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Purpose Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) is a potentially pathological condition characterized by a fixation on healthy diet. An increasing number of studies have been conducted on this mental preoccupation, but the validity and reliability of some of the psychometric instruments employed in its assessment are still under debate. Among these measures, the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) seems to be promising, given that it allows to differentiate between OrNe and other non-problematic forms of interest with healthy eating, named as healthy orthorexia (HeOr). The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the TOS, by testing its factorial structure, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and validity. Method Through an online survey, we recruited 782 participants from different regions of Italy, asking them to complete the following self-report instruments: TOS, EHQ, EDI-3, OCI-R, and BSI-18. From the initial sample, 144 participants agreed to complete a second TOS administration 2 weeks later. Results Data confirmed the validity of the 2-correlated factors structure of the TOS. The questionnaire also showed good reliability, both in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability. With regard to the TOS validity, results showed that OrNe was significantly and positively associated with measures of psychopathology and psychological distress, while HeOr showed no correlations or negative associations with the above-mentioned measures. Conclusion Based on these results, the TOS can be considered a promising measure for the assessment of both pathological and non-problematic forms of orthorexic eating behavior also in Italian population. Level of evidence Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of the offspring’s self-esteem in the association between the mother’s attachment style and the depressive symptoms of a sample of early adolescents. The participants included 484 students, aged 11 to 15 ( M age = 12.24, SD = .91) and their mothers, ranged in age between 30 and 69 years ( M age = 43.82, SD = 5.13). The students completed the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale and the Self‐administered Psychiatric Scales for adolescents - Depression. Mothers completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire. The results showed an association between mothers’ anxious attachment and both self-esteem and depression of our young adolescents. Furthermore, adolescents’ self- esteem mediated the association between mothers’ anxious attachment and adolescents’ depression. The mediating role of self-esteem was not significant in the relationship between mothers’ avoidant attachment and adolescents’ depression.

Orthorexic tendencies and healthy eating in university students: which association with eating disorders, psychopathology, and defense mechanisms? higher in some immature defenses (passive aggression and somatization) than healthy-eating individuals, while no differences were found in mature and neurotic defense styles. Conclusions. These results support the existence of significant differences between ON and other (non-problematic) healthy eating behaviors.

INTRODUCTION: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental disorder characterized by an intense and pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships and identity (Leichsenring et al., 2011; Skodol et al., 2002). It is widely recognized as child maltreatment is a robust predictor of later borderline personality pathology (Zanarini et al., 1997; Infurna et al., 2014). The considerable heterogeneity among patients with BPD makes the psychological assessment and comprehension highly complex (Eaton et al., 2011). Nevertheless, significant progresses were achieved using a dimensional perspective (Fossati et al., 2014), able to highlight the “subjective experience of BPD in terms of problematic themes” (PDM-2, 2017). Blatt proposal of two subtypes (dependency and self-criticism) of borderline experience (Blatt & Luyten, 2009; Kopala-Sibley et al., 2012), may provide important information for the dimensional understanding of the borderline functioning. Based on these considerations, we aim to (1) explore the Blatt’s proposal of different borderline subtypes and (2) examine the link between various forms of maltreatments with different borderline features. METHOD: Two samples of adolescents, the first recruited from high-school (N = 174), and the second comprising outpatients (N = 67) followed in private and public units, completed the DEQ- A, the CECA.Q, the PDQ-4, and the BPI. RESULTS: Preliminary results seem partially to suggest the existence of different vulnerabilities related to self-criticism and dependency themes in adolescents with borderline features. The influence of various types of childhood maltreatment on pathological personality styles and specific borderline features will be also analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: This study may contribute to the literature interested on providing a better understanding of differences between adolescents with borderline features to inform for the development of effective treatments for BPD.

The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Italian validation of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), conceived as a measure of self-criticism and dependency, i.e. two personality factors acting, according to Blatt (2004), as risk factors for depression in particular and psychopathology in general. A series of standardized measures [Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), DEQ, Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, 3rd edition (MCMI-III)] was administered to three samples (i.e., students, community and clinical). Factorial validity was evaluated along with convergent and predictive validity. In order to evaluate the reliability and internal consistency, a specific subgroup of participants was retested on the DEQ and BDI-II. Results showed correlations between DEQ dimensions and some personality traits of the MCMI-III. The traditional three-factor model of the DEQ structure as identified by principal component analysis appears to be as stable factors as typically found in American samples, although some items showed elevated cross-loading or low loadings on any factor. Clinical and diagnostic implications of the findings will be discussed.

