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Invasive fungal pathogens and pests of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) forests drastically reduce their productivity. The recently described Gnomoniopsis castaneae is one of the main agents involved in the epidemic of brown rot of chestnut nuts worldwide. In 2014, during an investigation aimed at evaluating the health status of chestnut forests in Sardinia, a high incidence of necrotic galls induced by the Asian gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) was observed. Several fungal isolates were consistently isolated from necrotic gall tissues. Based on their morphological characters and analyses of both the ITS and EF1-α-coding gene sequences, all isolates were identified as Gnomoniopsis castaneae.

Quercus suber is an evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean basin with a great economic and ecological value. In Italy, 87% of the total cork oak forests is located in Sardinia with nearly 85.000 ha. Since 2011, during a large scale survey on the occurrence of Phytophthora species in Sardinian forest ecosystems, three cork oak stands have been investigated. Rhizosphere soil samples were collected from ten declining cork oak trees and baited using oak leaflets. Necrotic leaves were then planted onto a Phytophthora selective medium and pure cultures grown on carrot agar. Based on morphology and growth rate, isolates were identified as Phytophthora cinnamomi and Phytophthora gonapodyides. Identity was confirmed by sequencing of ITS rDNA regions. One Phytophthora isolate is still under identification since its morphological and molecular properties did not match any formally described species or informally designated taxon. P. cinnamomi was the most frequently isolated species, while P. gonapodyides was isolated at one site and from one cork oak tree. Koch's postulates for P. cinnamomi and P. gonapodyides were met by wound inoculation of freshly cut logs of Q. suber and soil infestation of six-months old Q. suber seedlings. Both Phytophthora species demonstrated to be pathogenic towards Q. suber, with P. cinnamomi being the most aggressive species with both methods used. To our knowledge this is the first report of P. gonapodyides on Q. suber. This pathogen has been recently associated with the decline of Quercus ilex in xeric conditions in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social support is the gratification of basic social needs (affection, belonging, esteem or approval, security, identity) through interaction with others. Social support at school allows students to perceive themselves as competent during learning and to enjoy school in general. Little is known about social support at school for students with sensory disabilities. This review aims to synthesize findings from studies examining social support at school for students with hearing and visual impairments. A search of computerized databases was supplemented by a manual search of the bibliographies of the main publications. The synthesis of the literature suggests that all students need adequate support devices in class and properly trained support teachers. However, visually impaired students are more likely to have access to resources compared to those with hearing impairments. Students with visual impairments attending regular schools are more positive about the availability of resources than those with hearing impairments attending special schools. Overall, senior secondary school students indicate higher resource availability than junior secondary school ones. Still, very few studies have investigated social support for students with sensory disabilities. Thus, further research is needed to confirm these results.

The mean age at childbirth in Europe has gradually increased, and it is now around 29 years of age. It has been shown that older maternal age is associated with problems of fertility; in fact, with increasing age, the chance of conceiving diminishes, and fetal and obstetric complications grow. Research has focused particularly on the biological risks associated with late pregnancy, both for the child and the woman. Less space has been dedicated to the potential psychological and relational benefits of motherhood at an advanced age. The aim of this review was to summarize the existing literature on this issue. Qualitative and quantitative studies were sourced from Pubmed, Science Direct, PsycINFO, and SciELO. The selected works highlight that advanced maternal age can be associated with some advantages for both mothers and their offspring in terms of physical healthcare, parenting styles, and child developmental outcomes. Specifically, the review suggests that older mothers have greater emotional maturity and feel more prepared for motherhood; also, advanced maternal age appears to exert a protective influence on children's behavioral, social, and emotional functioning, compensating for the biological risks.

Background: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the prevalence of feeding and eating disorder (FED) symptoms or dysfunctional eating behaviours (DEB) in the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak., Method: We searched eligible articles in biomedical databases from 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2022. Prevalence rates of FED or DEB changes between pre-pandemic and pandemic time and correlation with psychological distress were pooled with a meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was tested using I-squared ( I 2 ) statistics. A total of 186 studies with 406,076 participants met the inclusion criteria., Results: The more prevalent FED or DEB during the COVID-19 outbreak were: body image concerns (52%, 95% CI 0.38, 0.66), binge eating (40%, 95% CI 0.25, 0.55), and overeating (40%, 95% CI = 0.32-0.48). Pooled data of longitudinal studies (k = 8) only showed a significant difference in the prevalence of weight gain from pre-pandemic to the pandemic time. Finally, increased levels of psychological distress (k = 35) positively correlated with some ED symptoms., Conclusion: This meta-analysis evidenced a negative impact of the pandemic on eating symptoms and DEB in the general population.

