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A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the quality and validity of Family Drawings (FD) with an Attachment-Based Coding System in assessing attachment representations among pre-school and school-age children. A literature search in notable databases identified 645 records, of which 20 were eligible after screening and quality assessment. Results showed: 1) ABCD attachment distribution in community children was: 48% secure, 20% avoidant, 21% ambivalent, 11% disorganized. Security prevailed both in classifications and Fury et al.' scales. 2) No significant differences according to the cultural background; 3) At-risk/clinical children showed higher insecurity than community ones using scales; 4) Girls were more secure than boys. In conclusion, FD may be a culture-fair method to assess attachment representations in children. Global scales seem more reliable than ABCD classifications for discriminating at-risk and clinical children, but further studies on these groups are needed.

The aim of the current study was to examine the factorial structure of the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST), using a father doll to address the child’s attachment representation to father. While the MCAST, a doll story completion task measuring attachment representations in early childhood, has been validated for use with a mother doll, its use for assessing attachment to father is relatively unexplored. Thus, an additional aim was to compare the factorial structure of the child’s attachment representation to father and mother, respectively. We analyzed data from 118 first-grade children who underwent counterbalanced administration of the MCAST with a mother and father doll, respectively, within a period of three months. Exploratory factorial analysis revealed similar, three-factor solutions for attachment to father and mother, with a first factor capturing the child’s (scripted) knowledge of secure base/safe haven and a second factor reflecting intrusive and conflict behaviour. The third factor was different in the father and mother representations, capturing self-care and role-reversal in attachment to father and disorganization in attachment to mother. Findings support the potential usefulness of the MCAST for exploring the father-child relationship and highlight a need for further research on early attachment representations to father.

Objective: The attachment theory is a useful framework for interpreting the phenomenon of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Although several studies have examined the relationship between attachment and IPV perpetration, a meta-analysis of these results has yet to be conducted. Method: After a search on five databases (PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed) and a screening of 3,852 records recruited, 52 studies comprising 13,653 individuals met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Results: Results showed a significant effect size for both the anxiety and avoidance dimensions of attachment. However, while the effect sizes for anxiety were consistent ( r = .19–.35) for all types of violence considered, the effect size for avoidance was not significant for generic violence ( r = .07), low for physical ( r = .12) and psychological violence ( r = .14), and medium for sexual violence ( r = .20). Only a few of the examined moderators were significant. Conclusions: The findings highlight some differences in the roles of the two attachment dimensions in IPV. The results underscore the need for additional research to explore the role of other potential moderating and mediating variables in the relationship between attachment and IPV perpetration in order to better support the development of prevention and treatment interventions.

The Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) is a widely used questionnaire to measure prenatal attachment. However, its internal structure is controversial. None of the previous studies have investigated the dimensions of the Italian version of the scale using both an exploratory and a confirmatory approach. There is also a need to explore extensively the external validity of the Italian PAI.We designed a study aimed at shedding further light on the dimensionality of the questionnaire and expanding the evidence of its reliability and validity.Five-hundred and thirty-five Italian expectant mothers participated in the prenatal phase; a subsample of 100 women participated in the postnatal phase of the study. The PAI was administered together with other scales measuring maternal-fetal attachment, psychological wellbeing and relational variables.The hypothesised relationships with external criteria were substantiated overall. The five dimensions described in the Italian study by Barone, Lionetti, and Dellagiulia also emerged from our factor analyses, with the exception of two items. Internal consistency was adequate for the total scale and for four of the five subscales.As the Fantasy subscale showed poor internal consistency, we advise against its use as an independent measure. However, when used as a global score, the PAI is a reliable and valid measure of prenatal attachment in Italian women. Thus, it can be used for research purposes. The use of the PAI could also be very helpful in clinical settings, in order to identify expectant mothers who have difficulty in establishing an affective bond with their unborn infants. To this end, further research should study the characteristics of the PAI on high-risk groups and clinical samples in order to obtain clinical cut-offs.

This study focused on the development of the emotional tie of the expectant mother towards her unborn child and aimed to achieve structural and external validity evidence for an Italian version of the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS; Br J Med Psychol 66: 167-183, 1993). The MAAS was translated into Italian and was administered to a sample of 482 Italian expectant women (age 20-43 years), together with other questionnaires measuring maternal-fetal attachment, psychological well-being, and relational variables. The hypothesised relationships with external concurrent and predictive criteria were substantiated. Internal consistencies were adequate for the total scale and for one of the two subscales. Confirmatory factor analyses provided general support for an oblique two-factor model, with minor model misfit. Therefore, an exploratory factor analysis with oblimin rotation was performed. The findings suggested that some items may represent extraneous constructs. Implications for future research regarding the functioning of the instrument are addressed.

Interpersonal competence is crucial to human life, and poor social functioning is a typical feature of various psychopathological conditions. Given the relevance of the construct, increasing attention has recently been paid to the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (ICQ; Buhrmester et al. 1988), a 40-item self-report measuring five domains of interpersonal competence. To provide additional data on the cross-cultural adaptability of the ICQ, we developed an Italian version and investigated its psychometric properties with two independent student samples. Respondents were mostly women (about three quarters), ranging in age from 18 to 57. Study 1 (n = 408) tested factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity. Study 2 (n = 59) investigated test-retest reliability. Taken together, the results of both these studies provided support for the cross-cultural applicability of the ICQ, and revealed interesting associations between interpersonal competence and constructs such as well-being, emotion dysregulation and empathy.