In line with the “two-polarities models” of personality development, Blatt (2008) proposed a “twoconfigurations” model, suggesting that self-definition and relatedness are two fundamental psychological dimensions useful in evaluating the vulnerability factors for psychopathology in adolescence. Based on the adult version of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, Blatt and colleagues (1992) developed the DEQ for Adolescents (DEQ-A).

Nonostante gran parte della nostra esistenza sia in qualche modo contrassegnata dall'appartenenza a diversi gruppi, dentro e attraverso i quali cresciamo, lavoriamo, impariamo, giochiamo, l'interesse scientifico verso di essi, e ancor di più il loro studio e utilizzo, sono stati segnati da non poche resistenze, ambiguità e pregiudizi che non hanno pari nella storia delle discipline psicologiche. La letteratura sui rapporti individuo-gruppo, individuo-società e sui problemi d'identità connessi con questi termini è molto vasta e spazia dalla sociologia alla psicologia, dall'antropologia al diritto. Grazie ai contributi di grandi studiosi afferenti ad aree della psicologia apparentemente differenti tra loro, è stato possibile sottolineare la natura profondamente sociale (gruppale) dell'uomo, superare la presunta dicotomia ontologica tra individuo e gruppo, considerare il gruppo straordinario strumento di sviluppo e trasformazione degli individui, spazio mentale e fisico in cui la convivenza con gli altri consente di soddisfare bisogni soggettivi e plurali, di valorizzare la propria autenticità, nell'incontro con la diversità. "Per comprendere l'intimità e la distinzione tra l'individuo e il gruppo - afferma Solomon Asch - dobbiamo cogliere l'insolito processo che dà vita ai gruppi a livello umano. è un processo nel quale i singoli assumono una parte straordinaria, mettendoci di fronte a un tipo di rapporto parte-tutto che non ha riscontri in natura... Ciascuna persona è un centro di forze per il gruppo." è su queste basi concettuali ed epistemologiche che il testo intende muoversi: un'analisi non riduttiva, articolata e multiforme dei possibili ambiti applicativi del gruppo psicologico, che, per poter essere compreso e soprattutto utilizzato, ha bisogno di diversi vertici osservativi che si soccorrano reciprocamente.

The perinatal period may represent a particularly challenging time for expecting parents. Previous studies have highlighted an association between several perinatal risk conditions (e.g., childhood maltreatment, poor social support, and stress levels) and the development of psychopathological symptoms in pregnant women, especially depression symptoms. The current study examined the effects of psychosocial risk factors (childhood maltreatment, poor social support, and stressful events) on anxiety, depression, perceived stress, irritability/anger, relationship problems, psychosomatic symptoms, specific physiological problems, and addiction/at-risk behaviors. Sixty-one pregnant women (age range = 24–45) participating in a larger study completed questionnaires about childhood maltreatment (CECA Q.), Maternity Social Support Scale (MSSS), questionnaire on stressful events, and the Perinatal Assessment of Maternal Affectivity (PAMA) during their pregnancy. Results from regression analysis indicated that the presence of childhood maltreatment predicted elevated depressive symptoms, elevated irritability and anger, and elevated relationship problems. Further, stressful events in the year prior to pregnancy predicted elevated psychosomatic symptoms during pregnancy. No other significant associations were found. In this study, traumatic childhood events were strongly associated with mental health symptoms during pregnancy. This is an important finding that suggests the importance of screening and targeting psychotherapeutic interventions for vulnerable women during pregnancy.

Multiple studies have documented the relationship between child maltreatment and internalizing and externalizing problems. Evidence suggests that the link between child maltreatment and these psychopathological outcomes may be moderated by various factors. Attachment styles may be one such moderating factor in this relationship. This study seeks to explore whether different attachment style profiles are associated with different forms of maltreatment as well as internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and whether attachment styles may moderate the link between different forms of maltreatment and internalizing and externalizing problems. For this purpose, 387 students from Italian public high schools were recruited. We used the Italian version of the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) to assess different dimensions of attachment, the Italian version of the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire (CECA.Q) to assess experiences of maltreatment, and the Italian version of the Youth Self-Report (YSR) to assess internalizing and externalizing problems. Results showed that different types of attachment style profiles were specifically associated with maltreatment variables and internalizing/externalizing problems as well as attachment style profiles moderated the relationships between maltreatment and internalizing problems. The findings are discussed in light of the theoretical framework and limitations, and implications for practice and child custody are presented.

