies, children’s age and learning burden proved to predict caregivers’ changes in positive parenting strategies. Moreover, our mediation analysis showed that the learning burden (e.g., homework increasing and children’s reliance on caregivers) partially mediates the effect of age on changes in positive strategies. The older the children, the less the burden, and the less the change in positive strategies.

Conclusions: These results describe lockdown’s impact on caregivers’ experience in dealing with children with ADHD and explain how they adapted to it by changing their parenting strategies.

DOI: 10.23736/S2724-5276.24.07379-8

ABSTRACT

Several changes in the behavioral phenotype arise with the growth of children affected by Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) and Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RSTS). However, previous research relied on a cross-sectional study design turning into age-related comparisons of different syndromic cohorts to explore age-dependent changes. We aim to outline the variating pathways of the neuropsychiatric functioning across the lifespan in CdLS and RSTS, through the setting up of a longitudinal study design. The sample included 14 patients with CdLS and 15 with RSTS. The assessments were carried out in two different timepoints. Our findings highlight that the cognitive profile of CdLS is subjected to a worsening trend with decreasing Intellectual Quotient (IQ) scores from T0 to T1, whereas RSTS shows a stable IQ over time. Patients affected by RSTS show greater improvements compared to CdLS in communication, daily living skills, social abilities, and motor skills across the lifespan. Both syndromes report an upward trend in behavioral and emotional difficulties even if CdLS exhibit a significant and major deterioration compared to individuals with RSTS. Being aware of the early dysfunctional patterns which might pave the way for later neuropsychiatric impairments is the first step for planning preventive interventions.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.63039

ABSTRACT

The opioid crisis’ pathways from first exposure onwards to eventual illnesses and fatalities are multiple, intertwined and difficult to dissect. Here, we offer a multidisciplinary appraisal of the relationships among mental health, chronic pain, prescribing patterns worldwide and the opioid crisis. Because the opioid crisis’ toll is especially harsh on young people, emphasis is given on data regarding the younger strata of the population. Because analgesic opioid prescription constitute a recognised entry point towards misuse, opioid use disorder, and ultimately overdose, prescribing patterns across different countries are examined as a modifiable hazard factor along these pathways of risk. Psychiatrists are called to play a more compelling role in this urgent conversation, as they are uniquely placed to provide synthesis and lead action among the different fields of knowledge and care that lie at the crossroads of the opioid crisis. Psychiatrists are also ideally positioned to gauge and disseminate the foundations for diagnosis and clinical management of mental conditions associated with chronic pain, including the identification of hazardous and protective factors. It is our hope to spark more interdisciplinary exchanges and encourage psychiatrists worldwide to become leaders in an urgent conversation with interlocutors from the clinical and basic sciences, policy makers and stakeholders including clients and their families.

https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811221144635

ABSTRACT

Psychotherapy Process Q-set (PQS) prototype characteristic of psychoanalytic relationship therapy does not yet exist. Experts in psychoanalysis of relationship therapy [from the Italian Society of Psychoanalysis of the Relationship (SIPRe)] used the 100-Item PQS questionnaire to rate an ideal SIPRe therapy. Agreement between rates was high (Cronbach’s alpha=0.84). The prototype for SIPRe therapy showed a significant correlation to the psychoanalytic prototype (r=0.68, p<0.000) and to the short expressive-supportive therapy (r=0.69, p<0.000) prototype. Correlations with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (r=0.28, p<0.005) and Interpersonal Therapy (r=0.22, p<0.031), prototypes were significant, but weaker. The correlation between the two SIPRe samples (junior and expert therapists) was highly significant (Spearman’s rho=0.936; p<000).

https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2023.674

ABSTRACT

The literature on the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of investigating its impact on mental health during this sensitive period, also in relation to the female menstrual cycle. To this end, interceptive sensibility has emerged as a fundamental construct for studying the mind-body interaction among psychosomatic and pain symptoms, particularly through the distinction between two attentional styles (namely, a “mindful” and a “non-mindful” sensibility). The aim of the following study is to verify the role of mental health and interoceptive sensibility on menstrual symptoms in women of childbearing age, during the pandemic, as well as to identify the specific contribution of the existing dimensions of interoceptive sensibility in the prediction of symptoms’ severity. Data were collected through an online survey, for which 5294 women responded on demographic information, menstrual history, symptoms’ disturbance, and completed the Italian versions of the GHQ-12 and the MAIA. The analyses showed that symptoms were strongly correlated to either the GHQ-12 and the MAIA subscales Noticing, Emotional Awareness, Trusting and Not-Worrying. This result was further verified via a hierarchical regression, which revealed that the same interoceptive dimensions and mental health strongly predicted the intensity of menstrual symptoms (R² = 0.177, ΔR² = 0.143) compared to other considered dimensions (R² = 0.180, ΔR² = 0.002). Results are partially in line with the premises but suggest that mental health has a strong impact on the experience of the menstrual cycle and that only a few interoceptive dimensions may be relevant in explaining the severity of menstrual symptoms. It is here suggested that noticing internal bodily signals and being aware of emotional states might become dysfunctional if not reconciled with a good ability to self-regulate internal states, but may rather contribute to the perpetuation of the ‘vicious cycle’ of heightened affective and attentional reactions to interoceptive sensations.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100182

Several studies have investigated pain processing in patients with bulimia nervosa (BN). In particular, BN patients showed higher pain thresholds than community women (CW). However, few studies have considered the role of the “drive for thinness” in relation to pain perception and tolerance.

Fifty-five participants were interviewed individually with the Eating Disorder Examination and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); Twenty-four women with BN according to DSM-5 criteria and age, and Body Mass Index (BMI), matched healthy CW. All participants were given these tests: Dietary restraint subscale of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, Drive for Thinness subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory 3. Subsequently pain tolerance and sensitivity were assessed by the cold pressor test in a single session.

Women with BN and CW showed significant differences in pain sensitivity, pain tolerance, drive for thinness, dietary restraint, and desired BMI. Also, pain sensitivity and tolerance was significantly correlated with drive for thinness and dietary restraint in BN women, while no such correlation was found in CW.

The main finding of this study is that high levels of drive for thinness and dietary restraint are associated with a lower pain sensitivity and a higher pain tolerance in BN patients.

ABSTRACT

The assessment of personality pathology based on dimensional models may improve self–other agreement, but previous research mainly adopted a categorical approach and overlooked the role of the person of the therapist. Our study examined patient–clinician agreement in a mixed sample of Italian outpatients using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and the PID-5-Informant Form (PID-5-IRF). Moreover, the role of clinician personality traits on agreement was preliminary explored. Sixty-eight outpatients (51.4% male, M = 30.30, SD = 12.05 years) and their treating clinicians (N = 22; 77.3% female, M = 43.77 ± 8.45 years) entered the study. Patients completed the PID-5, whereas clinicians filled-in the PID-5-Brief Form (PID-5-BF) and the PID-5-IRF for each patient they involved. A multilevel Bayesian analysis showed that rank–order agreement was large for domains (mean r = .60) and moderate for facets (mean r = .44). As regards mean-level agreement, patient ratings on cognitive/perceptual dysregulation, distractibility, eccentricity, and emotional lability were higher than clinician ratings, whereas patients’ scores on depressivity were lower than clinicians’ ones. Scores on the PID-5-BF detachment positively predicted agreement on anhedonia, anxiousness, depressivity, distractibility, separation insecurity, and suspiciousness, while scores on the PID-5-BF negative affectivity, antagonism, and disinhibition negatively predicted agreement on few specific facets. Current findings suggest that clinician personality traits may contribute to agreement on maladaptive personality traits, but areas of discrepancies remain in case of low observable internal ones. Since patient–clinician agreement is crucially involved in therapeutic alliance, further research on this issue is highly encouraged. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

https://doi.org/10.1037/per0000639

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Preschool Anxiety Scale-Revised (PAS-R), a parent-reported measure of their preschool child’s anxiety symptoms. The participants were mothers of 279 Italian preschoolers (age 2–7 years, M = 4.5 years). According to information criteria derived from a confirmatory factor analysis, the four originally identified factors (generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, specific fears) provided the best fit to the data. Reliability was excellent for the total score and acceptable for the subscales. PAS-R total score showed moderate correlation with internalizing subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and of the Child Behavior Checklist and weak correlation with the externalizing subscale of the SDQ, demonstrating convergent and concurrent validity, respectively. Test–retest reliability of the PAS-R was good after 1 month. The results suggest good psychometric properties of the Italian PAS-R, although its factor structure needs further investigation with different samples.

NO DOI, rivista cartacea

No DOI. Rivista cartacea.

NO DOI, rivista cartacea

ABSTRACT

It is still unclear whether and to what extent the motor difficulties are specific to autism. This study aimed to determine whether a multimodal assessment of motor skills could accurately discriminate autistic children from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and typically developing (TD) peers. Seventy-five children, aged 7–13, equally divided into three groups, were assessed with the developmental coordination disorder questionnaire (DCDQ), the movement assessment battery for children 2 (MABC2), the sensorimotor subtests of NEPSY-II, and the kinematic analysis of a reach-to-drop task. Principal component analysis (PCA) on DCDQ subscales revealed one factor—Caregiver Report—, whereas MABC2/NEPSY-II scores identified three factors—namely, Object Interception and Balance, Motor Imitation, and Fine-Motor Skills—. Lastly, PCA on kinematic variables identified four factors: PC1, loaded by the parameters of velocity and acceleration throughout the task, PC2 and PC3 involved the temporal parameters of the two submovements, and PC4 accounted for the wrist inclination at ball drop. When comparing autistic and TD children, Caregiver Report and Motor Imitation factors predicted membership with 87.2% of accuracy. In the model comparing ADHD and TD groups, Caregiver Report and Fine-Motor Skills predicted membership with an accuracy of 73.5%. In the last model, the Object Interception and Balance factor differentiated autistic children from ADHD with an accuracy of 73.5%. In line with our previous findings, kinematics did not differentiate school-aged autistic children from ADHD and TD peers. The present findings show that specific motor profiles in autism and ADHD can be isolated with a multimodal investigation of motor skills.

https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2989

ABSTRACT

The frequency with which Internalizing and Externalizing symptoms co-occur suggests that, behind both domains, there may be a common susceptibility represented by a general psychopathology factor. However, it’s still unclear whether this common susceptibility is affected by age-related variations. Internalizing (i.e., Fear and Distress) and Externalizing symptoms were evaluated in 803 twin pairs from the population-based Italian Twin Registry. Model-fitting analysis was performed separately in the 6–14 and 15–18 age groups to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to the covariance among symptoms. For the 6–14 group, a multivariate Cholesky model best fitted the data, while, for the 15–18 group, the best fit was provided by a Common Pathway model in which nearly 50% of total variance of each trait was mediated by common genetic factors. Our findings support a common susceptibility behind Internalizing and Externalizing symptoms, mainly genetic in origin, that becomes more evident at the beginning of puberty.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01498-w

NO DOI, rivista cartacea

Design

Results

ConclusionsThe early identification of vulnerabilities among refugee minors is recommended to promote their long-term overall well-being. Integrating the screening results with additional observational elements and more specific diagnostic tools is recommended to gain a comprehensive perspective of the minors’ well-being.

ABSTRACT

Methods

Results

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many enduring changes in the everyday life of families, with negative effects on parents’ and children’s wellbeing. However, there is a lack of studies in the literature exploring the emotional reactions and coping strategies of both mothers and children of different ages. Furthermore, most studies used only self-reports. This study aimed to identify the emotions and coping strategies of children, adolescents and their mothers and to verify the association between maternal and child wellbeing. A mixed-method design using interviews and questionnaires was applied to collect information on wellbeing (emotional reactions, behavioral/emotional problems) and coping strategies of both mothers (n = 65; M age = 42.17; SD = 4.40; M age = 41.63; SD = 4.48), and their children (n = 35, 8–10 year; n = 30, 11–13 year) during the second wave of the pandemic (December 2020). No differences between the groups emerged concerning the emotional reactions reported. In contrast, mothers and children of different ages reported different self-regulation and other-regulation strategies. Moreover, maternal strategies had different effects on children’s wellbeing. The integration of qualitative and quantitative results was informative to understand how families adapted to the radical changes of everyday life related to the pandemic. The implications for developing interventions in such similar stressful situations to promote family wellbeing are discussed.

https://doi.org/10.3390/children10101627

Synapses represent a unique neuronal compartment specialized in communication. The morpho-functional investigation of the synapse has always been hindered by its tiny size and high density of molecular elements, but specific technological and methodological advances helped us to reduce these limitations. As the matter of fact, in recent years, we have witnessed the continuous development of new methods allowing measuring and controlling synaptic activation both in vitro and in vivo (Lamanna et al., 2022). These include new genetically encoded sensors of synaptic exo-endocytosis (Ferro et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2021) and neurotransmitter release (Helassa et al., 2018; Patriarchi et al., 2018), but also engineered synaptic proteins able to control synaptic transmission (Won et al., 2021). Furthermore, new promising tools allow changing the functional properties of synapses in a plasticity-like manner (Goto et al., 2021).