Although habitual use of suppression has been consistently linked to adverse consequences for overall social functioning, little is known about the implications of using this emotion regulation strategy in the context of romantic relationships. The current longitudinal study tests whether husbands’ and wives’ habitual use of suppression, as well as couple similarity in the use of this strategy, influence marital quality over the first couple of years of marriage. A total of 229 newlywed couples reported their habitual use of suppression and perceived marital quality at two time points, 5 months and 2 years after marriage. Results showed that husbands’ habitual use of suppression was the most consistent predictor of (lower) marital quality over time. Couples showed significant levels of similarity in suppression at the initial assessment, consistent with positive assortment, and this similarity was a significant predictor of higher marital quality as reported by wives regardless of overall levels of suppression use. These findings suggest that husbands’ use of suppression is more harmful for marital satisfaction than wives’ use and wives are more sensitive to their partners’ use of suppression as well as to couple similarity.

Objective: Prior research has long emphasized the role of alexithymia and impulsivity to explain aggressive tendencies. Recently, a growing body of research seems to support the relevance of the broader construct of emotion dysregulation to understand aggression. The present study was the first to comprehensively examine the relative contribution of, and the mechanisms linking alexithymia, impulsivity, and emotion dysregulation in predicting aggression dimensions. Method: Male violent offenders (N = 221) and community participants (N = 245) completed multifaceted self-report measures of alexithymia, impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, and aggression. Regression analyses tested the independent contribution of each facet on aggression dimensions. Bootstrap analyses examined the indirect effect of alexithymia on aggression through emotion dysregulation and impulsivity. Results: Offenders reported higher levels of difficulties identifying feelings, emotional nonacceptance, physical aggression, and hostility. Difficulties in identifying and describing feelings, and motor and attentional impulsivity, explained unique variance in physical aggression, anger, and hostility in both samples, and also in verbal aggression among community participants. In both samples, negative urgency and emotional nonacceptance explained additional variance in aggression dimensions above and beyond the influence of alexithymia and impulsivity. Emotion dysregulation and impulsivity mediated the relation between alexithymia and aggression in both samples, with emotion dysregulation demonstrating a relatively stronger effect. Conclusions: Findings emphasize the unique relevance of alexithymia, impulsivity, and emotion dysregulation facets in explaining aggressive tendencies. Clinical implications include the importance of focusing on emotion regulation skills-such as accepting emotions and do not act on them-to reduce aggression tendencies.

This study compared an attachment-based coding system for family drawings with narrative and observational attachment measures in adopted children and those living with their natural parents (“community-based”) in Italy. Attachment patterns of 41 children (ages 5–8) were assessed by: a graphic measure, the Family Drawing (FD); a narrative measure, the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST); and an observational measure, the Separation-Reunion Procedure (SRP). In the community sample, a significant association emerged between the FD and MCAST disorganized vs. organized classifications, and a number of expected correlations between the FD Global Scales and the MCAST Coherence and Mentalizing continuous scales were found. In the adopted group, some FD Global Scales linked with insecure and disorganized representations revealed negative correlations with the MCAST Mentalizing scale. No correlations were found between the children’s FD and SRP classifications and scales in both groups. The FD attachment-based coding system revealed a particular capacity to assess attachment representations during childhood capturing closely both insecure and disorganized patterns, both in adopted and community children. A special focus was put on the measurement of disorganization, as reflected in one drawing classified as disorganized.

Attachment’s role in children’s memories of wellbeing and distress was evaluated through the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task in 30 Italian children, aged 6 years (15 secure and 15 insecure). Their mothers’ coherence of discourse was determined using the Adult Attachment Interview. A mediation model examining whether children’s attachment mediated the relation between mothers’ ability to talk coherently about their past and children’s memories was tested. Children’s attachment was associated with their ability to describe memories of wellbeing and distress and mediated the influence of maternal coherence on the same ability. A regression model was estimated to further evaluate the association between children’s attachment and ability to describe memories. Results suggest that attachment influences how children understand and recollect emotional experiences.

The aim of the present study was to explore the dimensions of alexithymia and attachment styles in a group of disordered gamblers and to evaluate the relationship between alexithymia, attachment styles, and the severity of gambling disorder. Sixty disordered gamblers diagnosed according to the diagnostic and statistical manual-5 filled out the Kurzfragebogen zum Glucksspielverhalten, the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised. Approximately 70 % of the sample displayed ‘intermediate’ and ‘severe’ gambling severity levels on the Kurzfragebogen zum Glucksspielverhalten, and 77 % showed ‘high’ or ‘borderline’ levels of alexithymia on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (mean = 56.40). Regarding attachment styles, 70 % of the sample displayed an ‘insecure’ attachment, with a particularly high prevalence of the ‘fearful’ style (26.66 %). A linear regression analysis revealed that only the anxiety dimension of the Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire predicted the severity of gambling. Our data appear to confirm that gambling disorder is characterised by emotional and relational dysregulation, and that pathological gambling behaviours may serve as external regulators of internal undifferentiated emotional states.

