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The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare psychodynamic with other treatments in studies of substance addiction. The literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Web of Science, Cohcrane library, SCOPUS, and Onesearch databases. All studies comparing psychodynamic therapy with other types of psychological interventions for Substance Use Disorder were eligible. Three outcomes were considered to compare intervention performance: substance use, participation in treatment and other symptomatic conditions (OSCs). Hedges’ G was used to measure effect size. The Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess quality of evidence and possible bias, Egger regression analyses for publication bias, and Q and I-square statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. The alcohol group showed no differences between treatments on the three outcomes. The cocaine group showed no significant differences in the two outcomes, while for OSCs, available data was insufficient. The opioids group showed small but significant differences regarding participation in favor of non-psychodynamic interventions and no significant results for other outcomes. Based on the three measures of recovery considered in this meta-analysis, psychodynamic interventions were shown to be as effective as other psychological treatments in treating substance dependence and proved to be an empirically-supported treatment for the above addictions.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a pathological condition that may lead to a significant deterioration in the quality of life over time. Therefore, the study of the elements that can characterize the disorder could be considered of great clinical interest and relevance. The aim of the present research was to empirically discriminate the influence of perceived stress, state anxiety, worry, and defense mechanisms (mature, neurotic, and immature) at different levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms. A sample of 1250 participants (69.5% women, 30.5% men; Mage = 34.52, SD = 11.857) completed an online survey including the Impact of Event Scale—Revised, Ten-Item Perceived Stress Scale, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Forty Item Defense Style Questionnaire, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory—Form X3. Data were analysed by implementing MANOVA and discriminant analysis. Results showed significant differences in the levels of perceived stress, state anxiety, and worry, as well as neurotic and immature defenses based on the levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms: F(12,2484) = 85.682, p < 0.001; Wilk’s Λ = 0.430. Furthermore, these variables discriminate significant accuracy between participants who reported a mild psychological impact and those with a probable presence of PTSD, with perceived stress, which was found to be the best predictor. Classification results indicated that the original grouped cases were classified with 86.3% overall accuracy. Such findings may provide useful insight for clinical practice.

Love addiction is a dysfunctional relational modality that takes on the addiction characteristics and which, for the individuals who suffer from it, can have a negative and pervasive impact on various areas of functioning. The objective of this research was the analysis the factors that can be associated with love addiction, particularly focusing on adult attachment patterns and self-esteem. A sample group of 300 individuals who declared themselves to have a romantic relationship was involved in this research (Mage = 37.83 years, SD = 12.937). They completed an online survey including the Love Addiction Inventory—Short form, Relationship Questionnaire, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed significant and positive associations between preoccupied and fearful adult attachment and love addiction. Furthermore, these relationships were totally mediated by self-esteem. Gender and age were controlled as potential covariates and showed significant effects in influencing the levels of self-esteem and love addiction. Such findings may provide useful information for orienting future research and supporting an effective clinical practice.

Given the popularity of social media and the growing presence of these tools in the daily lives of individuals, research about the elements that can be linked to their problematic use appears to be of great importance. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that may contribute to the levels of social media addiction, by focusing on the role of alexithymia, body image concern, and self-esteem, controlled for age and gender. A sample of 437 social media users (32.5% men, 67.5% women; Mage = 33.44 years, SD = 13.284) completed an online survey, including the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Body Image Concern Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, together with a demographic questionnaire. Results showed a significant association between alexithymia and social media addiction, with the total mediation of body image concern (and more in detail, body dissatisfaction) and the significant moderation of self-esteem. Gender and age showed significant effects in these relationships. Such findings may offer further insights into the field of clinical research on social media addiction and may provide useful information for effective clinical practice.

As with other addictions, exercise addiction can severely impact individuals’ lives and have significant psychophysical consequences. Consequently, the study of the mechanisms involved in this psychopathological condition has great clinical and practical relevance. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to explore the risk factors and protective factors for exercise addiction, with a particular focus on the roles of alexithymia, body image concerns, and self-esteem. A sample of 288 regular exercisers (mean age = 28.35 years, SD = 8.26; 72% females, 18% males) completed the Exercise Addiction Inventory, 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Body Image Concern Inventory, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Data were analyzed by implementing a moderated mediation model. Results showed a significant and positive association between alexithymia and exercise addiction, totally mediated by body image concerns. Furthermore, self-esteem showed a relevant moderating effect, such that at high levels of self-esteem the effect of alexithymia on body image concerns became insignificant. Such data have important implications, highlighting some core variables on which it might be useful to keep a focus in order to elaborate tailored interventions, from both preventive and treatment perspectives.

This research consists of two studies which aimed to: (1) evaluate the psychometric properties of a new self-report measure for the assessment of mentalizing, the Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire (MMQ); and (2) investigate the ability of the instrument to discriminate between community and clinical populations. A sample of 349 participants (19% male, 81% female; Mage = 38.6, SD = 15.3) filled in the MMQ and other self-report measures, in order to assess the factor structure, reliability and some aspects of construct validity of the measure. Then, a clinical sample (N = 46; 52% male and 48% female; Mage = 33.33, SD = 12.257) and a community one (N = 50; 42% male and 58% female; Mage = 38.86, SD = 16.008) filled in the MMQ, to assess its clinical sensitivity. The factorial analysis identified six principal dimensions of the measure: reflexivity, ego-strength, relational attunement, relational discomfort, distrust, and emotional dyscontrol. The MMQ showed satisfactory psychometric properties and a theoretically relevant factor structure. Furthermore, significantly greater impairment in mentalizing was found in the clinical sample in respect of the community one. The findings are discussed in terms of clinical implications, emphasizing the usefulness of the MMQ in both research and clinical practice.

Introduction: Several studies have supported the evidence that attachment styles are a central factor in adolescent gambling problems. On this theoretical basis, the aim of the present study is to analyze a hypothesized mediation model exploring both the direct and indirect effects of insecure attachment on gambling disorder by investigating the role of the developmental perspective, theory of mind (friend) and adaptive response in that relationship. Method: The sample consists of 178 adolescents who underwent the Measures: South Oaks Gambling Screen—Revised for Adolescents and Friends and Family Interview. Result: The mediation analysis was conducted following Hayes’ (2018) procedure, using Model 6. The results showed a significant association between insecure attachment and gambling disorder (β = 0.669; p < 0.001). The findings also highlighted a significant chained mediation model in which insecure attachment negatively influenced the developmental perspective (β = −0.742; p < 0.001), which affected the theory of mind toward one’s own best friend (β = 0.352; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results highlighted a significant role of insecure attachment in predicting the symptomatic expression of gambling among adolescents, specifically impacting the development perspective, theory of mind toward one’s best friend and adaptive response to stress, which were linked to each other by a sequential influence. Therefore, our results showed that a poor developmental self-vision predicted a dysfunctional theory of mind toward the best friend. This could hinder the formation of positive peer relationships, which are crucial for the development of one’s identity.