Adverse childhood experiences are significant risk factors in the development of adolescent borderline personality disorder symptoms (BPDs). Theorists have posited that two personality vulnerabilities factors, self-criticism and dependency, may inform our understanding of this relationship. However, no research has examined the associations between early negative experiences, personality vulnerabilities, and adolescent BPDs. The current study aimed to identify profiles of dependency and self-criticism to examine the associations of these profiles with cumulative forms of childhood maltreatment (CM) and BPDs as well as to explore the mediating and moderating role of vulnerable personality profiles in the relationship between cumulative CM and BPDs. Two hundred and forty-one nonclinical and clinical adolescents participated in the study (Mage= 16.37,SD= 1.84). The findings indicated three different profiles: average dependent profile, dependent and self-critical profile, and self-critical profile. Individuals in the average dependent profile presented lower levels of CM and BPDs. Mediation analyses showed that relative to the average dependent profile, a higher cumulative CM history predicted a higher probability of belonging in the dependent and self-critical profile or the self-critical profile and, in turn, this was associated with higher levels of BPDs. No moderating effects of profiles of dependency and self-criticism were found.

Many recent studies have explored the potential links between attachment style dimensions, personality vulnerability factors for psychopathology, and psychological and behavioral problems, particularly those along the internalizing and externalizing spectrum. However, previous studies have not examined these links within a structural equation model that can examine multiple predictors and outcomes, and therefore have not fully investigated the specificity of links between these factors. This cross-sectional study examined the mediating role of self-criticism in the relationship between attachment style dimensions and internalizing and externalizing problems. The sample included 420 nonclinical adolescents aged 14–20 years who were recruited in school settings and completed self-reported measures of attachment style dimensions (Attachment Style Questionnaire), self-criticism (Depressive Experiences Questionnaire), and internalizing and externalizing problems (Youth Self-Report). Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation model and to ascertain direct and indirect effects among study variables. Results shown that self-criticism mediated the link between both attachment avoidance and anxiety, and internalizing problems. Results were not moderated by gender. Results suggest that self-criticism is associated with psychopathology during adolescence, and accounts for the associations of attachment style dimensions with internalizing and externalizing problems.

A number of studies have investigated the role of coping and social support as protective factors for psychosocial adjustment after amputation. In contrast, few have focused on the role of attachment styles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between attachment insecurity, social support, coping strategies and negative emotions, such as anxiety and depression, in adult amputees. Sixty-two amputated adults (71% males, 29% females), recruited from the Prosthetic Centre of the Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority, completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Beck Depression Inventory II and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y. Based on Pearson’s correlations results, we conducted a media- tion analysis to examine whether the association between attach- ment insecurity (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and negative emotion (i.e. depression, state anxiety and trait anxiety) variables was mediated by emotion-oriented coping. Analyses revealed the role of insecure attachment styles in influencing the use of an emotion-oriented coping strategy in particular. The latter mediated the relationship between attach- ment insecurity, depression and anxiety in adult amputees.

Several studies have demonstrated that child maltreatment (psychological, physical, and sexual abuse, and neglect) may be a significant factor in the development of pathological personality traits that increase the risk for suicidal ideation and behavior from adolescence to adulthood. Currently, the challenge is to understand how different forms of early negative experiences render an individual prone to develop specific personality traits and, in turn, be more vulnerable to suicide risk. To understand the relationship between childhood maltreatment and personality dimensions in suicide risk, our study aims to explore the role of self-criticism and dependency, two different pathological personality traits, as potential mediators of the link between different types of childhood maltreatment and suicide risk in young adults. For this purpose, 306 students from three Italian public universities were recruited. We used the Italian version of the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire (CECA.Q) to assess experiences of lack of care by parents (i.e., antipathy and neglect) as well as psychological and physical abuse before the age of 17 years. The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) was used to assess the personality dimensions of self-criticism and dependency, and the Suicide History Self-Rating Screening Scale was administered to assess suicide risk. Results revealed that lack of care and psychological abuse were significantly associated with suicide risk and this association was partially mediated by the maladaptive personality dimension of self-criticism. These findings suggest that the combined effect of specific forms of dysfunctional parental behavior during childhood and the development of rigid and dysfunctional negative personality traits may increase the risk for suicidal ideation and behavior during adulthood.