Objective impaired maternal bonding is a risk factor for problems with infant well-being and development. The investigation of perinatal variables related to disorders of the mother–infant relationship as well as the administration of reliable and valid screening tools to new mothers in the postpartum can help identify early signs of a disturbed mother–child relationship. The Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) has been shown to be a valid screening instrument, but its dimensional structure is still controversial. An analysis of the literature demonstrated the need for research into the perinatal correlates of the quality of mother-newborn bonding as measured by the PBQ, and for information about the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the questionnaire. Aim to (a) carry out preliminary analysis of the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the PBQ and (b) explore how mother–infant disturbances are related to relevant perinatal psychological variables. Design the research design consisted of a prenatal and a postnatal phase. Setting prenatal education classes delivered in public and private institutions. Participants 123 pregnant Italian women were recruited from prenatal education classes. Measurements in the prenatal period participants completed a questionnaire measuring maternal-fetal attachment; at the postnatal assessment (3 months postpartum) participants completed the Italian PBQ together with measures of mother–infant attachment, the couple's adjustment and maternal psychological well-being. Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate the factor structure of the PBQ. Internal consistencies were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Nomological validity was assessed via Pearson correlations. Findings a three-factor model provided the most meaningful representation of the PBQ data, with one factor reflecting annoyance and anger towards the infant, another reflecting detachment and rejection and the third reflecting anxiety about infant care. Internal consistencies were good. Impaired mother-infant bonding was negatively correlated with prenatal and postnatal mother–infant attachment and couple adjustment, as well as being positively correlated with maternal depressive symptoms. Key conclusions and implications for practice the Italian PBQ is a reliable, valid screening instrument and can be used for research, including transcultural comparisons in perinatal psychiatry. It can also be used clinically to detect signs of a disordered mother–child relationship. Knowledge of the variables generally associated with mother-infant bonding problems combined with data from postpartum administration of the PBQ could be used in midwifery to develop preventive programmes based on the specific needs of new mothers.

Despite evidence that individual differences in defensiveness (typically measured with social desirability scales) may affect associations among self-report measures, little is known about the impact of defensiveness in the well-established relations between self-report emotion dysregulation and interpersonal problems. In Study 1 (community sample; N = 274), we found evidence that defensiveness significantly explained a portion of the shared variance between emotion dysregulation and interpersonal problems in the externalizing domain (i.e., interpersonal ambivalence, and aggression) but not in the internalizing domain. In Study 2, we replicated and extended these findings by showing that defensiveness accounted for a positive indirect effect of emotion dysregulation on aggression in a sample of incarcerated offenders (N = 268). These findings are consistent with an increasing amount of research corroborating that defensiveness reflects meaningful variance – rather than a statistical nuisance – in relationships between self-reported ratings of emotion dysregulation, interpersonal problems and aggression. In both samples, reports of lower levels of emotion dysregulation were associated with higher levels of defensiveness. In turn, individuals with higher levels of defensiveness were more likely to report lower levels of interpersonal ambivalence and aggression. Therefore, defensiveness may play an important role in the mechanisms linking emotion dysregulation and associated negative consequences.Keywords: Emotion regulation; Defensiveness; Interpersonal ambivalence; Aggression; Offenders; Social desirability; Self-report

In this chapter the role of emotional regulatory processes in suicidality is highlighted, not only considering relationship difficulties or breakup as trigger of a sense of helplessness in vulnerable people but also considering the chance that people can use adult relationship context as a regulatory place. In particular, adult relationships are discussed as a possible trigger of risk or resilience to partners’ ability to manage negative emotions that may occur through the life span. Recently, literature suggests that people involved in romantic relationships experience lower suicide rates than single, never-married people and that divorced, separated, and widowed persons have the highest rates. Attachment theory and recent studies on emotion regulation provided a new framework for looking at adult relationships.

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of an Italian version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004). Method Three studies were completed. First, factorial structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of our Italian version of the DERS were examined with a sample of 323 students (77% female; mean age 25.6). Second, test-retest analyses were completed using a different sample of 61 students (80% female; mean age 24.7). Third, the scores produced by a small clinical sample of participants (N = 38; mean age = 24.2) affected by anorexia, binge eating disorder, or bulimia were compared to those of an age-matched, nonclinical female sample (N = 38; mean age = 24.7). Results The factorial structure replicated quite well the six-factor structure proposed by Gratz and Roemer. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were adequate and comparable to previous findings. The validity was good, as indicated by both the concurrent validity analysis and the clinical-nonclinical sample comparison. Conclusions These studies provide further support for the multidimensional model of emotion regulation postulated by Gratz and Roemer and strengthen the rationale for cross-cultural utilization of the DERS. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Clin. Psychol. 00:1-20, 2012.

Despite the intensive use of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), a measure of attachment which centres on individual differences in adolescents and their ability to evaluate their relationships with parents and peers, the factor structure of the inventory requires further investigation. This study of 1059 Italian adolescents compared the three models which are discussed in the literature: the one-factor model (attachment security), the two-factor model (trust–communication and alienation) and the three-factor model (trust, communication and alienation), and examined the influences of age and gender on the IPPA’s scores. Our findings provide support for the reliability of the latest and longer version of the IPPA (75-item). Factor analysis showed that the three-factor model had the best fit, although the three dimensions are strongly interrelated. Sixteen year olds had lower attachment security to their fathers than the results of the other adolescent age groups. Males reported lower alienation scores than females in the paternal form, while females had higher attachment security, trust and communication scores than males in the peers form.