Background: The first year of university represents a challenging period that requires students to make significant investments in adaptive resources to face the new academic environment. The present study intends to contribute to the controversial discussion of gender differences in academic motivation, coping strategies, and academic burnout. This cross-sectional study examined above-mentioned constructs among first-year university students in a cross-cultural context., Methods: The sample consisted of 637 Italian and 496 Russian first-year university students (n = 1133), 40.3% of whom were females. The participants' ages ranged from 17 to 23 years, with a mean age of 18.75 years ( SD  = 1.07). To assess academic motivation, coping strategies, and academic burnout, participants responded to the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) application., Results: The findings reveal gender and country differences in academic motivation, emotion and avoidance oriented coping strategies, and emotional exhaustion and expands previous studies in this educational area., Conclusion: Given the technical nature of the research topic, the target audience for our study is academic career guidance practitioners, who can apply the findings to the design of effective programmes aimed at improving positive academic goals and reducing the tendency to switch academic courses or abandon the university among first-year students., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Surgery for benign gynecologic conditions may lead to infertility complications. In a cross-sectional study we investigated depressive and anxiety symptoms, Quality of Life (QoL), and coping strategies in women with benign gynecologic conditions undergoing surgical treatment (G1, N = 45) compared with women that did not need surgery (G2, N = 43), through the Patient's Health Questionnaire, the Short Form Health Survey-12 items, the Self-Rating Anxiety State, and the Brief COPE. Statistical analyses showed that women in G1 had significant higher depressive ( p =.04) and anxiety ( p =.03) symptoms, and lower QoL ( p =.01), than did those in G2. Moreover, women with more depressive or anxiety symptoms in both groups were more likely to present maladaptive coping modalities. A careful evaluation of the mental health of women undergoing gynecological surgery at risk of infertility should be included in the care for benign gynecologic conditions, in order to prevent psychosocial distress and alleviate the burden on QoL.

Background: Many studies have shown the influence of maternal perinatal depression on a child's emotional and behavioral regulation ability; yet there is scarce research on the impact of the father's perinatal depression on the caregiver-infant relationship and the child's development., Methods: Through a longitudinal study, we investigated maternal and paternal depression and its association with infants' emotionality and mother-infant feeding interactions The sample was constituted of 136 first-time parents (68 couples, and their full-term babies at 3 and 6 months old). At T1 (28th week of pregnancy), T2 (three months old), and T3 (at six months age) parents responded to the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale. At Times 2 and 3, mothers and fathers completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire, and recorded mother-infant interactions were coded by means of the Feeding Scale., Results: Statistical analyses indicated stability of maternal and paternal depression over time. Correlations emerged between mother's higher depression scores, negative affective state during interactions at three months age, infant food refusal and mother-infant interactional conflict at six months age. Paternal higher depressive scores were associated with the mother-child interactional conflict. To finish, higher parental depression scores were related with infant negative emotionality., Conclusion: The current study confirms the relevance of embracing a cumulative risk model to support the child's development with early caregiver-child interventions.

The quality of the early parent-infant relationship is crucial for the child's optimal development, and parental sensitivity plays a key role in early interactions. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of maternal perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms on dyadic sensitivity at three months post-partum, also considering a large set of maternal and infant variables. At the third trimester of pregnancy (T1) and at three months postpartum (T2), 43 primiparous women filled in a set of questionnaires evaluating symptoms of depression (CES-D) or anxiety (STAI), the woman's parental bonding experiences (PBI), alexithymia (TAS-20), maternal attachment to the baby (PAI, MPAS) and the perceived social support (MSPSS). At T2 mothers also completed a questionnaire on infant temperament and took part in the CARE-Index videotaped procedure. Dyadic sensitivity was predicted by higher maternal trait anxiety scores in pregnancy. In addition, the mother's experience of being cared for by her father in childhood was predictive of her infant's lower compulsivity, while paternal overprotection predicted higher unresponsiveness. The results highlight the influence of perinatal maternal psychological well-being and maternal childhood experiences on the quality of the dyadic relationship. The results may be useful to foster mother-child adjustment during the perinatal period.