All these methodological advances are likely to generate unprecedented knowledge about the dynamics of synaptic transmission and plasticity at several levels of the nervous system. Nevertheless, in most cases, the implementation of these new methods remains technically demanding, likely due to the high complexity of their operating principle (Glasgow et al., 2019; Lamanna et al., 2022). Hence, it would be worth refining and potentiating these tools to extend the range of experimental settings for their application. In addition, more classical and established approaches, such as electrophysiology, computational modeling and ultrastructural imaging, can be further implemented, e.g., by using alternative tools (Zhang et al., 2023) or advanced analysis approaches (Soares et al., 2019), to gather deeper insights into the physiology of neurotransmission.

In this Research Topic, we collected studies that validate, refine, or apply in an effective way advanced tools and approaches with the aim to investigate synaptic communication.

ABSTRACT

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a high-incidence multifactorial neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics co-occurring with several diverse comorbidities, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The origin of TS is multifactorial, with strong genetic, perinatal, and immunological influences. Although almost all neurotransmettitorial systems have been implicated in TS pathophysiology, a comprehensive neurophysiological model explaining the dynamics of expression and inhibition of tics is still lacking. The genesis and maintenance of motor and non-motor aspects of TS are thought to arise from functional and/or structural modifications of the basal ganglia and related circuitry. This complex wiring involves several cortical and subcortical structures whose concerted activity controls the selection of the most appropriate reflexive and habitual motor, cognitive and emotional actions. Importantly, striatal circuits exhibit bidirectional forms of synaptic plasticity that differ in many respects from hippocampal and neocortical plasticity, including sensitivity to metaplastic molecules such as dopamine. Here, we review the available evidence about structural and functional anomalies in neural circuits which have been found in TS patients. Finally, considering what is known in the field of striatal plasticity, we discuss the role of exuberant plasticity in TS, including the prospect of future pharmacological and neuromodulation avenues.

https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13080668

BackgroundAlthough it has been proposed that childhood adversities (CAs) may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and psychotic symptoms severity, these associations have not been fully confirmed in first-episode psychosis (FEP). This study explored the association between CA, cortisol and psychotic symptoms in FEP patients.

Methods

Results

Conclusion

FEP patients with CAs, compared with those without CA, might report more severe positive symptoms and higher cortisol, even though these findings as prone to bias due to the small sample size, and should be seen in the larger perspective of conflicting evidence in the field.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: According to the recent adaptation of the I-PACE model, desire thinking and craving might be closely related to problematic Internet pornography use. The overall aim of the present study was to investigate the role of two components of desire thinking (imaginal prefiguration and verbal perseveration) and craving in problematic Internet pornography use. Furthermore, we examined gender differences in the underlying mechanism linking desire thinking to problematic Internet pornography use.

Method: A total of 414 Italian adults (mean age = 27.55 years, SD = 6.13; age range = 18-58; 53.6 % men) participated in this study. Participants completed an online survey to assess problematic Internet pornography use, pornography craving, desire thinking and problematic Internet use. Path analyses and a multi-group approach were used to test the relationships among variables and to explore gender differences.

Results: Imaginal prefiguration was associated to pornography craving which, in turn, was associated to verbal perseveration as proximal antecedent of problematic Internet pornography use, above and beyond the effect of age, relationship status, and problematic Internet use. Two paths significantly differed between men and women: the path between verbal perseveration and problematic Internet pornography, which for women was weaker and did not reach significance; and the path between problematic Internet use and problematic Internet pornography use that was not significant for women.

Conclusions: In line with the I-PACE model, the present study provided support for the potential role of desire thinking in problematic Internet pornography use as a specific Internet-use disorder and expanded the literature in the field by testing unexplored gender differences. Preventive and clinical implications are discussed.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36055058/

Studies investigating the effects of an increasing use of social media during the pandemic on youths’ wellbeing mainly focused on screen time or Internet addiction, with mixed results. The present study aimed at investigating adolescents’ social networks use, addressing the relationship between specific motivations and psychological outcomes, also considering exposure to adversities. 1195 Italian adolescents (14–18 years) were administered the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Internet Motives Questionnaire for Adolescents. Demographic information, exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and Covid-19-stressors, and social network use were also investigated. High levels of psychological difficulties were detected, with 49.2% of adolescents reporting abnormal emotional symptoms. Coping was the motivation to use social media that more strongly correlated with psychological problems. The hierarchical multiple linear regression model explained 28% of SDQ emotional symptoms: adverse childhood experiences and coping motivation represented the strongest predictors. According to the moderation model, high levels of ACEs score reduced the differential effect of coping motivation on emotional symptoms. In the pandemic context, using social media to handle difficult emotions represented a relevant risk factor for adolescents’ psychological health, especially for those with lower previous adverse events. Future research should further investigate these findings and their clinical implications.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-023-05008-y

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Advancements in neuroscience research present opportunities and challenges, requiring substantial resources and funding. To address this, we describe here “Poke And Delayed Drink Intertemporal Choice Task (POKE-ADDICT)”, an open-source, versatile, and cost-effective apparatus for intertemporal choice testing in rodents. This allows quantification of delay discounting (DD), a cross-species phenomenon observed in decision making which provides valuable insights into higher-order cognitive functioning. In DD, the subjective value of a delayed reward is reduced as a function of the delay for its receipt. Using our apparatus, we implemented an effective intertemporal choice paradigm for the quantification of DD based on an adjusting delayed amount (ADA) algorithm using mango juice as a reward. Our paradigm requires limited training and can be directly translated to human subjects using monetary rewards. Our apparatus comprises a few 3D-printed parts and inexpensive electrical components, including a Raspberry Pi control unit. Furthermore, it is compatible with several in vivo procedures and the use of nose pokes instead of levers allows for faster task learning. Beside the main application described here, the apparatus can be further extended to implement other behavioral tests and protocols, including standard operant conditioning. In conclusion, we describe a versatile and cost-effective design based on Raspberry Pi that can support research in animal behavior, decision making and, more specifically, delay discounting.

https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.08.556794

ABSTRACT

Delay discounting (DD) is a quantifiable psychological phenomenon that regulates decision-making. Nevertheless, the neural substrates of DD and its relationship with other cognitive domains are not well understood. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is a potential candidate for supporting the expression of DD, but due to its wide involvement in several psychological functions and neural networks, its central role remains elusive. In this study, healthy subjects underwent transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while performing an intertemporal choice task for the quantification of DD and a working memory task. To selectively engage the OFC, two electrode configurations have been tested, namely, anodal Fp1–cathodal Fp2 and cathodal Fp1–anodal Fp2. Our results show that stimulation of the OFC reduces DD, independently from electrode configuration. In addition, no relationship was found between DD measures and either working memory performance or baseline impulsivity assessed through established tests. Our work will direct future investigations aimed at unveiling the specific neural mechanisms underlying the involvement of the OFC in DD, and at testing the efficacy of OFC tDCS in reducing DD in psychological conditions where this phenomenon has been strongly implicated, such as addiction and eating disorders.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1239463/full

ABSTRACT

Sexual dysfunctions could lead individuals to experience severe impairments in health and everyday life; metacognition could play an important role in the development of sexual dysfunctions. This study aimed to synthesize evidence from studies investigating the associations between sexual dysfunctions and metacognitive beliefs. According to the PRISMA statement, literature analysis is conducted on PubMed, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, and Google Scholar. 837 participants from six studies were included; five articles were cross-sectional studies, and one was a randomized clinical trial. Individuals with sexual dysfunction adopt more metacognitive beliefs compared to the general population. The association between sexual dysfunctions and metacognitions did not show gender differences. Men with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation show high negative metacognitive beliefs, cognitive self-consciousness, and need to control thoughts. Women with sexual dysfunctions show higher scores in negative metacognitive beliefs, cognitive self-consciousness, and need to control thoughts than the general population; the results also point out that metacognitive beliefs could have a greater influence on sexual dysfunctions than other variables such as painful symptoms. The present study has succeeded in highlighting metacognitive beliefs’ role in sexual dysfunctions and the potential benefits of MCT in dealing with these conditions.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2023.2253742

ABSTRACT

Literature suggested that metacognitions are involved in eating problems and may be relevant to the understanding of Binge Eating Disorder (BED). The goal of the current studies was to develop the first self-report instrument on metacognitions about binge eating. In Study 1, a community sample completed the Metacognitions about Binge Eating Questionnaire (MBEQ); an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed. In study 2, a community sample completed the MBEQ and measures assessing severity of binge eating, irrational food beliefs, anxiety, depression, impulsiveness. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed. Concurrent and incremental validity were assessed. In study 3, a clinical sample of participants with a diagnosis of BED completed the MBEQ and other measures. Bivariate correlational analysis and hierarchical linear regression were performed. Participants from the general population and participants with a diagnosis of BED were compared. EFA and CFA supported a two-factor solution consisting of positive and negative metacognitions about binge eating. Concurrent and incremental validity were acceptable. The metacognitions factors correlated positively with anxiety, depression, irrational food beliefs, impulsiveness in the community sample, and anxiety, irrational food beliefs, impulsiveness in clinical sample. The metacognitions factors contributed to the prediction of BEDs symptoms, in community and clinical samples, over and above age, gender, impulsiveness, anxiety, depression, irrational food beliefs. The MBEQ possesses good psychometric properties and appears a reliable and valid measure of positive and negative metacognitions about binge eating. Metacognitions about binge eating could be a therapeutic target to reduce the severity of binge eating episodes.

https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2839

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Objective: Food addiction (FA) is a condition characterized by excessive and dysregulated consumption of high-energy food, and impulsivity. The diagnostic and nosological framework of FA is still controversial. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring the prevalence of FA in patients seeking help from nutritionists for weight loss, along with its relationship with eating habits, in a pool of 842 participants of both sexes.

Method: Eating habits and FA were assessed by, respectively, a self-administered questionnaire and the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). Statistical analysis included Chi-square for categorical variables, independent t tests to investigate continuous variables and an univariate logistic regression analysis to determine potential risk factors for FA. The relationship between FA diagnosis and potential risk factors was assessed through a stepwise logistic regression model, controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) classes.

Results: Our results indicate that a prevalence of FA in our sample was 15.3%, with no difference between women and men. A higher prevalence was recorded in overweight subjects or obese. According to the YFAS criteria, women were more likely to report a persistent desire and withdrawal than men. Patients with FA compared with those without it, reported a greater number of attempts to lose weight, to self-dieting, a different mealtime repertoire, and to nibble continuously throughout the day. Moreover, the amount of carbohydrates ingested in the same meal seems to represent an eating habit significantly associated with FA.

Conclusions: Taken together, our findings show how patients seeking help from nutritionists may display some peculiar features of FA. In spite of its diagnostic controversies, it is evident that FA may play a role in obesity and may also be a feature of some psychopathological conditions. Therefore, it should be more deeply investigated and possibly specifically targeted with tailored therapeutic interventions.

10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230603

No DOI. Rivista cartacea.

ABSTRACT

Longitudinal studies and meta-analyses have shown a causal link between attentional dysfunctions and developmental dyslexia (DD). We carried out a meta-analysis to test the effectiveness of action video games (AVGs) training on visual attention in children with DD. PubMed, Cochrane, Science Report, EBSCO Database, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses, and IEEE Explore were consulted. Only quantitative studies with measures of pre- and post-treatment reading skills, written in English, and with an active control group were considered. The risk of bias was evaluated according to RoB2 and ROBINS-I assessment tools. Out of 2073 records, nine experiments using AVGs in 238 children (aged 5–15) with DD were selected. The Hedge’s g results indicate that AVGs training affects visual attention as well as reading-related functions. Studies with a larger sample including follow-up assessments and neurobiological studies are needed to verify AVGs long-lasting effects on DD.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2267297

ABSTRACT

Sempre più persone, soprattutto giovani, si identificano come non-binary/genderqueer (NBGQ), identità di genere che va oltre la dicotomia binaria donna-uomo. Tuttavia, le ricerche presenti in letteratura mostrano risultati contrastanti tra loro per quanto riguarda gli esiti di sa-lute mentale. La presente revisione della letteratura vuole essere un aggiornamento della prece-dente revisione di Scandurra et al. (2019) e pone due obiettivi: (1) individuare le differenze di salute mentale tra la popolazione NBGQ e transgender binaria (TB), e (2) identificare le diffe-renze tra la popolazione NBGQ e cisgender. Seguendo le linee guida PRISMA, la ricerca della letteratura è stata condotta nei database PubMed e PsycInfo tenendo in considerazione gli arti-coli pubblicati tra il 2019 e il 2021. N=25 articoli hanno soddisfatto i criteri d’inclusione e so-no stati inclusi nella revisione sistematica. Tutti gli studi inclusi sono cross-sectional. I risultati rispetto agli esiti di salute mentale tra la popolazione TB e NBGQ sono contrastanti in quanto alcuni studi evidenziano esiti migliori per la popolazione NBGQ, mentre altri evidenziano ri-sultati opposti. Rispetto alla popolazione cisgender, i risultati sono più coerenti, evidenziando peggiori livelli di salute mentale nella popolazione NBGQ. La presente revisione della lettera-tura ha, quindi, nuovamente evidenziato la necessità di approfondire la ricerca sulla salute della popolazione NBGQ, spesso marginalizzata e invisibile, con il fine ultimo di garantire interventi adeguati per questa specifica popolazione.

