Search

Silvia Cimino,1 Renata Tambelli,1 Luca Cerniglia2 1Sapienza. University of Rome. Department of Dynamic, Clinical and Health, Rome, Italy; 2International Telematic university Uninettuno, Faculty of Psychology, Rome, ItalyCorrespondence: Luca Cerniglia, International Telematic university Uninettuno, Faculty of Psychology, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. 39, Rome, 00186, Italy, Tel +39066920761, Email luca.cerniglia@uninettunouniversity.netBackground: It has been posited that parental distress, the quality of maternal care and offspring’s dysregulation can be predicted by maternal maladaptive characteristics. However, only a few studies have considered mothers’ personality organizations and features of the p factor in mothers as possible predictors of symptoms in their children.Methods: In a sample of N=524 subjects, this study evaluated the effect of mothers’ personality organization and of the p factor on parental distress, parental care and offspring’s dysregulation symptoms. Mothers filled out the IPO, the ASR, and the PSI-SF; children’s teachers filled out the TRF; children were administered the PBI.Results: We found that different mother groups (neurotic, borderline, psychotic organization) have distinct impact on parental distress, quality of care, and children’s dysregulation, mediated by the p factor.Conclusion: This study can contribute to the understanding of the key factors underpinning mothers and children’s psychopathology.Keywords: personality organization, p factor, parental distress, maternal care, dysregulation

Silvia Cimino,1 Luca Cerniglia2 1Department of Dynamic, Clinical, and Health Psychology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 2Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, ItalyCorrespondence: Luca Cerniglia, Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy, Tel +39066920761, Email l.cerniglia@uninettunouniversity.netPurpose: This study evaluated the outcomes of a telehealth intervention aimed at enhancing exchanges in mother–child dyads who showed an impoverishment of the quality of their feeding interactions and a worsening of their psychopathological symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: N=334 mothers and their three-year-old children were recruited to assess their feeding interactions through an observational tool administered via a web platform, and maternal and offspring psychopathological symptoms were measured through the SCL/90-R and the CBCL 1.5– 5. This study constitutes the third wave (T3) of a longitudinal research.Results: Our results showed that the intervention significantly improved the quality of mother–child feeding interactions. Moreover, mothers’ psychopathological symptoms reduced after the intervention, especially in the interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive-compulsive subscales; offspring emotional/behavioral functioning and dysregulation symptoms also decreased, particularly in the subscales of withdrawn anxious/depressed attention problems and aggressive behavior.Conclusion: This study adds knowledge to the literature on COVID-19 pandemic effects on psychological health of parents and young children, proposing a method of intervention that had been effectively adopted previously but whose effectiveness had not been investigated during the pandemic.Keywords: mother–child interactions, psychopathological symptoms, COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth intervention, early childhood

Numerous studies have found that the COVID‐19 epidemic and the measures to stop it have had a substantial impact on the mental health of the general population. Nevertheless, the majority of this research only looked at the variations in the degree of psychopathological symptoms in individuals before and after the first wave of the pandemic. In a sample of N = 380 preschoolers and their mothers assessed through the Symptom Check‐List/90‐R and of the Child Behaviour Check‐List, the present study aimed at exploring psychopathological risk in mothers and their offspring's dysregulation levels before (T1), during (T2) and after (T3) the peak of COVID‐19 pandemic. Our main results showed that mothers' relational distress increased from T1 to T2 and then increased again from T2 to T3. Moreover, maternal aggressiveness, hostility, and anxiety scores significantly decreased from T1 to T2 but slightly increased from T2 to T3. In children, dysregulation levels increased from T1 to T2 but decreased from T2 to T3. Children of mothers with clinical scores at the SCL‐90/R showed significantly higher dysregulation problems at T1, T2 and T3 than children of mothers with scores below the clinical threshold. This study adds to previous literature in that it evaluates stability or change in maternal and offspring scores not only in the pre‐pandemic period and during the first wave of the pandemic, but it also considers the subsequent months, focusing on a broad range of maternal symptoms, rather than assessing depressive and anxiety symptoms as most of previous research did. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luca Cerniglia,1,2 Mark D Griffiths,2,3 Silvia Cimino,2,4 Valeria De Palo,2,5 Lucia Monacis,2,5 Maria Sinatra,2,6 Renata Tambelli41Department of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy; 2Centre for Advanced Studies on Cyberpsychology and Ethics (ASPEN), University of Bari, Bari, Italy; 3International Gaming Research Unit, Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK; 4Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, University of Rome “la Sapienza”, Rome, Italy; 5Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy; 6Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, ItalyBackground: For a small minority of individuals, the overuse of digital technologies has been associated with negative factors, including psychological distress and psychopathological symptoms. Two technology-based addictions – internet gaming disorder (IGD) and social media addiction (SMA) – have been found to be related to comorbid disorders and impulsivity especially in adolescents and emerging adults’ populations, but results in this field are inconclusivePurpose: Using the latent profile analysis (LPA), this study identified different profiles of adolescents characterized by unique patterns of psychopathological risks, and similar levels of impulsivity, IGD, and SMA.Participants and methods: A total of 643 participants (312 males; Mage =16.02 years) were divided into three age groups (early, mid-, and late adolescence). They completed a battery of scales comprising: Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short Form, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale for Adolescents, and Symptom Checklist-90-R.Results: LPAs revealed distinct profiles across early, mid- and late adolescence with regards to the psychopathological variables taken into account. Specifically, only two profiles were identified in the 14–15 year age group, whereas three profiles emerged in the 16–17 year age group.Conclusion: This study highlighted that the profiles identified in each age group differed in terms of psychopathological risk (low, medium and high), showing instead similar (and non-clinical) scores in technology-based addictions and impulsivity. Results could be useful in designing prevention and intervention programs in youth showing similar patterns for technology-based addictions, but different levels of psychopathological symptoms.Keywords: internet gaming disorder, gaming addiction, social media addiction, online addictions, impulsivity, psychopathology