This study focuses on the changes in perception of dyadic adjustment following childbirth and on the role of attachment (as a risk or protection factor) in the way partners adjust to this stressful event. Four attachment configurations were analyzed which emerged from the concordance or discordance between the “generalized” and the “specific” states of mind in the individual, and a longitudinal and cross-sectional study on N = 206 participants (104 “new-parents” and 102 “nonparents by choice”) was then implemented. These results showed that individuals who became parents had lower dyadic adjustment levels than nonparents (Lrtest = 395.03; p < .001). This decline in values seemed to be more pronounced for the “affectional expression” subscale (b = −3.69) and suggests that in our sample the expression of love toward a partner might be particularly subject to stress due to the arrival of a child. Considering the role played in the attachment configuration of each individual, a significant effect upon InsecureGEN/InsecureSPEC individuals was found (p = .015). This then would seem to indicate that these individuals might be more vulnerable to perceiving worse adjustment levels during the transition to first-time parenthood.

Objective This study examined the attachment patterns of late-adopted children (aged 4–7) and their adoptive mothers during the first 7- to 8-month period after adoption and aimed to evaluate the effect of adoptive mothers' attachment security on the revision of the attachment patterns of their late-adopted children. Design We assessed attachment patterns in 20 adoptive dyads and 12 genetically related dyads at two different times: T1 (time 1) within 2 months of adoption and T2 (time 2) 6 months after T1. Methods The children's behavioural attachment patterns were assessed using the Separation-Reunion Procedure and the children's representational (verbal) attachment patterns using the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task. The attachment models of the adoptive mothers were classified using the Adult Attachment Interview. Results We found that there was a significant enhancement of the late-adopted children's attachment security across the time period considered (P= 0.008). Moreover, all the late-adopted children who showed a change from insecurity to security had adoptive mothers with secure attachment models (P= 0.044). However, the matching between maternal attachment models and late-adopted children's attachment patterns (behaviours and representations) was not significant. Conclusions Our data suggest that revision of the attachment patterns in the late-adopted children is possible but gradual, and that the adoptive mothers' attachment security makes it more likely to occur.

La coppia e l’attaccamento: il ruolo del sostegno percepito all’arrivo del primo figlio - This study examines the role of social support in the couples of new-parents and assesses the influence of attachment models on it. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the Current Relationship Interview (CRI), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were administered to a sample of 100 participants. Results indicated a perception of social support more pronounced in women, mainly on the dimension of social support derived from the partner. Furthermore, for women and not for men, an association between attachment models to the AAI ("generalized") and the different perceptions of social support was revealed. On the contrary, attachment models to the CRI ("specific") didn’t show any significant difference of social support perceived at childbirth. Key words: generalized attachment, specific attachment, perceived social support, couple, parenthood, received social support Parole chiave: attaccamento generale, attaccamento specifico, supporto sociale percepito, coppia, genitorialita, supporto sociale ricevuto.

The relation between attachment styles and emotion regulation is well documented, and emotion dysregulation is considered characteristic of individuals with insecure attachment styles. Although gender differences in emotion regulation have often been reported, it is not clear whether the association between attachment styles and aspects of emotion dysregulation may vary across gender. A sample of 229 newlywed couples completed the Experiences in Close Relationship–Revised scale and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. First, we confirmed previous evidence on the association between attachment insecurities and emotion dysregulation. Indeed, attachment anxiety and avoidance were both related to emotional nonacceptance and lack of emotional clarity. Moreover, attachment anxiety was associated with difficulties in impulse control and limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies, whereas attachment avoidance was uniquely related to lack of emotional awareness. Finally, gender was found to moderate the association that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance had with difficulties in pursuing desired goals when experiencing negative emotions. Specifically, among women (but not men), attachment anxiety was associated with greater difficulties in engaging in goal-directed behavior when distressed. Conversely, the association between attachment avoidance and difficulties in pursuing desired goals when distressed was positive for men and negative for women.

There is a long and varied history of research on hypersexuality, but no consensus on either etiology or therapeutic interventions. In an effort to advance understanding of hypersexuality, we review the largely separate literatures on hypersexuality and emotion dysregulation, which has recently been suggested to be a critical factor in the development and maintenance of mental health problems. Unfortunately, there is also a lack of consensus on the various primary and intervening factors involved in development of emotion regulation or emotion dysregulation. First, we review theories and empirical evidence to try to explain how emotion dysregulation could contribute to the onset of hypersexuality or other inappropriate sexual behavior. Next, an attachment-theory perspective is used to develop a common etiological model for both emotion dysregulation and hypersexuality. Finally, we address the issue of hypersexual behavior in the context of couple relationships, taking an interpersonal perspective on emotion and emotion regulation. We refer to different age categories, ranging from adolescence to elderly, as emotion regulation skills are likely to change throughout the lifespan.Keywords: Hypersexuality, emotion regulation, lifespan, attachment, couples therapy

Transition to parenthood is a critical stage of life due to several changes the couple has to handle. A large body of studies described how transition to parenthood can be linked to the onset of depressive symptoms, as well as the perception of a low social support, and an increased stress, representing a risk for the early mother—baby relationship. Infant Massage (IM) emerged as an helpful tool to improve maternal skills in interacting with the baby, and leading toward a decreasing of post partum symptoms. However, a growing body of literature highlights that men also may experience post-partum diseases, representing an additional risk for the development of the baby. To date, no study observed the impact of the infant massage on both partners. The aim of the current qualitative research is to observe the impact of the IM on a single couple of parents at childbirth. Pre (Time 1) and post-intervention (Time 3) procedure has been established to observe the changes occurring over the time in the couple. In particular, each member of the couple filled out the EPDS, the BDI-II, the MSPSS and the PSI-SF both at Time 1 and at Time 3. The treatment (Time 2) was represented by the IM training, and lasted 4 weeks. Findings revealed a decrease in depressive symptoms in both partners, as well as an improvement of their perception of stress related to parental role. No changes has been detected with respect to the perception of social support. The IM seems to be a helpful approach to prevent the establishment of pathological conditions in new parents. Although no direct measures on the child were used, the current qualitative data seem to suggest that the IM may represent a valuable tool to prevent the onset of early negative outcomes of the baby. Further investigations and empirical data are needed to improve the knowledge in this field.

