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Childbirth is one of the most significant experiences in women’s lives. A bad experience could lead to psychological distress, including severe disease. This experience has a significant impact not only on the mother’s well-being, but also on her first interactions with the baby. The present study thus had two aims: 1) investigate the association between the childbirth experience and parenting stress; and 2) analyze if this relation can be mediated by the woman’s psychological well-being (anxiety and depressive symptoms). One hundred fifty-eight Italian primiparous women, with a single pregnancy, recruited between January 2016 and December 2016, completed three months after delivery the following scales: Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Parenting Stress Index (Short Form). Data were analyzed through path analyses. Results revealed that the birth experience was not directly associated with parenting stress. The final model confirmed that the childbirth experience was related to parenting stress through the full mediation of anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of making mothers’ childbirth experience as positive as possible, considering the crucial impact of this experience not only on their global functioning but also on their first relationships with the baby.

Introduction: Research has progressively focused on antenatal psychological disease of expectant mothers, showing that anxiety and depression as well as fear of childbirth occur frequently during pregnancy. Some studies have investigated the connection between anxiety, depression, and fear of childbirth with contrasting results. Several authors have analyzed the association between psychological disease of pregnant women and medical-obstetric and relational variables, still reporting inconclusive findings. The present study had three aims: 1) to investigate the psychological well-being of pregnant women based on their levels of anxiety, depression, and fear of childbirth, by identifying psychological profiles; (2) to analyze the association between the emergent psychological profiles and some medical-obstetric variables related to pregnancy; and (3) to examine the association between these profiles and couple’s adjustment and social support. Methods: 410 Italian primiparous pregnant women in the 7th-8th month of pregnancy completed a questionnaire packet that included the following scales: Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Results: Findings revealed the presence of three different clusters: “psychologically healthy women” (34.9%), “women experiencing pregnancy- and childbirth-related anxiety” (47.3%), and “psychologically distressed women” (17.8%). These profiles were not related to the medical-obstetric variables. On the other hand, findings revealed a significant association between marital adjustment as well as social support and cluster membership. Discussion: These results support the importance of early and multilevel psychological screening in order to understand the experience of pregnant women and to develop targeted and increasingly personalized interventions.

Objective: Lombardy was the most affected Italian region by COVID-19. To limit the spread of infection, the government issued a national social lockdown. The obstetrical-gynaecological emergencies and essential services were guaranteed to protect pregnant women’s health, and a return to a medicalised childbirth was necessary. This situation could had amplified risk factors on the psychological wellbeing of mothers-to-be. Indeed, the last trimester of pregnancy is a period of increased vulnerability itself.Method: For better support women who experience pregnancy during social lockdown, we explored the impact of COVID-19 on psychic wellbeing of two samples of pregnant women (40 living in Lombardy and 35 in Tuscany).Results: T-test and correlations analyses revealed that women living in the Lombardy had a higher perception of the centrality of COVID-19. Further, women that considered the pandemic as a significant event, experienced a higher perinatal depressive symptom. Those symptoms also arose in women who presented a higher number of intrusion and hyperarousal symptoms and a lower ability to plan.Conclusion: Pregnant women should be closely monitored and supported, especially those who live in high-risk areas, such as Lombardy Region. The target intervention could be focused on improving resilience to reduce depressive symptomatology.

Including a dimensional rather than categorical classification of disorders, section III of the DSM-5 presents a new model for the assessment of personality disorders. Consistently with such model, the APA has generated a paradigm for the assessment of dysfunctional personality traits, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) consisting of 25 personality facets identified in 5 domains (Krueger et al., 2012). The present research findings have been obtained by administering the PID-5 to a sample of 101 patients under the care of an addiction recovery service within a penitentiary in Lombardy. Results are first presented as mean scores for each trait and compared with the normative data of the Italian adaptation of the instrument in order to provide professionals working in the field with clinically relevant information. Following, results of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) aimed at testing the structure proposed by Krueger et al. (2012) on a clinical sample are also presented. Findings confirm the presence of 5 domains, however some differences with regards to the overall number of facets (15 instead of 25) composing each domain have to be acknowledged. More specifically, some maladaptive sub-dimensions (i.e. manipulativeness, separation insecurity, hostility, deceitfulness, callousness, etc.) did not univocally converge on one domain and have therefore been eliminated from the model. Although preliminary, this study provides grounds for reflection on the connections between personality disorders, drug addiction, and crime and shows how the adoption of a multi-faceted perspective might contribute to the development of more focused and effective interventions.

Backgorund: Fear of childbirth is a common feeling among expectant mothers. Although this feeling represents a physiological expression of women’s concerns, it can become a clinical condition that is characterized by several symptoms compromising the woman’s daily activities as well as her coping strategies during labor and delivery. Research has focused on adverse intrapartum and postpartum outcomes of fear of childbirth. As regards intrapartum outcomes, some studies have investigated the association between fear of childbirth and type of delivery, with contrasting results. Objective: The aim of this study was to review the literature on the association between fear of childbirth and emergency cesarean section delivery, specifically considering the issues of women’s parity and fear’s assessment instruments. Method: This systematic narrative review was based on an electronic database search of English-language published studies through December, 2018. Following the search process, 14 studies were included. Results: These studies revealed that both sample characteristics, specifically for parity, and assessment instruments (type and time) are not criteria for explaining the different result with respect to the association between fear and emergency cesarean section delivery. Conclusions: The importance of distinguishing between fear and severe fear was highlighted because the effect of fear on the type of delivery was present only for clinical fear. However, the different cut-off values included in the studies did not make it possible to reach a clear result, making further investigation necessary.

