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The spread of COVID-19 in Italy resulted in the implementation of a lockdown that obligated the first time the general populace to remain at home for approximately two months. This lockdown interrupted citizens’ professional and educational activities, in addition to closing shops, offices and educational institutions. The resulting changes in people’s daily routines and activities induced unexpected changes in their thoughts, feelings and attitudes, in addition to altering their life perceptions. Consequently, the present study explores how young adults perceived their lives under lockdown during the final week of March 2020, when the reported number of daily coronavirus infections reached its peak in Italy. The research was carried out among 293 university students (234 women and 59 men) with an average age of 20.85 years old (SD = 3.23). The researchers asked participants to describe the emotions, thoughts and experiences that characterized their time under lockdown. The study analyzed specific narratives related to time and space using grounded theory methodology, which was applied using Atlas 8 software, leading to the creation of 68 codes. The study organized these codes into three specific categories: confined in the present, confined in the past, and striving toward one’s goals. Finally, the researchers also created a core-category labeled “continuity of being.” The results showed that the closure of open spaces caused a division in participants’ perceptions of time continuity, with many viewing themselves as feeling fragmented and as living the present in a static and fixed way. Additionally, participants also saw the present as being discontinuous from the past, while, simultaneously, projecting toward the future and the changes it might bring. Finally, this study examined further implications surrounding individual projecting among young people in greater depth.

This study concerns an innovative group counseling method, the narrative mediation path (NMP), which aims to promote mentalization on underachievement among university students. The study analyzes a single NMP case with the aim of investigating whether a counselor's interventions influence the reflective functioning (RF) of the group members and their academic performance. The transcripts of 9 sessions of a single NMP were rated according to the Reflective Functioning Scale. We used a microgenetic approach to analyze the clinical sequences of the sessions, for which significant changes in the RF were observed. We identified and categorized the types of counselor's interventions that seemed to improve the students' RFs most effectively. Academic performance was measured by the Academic Performance Scale. The results indicated that most of the students improved their level of RF by mentalizing their problem of underachievement while also improving academic performance. The interventions, which reflect both the not-knowing stance and defense interpretations of the counselor, appeared to play a key role in developing the mentalizing capacities. We discuss the relevance of these findings for the more "interpretative" role of clinicians in mentalizing interventions and the need of further studies to determine whether the results are replicable. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Authors discuss the topic of inclusion process in academic education from a semiotic and dynamic perspective. Inclusive experience in educational and academic context is constructed through the personalization of the processes of sensemaking within a wider cultural and shared social context. Authors have implemented an innovative tool for a qualitative research about sensemaking processes. They create the upside down world narrative methodology, namely, a double task of narrating one’s own experience in two times, asking participants to turn upside down their narration. Such a device allows grasping the inherent and constitutive ambivalence of each psychological process of sensemaking. Results of semiotic narrative analysis show that inclusion appears narratively articulated on two broadly generalized domains of sense as follows: the relationship with others and the training path.

Temporality is a fundamental dimension of each narrative process of meaning making. In fact, the narration constructs and organizes temporal frames that connect one’s own experiences. From this point of view, oncological illness is experienced as a traumatic experience that interrupts the sense of continuity of one’s own life, resulting in the configuration of different temporal frames, which are not always able to support the processes of elaboration of this experience. The aim of this article is to ex- plore the way the modal verbal predicates (must, can, will, know) are organized and work in relation to the representation of time in narrations of cancer patients. The modal verbal predicates—introducing the meanings of possibility, knowledge, will, desire, duty, need, or ability—allow us to organize the relationship between the subject, action, and context. Six narrations of cancer experience were analyzed—one for each time frame (linear, circular, fragmentary, static, cyclic, and spiral) proposed by Brockmeier (2000)—by means of quali-quantitative analysis of the use of modal verbs. Narrations show specific modal positioning: dispersion, plasticity, focusing, rigidity, and poverty. It is possible organize them along a continuum from plasticity to rigidity. The modal plasticity is the capacity to reconfigure a new temporal relation between subject and context, whereas modal rigidity shows a repetition of a specific and same modality in connecting subject and context. This preliminary research allows us to reflect about some possible clinical implications to support and foster processes of meaning making of cancer conditions.