This paper describes research investigating couples who undertook the procedure of becoming adoptive parents, studying the partners’ representations of relationships in the context of their psychological sense of loss owing to infertility. The sample consisted of 100 subjects (50 couples) who took part in an assessment process related to adoption within the Social Services structures. The subjects had the following features in common: they were between 35 and 45 years of age; the duration of their marriages was between 7 and 10 years; none had biological or previously adopted children. The instruments used were a Psycho-Social Questionnaire, the Adult Attachment Interview (Main & Goldwin, 1998) and the Family Life Space (Gozzoli & Tamanza, 1998). The results showed a majority of couples classified by the AAI as ‘Secure’, and a lack of couples formed by partners both classified as ‘Insecure’. Moreover, we found a prevalence of couples who are classified by the FLS instrument as failing in ‘space government’ (Fragmentation and Overfilling = 68%). These results suggest that adoptive couples show a strong appreciation of affect and attachment needs, but are still deeply in crisis in the personal and family relationship sectors of their lives.

Introduction Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have been shown to be associated with negative outcomes in adulthood and risk factors for psychopathology. Objectives To assess mental representations of children underwent to ACE administering a recently developed semi-projective method: the Coffy Test. Aims To compare mental functioning of children who underwent to one or several adverse life events with the one of a control sample of non referred children. Methods The sample, recruited at the Neuropsychiatry Unit after adverse life events occurred, was composed of 40 children (21 male, 19 female) ( M age = 108.10 months; SD = .26). The control sample was composed of 160 children (86 males, 74 females) ( M age = 108.80 months; SD = 21,10). Children were administered the Coffy Test, which is a new projective method focused on assessing possible elements of distortion in emotional processing within the relationship with parental figures in middle and late childhood (Cardi, Leonardi, D'Amico, Battista, 2012). Results Coffy Test scores of the sample underwent to ACE and the control sample did not differ significantly neither for gender nor for age. However, the differences of the Coffy Test scores between the two groups were statistically significant ( U = 1.26, p Conclusions The Coffy Test score suggested that children underwent to ACE had a worst mental functioning and thus may be exposed to the risk of developing psychopathology in adulthood.

Background Attachment representations of late-adopted children have usually been measured by attachment narratives or observational procedures. Recently an attachment-based coding system for family drawings was developed by attachment researchers and it was used both with clinical and nonclinical samples, but it has never been used with adoptees. Method This study examined the differences between attachment representations of 29 late-adopted children aged 5–7 years (M = 6.35, 51.7% girls) and 12 non-adopted peers as assessed by family drawings, controlling for demographic variables and children's cognitive status. The attachment-based coding system of family drawings included three levels: (1) 24 individual markers, (2) eight global rating scales (1–7 points), and (3) four attachment categories (secure, avoidant, resistant, and disorganized). Results Late-adopted children assessed with the family drawings were more insecure on the attachment categories and achieved lower scores on positive global ratings such as the Vitality/Creativity and Family Pride/Happiness scales, higher scores on the Role Reversal scale, and a tendency toward higher scores on the Bizarreness/Dissociation scale. No difference emerged between the two groups regarding the individual markers. Conclusions Family drawing seemed to be a useful tool for classifying attachment representations, and able to capture underlying mental states that it was hard for late-adopted children to express in words.

The association between dissociation and psychopathological symptoms is well established, yet studies with inmates are lacking. If higher rates of dissociation and psychiatric symptoms are reported in inmate samples, it is not clear whether they represent two separate, albeit related, characteristics. We examined the association between dissociation and psychopathological symptoms among 320 Italian subjects (122 inmates and 198 community participants) and a Portuguese inmate sample ( n = 67). Then, we tested whether dissociation and psychopathology levels were higher among inmates. Both hypotheses were supported, confirming the relevance of dissociative, paranoid, and psychotic symptoms among inmates, as well as their interrelations. Notably, the group difference in dissociation remained significant after partialing out the variance associated with other psychopathological symptoms. Conversely, only the difference in paranoid symptoms remained—marginally—significant when controlling for the influence of dissociation. This finding suggests that dissociation may have unique relevance for the psychological functioning of inmates.

Introduction Emotion recognition deficits in psychopathology have been extensively studied with a variety of measures. The Bell Lysaker Emotion Recognition Test (BLERT; Bell et al., 1997) is an effective method to assess emotion recognition by presenting affect stimuli which may have greater verisimilitude with real life events. Indeed, BLERT combines facial expressions with affective information transmitted in prosody or body posture. This method has allowed the study of emotion recognition deficit in psychotic patients, as well as its relationships with other aspects of psychopathology (Vohs et al., 2014). Objectives We aimed at testing the validity and reliability of an Italian version of the BLERT. Aims First, a group-comparison was carried out between clinical and nonclinical participants. Then, correlations among BLERT scores and other indices of psychological functioning were explored. Methods We recruited 12 inpatients with psychotic disorders (mean age= 54.75; 58.3% female) and 45 nonclinical participants (mean age= 24.04; 75.6% female). We administered the BLERT (Bell et al., 1997), along with the following measures: Empathy Quotient (Lawrence et al., 2004), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1980), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-47 (Pilkonis et al., 1996). Results Clinical participants resulted impaired in all indices of the BLERT. Further, the construct validity of the BLERT was confirmed by associations with measures of empathy, emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal problems. Conclusions The use of the Italian version of the BLERT seemed promising for the study of emotion recognition in both clinical and nonclinical samples.