DOI 10.3280/PDS2023-002003

ABSTRACT

Although heritability estimates suggest a role for genetic components, environmental risk factors have been described as relevant in the etiology of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Several studies have investigated the role of toxicological pollution, i.e., air pollution, heavy metals, POPs, and phthalates. Clear evidence for association of ADHD and environmental factors has not been provided yet. To answer this, we have assessed all available systematic reviews and meta-analyses that focused on the association between pollutant exposure and either ADHD diagnosis or symptoms. More than 1800 studies were screened of which 14 found eligible. We found evidence of a significant role for some pollutants, in particular heavy metals and phthalates, in the increased risk of developing ADHD symptoms. However, at the current stage, data from existing literature also do not allow to weight the role of the different environmental pollutants. We also offer a critical examination of the reviews/meta-analyses and provide indications for future studies in this field. PROSPERO registration: CRD42022341496

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-023-30173-9

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 emergency has fostered an increasing risk of experiencing distress and negative emotions in parents that turned into heightened stress for children. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effects of parental stress, children’s resilience, and previous adversities on the development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children. A series of questionnaires were completed by 158 Italian parents (148 mothers, 10 fathers, mean age = 41 years) concerning them and their school-aged children (N = 158, 76 boys, mean age = 7.4 years) at two critical time points (June 2020 and December 2020). Regression analyses showed that internalizing problems were predicted only by concurrent children’s resilience, whereas externalizing problems were predicted by concurrent parental flooding, children’s resilience, and early parental satisfaction. Therefore, internalizing and externalizing symptoms trajectories follow different routes and are predicted by both common and distinct factors. Supporting positive parenting attitudes and behavior should be recommended to prevent the worsening of children’s externalizing behaviors. At the same time, nurturing resilience in pediatric systems might be useful in preventing or reducing children’s internalizing symptoms.

https://doi.org/10.3390/children10101625

ABSTRACT

Data on the etiological factors underlying the co-occurrence of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) with anxiety symptoms are very limited. The present study investigated the nature of latent shared etiological elements in 400 Italian twin pairs aged 8–18, explaining the covariation between CDS and anxiety symptoms. Preliminary analysis demonstrated significant correlations between Child Behaviour Checklist/6–18 Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale and two (Somatic Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety) out of five Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders anxiety subscales. Results from causal analysis seem to exclude the hypothesis that co-occurrence between CDS and Anxiety Symptoms could be due to a direct phenotypic effect of one trait upon the other. Model fitting-analysis indicated that the aforementioned associations were partially explained by shared genetic and environmental factors influencing a common liability factor. A latent variable capturing the covariation between CDS and anxiety problems can be considered as a unifying (patho)physiological mechanism/system common to these constructs. Our results support the adoption of a broader view of the relationships between CDS and anxiety phenotypes in childhood and adolescence for both clinicians and educators.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-023-01029-0

BackgroundBipolar disorder (BD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly co-occur and their interplay is influenced by several factors. Alexithymia is connected to BD and AUD; affective temperaments serve as risk factors for both; craving contributes to the development and maintenance of AUD. The present study tested whether alexithymia play a mediating role in the relationship between affective temperaments and craving in alcoholic bipolar patients.

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The length of the menstrual cycle (MC) varies among women, with an average regularity between 21 and 40 days. Six temporal frames can be observed within the monthly cycle, based on the fluctuations of the hormone levels. These fluctuations are accompanied by alterations in the central nervous system (CNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) and can be quantified using psychophysiological techniques. In this systematic review, we discussed the studies conducted with healthy females that examined aspects associated with the functions of the ANS and the CNS, including psychological, emotional, behavioral, hormonal, and perceptive variables, relating their possible changes and alterations to different phases of the MC. The PubMed and EBSCO databases were searched for articles published between January 2010 and September 2020. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses (PRISMA) was applied. A total of 64 studies investigating ANS and CNS or perceptual systems across the MC were included in this review. Several studies found more alterations in the heart rate variability components during the days following ovulation compared to the days of the follicular phase. Behavioral alterations included a decrease in the percentage of REM sleep during the mid-luteal phase and an increase in calorie intake during the late-luteal phase compared to that in the follicular phase. Additionally, the reward system was found to be engaged to a greater extent during the luteal phase than during the follicular phase. The results differed considerably for many cognitive, behavioral, and autonomic variables. No significant alterations were found in most perceptual systems. A variegated picture emerged from the results of the various studies that applied different methodologies and measurements. The results suggested a new methodology that uses the temporal dimension for investigating the interactions between biological systems and psychological effects.

doi:10.21926/obm.icm.2202014

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used data from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to estimate that 50.2 million US adults experience chronic pain.¹ A second CDC publication from NHIS found that 22.1% of these US adults with chronic pain used prescription opioids.² However, the CDC did not determine whether opioids were used for acute vs chronic pain and did not explore other pain management techniques used. The present study provides baseline information on opioid and nonopioid pain management techniques used for chronic pain and serves as a benchmark for evaluating the outcome of health care policies aimed at reducing prescription opioid use.³

The NHIS is the principal source of information on the health of the civilian, noninstitutionalized US population. Race and ethnicity were self-reported by participants and categorized by the NHIS. The Seattle Children’s Hospital institutional review board deemed this study exempt from review because it did not constitute human participants research as the NHIS contains no protected health information. All participants in the NHIS provided oral informed consent. We followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guideline for cross-sectional studies. The 2019 NHIS response rate was 61.1% with a final sample of 31 916 participants.

Questions on pain management techniques appeared for the first time in the 2019 NHIS. Adults with chronic pain were asked to report on their use of 11 pain management techniques during the past 3 months (Table 1), which were coded by the study authors into 6 categories: (1) opioids for chronic pain; (2) opioids for acute pain; (3) physical, occupational, or rehabilitative therapy; (4) psychological and psychotherapeutic therapies (eg, cognitive behavioral therapy); (5) complementary therapies (chiropractic, massage, yoga or tai chi, mediation); or (6) other (self-management, pain peer support group, and other methods for pain management). Participants were not specifically asked about nonopioid pharmacological pain treatments. Survey-weighted prevalence rates for each pain management technique were calculated for selected sociodemographic characteristics. Data were analyzed using Stata version 14.2 (StataCorp) from August to December 2021. Hypothesis testing was 2-sided, and P < .05 was considered statistically significant.

Among 31 916 participants, 17 261 (64%) were female; 4152 (13%) were Hispanic, 3483 (10.9%) were non-Hispanic African American, and 21 915 (68.5%) were non-Hispanic White; 22 621 (70.9%) were 18 to 64 years of age, with 9295 (29.1%) at least 65 years of age. Pain management techniques used by adults with chronic pain in the US are presented in Table 1. Additionally, we estimated that 54.7% (95% CI, 53.1%-56.3%) of adults with chronic pain only used nonopioid pain management techniques, whereas 10.7% (95% CI, 9.9%-11.6%) used both opioids and nonopioid techniques, 4.4% (95% CI, 3.8%-5.1%) only used opioids for chronic pain management, and 30.2% (95% CI, 28.8%-31.7%) did not report any pain management techniques during the past 3 months (data on respondents reporting no pain management is not presented in tables). The most commonly used nonopioid pain management technique was complementary therapies, which was used by 35.4% (95% CI, 33.9%-36.9%) of adults with chronic pain, followed by physical, occupational or rehabilitative therapies (18.8% [95% CI, 17.8%-19.9%] of adults with chronic pain). Only 3.8% (95% CI, 3.3%-4.4%) of adults with chronic pain used psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions. Other techniques reported, included self-management programs (5.1% [95% CI, 4.5%-5.8%]) and chronic pain peer support groups (1.8% [95% CI, 1.5%-2.3%]). In addition, 39.1% (95% CI, 37.3%-40.9%) of adults with chronic pain reported using other pain approaches not specifically captured in the data set. Prescription opioid use for chronic pain was more common among older age groups (eg, for chronic pain among adults aged 45 to 64 years: 19.3% [95% CI, 17.6%-21.2%] vs adults aged 18 to 44 years: 8.4% [95% CI, 6.8%-10.3%]), female individuals (eg, for chronic pain among female individuals: 16.9% [95% CI, 15.5%-18.5%] vs male individuals: 13.1% [95% CI, 11.7%-14.7%]), insured individuals (eg, for chronic pain among those insured: 16.3% [95% CI, 15.2%-17.4%] vs uninsured: 5.8% [95% CI, 3.9%-8.4%]), those with high school education or lower (eg, for chronic pain among those with high school or less: 17.0% [95% CI, 15.4%-18.8%] vs more than high school: 13.8% [95% CI, 12.6%-15.1%]), and was less common among those with higher annual income (eg, for chronic pain among those from households that made at least $100 000 annually: 8.7% [95% CI, 7.2%-10.5%] vs less than $35 000 annually: 19.8% [95% CI, 18.1%-21.5%]) (Table 2). Adults using complementary and psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions were more likely than those not using these techniques to be younger, female, and have higher educational attainment. Adults using physical, occupational, or rehabilitative therapy were more likely than those not using these treatments to be older, female, have medical insurance, and be more highly educated.

This study found that adults with chronic pain in the US use a variety of pain management techniques, including opioids. While effective for some, opioids prescribed for chronic pain management remain an important determinant of the national opioid crisis.⁴ Nonpharmacologic and nonopioid pharmacologic therapies are preferred treatments for chronic pain, and it is encouraging to note that most adults with chronic pain use a combination of various nonopioid modalities for treatment.³ However, only 3.8% of participants reported using psychological therapies. Psychological therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, is effective for improving chronic pain, and our study indicates that it is underused.⁵ Limitations of this study include that information is subject to recall and social desirability bias. Moreover, 39.1% of adults with chronic pain reported using other pain approaches not specifically captured in the data set. Strengths of this study include the ability to examine opioid and nonopioid use for chronic pain captured in NHIS for the first time.

This cross-sectional study calculated national estimates of opioid and nonopioid pain management techniques used by adults with chronic pain. Pain management techniques vary by sociodemographic characteristics. Improved understanding of effective nonopioid pain management techniques is needed to reduce the reliance on opioids for chronic pain.

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https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3067

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Nowadays, the role of universities is experiencing a conflict: institutions need certificated and specialized professionals, and students need real knowledge. One hardly could imagine the implementation of this combination in the higher education system, even at the beginning of the university career. Bachelor’s programs indeed tend to be overly specialized and dogmatic, careless of those creative processes underlying innovation. For these reasons, I suggest two innovations to rebalance the strife. The first consists of the possibility for each student to actively choose courses, thus creating personalized and heterogeneous study careers. The second innovation concerns the implementation of hackathon-based teaching to enrich learning through cooperation and competition to solve concrete problems. I suggest that these improvements would guarantee the formation of professionals and allow students to develop actively their system of knowledge, as well as they would break down the barriers to innovation in higher education.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-022-00301-x

Abstract

La letteratura mostra una possibile associazione tra credenze metacognitive e disturbi dell’alimentazione. Lo scopo dello studio è esplorare la relazione tra credenze metacognitive e anoressia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) e disturbo da Binge Eating (BED). 57 pazienti con diagnosi di disturbi dell’alimentazione hanno completato l’EDI-2 e l’MCQ-30. I risultati hanno mostrato che i pazienti con anoressia nervosa hanno livelli più elevati sulla scala «impulso alla magrezza» dell’EDI-2 rispetto agli altri pazienti e hanno livelli più alti di credenze metacognitive negative rispetto ai pazienti con Binge Eating. Le credenze metacognitive sono associate alle scale «impulso alla magrezza» e «bulimia». La «fiducia nelle proprie capacita cognitive» è risultata un fattore associato all’«impulso alla magrezza». I risultati sembrano suggerire che le metacognizioni esplicite siano associate al desiderio di perdere peso, paura di aumentare di peso e tendenza ad abbuffarsi e usare comportamenti compensatori. Le metacognizioni negative sembrano essere associate principalmente all’anoressia nervosa. I dati suggeriscono di considerare la valutazione delle credenze metacognitive in pazienti con disturbi dell’alimentazione.

https://doi.org/10.14605/PCC2812203

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Female puberty is marked by the arrival of menarche, which experience could alter the degree of psychological and physiological symptoms. Females who are unprepared for menstruation are more prone to experience menarche discomfort, and consequently, psychophysiological distress. The present study aims to investigate and collect data about menarche experiences, menstruation attitudes, and symptoms, and the association between emotions experienced during menarche and psychophysiological well-being in a sample of Italian adolescent females at birth. The survey was composed of socio-demographical data, a menstruation questionnaire, a general health questionnaire, and a psychophysiological questionnaire. The results supported the correlation between positive emotions toward menarche and psychophysiological well-being. Moreover, a report on menstrual experiences, attitudes, and symptoms was provided. Finally, the results relating the information obtained about menarche and the emotions experienced by participants highlight the potential need for qualitatively and quantitatively equivalent means of information for all females going through puberty, with this responsibility being left to the educational institution. Future research should focus on evaluating the specific information acquired by adolescents to create subject-specific psychoeducational programs, minimizing disparities among pubertal adolescents and fostering a better menarche experience.

https://ecronicon.org/assets/ecgy/pdf/ECGY-11-00723.pdf

https://doi.org/10.14605/PCC2822202

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Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to individual resilience, especially among children who are the most affected by its psychological consequences. We aim to investigate temperament profiles that might constitute a potential risk factor for the development of psychopathology and low levels of resilience in children experiencing Covid-19 quarantine. The sample included 158 Italian children aged 5 to 10 years (48% boys, M = 7.4, SD = 1.8) recruited through a snowball sampling from the general population. Temperament, psychopathological symptoms, and resilience were assessed with the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Child and Youth Resilience Measure. Profile Analysis was employed to outline temperament differences between stress-resilient and stress-affected children. Results evidenced that resilient children displayed high levels of persistence and reward dependence, and low levels of novelty seeking. Behavioral difficulties were associated with low levels of persistence and reward dependence, and high levels of novelty seeking. Internalizing symptoms were more likely among children with high harm avoidance and low persistence. These findings underscore the importance of examining different temperament dimensions and their associations, especially when profiling phenotypes in trying to identify the links among temperament, vulnerability to psychopathology and resilience during stressful periods.

https://doi.org/10.13133/2724-2943/17582

Copyright © 2021 International Association for the Study of Pain.