Introduction: The paper investigates the impact of the use of metaphors in reasoning tasks concerning vaccination, especially for defeasible reasoning cases. We assumed that both metaphor and defeasible reasoning can be relevant to let people understand vaccination as an important collective health phenomenon, by anticipating possible defeating conditions., Methods: We hypothesized that extended metaphor could improve both the argumentative and the communicative effects of the message. We designed an empirical study to test our main hypotheses: participants ( N = 196, 78% females; Meanage = 27.97 years, SDage = 10.40) were presented with a text about vaccination, described in either literal or metaphorical terms, based on uncertain vs. safe reasoning scenarios., Results: The results of the study confirmed that defeasible reasoning is relevant for the communicative impact of a text and that an extended metaphor enhances the overall communicative effects of the message, in terms of understandability, persuasion, perceived safety, and feeling of control over the health situation, collective trust in expertise and uptake of experts' advice. However, the results show that this effect is significantly nuanced by the type of defeasible reasoning, especially in the case of participants' trust in expertise and commitment to experts' advice., Conclusion: Both communicative and defeasible reasoning competences are needed to enhance trust in immunization, with possible different outcomes at an individual and collective level., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ervas, Salis, Sechi and Fanari.)

Background: Sexual objectification can assume various forms, from interpersonal to cultural and environmental ones. Previous research has highlighted how working in sexually objectifying environments (SOEs) can lead female workers to experience negative feelings (i.e. anxiety, job dissatisfaction). The study's main aim was to investigate the relationships between sexually objectifying work environments, job satisfaction, anxiety, and affective commitment., Design and Method: In this study, we investigated the role of working in sexually objectifying environments (i.e. bars and pubs) in triggering female workers' (i.e. waitresses) feelings of anxiety and in decreasing their job satisfaction and their affective organizational commitment. Our hypothesis was tested through a mediation model with a sample of ( N  = 546) Italian restaurant/bar waitresses., Results: The results supported a model in which sexually objectifying environments had a direct effect on job satisfaction and both direct and indirect effects on anxiety. Further, sexually objectifying environments indirectly affected affective commitment through both anxiety and job satisfaction., Conclusion: Working in a perceived sexually objectified environment can raise waitresses' feelings of anxiety and job satisfaction. These feelings, in turn, negatively affect workers' affective commitment toward their workplace. The limitations and implications of this study were discussed. The main implication concerns the need to implement people's awareness of the existence of SOEs and the harmful effects they may have on women., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Introduction: In the literature, no integrated definition of sexual harassment (SH) occurs but there is clear unanimity about SH being offensive, humiliating, and intimidating behavior. Within academic settings, SH has severe negative effects on students' physical or emotional wellbeing as well as on their ability to succeed academically., Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sex, gender roles, and the ways to manage SH (assertive and nonassertive reactions) in university students. It was hypothesized that female students would report more nonassertive reactions compared to male students. In addition, following the Bem theory on gender roles and using the self-report tool by the same author, it is hypothesized that female and male students, who are classified as feminine, will report more nonassertive responses, whereas male and female students, who are classified as masculine, will report more assertive responses. Our hypothesis was tested with a sample of 1,415 university students (593 men, 41.9%, and 822 women, 58.1%) who completed a questionnaire approved by the local ethical review board for research from the end of January 2019 to the first half of February 2019., Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, results showed that women react more than men in both assertive and nonassertive modalities. In addition, our results confirmed the main effect of both sex and gender roles on students' assertive and nonassertive reactions to SH in academia., Conclusion: Educational programs about SH may prove useful in preventing its occurrence. Gender equality plans in academia can improve a nonsexist and safe environment for students. It is urgent to improve transparency and accountability of policies on the management of SH: academic institutions need to formulate a procedure to facilitate SH reporting, considering the sensitive balance of confidentiality and transparency issues. Support for the victims (social services, healthcare, legal representation, and advice concerning career/professional development) must be included., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Cabras, Sechi, Agus, Cois, Casula, Raffo and Mosca.)