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) is a self-report measure that assesses self-criticism and dependency, 2 personality traits that confer vulnerability to depression (Blatt, 2004). Over several decades, different, shortened versions of the DEQ have been constructed to offer an alternative to the complex scoring procedure of the original DEQ. This study explores the factor structure as well as the construct and convergent validity of the DEQ by comparing a clinical and nonclinical sample. We also compared the original DEQ with 5 shortened versions. There were 621 participants (358 university students and 263 outpatients). Fit indexes for models of the original DEQ did not meet minimum fit criteria. Moreover, the only versions with satisfactory fit were the Theoretical Depressive Experiences Questionnaire – 21 (TDEQ –21) and the Theoretical Depressive Experiences Questionnaire – 12 (TDEQ–12), which also showed acceptable construct and convergent validity. Finally, the diagnostic and clinical applicability of the DEQ is discussed.

Despite increasing evidence suggesting that childhood maltreatment is significantly associated with psychosis, the specific role of bullying in the onset of psychotic disorders is still unclear. This study aimed to examine whether bullying was more prevalent amongst individuals presenting to services for the first time with a psychotic disorder than in unaffected community controls.

The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Italian validation of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), conceived as a measure of self-criticism and dependency, i.e. two personality factors acting, according to Blatt (2004), as risk factors for depression in particular and psychopathology in general. A series of standardized measures [Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), DEQ, Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, 3rd edition (MCMI-III)] was administered to three samples (i.e., students, community and clinical). Factorial validity was evaluated along with convergent and predictive validity. In order to evaluate the reliability and internal consistency, a specific subgroup of participants was retested on the DEQ and BDI-II. Results showed correlations between DEQ dimensions and some personality traits of the MCMI-III. The traditional three-factor model of the DEQ structure as identified by principal component analysis appears to be as stable factors as typically found in American samples, although some items showed elevated cross-loading or low loadings on any factor. Clinical and diagnostic implications of the findings will be discussed.

This article aims at summing up the reflections of a small group of psychologists who work in the domain of palliative treatment. The theory and methodology supporting it are borrowed by a group analysis approach; the group's purpose is a research based on the workers' experience elaboration, which aims at finding out both the specificities of the work apparatus with the people accompanied to the conclusion of their lives, and the main thematic areas of the relationship between healthcare team, patients, and families. The work we present aims at introducing the most meaningful themes that emerged during group meetings: first of all, some service criticalities examined in the area of terminal healthcare and the workers' possible saturation and psycho-social discomfort quotas, generating in some cases a common sense of professional precariousness.

International audience; n this paper, we describe the advantages of an experiential training group, specifically conceived for psychology students, in which the goal was to activate reflection on the internalized social representations of professional identity. Our study showed the results of a pre-post comparison of a one-group intervention. It was aimed to demonstrate that group experiential learning is particularly useful in changing the basis of social representations and may contribute to the construction of a realistic image of both the profession and the professional identity. The research involved 88 students enrolled in a graduate program in clinical psychology. Before and after the experiential groups, students were asked to write a text starting from the prompt “becoming a psychologist.” These 176 texts provided the data used for this study. We carried out a text analysis using automatized software that provided hierarchical classification and factorial analysis of correspondences. The changes in the students’ representations of psychologists underline how participation in group experiential learning has allowed students to build a more realistic, less stereotypical and idealized vision of their future profession and created greater awareness of the limits of a training program based solely on the acquisition of theoretical notions. The data suggest the possibility of usefully practicing such learning activities in order to help students to reflect on their professional representations

Previous research has evidenced the link between body image dissatisfaction, social anxiety, low self-esteem, negative affect and eating disorders in adolescence. The present study aimed to explore the gender differences on body image perception, self-esteem, and relational styles in a group of adolescents and to investigate whether body image and self-esteem predict the development of interpersonal problems in a different way for males and females. Method: Data were obtained from a group (n = 1311) of adolescents (805 males and 506 females), recruited in a high school in Palermo. Participants filled in the BIAI, the IIP-32 and the RSES. Results: Our results confirm the difference between males and females in the areas investigated and the link between perception of body image dissatisfaction, self esteem and interpersonal problems. Furthermore, only in males participants self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between body image and interpersonal problems. Conclusions: Results imply that levels of self-esteem and body dissatisfaction must be considered to prevent the development of relational problems in adolescents.