Eleonora Marzilli,1 Luca Cerniglia,2 Silvia Cimino1 1Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Psychology and Medicine Faculty, Sapienza – University of Rome, 2Department of Psychology, Psychology Faculty, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy Abstract: Binge eating disorder (BED) represents one of the most problematic clinical conditions among youths. Research has shown that the developmental stage of adolescence is a critical stage for the onset of eating disorders (EDs), with a peak prevalence of BED at the age of 16–17 years. Several studies among adults with BED have underlined that it is associated with a broad spectrum of negative consequences, including higher concern about shape and weight, difficulties in social functioning, and emotional-behavioral problems. This review aimed to examine studies focused on the prevalence of BED in the adolescent population, its impact in terms of physical, social, and psychological outcomes, and possible strategies of psychological intervention. The review of international literature was made on paper material and electronic databases ProQuest, PsycArticles, and PsycInfo, and the Scopus index were used to verify the scientific relevance of the papers. Epidemiological research that examined the prevalence of BED in adolescent samples in accordance with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition showed a prevalence ranging from 1% to 4%. More recently, only a few studies have investigated the prevalence of BED, in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria, reporting a prevalence of ~1%–5%. Studies that focused on the possible impact that BED may have on physical, psychological, and social functioning showed that adolescents with BED have an increased risk of developing various adverse consequences, including obesity, social problems, substance use, suicidality, and other psychological difficulties, especially in the internalizing area. Despite the evidence, to date, reviews on possible and effective psychological treatment for BED among young population are rare and focused primarily on adolescent females. Keywords: binge eating, adolescence, prevalence, impact, treatment

Luca Cerniglia,1 Silvia Cimino,2 Mimma Tafà,2 Eleonora Marzilli,2 Giulia Ballarotto,2 Fabrizia Bracaglia2 1Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University UNINETTUNO, 2Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy Abstract: Research has studied family functioning in families of patients suffering from eating disorders (EDs), particularly investigating the associations between mothers’ and daughters’ psychopathological symptoms, but limited studies have examined whether there are specific maladaptive psychological profiles characterizing the family as a whole when it includes adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Through the collaboration of a network of public and private consultants, we recruited n=181 adolescents diagnosed for EDs (n=61 with AN, n=60 with BN, and n=60 with BEDs) and their parents. Mothers, fathers, and youths were assessed through a self-report measure evaluating family functioning, and adolescents completed a self-report questionnaire assessing psychopathological symptoms. Results showed specific family functioning and psychopathological profiles based on adolescents’ diagnosis. Regression analyses also showed that family functioning characterized by rigidity predicted higher psychopathological symptoms. Our study underlines the importance of involving all members of the family in assessment and intervention programs when adolescent offspring suffer from EDs. Keywords: family functioning, eating disorders, adolescents, psychopathological risk