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Mentalized affectivity, intended as the ability to identify, process, and express emotions through autobiographical memory, is pivotal in psychological change. While university counseling has been shown to improve well-being, most studies focus solely on symptom reduction. Since university students often experience confusion proper of the developmental stage of “emerging adulthood,” evaluating their ability to mentalize could improve our understanding of counseling effectiveness. This study investigates changes in psychological well-being and mentalized affectivity in 114 university students who underwent counseling, compared to 108 students on a waiting list. Both groups were assessed at pre- and post-test, with the clinical group completing counseling between evaluations. A series of 2×2 mixed-design ANCOVAs were conducted, one for each dependent variable. Results showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms and an increase in identifying and processing emotions among students who underwent counseling, unlike the comparison group. Our results suggest that a greater emphasis on how university counseling exerts its effectiveness beyond symptom reduction might be particularly important to tailor interventions to the specific issues of university students. Considering changes in students’ mentalized affectivity represents an innovative aspect of research in this field of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological distress is widespread among university students, with depression being notably more prevalent compared to the general population. University counseling services are crucial for addressing these mental health challenges, and numerous studies have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing psychological distress and improving overall well-being. However, there is limited research on what factors predict the success of university counseling. This study aims to evaluate whether counseling improves well-being, specifically by reducing depressive symptoms, and to explore whether personality traits influence counseling outcomes. Participants included 125 Italian university students (64.8% female, mean age = 22.69; SD = 3.04) who utilized counseling services. They completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-TR (PID-5-TR) at three points: immediately after the intake interview (T0), just before the intervention (T1), and after the fourth session (T2). Linear mixed models were used to analyze changes in depression levels, revealing a significant reduction in depressive symptoms from pre- to post-intervention. Among personality traits, only antagonism showed a significant interaction with time. Additionally, higher detachment scores were associated with higher depression levels. These findings emphasize the need for focused attention on students' emotional issues and suggest that personality traits may influence the effectiveness of counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIntroductionAims and MethodsResultsConclusionResearch on lesbian and gay parent families has mostly focused on parenting quality and child development, yet little attention has been given to the transformations in families of origin’s dynamics following the transition to parenthood.In this qualitative study, we explored the experiences of 35 lesbian parents and 35 gay parents, regarding family-of-origin ruptures following coming out (CO) and the reconciliations that occur with the arrival of children.The study utilized a thematic analysis identifying three core themes: (a) parental rejection at CO, encompassing descriptions of heteronormativity shaping parental prejudices regarding homosexuality; (b) consequences of CO rejection, focused on internalized homophobia, silence in communication with parents, relocations to move away from the parents; and, finally (c) grandparenthood as an opportunity for relational changes, focused on the changes which occurred when lesbian and gay parents’ own parents became grandparents: reconciliations after detachment, reconsiderations of past experiences, and COs done following the arrival of grandchildren.Overall, the findings revealed that the transition to parenthood facilitated the repair of long-standing relational ruptures and the strengthening of bonds with parents’ families of origin. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by people with minoritized sexual identities who come out and years later transition to parenthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study measured the efficacy of the Parent–Child Relationship Scale (P‐CRS) in assessing the relationship between parents and children. The aims of the study were to explore how the scale scores change in relation to age and sex of the children, evaluate its ability to capture relational difficulties, and investigating its usefulness to assess the parent‐child relationship in the context of certain psychopathological conditions. A total of 322 clinicians rated 542 mother–child dyads (92% Italian, 8% other nationality). The clinical group was comprised of 267 children with confirmed clinical conditions. The control group was comprised of 275 children with typical development, rated by clinicians in their private offices after four to five evaluative sessions. Descriptive statistics were captured and ANOVAs and linear regression analyses were performed to investigate in both groups the efficacy of the scale in assessing the parent‐child relationship. Finally, to test P‐CRS accuracy, optimal cutoff scores for each subscale were computed using the ROC method. The findings provide evidence for the P‐CRS ability to capture relational difficulties in both groups, showing its utility as screening tool. Thus, the results support that P‐CRS can be used for exploring how different relationship patterns can occur in different clinical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing amount of literature revealed a link between GD and ASD. Both GD and ASD are complex and heterogeneous conditions characterized by a large variety of presentations. Studies have reported that individuals with GD tend to have higher prevalence rates of autistic traits in comparison to the general population. The purpose of this commentary is to provide, through the description of a clinical case, our reading and a possible interpretation of the correlation of these two conditions in light of the several methodological limitations found in literature. We hypothesize that the traits often classified as autistic could be more accurately related to the distress and discomfort evoked by GD. The autistic traits of individuals with GD as forms of psychological defenses and coping mechanisms aimed at dealing with socio-relational and identity problems are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]