Introduction A growing body of research has indicated that difficulties in emotion regulation (ER) are associated to eating disorders as well as to weight changes. However, it has not been clearly investigated the intergenerational transmission of ER and its role on the onset of early feeding and weight problems of the child. Aim The goals of the present study are: 1) to examine the relationship between maternal ER during pregnancy and the feeding practices at 8 months of the baby; 2) and to assess the predictive role of ER on the onset of overweight at 3 years of age. Method The sample is made up by 65 dyads distributed to 2 different groups based on their BMI. During pregnancy they were administered DERS. 8 months after the delivery they were videotaped during the meal time with baby through the Feeding Observational Scale (Ammaniti et al., 2002). Weight outcome of the baby was reported by the mother at 3 years of age. Results Findings has shown that overweight mothers emerged as more emotional dysregulated during pregnancy. Their feeding interaction with the baby was also featured by greater difficulties compared to the control group. ER during pregnancy was able to predict the affective state of the dyad and the interactional conflict during the mealtime at 8 months. The affective state of the dyad at 8 months predicted the weight gain of the baby at 3. Conclusion The maternal and the dyadic emotional functioning play a key role in shaping the risk for childhood obesity.

Attachment theory regards experiences with caregivers as the affective ground for the development of early images of self, possibly embedded in scripted secure-base knowledge as a rudimentary representation of early caregiver-child attachment relationships. However, the possible link between implicit representations of secure base availability - and the image of self in these representations - and explicit evaluations of self, is still unclear. The present study assessed whether implicit knowledge of secure-base interactions with caregivers is related to self-reported self-esteem in early middle childhood (N = 97 second-grade children). Results revealed that children with rich knowledge of secure base interactions perceived themselves not only as more accepted and appreciated by their peers and mothers but also as more cognitively competent, beyond actual differences in cognitive competence. Yet, given the limited strength of this link, the role of contextual factors beyond attachment ought to be considered in the assessment of self-perception in early middle childhood.

We present the results of a study carried out in Italy with 39 Italian couples seeking to adopt, aged between 35 and 45years, and 39 matched non-adoptive couples which compared their attachment states of mind with respect to caregivers and partners and quality of couple relationship. Both partners of the couples completed individually measures of attachment to caregiver (Adult Attachment Interview; AAI), attachment to partner (Current Relationship Interview; CRI and Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Revised; ECR-R) and marital quality (Dyadic Adjustment Scale; DAS). The results showed that couples seeking to adopt did not differ from the control group with respect to attachment to caregivers (AAI). However potential adoptive fathers were more likely to show secure attachment classifications with respect to partner (CRI) than non-adoptive fathers. Finally, couples seeking to adopt expressed higher levels of positive feelings and thoughts within the couple relationship (ECR-R) and better perceived quality of marital relationship (DAS) than the control group. Overall, these findings suggested that couples seeking to adopt placed a high value on attachment relationships, which is considered a relevant factor for positive outcome of adoption.

IntroductionLiterature on parents’ adjustment in families with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children highlights on one hand that raising a child with ASD represent a higher stressful experience comparing to families of children with other disabilities and families of children with typical development. On the other hand, a recent systematic review on relationship satisfaction of these parents stressed the very lower levels of couple satisfaction in parents raising a child with ASD. Give that, the aim of this study is to investigate the association between relationship satisfaction and parental stress in a sample of parents of ASD children.Method70 parents were recruited (34 = M and 36 = F) to sign the following self-reports: Parenting stress index-short-form (PSI-SF), to assess stress relative to parental role, and dyadic adjustment scale (DAS), to assess couple satisfaction.ResultsThe analysis showed no differences between mothers and fathers respect to investigated variables. Negative correlations between almost all subscales of the PSI-SF and the subscales of DAS emerged. Moreover, from the regression analysis performed, it can be concluded that the values of the total score of the DAS predicts the PSI-SF total score.ConclusionsIn accordance with and building on the achievements of previous studies, these data illustrate a positive influence of couple adjustment on parental stress in parents of ASD children, supporting the hypothesis that relationship satisfaction emerge as a protective variables in the process of parental adaptation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

IntroductionLiterature on parents of children affected from cleft lip and/or palate has described the risk of higher levels of stress and anxiety during the pre-surgery period. To the best of our knowledge, just one study has empirically investigated the differences in the psychosocial adjustment of both mothers and fathers, but information on the pre-surgery period were not given. Given that, the aim of the current study is to evaluate the psychological functioning of both parents waiting for the child operation.MethodData from 34 Italian parents (F = 18; M = 16; Mean age = 36.62, SD = 6.07) of children affected by cleft lip and/or palate (Mean age = 12 months; SD. = 13.75 months) were collected during the pre-hospitalization visits. The following questionnaires were administered, respectively to mothers and fathers: PSI-SF, MSPSS, PACQ, DAS and FACES-IV.ResultsData shows no significant differences between fathers and mothers on the total score of each variable taken into account. Differently, significant differences emerge on the “Self Blame” PACQ subscales.ConclusionsMothers and fathers seem to share the same psychological experience during their child pre-surgery period. To note, our preliminary data highlight the maternal perception as featured by a greater sense of guilty for the child's disease. The feeling of guilt may be a risk factor for the parental ability to cope with the experiences of the child's illness, influencing parental care giving and parent-child relationship.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