This study explores gender and age differences in forgivingness using the crosscultural and stress-and-coping perspective. Polish and Italian versions of the Heartland Forgiveness scale (HFS) were used. The sample consisted of 1957 individuals aged 18-80 (61% females and 39% males). A 3-way between groups ANOVA was used to examine the main effects and interactions of country, age and gender as they relate to total HFS score. Post-hoc analyses were performed where appropriate. The results revealed that Polish and Italian respondents did not differ in the level of the general tendency to forgive. Gender differences in trait forgiveness were reported in whole sample and in Italian subsample, showing males to be more forgiving than females. Further, our results for all study participants, in Polish subsample and among Italian males showed that older adults were more forgiving than young respondents, which is consistent with the previous findings showing an increase in forgivingness with age., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Background: An insecure attachment style is an important risk factor for psychological problems. The aim of this study was to use Bartholomew and Horowitz's model (Bartholomew and Horowitz in J Pers Soc Psychol 61(2): 226, 2019) to test a sample of Italian individuals to determine the mediation role of loneliness and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms in the relationship between attachment styles and mental health issues in the context of the pandemic., Method: A cross-sectional research study was conducted using a sample of 330 Italian participants (82.1% women; mean age = 34.3 years; SD = 13.16) who completed online self-reported measures of attachment styles (RQ), loneliness (RULS), COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms (C-19ASS) and mental health problems (GHQ-12). Serial mediation analyses were performed, and bootstrap tests were included., Results: Our results supported the hypothesized model with respect to each attachment style (p < 0.001). In particular, insecure attachment styles predict mental health problems both directly and indirectly, through loneliness and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms. In addition, loneliness directly influences mental health problems and also mediates the relationship between insecure attachment styles and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms which, in turn, positively predict mental health problems., Conclusions: Our findings reinforce the importance of attachment in people's processes of adapting to experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. The study makes an important contribution to developing effective prevention and intervention strategies to support people's wellbeing in the context of the pandemic., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The quality of father-infant/toddler interactions has become a focal point in studies of early child development. However, studies targeting early father-infant/toddler interactions may be hampered due to the lack of specific and validated measures; indeed, most of the applied observational instruments were originally designed to evaluate mother-child interactions. In a sample of 142 fathers-infant/toddler dyads, the current study aimed to test the reliability of the Feeding and Play Scales, which were initially created to assess mother-infant/toddler interactions. Also, we compared the father-infant/toddler feeding and play interactions at different developmental stages, from 1 month to 3 years of the child's age, and we evaluated the effect of the child's gender on the father-infant/toddler feeding and play interactions. Both scales showed satisfactory internal consistency, confirming that the measures are reliable in the evaluation of father-infant/toddler feeding and play interactions. Analyses showed significant correlations between the subscales of the Feeding and Play Scales, significant effects of the child's age and significant gender differences. Our research shows that the Feeding and Play Scales are promising instruments to study the role of fathers in the development of normal and disordered feeding in infants and toddlers., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study explores the relationship between the propensity to forgive and self-esteem in Italian (Christian tradition) and Turkish (Islamic tradition) samples. Italian and Turkish versions of the Heartland Forgiveness scale (HFS) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) were used. The sample consisted of 837 university students aged 18-35 (49% women and 51% men). Correlation analysis, for the total sample and for Italian and turkish students separately, and 2-way between groups ANOVA were used to examine the association between self-esteem and forgiveness and main effects and interactions of country and gender as they relate to HFS and RSES scores. Post-hoc analyses were performed where appropriate. The results revealed that self-esteem correlated strongly with self-forgiveness and forgiveness of situations; however, we found no significant relationship between forgiveness of others and self-esteem. Further, Italian and Turkish respondents did not differ in their levels of self-esteem or in their levels of self-forgiveness, but we found that Italian students have a higher propensity to forgive others and situations than Turkish students. Future research will need to explore how other religious traditions are linked to the propensity to forgive, as well as the relationship between self-esteem and propensity to forgive in other countries, including participants of different ages.