Background: The relationship between low self-esteem and depression and anxiety disorders has solicited a growing body of empirical research. The most important explanation models are two: the vulnerability model states that low self-esteem is a risk factor for depression and anxiety, and the scar model states that low self-esteem is an outcome, not a cause, of depression and anxiety. Method: In the present research we tested the two different models using a sample of Italian preadolescent, aged 11 to 14 years, recruited from an Italian secondary school. To test the models, the path analysis technique was used: one in which self-esteem predicted anxiety and depression (Model 1), and one in which anxiety and depression predicted self-esteem (Model 2). Gender and age were included in the models as covariate. Conclusions: our findings suggest that the both models had the same good fit, although the effects of self-esteem on depressive and anxiety symptoms were significantly higher than the effects of anxiety and depression on self-esteem. In both models gender was positively associated with anxiety and self-esteem: girls tend to report higher levels of anxiety than boys. In the scar model age was positively related with depression; older preadolescents tend to report higher levels of depression than younger preadolescents. Keywords: self-esteem, anxiety, depression, early adolescence, Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 4, No 3 (2016)

Background. Both donors and non-donors have a positive image of blood donation, so donors and non-donors do not differ regarding their views on donation but do differ in converting their opinion into an active deed of donation. Several studies have identified altruism and empathy as the main factors underlying blood donation. However, a mixture of various motivational factors mould the complex behaviour of donation. This paper presents an exploratory study on differences of social representations of blood donation between blood donors and non-donors, in order to understand the reasons that bring someone to take the decision to become a blood donor. Materials and methods. Participants filled in the Adapted Self-Report Altruism Scale, Toronto Empathy Questionnaire and answered a test of verbal association. Descriptive and correlation analyses were carried out on quantitative data, while a prototypic analysis was used for qualitative data. Results. The study was carried out on a convenience sample of 786 individuals, 583 donors (mean age: 35.40 years, SD: 13.01 years; 39.3% female) and 203 non-donors (mean age: 35.10 years, SD: 13.30 years; 67.5% female). Social representations of donors seem to be more complex and articulated than those of non-donors. The terms that appear to be central were more specific in donors (life, needle, blood, help, altruism were the words most associated by non-donors; life, aid, altruism, solidarity, health, love, gift, generosity, voluntary, control, needed, useful, needle were the words most associated by donors). Furthermore, non-donors associated a larger number of terms referring to negative aspects of blood donation. Discussion. Aspects related to training and the accuracy of any information on blood donation seem to be important in the decision to become a donor and stabilise the behaviour of donation over time, thus ensuring the highest levels of quality and safety in blood establishments.

Homonegativity (HN) refers to negative attitudes towards homosexuality, lesbians, and gay men. Few studies have investigated HN by combining the psychosocial and “clinical” factors, such as authoritarianism and neuroticism, with which it is associated. Past research indicates that personality traits (Lingiardi et al., 2016), as well as experiences of authoritarianism (Altemeyer, 1998), render individuals prone to the development of HN. Conversely, past findings concerning attachment styles have been more controversial.

This article aims at summing up the reflections of a small group of psychologists who work in the domain of palliative treatment. The theory and methodology supporting it are borrowed by a group analysis approach; the group's purpose is a research based on the workers' experience elaboration, which aims at finding out both the specificities of the work apparatus with the people accompanied to the conclusion of their lives, and the main thematic areas of the relationship between healthcare team, patients, and families. The work we present aims at introducing the most meaningful themes that emerged during group meetings: first of all, some service criticalities examined in the area of terminal healthcare and the workers' possible saturation and psycho-social discomfort quotas, generating in some cases a common sense of professional precariousness.

