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The relationship between social anxiety and cannabis use among adolescents and young adults is a highly debated topic. In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether cannabis use expectancies mediated the association between social anxiety and cannabis use severity in a sample of 343 young adults (74.3% male) who used cannabis. They completed self-report measures for the screening of problematic cannabis use (Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test) and social anxiety symptoms (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale). A multiple mediation analysis was used to test whether marijuana effect expectancies mediate social anxiety effect on problematic cannabis use. Social anxiety was negatively associated with cannabis use severity in this sample, and we found evidence that cannabis use expectancies fully mediated this relationship. Specifically, global negative effect expectancies influence the relationships between social anxiety and problematic cannabis use. These findings may inform current prevention strategies and clinical intervention for young adults who use cannabis.

Cannabis use is frequently related to social anxiety in young adulthood, but the nature of this relationship is unclear. Moreover, much research has been conducted on the role of cannabis effects expectancies and their relationship to social anxiety among young adults, but less is known about adolescence. The study examined the relationship between social anxiety, cannabis use patterns, and cannabis effects expectancies among a nonclinical sample of 1,305 adolescents (51% female). Non-users reported higher social anxiety scores than non-problematic and risky users. Compared to users, non-users had more negative expectancies. Risky and problematic users showed higher social and sexual facilitation expectancies and perceptual and cognitive enhancement expectancies. In addition, social anxiety was related to global negative expectancies and social and sexual facilitation expectancies. Moreover, we found that among socially anxious adolescents, social and sexual facilitation expectancies are dissuasive reasons to use cannabis. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.

The effects of the Mafia have been extensively studied from sociological, economic, and historical points of view. However, little research has investigated the influence of the Mafia on individuals and communities in terms of its psychological and social impact. In order to contribute to the advancement of our understanding of the psychological effects of the Mafia on individuals and communities and to promote a participative process of social change, a group analytic intervention was conducted within a Community Based Participatory Research carried out in Corleone, a small Sicilian town with a historically recognized role in the evolution of the Mafia, as well as in the fight against its control. Qualitative findings from the group intervention revealed the development of an awareness process that allowed participants to become aware of their social unconscious anxieties and defenses and to recognize and manage the strong emotional impact related to the Mafia's presence in their lives. Highlighting how psychological processes can have negative impacts on individual and collective capacity to pursuit transformation and resilience, this article provides important insight on how clinical psychology may operate in socio-cultural contexts to promote the reconstruction of the traumatic social dimensions in the community.

Background Self-image is the subjective perception about one's own self, body, mental functioning, social attitudes, and adjustment in different aspects of life. Research has linked negative self-image with a number of problem behaviors and psychiatric symptoms in adolescence; however, studies of the relationship between self-image and anxiety disorders are still scarce. Method This study involved a community sample of 1305 high-school students (51.4% female) who ranged in age from 14 to 19 years old. They completed self-report measures of self-image and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Results A quarter of the students reported high levels of social anxiety. Statistical analyses showed significant differences between these students and the other students in all the self-image subscales. Several dimensions of impaired self-image (emotional tone, social attitudes, vocational and educational goals, family relationships, external mastery, and psychological health) were associated with high levels of social anxiety, with some gender differences underpinning these relationships. Conclusions Clinicians treating SAD in youth may wish to consider that a negative self-image may play a critical role in the onset and retention of social anxiety symptoms.

A longitudinal repeated measures design was used to investigate the influence of treatment retention, and membership turnover on individual outcomes, and the relationship between individual-level and group-level therapeutic alliance in rolling group psychotherapy for individuals with cocaine abuse disorder. Eighteen patients were studied; data were collected prior to therapy and then monthly for 24 months. Patient outcomes and process were assessed. Improvements in symptoms and psychological functioning were associated with retention in psychotherapy. Membership turnover had a negative influence on symptoms. Development of an individual alliance was affected by the development of group-level therapeutic alliance, but not by time spent in therapy.

The Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) was developed to assess smartphone addiction in Taiwanese university students. The purpose of the current research is to evaluate the factor structure and psychometric properties of the SPAI in Italian university students. A total of 485 university students (29.3% boys) completed the SPAI and the Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT).The proposed four-factor model of the SPAI-I was tested by computing CFA, and the results of the goodness of fit indices indicated an ambiguous solution. An exploratory-confirmatory cross validation strategy was applied for a better trimming of SPAI-I factorial structure. Results suggested a five-factor solution that explained 53% of the total variance (Time Spent, Compulsivity, Daily Life Interference, Craving, and Sleep Interference). Excellent internal consistency and five factor correlations were reported for the SPAI-I. This five-factor model showed good convergent validity with the Internet Addiction Disorder Test. Considering that evidence shows that overuse of a smartphone can be associated with adverse and problematic effects, the SPAI-I should be useful for determining its potential for the use in future research in Europe and for comparing the evaluation of smartphone overuse of young European people with other international Asiatic studies that have incorporated the SPAI. The SPAI was tested using factorial analysis procedures in a large sample.The exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors rather than the original four.The SPAI-I showed satisfactory psychometric properties.The SPAI-I is suitable for measuring smartphone addiction.The SPAI-I may help to promote unified research in the smartphone addiction field.