Il presente capitolo intende mettere in luce la centralità del coping diadico a fronte della nascita di un bambino pretermine, circostanza in cui la coppia si trova ad assumere il ruolo genitoriale in un modo e in un tempo “imprevisto”, ovvero quando i processi psichici che caratterizzano la gravidanza non sono stati ancora completati. I partner si trovano, pertanto, da un lato ad affrontare il lutto del “bambino ideale”, dall’altro ad affrontare una serie di contingenze legate alla salute del figlio e ad un’ospedalizzazione spesso prolungata. In tal senso, la capacità di gestire in modo condiviso questo periodo critico può avere effetti importanti sulla qualità della loro relazione, oltre che sul loro benessere individuale.

Parenting stress during first years after the transition to parenthood has been linked to depression, anxiety, and children's well-being. What about the role of partner's level of stress in influencing the level of stress of the other member of the couple? Research on dyadic data is still limited about both adoptive and biological parents. The present longitudinal study was aimed at (a) comparing adoptive and biological couples' dyadic correlations (intraclass correlation coefficients) within 3 months from the child's arrival/birth (T1) and 1 year later (T2) and evaluating if intraclass correlation coefficients were stable or changed over time and (b) measuring interdependence within couples, applying the actor-partner interdependence model. Participants were 36 adoptive and 31 biological couples, all first-time parents, for a total of 134 subjects. Both parents within each couple were asked to fill in a self-report questionnaire. Results evidenced similarities and differences among adoptive and biological parents and a higher interdependence within the adoptive couples.

A couple is considered to be infertile if unable to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. An extended body of literature supports that infertility and infertility treatments contribute to emotional, social, sexual, and relational issues that can have a negative impact on each partner’s well-being and on the couple relationship. Recent findings suggest that a dyadic approach should be used when working with couples coping with these stressors. However, most research to date has focused on the association between infertility and individual’s psychological outcomes, rather than on the experience of infertility-related stress and coping from a relational perspective. Consequently, assuming that infertility is a dyadic stressor and that the ability of the partners to cope with this experience is the result of both individual and relational coping strategies, this study aimed to investigate dyadic coping and marital adjustment among couples at the beginning of an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment. A sample of 167 heterosexual couples (N= 334) undergoing ART treatment at the fertility clinic of a large hospital in Milan from January 2017 to September 2017 was recruited. Each participant completed self-reported questionnaires examining marital adjustment (Dyadic Adjustment Scale) and dyadic coping (Dyadic Coping Questionnaire). Demographics and clinical variables were also collected. Data were analysed using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), testing the effect of each partner’s dyadic coping style on their own and their partner’s marital adjustment. Results revealed that both women and partners’ scores on positive dyadic coping styles (common, emotion-focused, problem-focused, and delegated dyadic coping) contributed to higher marital adjustment. This result suggests that couples unable to engage in these type of reciprocal supportive behaviors and those unsatisfied with their coping efforts may be more vulnerable while und

The transition to parenthood represents a critical event for the couple, which can lead to distress and reduced marital satisfaction. The ability of the parents-to-be to adjust to this modification of their roles and identity is influenced by dyadic coping strategies. This study examined the effects of dyadic coping on marital adjustment in a sample of primiparous couples. Seventy-eight women and partners completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Dyadic Coping Inventory. Data were analyzed using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model. Results revealed the both women and partners’ scores on dyadic coping behaviors contribute to higher marital adjustment, suggesting that risks for marital dissatisfaction may exist for those couples not able to implement adaptive dyadic coping strategies, or for those unsatisfied with the current coping behaviors. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

Infertility is a problem that affects many couples nowadays, representing a stressful, painful, and potentially traumatic experience. After receiving a diagnosis of infertility, many couples decide to undergo medically assisted reproduction procedures in order to have a child. Both the infertility diagnosis and the subsequent recourse to such procedures represent a source of stress not only for each partner, but also for the couple as such. Different studies have investigated the role of some variables in modulating the impact of this stress and its effects on individual and relational well-being. The purpose of the present contribution is to explore, in a sample of couples undergoing medically assisted reproduction technologies, the representation that the individual partners have of the quality of the couple relation in light of several variables: (1) socio-demographic, i.e., the partners’ age and the duration of the couple relation; (2) medical, such as the cause of infertility and a possible prior history of unsuccessful attempts to conceive; (3) intrapsychic, i.e., the “romantic attachment” style of each partner. The following instruments were administered to 167 couples at the start of a course of medically assisted reproductive treatments: Dyadic Adjustment Scale; Experience in Close Relationship Questionnaire; a form to collect socio-demographic data and medical information. The results indicate that neither the socio-demographic variables (partners’ age and relationship duration), nor the medical variables (diagnosis, number of attempts and treatment typology) seem to have any effect on couple satisfaction, in both the samples of the women and of the men. In contrast, a significant effect on couple adjustment emerges for abandonment anxiety and avoidance in the women while only an effect for avoidance on couple adjustment emerges in the men. These results reveal gender differences connected to the specific modalities of living through and coping with the ex