The aim of this case study is to demonstrate how an innovative group counseling method, the narrative mediation path, promotes reflective mirroring in a group of underachieving university students. We used an adaptation of the innovative moments coding system, a reliable method for studying change by tracking narrative innovations throughout the intervention. The transcripts of the seven sessions of a single narrative mediation path counseling group were analyzed, and three types of innovative moments were identified: self-directed innovative moments (those directed at the participants themselves), other-directed innovative moments (those directed at another group member), and group-directed innovative moments (those directed at the group as a whole). To study the narrative sequences containing both other-directed or group-directed innovative moments and self-directed innovative moments, a microgenetic approach was adopted. Results suggested that across the narrative mediation path counseling sessions, different types of reflecting mirroring emerged, based on supporting, interpreting, and connecting members' experiences., The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was made possible by a grant from the European Commission (Grant Agreement 2011-4040 Project 517750-LLP-1-2011-1-IT-ERASMUS-ESIN). This work was also made possible due to funding from the Short International Mobility Program in the International Relations Office of the University of Naples Federico II, Italy., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This study discusses a model of group counseling, the narrative mediation path (NMP), which is a unique narrative, multimodal approach that combines four narrative modes (metaphoric, iconographic, writing, and bodily ) and the narrative group. The purpose of the NMP is to foster reflexive processes with underachieving university students and to improve their academic performance. The study analyzes a single case of group counseling for seven underachieving economics students at an Italian university and the process of meaning construction among NMP narrative modes and the follow-up session. It applies the innovative moments coding system, a reliable method for studying change by tracking narrative innovations in sessions. More specifically, we focus on how innovative moments (IMs: action, reflection, protest, and reconceptualization) evolve during the four different narrative modes and the follow-up session. The findings suggest that the NMP fosters narrative innovations, mainly of a reflexive nature (reflection and reconceptualization). Moreover, during counseling and the follow-up session, the pattern of change is primarily characterized by reconceptualization IMs, the most complex form of narrative innovation, European Commission (Grant Agreement 2011-4040 Project 517750-LLP-1-2011-1-IT-ERASMUS-ESIN)

There is literary evidence stating that expressive writing affects health outcomes. Nevertheless, the processes underlying its benefits remain unclear. In our previous article, we described the benefits of writing; in this article, we investigate the meaning-making processes underlying the traumatic experiences of parents of children with leukemia in off-therapy. We collected the writings of 23 parents and grouped them according to the parents’ psychological outcome (low/good/high) with respect to anxiety, as assessed during a follow-up. We qualitatively analyzed the texts written by parents with good psychological outcomes to highlight their main meaning-making processes, that is, how they put into words the shattering experience, reordered the events, connected their emotions and the events, reevaluated the event, and reconstructed the time process. We found that parents with low/high outcomes articulated these processes differently. Furthermore, we discussed the uses and functions of written narration for each group.

Nowadays it is a general opinion that oncological illness leads to a traumatic experience (Burke & Sabiston, 2012; Cordova et al., 2007; Sumalla, Ochoa, & Blanco, 2009; Freda & Martino, 2015). The onset of an oncological illness forces the patient to face a strenuous therapeutic process, which according to the cancer staging and location may require local surgery (operation and radiotherapy) or systemic treatment (chemo and hormone therapy). Cancer is a traumatic experience of specific and peculiar nature, owing to the difficulty of recognizing: a unique stressful event, the internal triggering process, its temporal continuity (hereditary or possible relapse) (Mehnert & Koch, 2007). The psychological trauma, which may occur as a result of such a severely distressing event, in this case the communication of diagnosis (De Luca Picione, Dice, & Freda, 2015), within a socio-constructivist and semiotic perspective (Salvatore & Freda, 2011), is due to: the sudden and unexpected alteration of the basic elements governing the relation between the patient and the external world (Freda, De Luca Picione, & Martino, 2015; Janoff-Bulman, 2004; Joseph & Linley, 2005) and the interruption of the temporal continuity resulting in a crisis of meaning processes that support the personal self-narrative of life (Bonomi, 2003; Brockmeier, 2000; Frank, 1998; Martino, Onorato, & Freda, 2015; Margherita, Troisi, & Nunziante Cesaro, 2014; Neimeyer, 2004, 2006). During the last fifty years, the research activity has had its focus on the pathological outcomes which this traumatic event generates (Joseph & Linley, 2005; Lindstrom & Triplet, 2010; Norris & Sloane, 2007). Only recently, the research moved away from analysing the negative changes placing emphasis on the need of a better understanding of the positive ones. It was realized that such a traumatic experience could also deliver the possibility of improving life, relationships, health and well-being. The possibility that traumatic events may lead to a positive change/transformation has been named "post traumatic growth" (PTG; Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2004, 2006). This construct offers a better comprehension of the consequences of a severely traumatic event, pointing out the positive possible changes, although it is well known that the negative changes must be also taken into account (Hussain & Bhushan, 2013; Janoff-Bulman & Yopyk, 2004; Lindstrom & Triplet, 2010).The positive changes, to which this construct refers, are meant to deal with the three main domains of life: improvements in self, improvements in interpersonal relationships, and enhanced spiritual or religious experiences (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). Until recently, much research has been undertaken by using quantitative methods (Barakat, Alderfer, & Kazak, 2006). A comparison between cancer survivors with a selected sample of healthy people highlights that the former show a general growth against the latter in many aspects (Tomich, Helgeson, & Nowak Vache, 2005). The PTG-process cannot be seen as a natural psychological development. That can only happen in the aftermath of a traumatic event, although it could still fail in case that this traumatic event would not be felt as a traumatic experience (Margherita & Troisi, 2013; Martins da Silva, Moreira, & Canavarro, 2011). The positive changes experienced by the cancer survivors are mainly due to more specific goals in appreciation of life and its priorities, the revaluation of oneself, a new awareness and relationship with the body, and a new spirituality. These changes are: a greater sense of self-efficacy and mastery in difficult situations, a greater appreciation of interpersonal relationships, a new sense of altruism and empathy with people in difficulty, and a reorganization of the time line (Barakat, Alderfer, & Kazak, 2006; Hefferson, Grealy, & Mutrie, 2009; Lindstrom & Triplett, 2010). …