Recent research indicates that secure attachment is a protective factor against the development of internalizing / externalizing behavioral problems (Laible et al., 2000), while the role of insecure attachment is more controversial, raising the question of potential mediating variables (Brumariu & Kerns, 2010). In literature it emerges how Blatt’s two-configurational model (self-definition and relatedness) correlates on the one hand with the attachment (Luyten & Blatt, 2011; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007), and on the other with the internalizing / externalizing spectrum (e.g. Campos, Besser, Morgado, & Blatt, 2014). This research has explored the mediation effects of relatedness (dependency) and self-definition (self-criticism), in particular by assuming the mediating role of self-criticism. 316 high school students participated. To these students the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescents (DEQ-A; Blatt, Schaffer, Bers, & Quinlan, 1992); the Youth Self-Report (YSR; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001); the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ; Feeney, Noller, & Hanrahan, 1994) were administrated. The results indicate a good fit for a model in which self-criticism particularly mediated the expected relations between avoidant attachment and externalizing problems. Secure attachment, through both dependency and self-criticism, negatively predicted I/E problems. Attachment had also direct relations with I/E problems. Finally, the internalizing and externalizing problems were correlated. The results are in line with the literature, confirming the importance of considering mediating variables, such as self-criticism, between attachment and the I/E spectrum.

1 INTRODUCTION Professors of Psychology well know that the most of their students start attending academic courses intending Psychology, and psychological work too, in a not much realistic and strongly idealizing way. This happens, on the one hand, due to an unsatisfactory knowledge of the subject, on the other hand because of a marked discrepancy between the representation/image of the psychologist as presented by media and the one which is shared by the scientific and professional community. According to the representation given by media, for example, anyone in possession of strong empathic and interpretational skills – to be simply strengthened through academic studies – may pursue the career of psychologist. The dramatic increase in popularity and consequently in registrations to Psychology courses in Italy is undoubtedly due to this naive, though extremely attractive representation made by media. Therefore, for example, those who think they have strong listening skills feel they are ‘authorized’ to follow this path. In contrast with this representation, it is a common belief that University should provide both theoretical and professional skills and tools for personal growth through active involvement in the learning process. This will substantially contribute to the construction of a realistic representation of professional identity, in line with personal inclinations and personality traits. In order to achieve such a objective, students should actively be involved through participation in interpersonal experiences which contribute to personal growth and develop a reflective approach towards their future profession (Corey, 2013; George & Cristiani, 1990; Human, 2008). Several scholars consider that group methods are very useful for the training of competent reflective practitioners (Knight, Sperling & Maltby, 2010; Nathan 2003; Nathan & Poulsen, 2004), and it is our belief that that middle and large group settings are particularly suitable to help individuals to understand the cultural roots of their representations of helping professions and how their internalization contributes to the construction of unrealistic images of the professional identity. 2 AIMS, METHOD AND HYPOTHESES This contribution describes the effectiveness of the experiential learning group (Parcover et al., 2006) – specifically for Psychology students – as a relational space which encourages reflection upon professional identity and the way it forms, with the purpose of constructing more realistic representations of their profession and participating in an intersubjective educational process of sense-making. Students are provided with an educational experience which significantly differs from a frontal lecture and where interpersonal confrontation leads them to explore different topics related to becoming a psychologist. A special focus is given to the maturation of their visions of the profession. The aim of this activity is to make students aware that their visions – mostly idealized and not entirely corresponding to reality – consider only a small part of the rich variety of aspects that characterize their future profession. A special attention has been devoted to the socio-genetic and cultural foundations of such visions that psychologists will have to cope with in their daily practice with clients/patients. Research has involved students from the course in Clinical Psychology, from the University of Palermo (Italy), in ‘groups of elaboration on professional identity’, semi-directive discussion groups oriented to associative communication, with the purpose of exploring the representations of the psychological profession Participants were divided into 5 groups, each of them meeting weekly, for a duration of 4 hours each plus a 30-minute break, for a total of 8 encounters. Each group consisted of 15 to 18 members plus a conductor and two silent observers as recorders. Before and after the group experience, students have been asked to write a text on their representation of the profession of psychologist, starting from the hint ‘Becoming a Psychologist’. Those texts have been the object of the study; a total of 176 texts were produced by 88 students. Analyses of the texts have been carried out using the software IRAMUTEQ (Ratinaud, 2009). It uses the classification method Alceste and is based on the research of similarities in texts. More specifically, in a text or in portions of it, it identifies the concurrent presence of the same graphic forms (words or lexems) (Kalampalikis, 2003; Kalampalikis & Moscovici, 2005). The purpose is to identify all those ‘lexical classes’ where some expressions occur more frequently and are therefore labelled as ‘typical’ of that portion of text. At first, a descriptive statistical analysis of texts has been carried out; then, they have been divided based on the groups that produced them and classified according to the descending hierarchical classification in order to group the terms occurred in the different thematic classes. The value χ² for terms indicates their strong /weak degree of belonging to a specific class and, therefore, to what extent every single graphic form contributes to the differentiation of classes. Moreover, new variables (namely, factors) have been identified by means of the Factorial Analysis of Correspondences (FAC). They briefly represent the information gained through the analysis of classes. Briefly, the aims of this study are as follows: H1. Before the group training, students are supposed to have an idealized and naive representation of the profession of psychologist, with very little awareness of the real aspects of the job. H2. Significant changes are expected to be produced after participation in group training, resulting in more realistic representations and increased awareness. 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The corpus examined is made up of 10 sub-corpora of texts written before and after the group activities by participants from 5 groups. 4 lexical classes have been identified in the global corpus, representing different groups and their own specific and partially different linguistic features. It is possible to point out that there is a marked difference between texts produced before and after the group experience. This means that such experience has brought about some sort of ‘effect’ that has modified the representation participants have of their professional category. Through Factorial Analysis of Correspondences it is possible to observe the organization of thematic classes on a factorial plane: there is a first axis / factor referring to the bipolarity between growing as / being a psychologist and a second one referring to the possible contents of the experience / profession and to knowledge or ability. The vertical axis of the semantic space says that becoming a psychologist is a balance between growing (in that it is necessary to gain skills, such as knowledge and competence) and being (it is necessary to be a certain kind of person – in this way, ‘becoming’ is intended as ‘being’ with a social and institutional recognition). The horizontal axis, on the other hand, seems to describe a bipolarity referring to the possible contents of the experience / profession. It suggests that becoming a psychologist means being in charge of certain things. Specifically, there seems to be a difference between the left part, referring to ‘living’ – acting on the basis of one’s own and other people’s emotions – and the right part referring to ‘doing’ – acting on the basis of psychological knowledge of topics and objects of intervention. Moreover, it is possible to find all the texts produced before the experience in the right part of the factorial space, whereas all the ones produced after are in the left part of it, suggesting that the most significant change for students occurs on the horizontal axis, and is therefore related to the contents of their experience/profession. At the beginning of the educational experience, the profession of psychologist is thought to be referred to issues, knowledge and individuals, while later also experience, action and emotions are involved. The trend is from ‘being born’ as a psychologist to the acquisition of professional competence. As a result of the study, participants have developed a more realistic, less idealized representation of the role of a psychologist, and a greater awareness of the limits of an educational growth based solely on the acquisition of theoretical notions. They have also realized that an individual predisposition due to specific skills and abilities (such as sensitivity and/or empathy) is not enough to be a professional psychologist. Changes have been identified not only in participants’ professional sphere but also at a personal level. Originally, they thought that the effectiveness and value as a professional depended on the person; then, they realized that it is necessary to ‘become’ a psychologist through a specific education and personal maturation. Professional intervention itself, considered as a powerful means for the solution of problematic issues, has been accepted as a process that may be subject to limits and uncertainty. We can thence state that both hypotheses are confirmed, and we can assert the effectiveness of the carried out activities. Our study supports the need of reflective skills – to be sharpened through future experiences – which underlie the role of psychologist. Such skills are not acquirable through reading texts but through learning experiences which allow participants to know and confront with their own and other people’s representations of the profession.