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Purpose of review: to update the state of art about the comorbidity between Feeding and Eating Disorders (FEDs) and Personality Disorders (PDs), referring to the categorical of the latest versions of the Statistical and Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5. The following state-of-art literature review has been carried out since 2014, to which is possible to trace the latest findings about the topic.
Methods: the present systematic review has been conducted in accordance to PRISMA guidelines. Advanced systematic searches in PubMed and EBSCOhost have been conducted using the following search string with Boolean operators (eating disorders or anorexia or bulimia or binge eating) AND personality disorder AND (comorbidity or comorbidities or cooccurrence or comorbid) NOT (review of literature or literature review or meta-analysis or systematic review). The search strategy garnered four studies for inclusion in the present review, referred between February 2014 and March 2022.
Results: the analysis of the 4 studies suggests a comorbidity between FEDs and PDs. While this co-occurrence seems to prevail in a plain population, pre-existence of psychiatric disorders such as ADHD or ASD seem not to have an impact on the comorbidity between the two disorders.
Discussion: more in-depth studies on the general co-occurrence between FEDs and PDs can be really helpful to update and synthesise the results on this sketchy topic, not only for the purpose to bring up to date the literature, but also to be ready to treat such disorders that are constantly evolving.

https://www.doi.org/10.32044/ijedo.2022.05

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Different strategies have been developed to help parents with introducing new or disliked vegetables. Nonetheless, many parents of preschoolers struggle against children’s refusal to eat vegetables. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of e-books in promoting positive attitudes toward vegetables through repeated visual exposures. A total of 61 families with preschoolers joined the See & Eat study and received an e-book about one of two vegetables chosen from a list of 24. Parents provided ratings of children’s willingness to taste, intake, and liking of the chosen vegetables before and after reading the e-book; parents also evaluated their children’s food fussiness and their agreement with respect to three mealtime goals of the family. Using a 2 (vegetable: target or non-target) × 2 (time: pre-test or post-test) within-subjects analysis, results from 53 families revealed a significant increase in children’s willingness to taste, intake, and liking at post-test of both target and non-target vegetables. Following a two-week parent-child e-book reading intervention, children’s food fussiness and parents’ endorsement of positive mealtime goals slightly but significantly increased. Results suggest that e-books are effective in encouraging healthy eating among preschoolers and that the positive effect of e-book reading can generalize to other vegetables.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712416

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Lo scopo di questo contributo &egrave; quello di mettere in risalto una linea di ricerca che era gi&agrave; presente nei primi decenni della ricca produzione di Renzo Canestrari, estremamente innovativa per quel periodo, e relativa allo studio dei processi mentali, che oggi costituiscono i fondamenti della psicologia cognitiva. Questi lavori rappresentano una intuizione anticipatoria non solo di settori di ricerca, ma anche di metodologie di ricerca empiriche e sperimentali associate allo studio degli aspetti quantitativi dei processi mentali. Di particolare rilievo sono gli studi sulla percezione visiva di impronta gestaltista, arricchiti di analisi sperimentali applicate anche sovente a casi clinici. Non va inoltre dimenticato il contributo offerto da Canestrari allo studio psicologico delle modificazioni sociali intervenute nel secondo dopoguerra.

https://doi.org/10.3280/rip2021oa12601

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https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3067

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Objective: The study is an explorative investigation aimed to assess the differences in acute stress response patterns of health workers facing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during Italy’s first lockdown.

Methods: A cross-sectional investigation using convenience sampling method was conducted in Italy during April 2020. Eight hundred fifty-eight health workers participated in the research filling out self-report measures including Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R).

Results: Moderate/severe depression was found in 28.9% (95% CI, 25.8–32.04), moderate/severe anxiety in 55.4% (95% CI, 51.9–58.8), insomnia in 15% (95% CI, 12.5–17.5), and distress in 52.5% (95% CI, 48.5%–56.6) of participants. The 3% of health workers reported frequent suicidal thoughts. Female sex, working for >15 h/week in a COVID-19 unit, and living apart from family were associated with a significantly higher risk of distress, anxiety, insomnia, depression, and functional impairment. Four profiles were identified on the basis of psychopathological measures: Profile_0 included 44% (N = 270); Profile_1, 25.6% (N = 157); Profile_2, 19.1% (N = 117); and Profile_3, 11.3% (N = 69) of participants. Results showed a significant effect for Profiles X IES-R (η² = 0.079; f = 0.29), indicating that in all profiles, except for Profile_0, avoidance scale is lower than hyperarousal and intrusion symptoms scales of the IES-R. This characteristic could be a probable index of the control exerted by the responders to not fly away from their job.

Conclusion: The identification of specific profiles could help psychiatrists and emergency psychologists to build specific interventions in terms of both primary and secondary prevention to face future waves of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches use case formulation procedures based on the diathesis–stress conceptualization model, arranged in two dimensions: emotional vulnerability (present in a patient’s consciousness in terms of core beliefs) and coping strategies. Nevertheless, despite its pivotal role, there are a limited number of validation studies for this model. Life themes and semi-adaptive plans: Implications of biased beliefs, elicitation and treatment (LIBET) is a CBT case formulation method grounded on the CBT diathesis–stress model that aims to help validate the CBT case formulation model, and, in particular, its bidimensional arrangement. In LIBET, the two classic CBT dimensions are called “life themes,” which are mental states of focused attention to emotional sensitivities represented as core beliefs in consciousness, and “semi-adaptive plans,” which are the rigid management strategies of “life themes” implemented by adopting coping strategies such as anxious safety behaviors, compulsive controls and aggressive or rewarding strategies. The study uses quantitative textual analysis to validate the LIBET procedure in a clinical sample. The investigation discusses the extent to which the results can be considered a validation of the arrangement of the general CBT diathesis–stress model in the two dimensions of core beliefs and coping strategies.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-021-00421-3

Introduction: Neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) are disturbances highly related to age. This means that, with the increasing trend in life expectancy, there is also an increase in this diagnosis, although NCDs are not exclusively found in the population over 65 years old. Likely, they will increase in the coming years together with improvements in diagnosis. In addition to the use of medicines and rehabilitative techniques, pet therapy is also used. Pet therapy makes use of animals with therapeutic, rehabilitative, educational, and recreational purposes for people affected by physical, neuromotor, and psychiatric disorders. Pet therapy seems to be functional for increasing social and communication competencies, facilitating verbal and body language, increasing self-esteem, improving quality of life, and reducing anxiety/stress. Methods: This study was based on scientific papers and publications obtained from the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Moreover, other articles from further cross-references were included. Specific database research criteria were (a) articles published in 2018 or later, (b) samples containing only adults over 65 years old, (c) written in English or Italian, and (d) on the topic of animal-assisted intervention. Results: Uncertain results were obtained. Although a positive effect was found, the included articles were of insufficient methodological rigor. Discussion/Conclusion: Although many studies reported positive results, these could not be generalized because of the numerous biases present (e.g., small sample size, lack of methodological rigor, lack of protocol, etc.). Future studies, therefore, should seek to address the limitations found in the analyzed studies.

https://doi.org/10.1159/000518469

Abstract
Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to individual resilience, especially among children who are the most affected by its psychological consequences.
We aim to investigate temperament profiles that might constitute a potential risk factor for the development of psychopathology and low levels of resilience in children experiencing Covid-19 quarantine. Through a snowball sampling from the general population, we recruited parents of 158 Italian children aged 5 to 10 years (48% boys, M = 7.4, SD = 1.8). Parents completed questionnaires to assess their children’s temperament, psychopathological symptoms, and resilience, respectively through the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Child and Youth Resilience Measure. Profile Analysis was employed to outline temperament differences between stress-resilient and stress-affected
children. Results evidenced that resilient children displayed high levels of persistence and reward dependence, and low levels of novelty seeking. Behavioral difficulties were associated with low levels of persistence and reward dependence, and high levels of novelty seeking. Internalizing symptoms were more likely among children with high harm avoidance and low persistence. These findings underscore the importance of examining different temperament dimensions and their associations, especially when profiling phenotypes in trying to identify the links among temperament, vulnerability to psychopathology and resilience during stressful periods.

DOI: 10.131332724-294317582

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https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24732

https://doi.org/10.1080/0803706X.2020.1738549

Previous research exploring cognitive biases in bulimia nervosa suggests that attentional biases occur for both food-related and body-related cues. Individuals with bulimia were compared to non-bulimic controls on an emotional-Stroop task which contained both food-related and body-related cues. Results indicated that bulimics (but not controls) demonstrated a cognitive bias for both food-related and body-related cues. However, a discrepancy between the two cue-types was observed with body-related cognitive biases showing the most robust effects and food-related cognitive biases being the most strongly associated with the severity of the disorder. The results may have implications for clinical practice as bulimics with an increased cognitive bias for food-related cues indicated increased bulimic disorder severity.

Metacognitions in smoking: Evidence from a cross-cultural validation of the Metacognitions about Smoking Questionnaire in a Turkish sample

Metacognitions about the positive and negative effects of smoking have been associated with cigarette use and nicotine dependence. The aim of the present study was to validate the Turkish version of the Metacognitions about Smoking Questionnaire (MSQ; Nikčević et al., 2015). The sample consisted of 859 self-declared smokers (452 female) aged between 18 and 68 years (mean = 28.3; SD = 7.9). Once the English to Turkish translation of the MDQ was completed, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted based on the four-factor structure of the original measure. Initially results suggested that this model was an inadequate fit of the data obtained. However, by allowing three pairs of items (within factor) to co-vary, a re-specified model was tested that was found to be a satisfactory fit of the data. Internal reliability and predictive validity of the translated scale were observed to be good. The Turkish version of the MSQ exhibited suitable psychometric properties. This study also showed that metacognitions about smoking predict nicotine dependence independently of demographic variables, length of cigarette use, negative affect, and smoking outcome expectancies.

Over the last twenty years meta-cognitive theory has been applied to the conceptualization and treatment of psychological distress (Wells, 2009). In this paper we consider the evidence linking Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and problem gambling. This is followed by an overview of the role of metacognition in psychopathology and its specific application to the conceptualisation and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. We then proceed to discuss the possible role of metacognition in the relationship between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and problem gambling, and conclude by considering the clinical implications of metacognitive therapy for the transdiagnostic treatment of these co-occuring conditions.

Visual event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by facial expressions are useful to map socioemotional responses among shy children and to predict transition into social phobia. We investigated the sources of covariation among childhood shyness, social competences, and ERPs to other children’s happy, neutral, and angry expressions. Electrophysiological and twin analyses examined the phenotypic and etiological association among an index of childhood shyness, an index of social competences, and ERP responses to facial expressions in 200 twins (mean age=9.23years). Multivariate twin analyses showed that the covariation among shyness, social competences, and a composite of a frontal late negative component occurring around 200-400ms in response to happy, neutral, and angry expressions could be entirely explained by shared genetic factors. A coherent causal structure links childhood shyness, social competences, and the cortical responses to facial emotions. A common genetic substrate can explain the interrelatedness of individual differences for childhood shyness, social competences, and some associated electrophysiological responses to socioemotional signals.

Do Feelings of Loneliness Mediate the Relationship between Sociocognitive Understanding and Depressive Symptoms During Late Childhood and Early Adolescence?