The general purpose of this work is to explore how individual and relational variables can affect the well-being and the body perception of women with breast cancer, differentiating psychological patterns of cognitive, emotional and relational processes. This exploratory study investigates individual (body image, anxiety, depression, personality, coping, resilience) and relational (dyadic coping and emotional closeness to the partner) variables of 30 subjects (15 patients and 15 partners). The analysis show two different profiles: low levels of altered body perception correspond to a general overall well-being and a better couple behaviour; otherwise anxiety, depression and worst dyadic relationship are associated with deteriorated body perception. The findings suggest the importance of relational components on the overall weel-being of women with Breast cancer and their partners and support the idea of a dyadically oriented perspective in studying breast cancer patients.

This article follows a previous study that has been published in Narrare i Gruppi and that described an intervention using photographic techniques within treatment programs addressed to inmates. The aim of the treatment was promoting inmates' re-socialization and re-education. Photography and other creative media have been reported to promote emotional intelligence (EI) and reduce recidivism among inmates. We hypothesized that the use of photography may increase the inmates' EI and promote their well-being. This study reports on the efficacy of a 10-session phototherapeutic intervention (called Talking Pictures Group Intervention) with two different categories of inmates (minimum custody and protective custody inmates) in terms of enhancing EI skills, reducing depression, and increasing the ability to cope with trauma. Results show an increase in EI in the minimum custody group while depression symptoms are found to increase in the protective custody group, possibly as a result of a greater awareness of their condition. The ability to cope with trauma remains unvaried before and after the intervention.

Fear of childbirth is a feeling experienced by as much as 25% of future mothers. It can be distinguished by its degree of perceived and actual intensity in facing labor. A mild or moderate fear is adaptive, while intense fear has the potential to develop into a full disorder, interfering with the woman's daily life and with her capacity to face labor. Numerous studies have investigated the construct of fear of childbirth, but have not yet reached a unanimous consensus on its definition, especially as it relates to anxiety and depression. The present research explores the existence of different “women’s 'profiles” based on the intensity of fear of childbirth and the presence of anxious or depressive symptoms during the pregnancy. 198 first-time mothers between the 7th and 8th month of pregnancy completed the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The results indicated the presence of three distinct clusters. The first cluster, that we call well-being, is composed of women with average scores lower than the threshold values on all three measures. The second, pregnancy anxiety, groups women with a mean state-anxiety score above the cut-off. To the third cluster, anxiety-depressive symptoms, belongs mothers-to-be who have high average scores on all scales. The existence of distinct pregnancy profiles suggests that childbirth can assume specific meanings within each pattern and that it is possible to identify different "fears" of childbirth.

The present study examines the transition to parenthood focusing on the individual and the couple experience. We examined dyadic coping styles within a sample of Italian primiparous couples during the late stage of pregnancy in order to understand the relationship between dyadic coping and individual (depression) and interpersonal outcomes (i.e., couples’ adjustment). Given the interdependence that characterizes relationship processes (i.e., the transition to parenthood), we adopted a dyadic data analysis approach, as we were particularly interested in exploring some inter-partner influences. In other words, we examined whether self-reported dyadic coping styles impact the individual and the partner’s psychological and relational well-being.

Objective: In the 1st year of the post-partum period, parenting stress, mental health, and dyadic adjustment are important for the wellbeing of both parents and the child. However, there are few studies that analyze the relationship among these three dimensions. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between parenting stress, mental health (depressive and anxiety symptoms), and dyadic adjustment among first-time parents. Method: We studied 268 parents (134 couples) of healthy babies. At 12 months post-partum, both parents filled out, in a counterbalanced order, the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the potential mediating effects of mental health on the relationship between parenting stress and dyadic adjustment. Results: Results showed the full mediation effect of mental health between parenting stress and dyadic adjustment. A multi-group analysis further found that the paths did not differ across mothers and fathers. Discussion: The results suggest that mental health is an important dimension that mediates the relationship between parenting stress and dyadic adjustment in the transition to parenthood.

The aim of this work is to better understand the motivation that distinguish kidney transplantation from living donors because there is a lack in literature regarding this topic and previous researches show a low level of consciousness regarding the motivations to donate and to receive a kidney. The research technic used is focus group, the ideal technic to explore a specific set of unknown issues, such as motivation for kidney transplantation from living. We conducted 2 different group discussions: one with donors and one with recipients, comprising 12 participants. The sessions were conducted by the authors. Each discussion (lasted approximately 2 hours) was video-recorded and then transcribed. The analysis were conducted with T-Lab. The results highlight like previous recipients and donors view and have experienced living donation: they consider absolutely normal to donate and to receive, but this normality depends on the specific kind of relationship between the people involved. In this sense the motivation is strictly connected with the bond between donor and recipient.