Introduction & Objectives: The aim of our study was to compare and analyse the effectiveness of pharmacological treatment and the psychotherapy alone or in association in terms of increase of Quality of Life (QoL) measured through Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) and increase of intravaginal eiaculation latency time (IELT) in patients affected by primitive premature ejaculation(PE). Material & Methods: Between January and December 2012, in our department underwent to medical examination 540 patients complaining PE. Criteria for enrollment were primitive PE with IELT ≤ 2 minutes, PEDT > 9 and absence of psychiatric disease, severe chronic disease, drugs and alcool abuse. Out of 540 patients, 270 were elegible and were enrolled for the study. This patients were randomly divided in 3 group, A,B and C. Patients in Group A were treated with Dapoxetine, mean age 49,8 years(range 20-68). Patients in Group B were treated with Dapoxetine in association with Psycological counselling and group therapy, mean age 49,2 years. Patients in Group C were treated with psycologycal counselling and group therapy alone, mean age 36,9(range 20-56). In the Group A and B was precribed Dapoxetine 30 mg 1 cps 1h before the intercourse with increase in dose to 60mg in case of ineffectiveness. In group B and C after a first psycological counselling one by one patients entered in group therapy with 20 weekly scheduled meetings. All patients were followed for 20 weeks, with 4 schedueld visit during this period. The PEDT was administred before treatment and one month after the end of the therapy. Data were recorded and analysed trought a multivariated analysis. Results: Out of 270 patients enrolled, 120 (44,4%) were compliant to therapy and weren’t evaluable. GROUP A. Out of 90 patients enrolled 60 were compliant to the study. Mean IELT pre-treatment 79,75 sec (range 15 sec–120 sec) and mean PEDT score 15,95 (severe PE). Mean IELT post-treatment 203 sec and mean PEDT 8,26 (moderate PE). Thirteen patients(21,6%) showed an improvement of clinical with mean PEDT score ≤ 8 and IELT ≥ 2 ( p ≤ 0,001). GROUP B. Out of 90 patients enrolled 60 completed the scheduled therapy. Mean IELT pre-treatment 74,83 sec (range 15 sec–120 sec) and mean PEDT score 16 (sever PE). Mean IELT post-treatment 600 sec and mean PEDT 3,3 (absence PE/ light PE) (p ≤ 0,001). In all patients of Group B was detected a reduction of PE. GROUP C. Out of 90 patients enrolled only 30 patients completed the scheduled therapy. Mean IELT pre-treatment 75 sec (range 15 sec–120 sec) and mean PEDT score 15,7. Mean IELT post-treatment 323 sec and mean PEDT 4,03(absence PE/ light PE). Fifteen patients (50%)showed a reduction of PE.All the results analyzed by multivariate analysis were statically significative. Conclusions: Comparing the result obtained in our three groups: in the Group B (Pharmacotherapy plus Psycotherapy) all patients showed an improvement of IELT and PEDT, while in the group A (only Pharmacotherapy)and C (only Psycotherapy) the percentage of patients that reported an improvement of IELT and PEDT were respectively 21,6% and 50%. Our study demonstrate that the psyclogical counselling have a significative role in the treatment of PE. In particulary in association with the pharmacological therapy the psycological group therapy could increase the IELT and ameliorate QoL of patients affected by primitive PE as showed by the decrease of PEDT score.