1 Empirical data indicate that the risk for childhood obesity and overweight increases when one or both parents are overweight or obese. Such an association, however, cannot be entirely explained only by biological factors. Based on available literature, we hypothesized that maternal emotion regulation might play a role in explaining the intergenerational transfer of overweight and obesity. We conducted a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study: (step I) during the third trimester of pregnancy of 65 Italian women (33 overweight and 32 non-overweight), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were administered to assess the quality of their emotion regulation strategies; and (step II) seven months after the delivery, the feeding interactions between the participants and their babies were evaluated in a 20-minute video-recording, by using the Italian version of the Observational Scale for Mother–Infant Interaction during Feeding. When compared to the non-overweight group, the overweight group had more difficulties in emotion regulation, was more psychologically distressed, and had poorer feeding interactions with their babies. Perhaps more importantly, the extent to which the participants were suffering difficulties in emotion regulation during pregnancy predicted, significantly, and beyond the effects of pre-pregnancy maternal weight, the quality of the mother–child feeding interactions 7 months after the delivery.

Late-adopted children have often suffered a wide range of deprivations in their pre-adoption lives. These early adverse experiences can have a negative effect on children’s attachment representations even after they have been adopted. This study assesses the attachment representations of 61 late-adopted children over the first year of placement, exploring the risk and protective factors of age at placement, length of adoption and gender. The attachment representations were captured using the Manchester Completion Attachment Story Task (MCAST), a doll-play narrative that provides four different attachment classifications – secure, avoidant, ambivalent and disorganised – and three global scorings for disorganisation, mentalising and coherence of mind. The age of adoption was negatively associated with disorganisation, while length of placement was positively correlated with mentalising. Males seemed to be more vulnerable to insecurity and disorganisation than females. The data also suggested that for children placed after the attachment-sensitive phase, the longer the time spent in the adoptive families and being female were protective factors. Moreover, attachment narratives seemed to be a useful tool to explore the inner world of late-adopted children from the first year of placement.

This study examined the psychometric properties of a newly translated Italian version of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) Scale. The sample comprised 1,363 adults (906 women, 456 men, 1 unreported sex; ages 18-64 yr., M = 33.4, SD = 8.9; 84.4% reported being engaged in a romantic relationship, 9.4% declared being single), all living in Italy and speaking Italian as their first language. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed the expected bi-factorial (anxiety/avoidance) structure and a close correspondence between factors and scales. Test-retest and internal consistency reliabilities were adequate. Correlations with the Relationship Questionnaire, a categorical measure of attachment, and with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale were consistent with the theoretical relations among the constructs. The findings confirm the transcultural validity of the ECR-R. © Psychological Reports 2014.

This study explores the role of adult attachment configurations on marital satisfaction and conflict strategies during the transition to parenthood in a sample of 206 participants, 104 new parents and 102 childless by choice. All participants were administered measures of dyadic satisfaction and conflict strategies at two stages (during pregnancy and after 8 months, when the child was 6 months old). In prospective parents, the participants’ adult attachment configurations were also investigated in line with Crowell’s model. Results showed a decline in satisfaction and a lower use of cooperative conflict strategies for new parents. Secure specific attachment configurations appeared predictable of better satisfaction during the transition to parenthood. Insecure specific attachment configurations were predictable of a lower use of the cooperative strategy of integrating. Results were also explored in terms of the couple’s matching of attachment configurations. Overall, findings showed that in order to study a couple’s functioning it is important to consider the weight of each partner’s attachment configuration.

a нарушувања: реактивно на- рушување на приврзувањето, што се каракте- ризира со значително воздржано и емоционал- но повлечено однесување кон возрасните ста- ратели, минимално барање поддршка или ми- нимално реагирање на поддршката во време на вознемиреност, и невоздржано нарушување на социјалното вклучување што е претставено со неселективно социјално однесување кое не е во рамките на конвенционалната култура и ги поминува социјалните граници во присус- тво на непознати возрасни лица. И двете нару- шувања, без оглед на нивните различни фено- типи, се предизвикани од патогената средина на растење, повторливи промени на облиците за приврзување, социјално запоставување и лишување во првите години од животот. Оваа студија ги испитува современите дијаг- ностички критериуми наведени во литература- та што ги споредува дијагностичките класифи- кации и се обидува да ја разбере етиологијата на нарушувањето. Постојат нерешени праша- ња во современата носологија, што значи дека квалитетот на доказите што ги подржуваат ди- јагностичките критериуми треба да се подоб- ри. Овој труд заклучува дека, и покрај достап- ните современи дијагностички класификации, Current nosology describes reactive attachm- ent disorder as represented by two distinct disorders: reactive attachment disorder, characterized by markedly inhibited and emotionally withdrawn behavior toward adult caregivers, minimally seeking comfort or minimally responding to comfort in time of distress, and disinhibited social engagement disorder, which is represented by an indiscriminate social behavior, sanctioned from culture and which crosses social boundaries, in the presence of unfamiliar adults. Both disorders, despite their different phenotypes, are caused by a pathogenic caregiving environment, repeated changes of attachment figures, social neglect and deprivation in the first years of life. The article examines recent diagnostic criteria reported in the literature comparing diag- nostic classifications and attempting to understand the etiology of the disorder. Unresolved questions exist in current nosology, which means that the quality of the evidence supporting the diagnostic criteria needs to be improved. This review concludes that, despite the currently available diagnostic classifications, future longitudinal studies