Background. An interesting association between sociocognitive understanding and depression has been documented in clinical populations, with high levels of depression apparently related to theory-of-mind deficits. Yet no research has so far investigated this relationship among typically developing preadolescents. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to extend previous findings to the general population and to a younger age group. A secondary aim of the present research was to explore the role of feelings of loneliness referring to the above link. Method. A sociocognitive understanding task, followed by self-report questionnaires on depressive symptoms and perceived loneliness, were administered to a sample of 326 students attending primary and middle schools. Results. Mediation analyses revealed that feelings of loneliness mediated the effect of sociocognitive understanding on depressive symptoms, but only among girls. Conclusions. In boys, depressive symptoms were directly linked to sociocognitive skills. In girls, on the contrary, the relationship between sociocognitive skills and depressive symptoms was significantly mediated by feelings of loneliness. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

INTRODUCTION:

The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the construct of desire thinking and test a metacognitive model of desire thinking and craving, based on the work of Spada, Caselli and Wells (2012; 2013), which aims to explain the perseveration of desire thinking.

METHOD:

We conducted two studies involving four clinical samples (total N = 493) and a community sample (N = 494) presenting with different addictive behaviors. The relationships among variables were examined by testing the fit of path models within each sample.

RESULTS:

In the model presented it was proposed that positive metacognitions about desire thinking are associated with, in turn, imaginal prefiguration and verbal perseveration, marking the activation of desire thinking. Verbal perseveration is then associated to negative metacognitions about desire thinking and craving denoting the pathological escalation of desire thinking. Finally, a direct association between positive metacognitions about desire thinking and negative metacognitions about desire thinking would mark those occasions where target-achieving behaviour runs as an automatized schemata without the experience of craving. Results indicated a good model fit in the clinical sample and a variation in the model structure in the community sample.

CONCLUSION:

These findings provide further support for the application of metacognitive theory to desire thinking and craving in addictive behaviors.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460314002329?via%3Dihub

The Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale: Development and psychometric properties

Recent research has suggested that metacognitions may play a role across the spectrum of addictive behaviours. The goal of our studies was to develop the first self-report scale of metacognitions about online gaming. We conducted two studies with samples of online gamers (n=225, n=348) to test the structure and psychometric properties of the Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale and examined its capacity to predict weekly online gaming hours and Internet addiction. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor solution: positive metacognitions about online gaming, negative metacognitions about the uncontrollability of online gaming, and negative metacognitions about the dangers of online gaming. Internal consistency, predictive and divergent validity were acceptable. All the factors of the Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale correlated positively with weekly online gaming hours and Internet addiction. Regression analyses showed that negative metacognitions about the uncontrollability of online gaming and levels of Internet addiction were the only significant predictors of weekly online gaming hours, and that positive metacognitions about online gaming and negative metacognitions about the uncontrollability of online gaming were the only significant predictors of Internet addiction. The Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale was shown to possess good psychometric properties, as well as predictive and divergent validity within the populations that were tested. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioural and cognitive therapies for addictive behaviors have shown clinical utility however many patients continue to experience residual symptoms particularly craving, a major precipitating factor in relapse. In the current paper we review the role of a desire-related cognitive elaboration, termed desire thinking, which has been found to play an important role in the perpetuation and escalation of both craving and addictive behaviors. We argue that novel treatment approaches, rooted in metacognitive therapy, may help to interrupt the perseveration of desire thinking and improve the well-being of populations suffering from addictive behaviors.

The Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire: Development and psychometric properties

Recent research has suggested that metacognitions may play a role across the spectrum of addictive behaviours. The goal of our studies was to develop the first self-report scale of metacognitions about gambling. We conducted three studies with one community (n = 165) and two clinical (n = 110; n = 87) samples to test the structure and psychometric properties of the Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire and examined its capacity to prospectively predict severity of gambling. Findings supported a two factor solution consisting of positive and negative metacognitions about gambling. Internal consistency, predictive and divergent validity were acceptable. All the factors of the Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire correlated positively with gambling severity. Regression analyses showed that negative metacognitions about gambling were significantly associated to gambling severity over and above negative affect and gambling-specific cognitive distortions. Finally only gambling severity and negative metacognitions about gambling were significant prospective predictors of gambling severity as measured three months later. The Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire was shown to possess good psychometric properties, as well as predictive and divergent validity within the populations that were tested.

SCARICA IL PAPER

Abstract

The use of alcohol as a strategy to regulate emotional distress has been widely considered as a core risk factor for problem drinking. Recent research has suggested that using alcohol to self-regulate may be sustained by emotional intolerance (the perceived inability to tolerate emotional distress) and desire thinking (a voluntary cognitive process involving verbal and imaginal elaboration of a desired target). The goal of this study was to explore the role of emotional intolerance and desire thinking in predicting problem drinking. A sample of problem drinkers (n = 50), and social drinkers (n = 56) completed self-report instruments of emotional intolerance, desire thinking and problem drinking. Analyses revealed that the verbal perseveration factor of desire thinking was the only significant predictor of classification as a problem drinker. In addition both factors of desire thinking were found to predict problem drinking independently of emotional intolerance. These findings suggest that desire thinking may be a risk factor across the transition from social to problem drinking and that treatment may benefit from targeting specifically this cognitive process together with meta-emotional appraisal.

Anger and depressive ruminations as predictors of dysregulated behaviours in Borderline Personality Disorder

Background: Anger and depressive ruminations have recently received empirical attention as processes related to borderline personality disorder (BPD). The Emotional Cascade Model (Selby, Anestis, & Joiner, 2008) suggests that negative affect (such as anger and sadness) may trigger rumination, which in turn may increase the duration and extent of negative affect, leading to dysregulated behaviours aimed at reducing such intense and unpleasant emotions. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between emotional dysregulation, anger and depressive ruminations, and their role in predicting dysregulated behaviours (such as aggression and self-harm) in a clinical sample of patients with BPD. Methods: Ninety-one patients with a diagnosis of BPD were recruited from three outpatient community mental health centres and asked to complete a comprehensive assessment for personality disorder symptoms, emotion dysregulation, anger and depressive ruminations, aggression, and self-harm. Results: Anger and depressive ruminations were found to be significantly associated to, respectively, self-harm and aggression, beyond the variance accounted by emotional dysregulation. Conclusions: Rumination may act as a mediator between emotional dysregulation and dysregulated behaviours in BPD. Future research should examine whether clinical techniques aimed at reducing rumination may be helpful in reducing dysregulated behaviours in patients with BPD.

SCARICA IL PAPER

Objective

Desire thinking is a voluntary cognitive process involving verbal and imaginal elaboration of a desired target. Recent research has revealed that desire thinking may play a significant role in the escalation of craving. The goal of this study was to explore the effect of a desire thinking induction on craving in a sample of patients with alcohol use disorder.

Methods

Ten patients with alcohol use disorder were exposed to a brief exposure to alcohol‐related thoughts plus desire thinking induction versus brief exposure to alcohol‐related thoughts plus distraction.

Results

The induction of desire thinking led to a significant increase in distress and urge to use alcohol when compared to a behavioural assessment test and a distraction task. The clinical implications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Key Practitioner Message

• Psychotherapeutic strategies that target desire thinking, both at the assessment and at the intervention levels, may be relevant in the treatment of craving‐related problems.
• Deriving and illustrating the role of desire thinking in a given episode of craving may support the development of metacognitive awareness about its functions and consequences.

Objective

Desire thinking is a voluntary cognitive process involving verbal and imaginal elaboration of a desired target. Recent research has revealed that desire thinking may play a significant role in the escalation of craving. The goal of this study was to explore the effect of a desire thinking induction on craving in a sample of patients with alcohol use disorder.

Methods

Ten patients with alcohol use disorder were exposed to a brief exposure to alcohol‐related thoughts plus desire thinking induction versus brief exposure to alcohol‐related thoughts plus distraction.

Results

The induction of desire thinking led to a significant increase in distress and urge to use alcohol when compared to a behavioural assessment test and a distraction task. The clinical implications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Key Practitioner Message

• Psychotherapeutic strategies that target desire thinking, both at the assessment and at the intervention levels, may be relevant in the treatment of craving‐related problems.
• Deriving and illustrating the role of desire thinking in a given episode of craving may support the development of metacognitive awareness about its functions and consequences.

Behavioral and cognitive therapies for addictive behaviors have shown clinical utility, however, many patients continue to experience residual symptoms, particularly craving, a major precipitating factor in relapse. We review a desire-related cognitive elaboration, termed desire thinking, which has been found to play an important role in the perpetuation and escalation of both craving and addictive behaviors. We argue that novel treatment approaches, rooted in metacognitive therapy, may help to interrupt the perseveration of desire thinking and improve the well-beng of populations suffering from addictive behaviors.

Background

The construct of craving has been shown to play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. Both novelty seeking and desire thinking have been identified, respectively, as important temperamental and cognitive predictors of craving.

Aims

In the present study we aimed to explore the relative contribution of novelty seeking and desire thinking towards craving, hypothesizing a sequence of multiple mediating relationships starting from novelty seeking and moving onto imaginal prefiguration, verbal perseveration and craving in serial fashion.

Method

A convenience sample of 270 individuals completed measures assessing novelty seeking, desire thinking, and craving relating to a chosen activity.

Results

Findings showed that, controlling for age and gender, desire thinking components predicted craving over and above novelty seeking. The indirect effect from novelty seeking to craving, via desire thinking components, was significant thus supporting a multiple-mediational sequence. Finally, the relationship between imaginal prefiguration and craving was found to be partially mediated by verbal perseveration.

Conclusions

The findings provide support for the conceptualization of desire thinking as an independent construct in predicting craving over and above novelty seeking.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845943/

Background

The construct of craving has been shown to play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. Both novelty seeking and desire thinking have been identified, respectively, as important temperamental and cognitive predictors of craving.

Aims

In the present study we aimed to explore the relative contribution of novelty seeking and desire thinking towards craving, hypothesizing a sequence of multiple mediating relationships starting from novelty seeking and moving onto imaginal prefiguration, verbal perseveration and craving in serial fashion.

Method

A convenience sample of 270 individuals completed measures assessing novelty seeking, desire thinking, and craving relating to a chosen activity.

Results

Findings showed that, controlling for age and gender, desire thinking components predicted craving over and above novelty seeking. The indirect effect from novelty seeking to craving, via desire thinking components, was significant thus supporting a multiple-mediational sequence. Finally, the relationship between imaginal prefiguration and craving was found to be partially mediated by verbal perseveration.

Conclusions

The findings provide support for the conceptualization of desire thinking as an independent construct in predicting craving over and above novelty seeking.

The metacognitive approach conceptualizes the relationship between anger and rumination as driven by metacognitive beliefs, which are information individuals hold about their own cognition and about coping strategies that impact on it. The present study aimed to test the prospective predictive impact of metacognitive beliefs and rumination on anger in a community sample. Seventy‐six participants were recruited and engaged in a 2‐week anger, rumination, and metacognitive beliefs monitoring protocol. A multi‐wave panel design was employed to test whether metacognitive beliefs and rumination have a prospective impact on anger. Metacognitive beliefs and rumination were found to have a significant prospective impact on anger that was independent from the number of triggering events. Metacognitive beliefs about the need to control thoughts were shown to have a direct impact on subsequent anger, independently from rumination. These findings provide support for the potential value for applying metacognitive theory and therapy to anger‐related problems. Aggr. Behav. 43:421–429, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Desire thinking and mindfulness have been associated with craving. The aim of the present study was to validate the French version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ) and to investigate the relationship between mindfulness, desire thinking and craving among a sample of university students. Four hundred and ninety six university students completed the DTQ and measures of mindfulness, craving and alcohol use. Results from confirmatory factor analyses showed that the two-factor structure proposed in the original DTQ exhibited suitable goodness-of-fit statistics. The DTQ also demonstrated good internal reliability, temporal stability and predictive validity. A set of linear regressions revealed that desire thinking had a confounding effect in the relationship between mindfulness and craving. The confounding role of desire thinking in the relationship between mindfulness and craving suggests that interrupting desire thinking may be a viable clinical option aimed at reducing craving.

Anagrus breviphragma Soyka (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) successfully parasitises eggs of Cicadella viridis (L.) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), embedded in vegetal tissues, suggesting the idea of possible chemical and physical cues, revealing the eggs presence. In this research, three treatments were considered in order to establish which types of cue are involved: eggs extracted from leaf, used as a control, eggs extracted from leaf and cleaned in water and ethanol, used to evaluate the presence of chemicals soluble in polar solvents, and eggs extracted from leaf and covered with Parafilm (M), used to avoid physical stimuli due to the bump on the leaf surface. The results show that eggs covered with Parafilm present a higher number of parasitised eggs and a lower probing starting time with respect to eggs washed with polar solvents or eggs extracted and untreated, both when the treatments were singly tested or when offered in sequence, independently of the treatment position. These results suggest that the exploited stimuli are not physical due to the bump but chemicals that can spread in the Parafilm, circulating the signal on the whole surface, and that the stimuli that elicit probing and oviposition are not subjected to learning.