This study examines job involvement and work engagement as predictors of affective commitment. Specifically, we test the proposal of Hallberg and Schaufeli (2006) that work engagement is a mediator of the relationship between job involvement and affective commitment using a survey of 405 Italian working adults. To test the model, mediation effects technique and structural equation modelling were applied to the collected data. Our hypothesis that work engagement fully mediates the relationship between job involvement and affective commitment was supported. This is the first study to demonstrate the importance of job involvement in promoting affective commitment via three dimensions of work engagement. We therefore assert that HR managers should direct their available resources to promoting job involvement and work engagement in their employees.

Il Disturbo Borderline di Personalità (DBP) in adolescenza occupa un ruolo centrale (Bradley, Conklin, & Westen, 2005), nonostante l’eterogeneità, la comorbidità e la difficile diagnosticabilità (Heitz et al., 2014). Diversi sono stati i tentativi di creare categorie discrete in grado di identificare profili di funzionamento della personalità sufficientemente omogenei (cfr. Wixom, Ludolph, & Westen, 1993; Blatt & Luyten, 2009). Nel nostro studio ci proponiamo di confermare l’esistenza di profili introiettivi/anaclitici all’interno dello spettro borderline. Sono stati somministrati a due gruppi di soggetti (clinico vs controllo) la Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID II, First et al., 1997), il Depressive Experiences Questionnaire per Adolescenti DEQ-A (Blatt et al., 1992), il Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS, Flett et al., 1991), il Youth Self Report (YSR, Achenbach, 2001). I nostri risultati indicano che nei soggetti borderline-anaclitici il funzionamento di personalità prevalente è polarizzato sul versante Dependency, su una dimensione per lo più internalizzante e su un tipo di perfezionismo socialmente prescritto; nei soggetti borderline-introiettivi il funzionamento della personalità sembra prevalentemente polarizzato sul versante Self-criticism, su una dimensione per lo più esternalizzante e su un tipo di perfezionismo autodiretto. In conclusione, nel nostro studio si conferma l’esistenza di due ampi profili di funzionamento, uno caratterizzato da una maggiore sensibilità ai temi della relazionalità, vissuta in modo più immaturo e primitivo; ed uno caratterizzato da una maggiore sensibilità ai temi della definizione del Sè, vissuta in modo più rigido e colpevolizzante.