Previous research has agreed that meaning-making is a key element in the promotion of patients’ well-being during and after a traumatic event such as cancer. In this paper, we focus on an underestimated key element related to the crisis/rupture of this meaning-making process with respect to the time perspective. We consider 40 narratives of breast cancer patients at different times of treatment, undergoing chemotherapy and biological therapy. We collected data through writing technique. We performed an interpretative thematic analysis of the data and highlighted specific ways to signify time during the different treatment phases. Our central aspect “the time of illness, the illness of time” demonstrates that the time consumed by illness has the risk of becoming an illness of time, which transcends the end of the illness and absorbs a patient’s past, present, and future, thus saturating all space for thought and meaning. The study suggests that narrative can become a therapeutic and preventive tool for women with breast cancer in a crisis of temporality, and enable the promotion of new semiotic connections and a specific functional resynchronization with the continuity/discontinuity of life. This is useful during the illness and medical treatment and also after the treatment.

In this paper the a uthor comments on the contr ibution by Ant ónio P. Ribeir o and Migu el M. Gonça lves (in this journ al) that offer a creat ive and unique perspe ctive on maintenan ce and trans formatio n of problemat ic self-narr ative. From here the author contribut es to the topic throu gh the explor ation of some issu es: a) the relation, in the dialogical process of self -narrativ e constructi on, between semi otic proces ses that give voice to the semantic opposi tion and semiotic proces ses that give voice to the contr adictory; b) the relation between sam eness and ipseity in the self-narrative proces s; c) the role of a pathemi c axis of meaning in the gene ration proces s of self -narrativ es. A final refl ection is done on narrative as a device of clin ical intervent ion in which the author makes a distinction between methods based on the recogni tion and extens ion of variabili ty and met hods based on the recogni tion of perm anency so to get to varia bility.

Research into the change processes underlying the benefits of expressive writing is still incomplete. To fill this gap, we investigated the linguistic markers of change in cognitive and emotional processing among women with breast cancer, highlighting the differences and peculiarities during different treatment phases. A total of 60 writings were collected from 20 women: 10 receiving chemotherapy and 10 receiving biological therapy. We performed a series of repeated measures ANOVA for the most meaningful LIWC linguistic categories, including positive/negative emotions and cognitive processes, to assess change over three sessions. Results demonstrated a significant increase in the positive emotions category for the entire group of women, with particular relevance for the biological therapy group of women, and a marginally significant (p = .07) greater use of words indicating cognitive processes for women receiving biological therapy. For the negative emotions category time was significant for the whole group of women, showing a peak of use in the second session of writing. Peculiar differences in the linguistic markers of processing trauma were observed between the two groups. Although the writing intervention is a support for both groups of women, it seems to be beneficial when there is a large time gap since the administration of chemotherapy and, thus, when the patient can revisit the experience. The relationship of the illness with life can be rearticulated, and the writing becomes a space for resignifying the traumatic cancer experience.