The Role of Emotional Competence in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE: Emotional competence is important for mental and physical health. However, no studies have examined the link between aspects of emotional competence and Tako-tsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTC). METHODS: We compared 37 TTC patients who experienced emotion triggers (TTC-t: mean age 66.4 ± 12.8 years, 33 women) with 37 TTC patients who did not experience emotion triggers (TTC-nt: mean age 65.8 ± 11.1 years, 33 women) and 37 patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction who experienced a precipitating emotion that could have triggered the event (AMI-t: mean age 66.1 ± 10.1 years, 33 women). Groups were compared with respect to emotional competence and depressive symptoms. The three aspects of emotional competence (emotional intelligence, metacognitive beliefs and emotional processing deficits) were assessed using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS), the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) and the Emotional Processing Scale (EPS), respectively. Differences between group means were evaluated using MANCOVA, adjusting for depressive symptomatology (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; HAM-D) RESULTS: TTC-t patients, if compared to TTC-nt patients and AMI-t patients, had the lowest scores in emotional intelligence (TMMS Attention: F [2, 184] = 23.10; p < .001. TMMS Repair: F [2, 184] = 11.98; p < .001), and the highest scores in metacognitive beliefs and emotional processing deficits (e.g. MCQ-30 Negative Beliefs about Thoughts: F [2, 184] = 56.93; p < .001), independent of the levels of depressive symptomatology. Finally, our findings showed that TTC-nt patients had significantly lower scores on the HAM-D scale compared to AMI-t (p = 0.021) and TTC-t (p = 0.004) patients. CONCLUSIONS: TTC-t patients showed a specific dysfunctional profile of emotional competence, even after adjusting for depressive symptomatology; results provided a better understanding of the predisposing psychological and trait factors in Tako-tsubo Cardiomyopathy patients.

Metacognitions as Mediators of Gender Identity‐related Anxiety.

Objective: Research has found that the prevalence of psychological distress is substantially higher in transgender compared to cisgender populations. This study explored the role of metacognitions as mediators of anxiety in a sample comprising of cisgender and transgender individuals. Method: One-hundred and twenty-five individuals (19 trans-male; 24 male; 25 trans-female; 57 female) completed a series of measures that assessed metacognitions, worry and anxiety. Results: Correlation analyses were used to identify potential mediators of the relationship between gender identity and anxiety. A mediation model indicated that beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger entirely mediated the relationship between gender identity and anxiety (b = 2.00, bias corrected and accelerated confidence interval [0.68, 3.49]). Conclusions: Metacognitions play an important role in anxiety in transgender individuals. Highlights: -Metacognitions were found to mediate anxiety in transgender and cisgender individuals. -The exploration of metacognitions in transgender individuals experiencing psychological distress may have clinical utility. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The efficacy of cognitive behavioural treatments (CBT) for anxiety disorders has been supported by multiple randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses. This review examines meta-analyses that have been published over the last 15 years in order to summarise the current state of evidence regarding CBT treatment for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. In particular this review explores: (1) general CBT efficacy, (2) number of sessions, (3) comparison with pharmacological treatments, (4) comparison between cognitive and behavioural techniques, (5) comparison with third wave cognitive behavioural therapies. Overall, CBT demonstrates both efficacy in randomised controlled trials and effectiveness in naturalistic settings in the treatment of anxiety disorders. However, some methodological limitations showed a decrease in this efficacy and highlighted the need for further development of CBT treatments that are specific for each disorder.

PURPOSE

Food craving has been shown to induce states of psychological challenge, indexed by increases in adrenaline but not cortisol production. The study aimed to test the relationship between challenge and (1) desire thinking (the active processing of the pleasant consequences of achieving a desired target and planning how to do so) and (2) craving.

METHODS

Participants (N = 61) self-reported their levels of craving and desire thinking. They were then presented with situations in which their craving would be fulfilled or not via a false feedback practice task (a wordsearch task). During this period psycho-physiological measures of challenge and threat were taken.

RESULTS

Higher levels of craving were linked to challenge only when the craved object was likely to be obtained. Whilst anticipating reward fulfillment, higher levels of craving were linked to higher levels of desire thinking. In turn, higher levels of desire thinking were related to lower levels of challenge. In contrast, during the processes of reward fulfillment, desire thinking was linked to increased challenge (i.e., a positive indirect effect).

Conserved DNA Methylation Signatures in Early Maternal Separation and in Twins Discordant for CO2 Sensitivity.

Respiratory and emotional responses to blood-acidifying inhalation of CO2 are markers of some human anxiety disorders, and can be enhanced by repeatedly cross-fostering (RCF) mouse pups from their biological mother to unrelated lactating females. Yet, these dynamics remain poorly understood. We show RCF-associated intergenerational transmission of CO2 sensitivity in normally-reared mice descending from RCF-exposed females, and describe the accompanying alterations in brain DNA methylation patterns. These epigenetic signatures were compared to DNA methylation profiles of monozygotic twins discordant for emotional reactivity to a CO2 challenge. Altered methylation was consistently associated with repeated elements and transcriptional regulatory regions among RCFexposed animals, their normally-reared offspring, and humans with CO2 hypersensitivity. In both species, regions bearing differential methylation were associated with neurodevelopment, circulation, and response to pH acidification processes, and notably included the ASIC2 gene. Our data show that CO2 hypersensitivity is associated with specific methylation clusters and genes that subserve chemoreception and anxiety. The methylation status of genes implicated in acid-sensing functions can inform etiological and therapeutic research in this field.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) are two forms of male sexual disorder with both psychological and physical features. While their cognitive, attentional, and affective components have been investigated separately, there is a lack of knowledge about the role played by cognitive attentional syndrome in their onset and maintenance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible contribution of perseverative thinking styles and thought control strategies to the development and maintenance of ED and PE. The authors hypothesized that such modes of processing might constitute a cognitive attentional syndrome specific to these disorders and sustained by particular metacognitive beliefs. A semistructured interview was administered to 11 participants with ED and 10 with PE in order to assess their metacognitive beliefs and cognitive attentional processes. The results suggest that individuals with ED and PE adopt a range of cognitive attentional strategies aimed at improving their sexual performance, and endorse both positive and negative metacognitive beliefs about these thinking responses. Overall, their cognitive and attentional patterns worsened negative internal states, reduced sexual excitement, detached them from their bodily sensations, and hindered sexual functioning. These preliminary findings suggest that perseverative thinking, thought control strategies, and metacognitive beliefs may play a key role in the onset and maintenance of male sexual dysfunction.

Internalized self-criticism (ISC) has been identified as one dimension of depression and has been related to poor interpersonal functioning, severity of depressive symptoms among patients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, and suicidal behaviors. Finally, it has been indicated as a maintaining factor in depression, able to impair the efficacy of psychological treatment. The present study aimed to investigate the role of perceived parental criticism, perfectionistic concern over mistakes and ruminative brooding in predicting internalized self-criticism; in addition, we explored the predictive value of all the considered variables for depressive mood in a nonclinical population. The final model showed a complete mediation for concern over mistakes and ruminative brooding in the relationship between perceived parental criticism and ISC, with the final model explaining 32% of the variance. Moreover, ISC predicted the level of depressive symptoms over and above the contribution of the other variables considered. The findings suggest that a thinking style characterized by ruminative brooding and the tendency to be concerned with mistakes can facilitate the development of a self-critical person, more than a parental style perceived as critical. Moreover, the tendency to be self-critical may be more predictive of depressive symptoms than the other variables considered.

Motives to use Facebook and problematic Facebook use in adolescents

Background and aims There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that problematic Facebook use (PFU) is an emerging problem, particularly among adolescents. Although a number of motivations explaining why people engage in frequent Facebook use have been identified, less is known about the specific psychological needs underlying PFU. The aim of this study is to test a model designed to assess the unique contribution of psychological motives for using Facebook to the different PFU dimensions in a sample of adolescents. Methods A total of 864 Italian adolescents participated in the study. Multivariate multiple regression was run to test whether the four motives were differently associated with problematic dimensions. Results The results showed that the two motives with negative valence (coping and conformity) were significantly linked to the five dimensions of PFU, whereas the two motives with positive valence (enhancement and social) appeared to be weaker predictors for three out of these five dimensions. Discussion and conclusion In conclusion, psychological motives for using Facebook appeared to significantly contribute to explaining PFU among adolescents, and should be considered by researchers and educational practitioners.

Facebook has become hugely popular among young people and adults all over the world, creating a new social phenomenon that has affected the communication patterns used by people to interact with each other. Although most people use Facebook wisely, a minority of users can show negative patterns of Facebook use, with negative consequences on personal psycho-social well-being, especially among young adults. The present study aims to test a model designed to assess the unique contribution of personality traits, motives for using Facebook and metacognitions on Problematic Facebook Use (PFU) among young adults. A total of 815 Italian university students participated in the study. Path analysis revealed that three of the four motives to use Facebook, and that two of the five metacognitions, predicted PFU. Moreover, only one personality trait (extraversion) appeared to be directly linked to PFU, while emotional stability indirectly influenced PFU via motives (coping and conformity) and metacognitions (negative beliefs about worry and cognitive confidence). In conclusion, motives and metacognitions predict PFU among young adults, and they should be taken into account to develop preventive measures and clinical interventions.

BACKGROUND:

Emotional instability and dyscontrolled behaviours are central features in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Recently, some cognitive dysfunctional mechanisms, such as anger rumination, have been found to increase negative emotions and promote dyscontrolled behaviours. Even though rumination has consistently been linked to BPD traits in non-clinical samples, its relationship with problematic behaviour has yet to be established in a clinical population.

AIM:

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationships between emotional dysregulation, anger rumination and aggression proneness in a clinical sample of patients with BPD.

METHODS:

Enrolled patients with personality disorders (93 with BPD) completed a comprehensive assessment for personality disorder symptoms, anger rumination, emotional dysregulation and aggression proneness.

RESULTS:

Anger rumination was found to significantly predict aggression proneness, over and above emotional dysregulation. Furthermore, both BPD diagnosis and anger rumination were significant predictors of aggression proneness.

CONCLUSION:

Future research should examine whether clinical techniques aimed at reducing rumination are helpful for reducing aggressive and other dyscontrolled behaviours in treating patients with BPD.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pmh.1310

Anger and depressive ruminations as predictors of dysregulated behaviours in borderline personality disorder.

Background: Anger and depressive ruminations have recently received empirical attention as processes related to borderline personality disorder (BPD). The Emotional Cascade Model (Selby, Anestis, & Joiner, 2008) suggests that negative affect (such as anger and sadness) may trigger rumination, which in turn may increase the duration and extent of negative affect, leading to dysregulated behaviours aimed at reducing such intense and unpleasant emotions. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between emotional dysregulation, anger and depressive ruminations, and their role in predicting dysregulated behaviours (such as aggression and self-harm) in a clinical sample of patients with BPD. Methods: Ninety-one patients with a diagnosis of BPD were recruited from three outpatient community mental health centres and asked to complete a comprehensive assessment for personality disorder symptoms, emotion dysregulation, anger and depressive ruminations, aggression, and self-harm. Results: Anger and depressive ruminations were found to be significantly associated to, respectively, self-harm and aggression, beyond the variance accounted by emotional dysregulation. Conclusions: Rumination may act as a mediator between emotional dysregulation and dysregulated behaviours in BPD. Future research should examine whether clinical techniques aimed at reducing rumination may be helpful in reducing dysregulated behaviours in patients with BPD.

Objectives: This study evaluates the validity and reliability of a new self-report instrument that assess GAD spectrum symptoms: the WORRY-SR. Methods: Participants included 120 patients with mood and anxiety disorders recruited at the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pisa and two comparison groups included 47 participants recruited at the Department of Occupational Medicine and 45 outpatients with gastrointestinal disorders. Participants completed the WORRY-SR, the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), the Panic-Agoraphobia Spectrum (PAS-SR) and the WHO Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: Internal consistency of the total WORRY-SR score (KR = 0.96) and for the domains (Childhood, Worry, Beliefs about Worry, Somatic and Emotional Symptoms, Cognitive Tendencies, and Behavioral and Interpersonal Tendencies) was excellent. Furthermore, the WORRY-SR showed good concurrent validity with the PSWQ (p = 0.71). Finally, the WORRY-SR discriminates participants with psychiatric disorders from controls and patients with severe functional impairment from those with mild/moderate functional impairment. Conclusions: Our findings provide support for reliability and validity of the WORRY-SR questionnaire.

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Abstract

The impact of emotions on recall: an empirical study on social ads

Emotions are a complex phenomenon that entails a tricky problem regarding the measurement. To partially overcome this question, we assess emotions both using self‐report and measures commonly used in neuromarketing. This study assesses the accuracy of the recall after 4 months regarding two social advertising videos about female genital mutilation. Forty female participants were recruited. The skin conductance trend of the participants is different when viewing the two videos. The majority of participants (94.9%) reported that the two videos elicited different emotions (sadness for the first video and anger for the second one). Furthermore, according to arousal and valence model, these data are consistent with the literature that underlines the importance of psychophysiological indexes in measuring emotions and their associations with memory performances.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Recent research has suggested that metacognitions may play a role in smoking. The goal of the current set of studies was to develop the first self-report instrument of metacognitions about smoking.