Introduction Research aims to understand how psychological mechanisms influence mental health. Accordingly, much of the studies in this field has been dedicated to clarifying how emotion regulatory strategies may be associated with increased psychopathology (Gross & John, 2003). Individuals regulate their emotions in a wide variety of ways. Objectives We focus on two commonly used emotion regulation strategies: reappraisal (changing the way one thinks about a potentially emotion-eliciting event) and suppression (changing the way one responds behaviorally to an emotion-eliciting event). Aims We analyze emotion regulation strategies (Gross & John, 2003) in order to examine their relation with a broad range of psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology. Methods Emotion regulation was assessed by means of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ, Gross & John, 2003), which taps two regulatory strategies, suppression and reappraisal. The psychopathological distress was assessed by the 90- item Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1994) by indicating the degree of distress on a scale of 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) caused by a list of problems during the past 7 days. The sample consisted of 548 individuals (age: M=32.97; DS=3.55 for male; M=31.29; DS=3.64 for female). Results Individuals who reported low levels of suppression reported the lowest levels of psychopathological symptoms. Conclusions Our findings highlight that the capacity to regulate emotions may be associated with reduced psychopathology and more adaptive functioning

A clinical case of a couple psychoanalytic psychotherapy is presented in order to highlight the difficulties and the sense of suffering present in ‘old-style marriages’ that have tried to take up the challenge of modernity. In fact, as the holding structure of the strength of blood ties and institutionally formalised bonds carries less weight, a greater fragility in the capacity for partners to have a relationship seems to emerge. The authors enquire how, in the modern couple, intrapsychic aspects might interact with the social pressures that face new relational configurations.

This study analysed the attachment patterns of 28 late-adopted children (placed when they were between four and seven years of age) and their adoptive mothers. The change in the children's internal working models (IWMs) within seven to eight months of their placement was evaluated. In addition, we wanted to observe the influence of a secure-autonomous maternal state of mind in facilitating the change in the children's IWMs and the possible associations between the maternal IWMs and the children's IWMs in the adoptive dyads. The separation-reunion procedure (SRP) was used for the late-adopted children in order to assess their attachment behavioural patterns, and the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST) was used to evaluate their attachment narrative patterns. The adoptive mothers completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) in order to classify their state of mind with regard to attachment. The results showed a significant change in the attachment behavioural patterns of late-adopted children, from insecure to secure (p = .002). Furthermore, the children who presented this change were predominantly placed with secure-autonomous adoptive mothers (p = .047), although the link between the adoptive mothers' representations of their attachment history and their adopted children's completed narratives was not significant. In conclusion, it seems possible to revise the attachment behaviour of late-adopted children but, for about one-third of children, the adverse history will persist at a narrative/representational level.

Negli ultimi anni, prendendo le distanze dal modello strutturale delle pulsioni e dall'idea tradizionale di un apparato mentale isolato spinto fondamentalmente dai compromessi tra forze interne conflittuali, diversi studiosi (Mitchell, 1988; Aron, 1996) hanno posto l’accento sui processi interpersonali, nel senso che la crescita e il formarsi delle funzioni psichiche dipendono dal tipo e dalla qualità dell’incontro intersoggettivo. Da questo punto di vista l'affettività è intesa come una "proprietà" di un sistema mutualmente autoregolativo formato da due o più individui e come caratteristica costante durante tutto il ciclo vitale. I partner coinvolti in una relazione sentimentale organizzerebbero cioè una loro reciproca e specifica capacità di regolare gli stati emotivi, per ottenere un certo equilibrio interno tra senso di "distanza e vicinanza". In quest’ottica il lavoro odierno con le coppie deve considerare l'uso che i partner fanno della relazione rispetto alla funzione di reciproca auto ed etero regolazione e i processi che vengono messi in atto per raggiungere questi obiettivi.

Introduction Aggressiveness is not an exclusive issue for justice and mental health systems, but rather a dimension present at different levels among all (Stone, 2009). In Kernberg's (2006) theory, also impulsivity is not conceptualized as pathological in any case, but rather a vulnerability factor for the development of psychopathology. Even if they often merge in the concept of’impulsive-aggression’, they seem to represent two separate, though overlapping, constructs (Garcia-Forero et al., 2009). Objectives We focus on four facets of aggressiveness: hostility, anger, verbal and physical aggression; and three kinds of impulsiveness: motor, attention, and non-planning. Aims The present study seeks to examine whether particular types of impulsivity are related with different kinds of aggressiveness, rather than to aggression-proneness in general. Methods A mixed sample of 99 individual (age: M=35.85, SD=10.45 for men, n=49; M=26.58, SD=7.08 for women, n=50) was recruited. Impulsiveness was assessed by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11; Patton et al., 1995), whereas aggressiveness by the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ; Buss & Perry, 1992). Results Age shown a moderate, negative, relation with aggression but not with impulsiveness. Gender, on the contrary, correlates only with impulsiveness, with men scoring significantly higher (t(97)=2.07; p Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance to consider both impulsiveness and aggression pointing out the differences among their distinctive features.