METHOD:

We conducted three studies with samples of smokers (n = 222, n = 143, n = 25) to test the structure and psychometric properties of the Metacognitions about Smoking Questionnaire and examined its capacity to predict smoking behaviour.

RESULTS:

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a four-factor solution: positive metacognitions about cognitive regulation, positive metacognitions about emotional regulation, negative metacognitions about uncontrollability, and negative metacognitions about cognitive interference. Internal consistency, predictive and divergent validity, and temporal stability were acceptable. The metacognition factors correlated positively with daily cigarette use and levels of nicotine dependence, and contributed to the prediction of these outcomes over and above smoking outcome expectancies.

CONCLUSIONS:

The Metacognitions about Smoking Questionnaire was shown to possess good psychometric properties, as well as predictive and divergent validity within the populations that were tested. The metacognition factors explained incremental variance in smoking behaviour above smoking outcome expectancies.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460314003761?via%3Dihub

Modelling the contribution of negative affect, outcome expectancies and metacognitions to cigarette use and nicotine dependence.

Background: Both positive smoking outcome expectancies and metacognitions about smoking have been found to be positively associated with cigarette use and nicotine dependence. The goal of this study was to test a model including nicotine dependence and number of daily cigarettes as dependent variables, anxiety and depression as independent variables, and smoking outcome expectancies and metacognitions about smoking as mediators between the independents and dependents. Methods: The sample consisted of 524 self-declared smokers who scored 3 or above on the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND: Uysal et al., 2004). Results: Anxiety was not associated with either cigarette use or nicotine dependence but was positively associated with all mediators with the exception of stimulation state enhancement and social facilitation. Depression, on the other hand, was found to be positively associated with nicotine dependence (and very weakly to cigarette use) but was not associated with either smoking outcome expectancies or metacognitions about smoking. Only one smoking outcome expectancy (negative affect reduction) was found to be positively associated with nicotine dependence but not cigarette use. Furthermore one smoking outcome expectancy (negative social impression) was found to be positively associated with cigarette use (but not to nicotine dependence). All metacognitions about smoking were found to be positively associated with nicotine dependence. Moreover, negative metacognitions about uncontrollability were found to be positively associated with cigarette use. Conclusions: Metacognitions about smoking appear to be a stronger mediator than smoking outcome expectancies in the relationship between negative affect and cigarette use/nicotine dependence. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Anger rumination has been defined as a repetitive thinking style focused on causes and consequences of anger. Different studies have shown the role of anger rumination as a maintaining factor for emotional arousal and stress that can lead to behavioral dysregulation. The present study aims at investigating whether the role of anger rumination in increasing anger is different with respect to different anger scenarios. Moreover, effects of anger rumination on anger will be compared with the effects of 2 different thinking styles (cognitive reappraisal and distraction). Participants were asked to complete a batch of questionnaires assessing trait and state anger and anger rumination; after that, they were asked to identify themselves in different scenarios aimed at eliciting anger for different reasons. Finally, a specific thinking style was induced by reading some suggestions to each participant. Levels of anger were recorded before and after each induction. The type of scenario did not show any influence on levels of anger. All the thinking styles reduced levels of anger, and anger rumination had the smallest impact on anger measurements with respect to reappraisal and distraction. Scenarios did not show any meditational effect on the predicting power of the thinking styles on levels of arousal. Among induced thinking styles, anger rumination led to higher levels of anger, whereas cognitive reappraisal and distraction led to a greater reduction in levels of anger.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To increase classroom consumption of home-provided fruits (F) and vegetables (V) in obese, overweight, and normal weight children.

DESIGN:

Consumption evaluated within and across the baseline phase and the end of the intervention and maintenance phases.

SETTING:

Three Italian primary schools.

PARTICIPANTS:

The study involved 672 children (321 male and 329 female) aged 5-11 years. Body mass index measures were available for 461 children.

INTERVENTION:

Intervention schools received the Food Dudes (FD) program: 16 days of repeated taste exposure (40 g of F and 40 g of V), video modeling, and rewards-based techniques. The comparison school was only repeatedly exposed to FV.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:

Grams of FV brought from home and eaten.

ANALYSIS:

Chi-square, independent t test, repeated-measures ANOVA, and generalized estimating equation model.

RESULTS:

Intervention schools show a significant increase in home-provided F (P < .001) and V (P < .001) consumption both in overweight and non-overweight children. Approximately half of children in the intervention schools ate at least 1 portion of FV at the end of the intervention and maintenance phases.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:

The increase in home-provided FV intake was similar in overweight and non-overweight children in the FD intervention schools compared with the comparison school. The effect of the FD program was higher at the end of the intervention phase than the end of the maintenance phase.

The aim of this study is to analyse the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Italian version of the CAMM, a short questionnaire (10 items) that measures mindfulness skills in children and adolescents. Twelve schools were involved in the study and 1336 participants, aged between 11 and 18, were enrolled in two studies. The I-CAMM shows a two-factor solution with a higher-order factor named «Mindfulness Skills». The two factors detected are named «Awareness» and «Willingness», respectively. The two-factor solution is identified both with Exploratory Factor Analysis – performed on 657 participants recruited during study 1 – and through Confirmatory Factor Analysis – performed on 679 participants recruited during study 2 – showing good indices of goodness of fit. The psychometric properties of the I-CAMM indicate good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0,79 for the factor «Mindfulness Skills») and good convergent validity with the YSR Internalising Problems Scale (r = -0,515) and with experiential avoidance and fusion measured with AFQ (r = -0,703). The mean scores of the I-CAMM are distributed differently between males and females; males reported significantly higher scores of «Mindfulness Skills» than females. Considering its features and psychometric properties, I-CAMM can be easily used both in research and in clinical practice

Irrational And Metacognitive Beliefs As Mediators Between Dysfunctional Beliefs (Schemas) And Anxiety

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) conceptualize anxiety in different ways. CBT focuses on the content self-beliefs, MCT on regulatory metacognitive beliefs, while REBT is partially regulatory and content related. The study aimed to test a model in which MCT and REBT concepts played a mediating role while CBT-related self-beliefs had the place of the independent variable. The model, if confirmed, approximates the different psychopathological factors in the CBT, REBT and MCT models. 149 non clinical subjects completed 4 self-report questionnaires: GAD-Q-IV for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); negative orientation to the problems questionnaire (NPOQ) for CBT, the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (ABS) for REBT and the MCQ-30 for MCT. A moderation model was tested using regression analyses. Regression analyses confirmed the mediating role of ABS and MCQ in the relation between NPOQ and GAD (B = .23; CI = .007 to .33). The relationship between belief (schema content) and GAD symptoms appears to be statistically dependent on (mediated by) metacognitions and self-regulation.

The Life themes and plans, Implications of biased Beliefs: Elicitation and Treatment (LIBET) therapy protocol and its implementation in a clinical case are described. There is an assessment phase in which the model is shared with the client, a phase implementing a plan of therapeutic interventions and monitoring both emotional and behavioural improvements, and a final stage of discharge and followup. Antonia A. showed symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder focused on performance, adequacy, judgment of others, health and travelling fears. The LIBET model includes cognitive interventions on frustration intolerance and links them to the process of learning symptoms in relations with emotionally significant figures, within which a theme of inadequacy is processed, together with avoidance and perfectionistic control planning.

This paper attempts to explore the cultural background for the adoption and practice of REBT by cognitive therapists in Italy since the 1980s. It is not an attempt to capture the history of Italian culture and philosophy from antiquity. Italian therapists tend to prefer the assessment phase of the ABC framework and not fully adopt REBT disputing interventions. They also attempt to link the ABC not only to the here and now but also to clients’ personal development. In our experience, they have combined REBT with constructivism and metacognition. These current features parallel the historical lack of confidence shown by many Italian philosophical thinkers—from Machiavelli to Gianni Vattimo—in the possibility of reducing reality to verification as well as the reproducible rules of logical rationality. The foregoing highlights the interest in exploring the emotional roots of politics, history, and concrete reality in the time frame following the 1980s. Some typical features of Italian social life, such as individualism, hierarchy, remote social distance, and competition can also be thought of as corresponding with the historical features of the way REBT has been adopted and functions in Italy.

Secularising the therapeutic relationship in cognitive behavioural therapy: Shared case formulation

This paper critically reviews scientific literature regarding the concepts of «therapeutic relationship», «therapeutic alliance» and «shared case formulation», linking the first to the relational developments of the cognitive behavioural paradigm, and the second to a trans-theoretical operational concept. This critical examination holds that only the third one is compatible with a consistent and promising development of the cognitive-behavioural psychotherapeutic paradigm, while the first one leads to two incompatible and unpromising outcomes: either an aspecific definition of psychotherapeutic relationship as a decisive aspect present in every therapeutic change, which reduces psychotherapy to a placebo effect and a sterile eclecticism, or to a specific definition which must accept being honestly presented in terms of promise of theoretically founded increased efficacy without surreptitiously using any concepts related to an aspecific definition of therapeutic relationship present in any therapy and capable of making them all homogeneously effective and equivalent.

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A Historical and Theoretical Review of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies: From Structural Self-Knowledge to Functional Processes

This paper critically examines the historical conceptualization of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy approaches (CBT) as a direct clinical counterpart of the cognitive revolution. The main “second wave” cognitive psychotherapies, either standard cognitive therapy (CT) or constructivist, in spite of their differences, share a common conceptualization of psychopathological factors as superordinate structural cognitive content belonging to the self: self-beliefs, self-schemata, personality organizations and so on. On the other hand, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is an exception given that in REBT self-knowledge is not the core psychopathological tenet, being rather a derivate mechanism. Moreover, in non clinical cognitive science cognition is conceived as a regulatory function that operates retroactively and not in a hierarchically super- ordered fashion centered on the self. A historical review suggests that in both CT and constructivist model the structuralistic model of self-centered cognition may have emerged for both cultural and scientific reasons: self-centered cognitive models may be more readily understandable to clinicians as they allow for a straightforward identification of operationalizable self-beliefs. The emergence of new “third wave” process-centered CBT approaches may represent a comeback to functionalism, where cognition is considered again a regulatory function and not a structure. In addition, REBT’s interest in dysfunctional evaluations not focused on the self presaged this clinical and scientific turning point toward functionalism.

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Walter Sapuppo, PsyD,1,3,4 Giovanni M. Ruggiero, MD,1,3 Gabriele Caselli, PhD,1,2,4 and Sandra Sassaroli, MD1,2 1 Sigmund Freud University, Milan, Italy and Vienna, Austria 2 Studi Cognitivi Cognitive Psychotherapy School and Research Center, Milan, Italy and branches in Modena and San Benedetto del Tronto 3 Psicoterapia Cognitiva e Ricerca Cognitive Psychotherapy School and Research Center, Milan, Italy, and a branch in Bolzano 4 School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, U.K.

Background: Many studies have described perfectionism and low self-esteem as traits associated with eating disorders (ED). More recently, research has shown the role played by worry, rumination, control and metacognitive beliefs. This paper investigates the role played by cognitive and metacognitive variables in the psychopathological mechanism of eating disorders, assuming that not only perfectionism and low selfesteem but also metacognitive beliefs and processes can discriminate between controls and EDs. Method: The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Anxiety Control Questionnaire, the Penn State Worry and the Metacognition Questionnaire were administered to the samples. Results: Results suggested that metacognitive factors like negative beliefs about worry, uncontrollability and danger, need for control, and worry should be added to the body of cognitive factors underlying ED composed by the classical couple of cognitive factors including perfectionism and low self-esteem. Conclusions: It is possible that an individual with ED assumes that metacognitive processes like worry and rumination are a further proof of his or her lack of value, capacity to control, and self-control. Such appraisals may reinforce the painful sense of low self-esteem so typical in ED and, in turn, the perfectionistic striving for excellence.

A clinical cognitive model of verification and case conceptualisation: Life themes and plans implications of biased beliefs: Elicitation and treatment (LIBET)

Life themes and plans Implications of biased Beliefs: Elicitation and Treatment (LIBET) is a clinical conceptualisation model for emotional disorders. It belongs to the clinical and therapeutic paradigm of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) with some additions from constructivistic and developmental areas. The LIBET model conceptualises emotional disorders on two axes: (1) attentional focus on vulnerable negative mental states arranged in automatic self beliefs — so-called «life themes» — and influenced by experiences perceived as intolerably painful during personal development; (2) rigid management of «life themes» implemented using safety behaviours crystallised in inflexible avoidant, controlling and immunising/rewarding strategies, adopted even at cost of giving up significant areas of personal development. These strategies can be temporarily and partially functional, but in the long run hinder personal development and beyond a certain level of dysfunction can lead to an emotional disorder. The LIBET model aims to help the development and implementation of a CBT treatment plan during which patients are encouraged to recognise, challenge and give up their dysfunctional plans, to agree to be more in emotional touch with their «life themes» and to stop evaluating them as intolerable.

This article describes the procedures of Life themes and plans, Implications of biased Beliefs: Elicitation and Treatment (LIBET) therapy. LIBET integrates procedures of rational disputation, constructivist reframing and developmental interventions. The assessment procedures are primarily Kellian laddering and assessment of personal life history. Laddering aims to assess self-beliefs and emotional states—called life theme- prominently underlying clients’ emotional disorder, while personal life history aims to assess the relational situations in which the life theme was learned. The assessment also examines the construction of early dysfunctional plans aimed at managing the life theme, which then result in symptoms. Therapeutic change interventions integrate rational disputation and constructivist reframing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)

Research has indicated that beliefs about inflated responsibility, beliefs about perceived control over anxiety-related events and reactions (anxiety control) and metacognitive beliefs about the need to control thoughts are associated with obsessive compulsive symptoms. In the current study we tested a mediation model of the interactions between these variables in predicting obsessive compulsive symptoms. Thirty-seven individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder and 31 controls completed the following self-report instruments: the Responsibility Attitude Scale, the Anxiety Control Scale, the Beliefs about Need to Control Thoughts sub-scale of the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, and the Padua Inventory. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that participants in the clinical group scored significantly higher than those in the non-clinical group on all variables. In the mediation model we found that the relationship between beliefs about inflated responsibility and obsessive compulsive symptoms was fully mediated by anxiety control and beliefs about the need to control thoughts. These findings provide support for the significant role played by beliefs about control in predicting the severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178115003406?via%3Dihub

The effectiveness of different types of CBT for children and adolescents suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is generally supported. However, no systematic efforts have been made to quantitatively summarize and analyse the impact of specific variables on therapeutic outcome. Here, we assessed the magnitude and duration of CBT effectiveness in children and adolescents with SAD. The effectiveness of CBT was supported by the effect sizes of studies that had examined pre-post (g=0.99), between-group (g=0.71), and follow-up responses (follow-up vs. pre-test mean g=1.18, follow-up vs. post-test mean g=0.25). A significant moderating effect was found for the variable “number of treatment sessions”. In addition, larger effect sizes were found in studies that included “Social Skills Training” sessions in the intervention package. Data support the effectiveness of CBT interventions and its durability for SAD in children and adolescents. Adding social skills training to the intervention package can further enhance the impact of treatment.

We investigated the nature of latent shared etiological elements in 398 Italian twin pairs aged 8–17, explaining covariation between high levels of anxiety symptoms and low social competence. We found significant negative correlations between Child Behaviour Checklist/6–18 Social Competence Scale and three (Panic Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety) out of five Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders anxiety subscales. Results from causal analysis seem to exclude the hypothesis that co-occurrence between Anxiety Symptoms and Social Competence could be due to a direct phenotypic effect of one trait upon the other. Multivariate analysis suggested that both genetic and shared environmental components contribute to the phenotypic correlation between Social Competence and Anxiety Subscales, whereas unique environmental factors have a negligible influence. This means that both common genetic and shared environmental causal factors contribute simultaneously to increase risk of having low Social Competence and high Anxiety scores. In particular, covariation with Social Competence seems to be influenced by both genetic and shared environmental causal components in Separation Anxiety and Social Anxiety, whereas environmental factors have an irrelevant influence for covariation with Panic/Somatic Anxiety Subscale. Our results support the adoption of a broader view of the relationships between psychopathology and diminished social competences in childhood for both clinicians and educators.

Background: A great part of the literature has confirmed the importance of both child and parents reports as source of factual information, especially for childhood emotional syndromes. In our study we aimed at: (i) calculating mother-child agreement and (ii) evaluating factorial structure of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) questionnaire in an Italian clinical sample. The novelty of this contribution is two-fold: first, from a clinical point of view, we investigated the parent-child agreement level and examined separately the factorial structures of both parent and child versions of the SCARED for the first time in an Italian clinical sample. Second, unlike previous studies, we used statistical approaches specifically suited to account for the ordinal nature of the collected variables. Method: In a clinical sample of 171 children and adolescents aged 8–18 and their mothers we evaluated inter-rater agreement using weighted kappa indices to assess agreement for each item belonging to a certain SCARED subscale. Exploratory factor analysis for ordinal data was then performed on the polychoric correlation matrix calculated on SCARED items. Differences in the numbers of symptoms reported by children and parents were evaluated as well. Results and Conclusions: Our results reveal moderate to strong mother-child agreement. A significant age effect is present. Two different factorial solutions emerged for parent and child SCARED versions (a 5 factor structure for parents and a 6 factor solution in the child version, including a new factor “Worry about Parents”). This study confirmed the importance of evaluating both child and parent reports in assessment protocols for anxiety disorders. Our findings could help clinicians to determine which information, and from which rater, must be accounted for in evaluating treatment decisions. Moreover, we find that patients characteristics, such as gender and age, should be taken into account when assessing agreement.

Several types of stress factors are likely to be implied in the development, maintenance, and transmission of internalizing symptomatology: genetic/temperamental factors, cognitive factors, family factors, and societal/cultural factors. Nonetheless, family factors—especially those related to parenting—seem to be crucial during childhood, because children are nested within their families and family factors are able to indirectly influence other factors as well. The current chapter focuses on the relationship between parental style and internalizing symptoms in childhood. In the first part of the chapter, the most important studies on the topic are reviewed in detail and differences in parenting behaviors between mothers and fathers are illustrated. A discussion on the cognitive and metacognitive factors as possible pathways of the relation between parenting and childhood symptoms is also proposed. The last part of the chapter reviews studies investigating the efficacy of parental involvement in cognitive behavior therapy for children who exhibit internalizing symptoms.

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Human content in affect-inducing stimuli: a secondary analysis of the International Affective Picture System

We report a secondary analysis of the international affective picture system (IAPS), the broadest available standardized sample of emotional stimuli, which confirmed our prediction that the distribution of slides across the valence and arousal dimensions would be related to human versus inanimate slide content. Pictures depicting humans are over-represented in the high arousal/positive and high arousal/negative areas of affective space as compared to inanimate pictures, which are especially frequent in the low arousal/neutral valence area. Results pertaining to dominance ratings and gender differences in valence and arousal ratings further suggest that there are qualitative differences between emotional reactions to animal or human slide content and responses to nonsocial still photos. Researchers need to be mindful of this distinction when selecting affect-inducing stimuli.

The Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y) is a self-report measure for adolescents. The questionnaire assess cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance as described by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The aim of this study is to analyze psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Italian version of the instrument (I-AFQ-Y). The I-AFQ-Y was administered to 1248 students (aged between 11-18) in 12 schools. The EFA, performed on 604 participants recruited during study 1, shows a one factor solution named “Psychological Inflexibility”. CFA, performed on 644 students recruited during study 2, confirms different goodness of fit indices are adequate for the one-factor model. The I-AFQ-Y (8 item) shows moderate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha =.69 for the factor totale) and a moderate test-retest reliability (r=.64). Furthermore, the I-AFQ-Y shows a good convergent validity with internalizing problem scale (r = .53) and total problem scale (r = .52) of the YSR, while the correlation with externalizing problem scale is lower (r=.32). The short version of the I-AFQ-Y is a valid and reliable measure, that can be easily used both in research and in clinical practice.

L’attenzione intorno al benessere e molto cresciuta negli ultimi anni. Nonostante cio il concetto non e stato ancora definito in termini univoci. Nel presente lavoro viene proposto un modello teorico elaborato prendendo in considerazione i fattori preminenti che influenzano il processo del benessere. Senso della vita, relazioni piene e armoniche, consapevolezza, accettazione e trascendenza emergono dalla ricerca psicologica e dalle neuroscienze come elementi di promozione del benessere. Partendo da questa impostazione e stato messo a punto uno strumento di valutazione: la Scala di Valutazione del Benessere (SVB). La SVB e composta di 22 item che formano 4 sottoscale, una per ogni variabile (senso della vita e consapevolezza, relazionalita, accettazione, trascendenza). Una versione di 40 item selezionati da strumenti gia validati e stata sottoposta a 122 soggetti reclutati dalla comunita. Una prima analisi fattoriale esplorativa ha evidenziato una struttura a quattro fattori. Dalla matrice delle correlazioni, per ogni fattore, sono stati selezionati gli item che definiscono la struttura definitiva della SVB. Questa versione e stata somministrata ancora a 176 soggetti. La struttura della SVB e stata analizzata attraverso analisi fattoriale confermativa. La validita convergente e discriminante e stata valutata attraverso il confronto con altri strumenti che misurano il benessere psicologico e la sintomatologia psicopatologica generale. Le analisi hanno rivelato buone proprieta psicometriche dello strumento, anche se necessitano ulteriori approfondimenti.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Over the last twenty years metacognitive theory has provided a novel framework, in the form of the Self-Regulatory Executive Function (S-REF) model, for conceptualizing psychological distress (Wells & Matthews, 1994, 1996). The S-REF model proposes that psychological distress persists because of unhelpful coping styles (e.g. extended thinking and thought suppression) which are activated and maintained as a result of metacognitive beliefs.

OBJECTIVE:

This paper describes the S-REF model and its application to addictive behaviors using a triphasic metacognitive formulation.

DISCUSSION:

Evidence on the components of the triphasic metacognitive formulation is reviewed and the clinical implications for applying metacognitive therapy to addictive behaviors outlined.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460314002688?via%3Dihub

Background: The present study explored the relationship between neuroticism, meta-cognitive beliefs about worry, pain catastrophising, and pain behaviour. Methods: A non-clinical convenience sample of 308 participants completed the following four measures in this cross-sectional study: Neo Five-Factor Inventory, Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire 30, Pain Catastrophising Scale, and the Pain Behaviour Checklist. Results: A multiple-step multiple mediator analysis was employed to test a model in which (1) positive meta-cognitive beliefs about worry would mediate the relationship between neuroticism and pain catastrophising and (2) negative meta-cognitive beliefs about worry would mediate the relationship between pain catastrophising and self-reported pain behaviour. We also hypothesised that the combined effects of meta-cognitive beliefs about worry and pain catastrophising on self-reported pain behaviour would be independent of neuroticism. Results supported the proposed structure with pain catastrophising and meta-cognitive beliefs about worry mediating fully the effect of neuroticism on self-reported pain behaviour. Conclusions: These findings identify, for the first time in the literature, a link between meta-cognitive beliefs about worry and both self-reported pain behaviour and pain catastrophising. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale: Development and psychometric properties

Recent research has suggested that metacognitions may play a role across the spectrum of addictive behaviours. The goal of our studies was to develop the first self-report scale of metacognitions about online gaming. We conducted two studies with samples of online gamers (n=225, n=348) to test the structure and psychometric properties of the Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale and examined its capacity to predict weekly online gaming hours and Internet addiction. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor solution: positive metacognitions about online gaming, negative metacognitions about the uncontrollability of online gaming, and negative metacognitions about the dangers of online gaming. Internal consistency, predictive and divergent validity were acceptable. All the factors of the Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale correlated positively with weekly online gaming hours and Internet addiction. Regression analyses showed that negative metacognitions about the uncontrollability of online gaming and levels of Internet addiction were the only significant predictors of weekly online gaming hours, and that positive metacognitions about online gaming and negative metacognitions about the uncontrollability of online gaming were the only significant predictors of Internet addiction. The Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale was shown to possess good psychometric properties, as well as predictive and divergent validity within the populations that were tested. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.07.007 (IF: 2.944)

In this study, our principal aim was to investigate whether metacognitions about desire thinking predict the severity of binge eating in women and, if so, whether this relationship is independent of age, self-reported body mass index (BMI), negative affect, irrational food beliefs and craving. One hundred and four women, consisting of 32 consecutive patients with binge eating disorder undergoing initial assessment for cognitive therapy for eating disorders, 39 moderate binge eaters, and 33 non-binge eaters (both from the general population), completed the following measures: Self-reported BMI, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Irrational Food Beliefs Scale, General Craving Scale, Metacognitions about Desire Thinking Questionnaire, and Binge Eating Scale. A series of Spearman’s rho correlation analyses revealed that self-reported BMI, anxiety, depression, irrational food beliefs, craving, and all three factors of the metacognitions about desire thinking questionnaire were significantly associated with the severity of binge eating. A stepwise regression analysis identified self-reported BMI, craving, and negative metacognitions about desire thinking as significant predictors of the severity of binge eating. These results, taken together, highlight the possible role of metacognitions about desire thinking in predicting the severity of binge eating. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Frustration Discomfort Scale (FDS). A Psychometric Study of the Italian Version. 

The Frustration Discomfort Scale (FDS, Harrington 2005a) was developed as a multidimensional measure of frustration intolerance. Frustration intolerance plays an important role in behavioral and cognitive model of emotional problems (Harrington 2006). The aim of this study is to translate the original English version of FDS into Italian and to assess the validity and reliability of the Italian version for application among Italian population. The Italian version of FDS-R, with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered on-line to 497 subjects aged from 18 to 66 years old. The exploratory factor analysis suggested a solution with four factors, plus a general factor. The factor analysis supports a multidimensional model of frustration intolerance but the distribution of the items is different. The internal consistency appears optimal for all four factors (range .637–.866). Despite encouraging evidence, the factor structure and other features of the FDS-R are yet to be firmly established.