Background: This paper aimed to explore the associations between maternal representations of attachment evaluated during pregnancy, pre and postnatal maternal depression, parenting stress and child's attachment at 15 months after childbirth., Methods: Mothers ( n = 71), and their infants participated in a longitudinal study of maternal attachment, pre and postnatal depression, parenting stress and child attachment. Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was conducted between 24 and 26 weeks of pregnancy (Time 1), depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (at Time 1 and 6 months after childbirth, i.e., Time 2), parenting stress was assessed using the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PS-SF) (at Time 2) and the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) at child's 15 months of age (Time 3)., Results: Free-autonomous maternal classification of attachment increases the likelihood of secure child classification in her offspring, while decreases that of avoidance and ambivalence. Insecure maternal representation of attachment evaluated during pregnancy and higher levels of parenting stress at six months after childbirth was associated with higher rates of infant insecure attachment at 15 months., Conclusions: Our study validates the importance of considering maternal representations of attachment crucial in determining the quality of the caregiving environment, thereby the healthy development of children, despite the presence of other contextual risk.

Internet addiction in adolescence is a social issue which is being increasingly discussed worldwide. Hence, deepening the knowledge of its development is necessary to prevent short- and long-term negative outcomes. This study involving 266 adolescents (mean age = 16.1 years, SD = 1.4) aimed at analyzing the relationship between quality of parental care, Internet addiction and adolescents' mental health, by means of the following self-report tools: the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Internet Addiction Test, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The findings, collected through structural equation model analyses, showed that perceived care from both father and mother had significant indirect effects on Internet addiction problems through adolescents' mental health problems. Furthermore, Internet addiction problems were demonstrated to be negatively associated with maternal care but not with paternal care. The study provides empirical support to the need of family-based prevention and intervention programs to take care of Internet addiction.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine: the pooled prevalence of symptomatic behaviours and mental health deterioration amongst individuals with eating disorders (EDs) and obesity during the COVID-19 confinement. Moreover, we examined changes in EDs and distress before and during the confinement, and the association between psychosocial factors and EDs symptoms., Method: A systematic search was carried out in biomedical databases from January 2020 to January 2021. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that used quantitative measures of ED symptoms and psychological distress during and after the COVID-19 confinement were included., Results: A total of 26 studies met inclusion criteria (n = 3399, 85.7% female). The pooled prevalence of symptomatic deterioration in EDs was 65% (95% CI[48,81], k = 10). The pooled prevalence of increased weight in obesity was 52% (95% CI[25,78], k = 4). More than half of the participants experienced depression and anxiety. Moreover, at least 75% of the individuals with EDs reported shape and eating concerns, and increased thinking about exercising. However, the pooled analyses of longitudinal studies showed no significant differences from pre-pandemic levels to the first lockdown phase in Body Mass Index and ED symptoms, whereas only few studies suggested increased distress, particularly among individuals with anorexia nervosa., Conclusions: The majority of individuals with EDs and obesity reported symptomatic worsening during the lockdown. However, further longitudinal studies are needed to identify vulnerable groups, as well as the long-term consequences of COVID-19., (© 2021 The Authors. European Eating Disorders Review published by Eating Disorders Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The present study aimed to investigate whether a mother's anxiety, depression, prenatal perception of childbirth, and experience with delivery, assessed from pregnancy to three months postpartum, were associated with her perception of her infant's negative affectivity (NA). The participant sample was composed of 76 primiparous mothers and their healthy babies (58% boys, 42% girls). During pregnancy, mothers independently filled out the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaires (W-DEQ) version A. One month after giving birth, the mothers filled out the W-DEQ version B. Finally, three months after giving birth, they completed the EPDS, the STAI, and the four Infant Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ-R) scales of NA. Linear regression analyses showed that perinatal FoB, trait anxiety, and depression were associated with a maternal perception of higher infant NA. Studies on perinatal parental health and child outcomes should include assessments of the relation between anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum depression in order to prevent any negative impacts on the temperaments of children.

Internet is essential part of everyday life and certainly facilitate it on several levels. It is a helpful information tool, and knowledge, but its unlimited range often is risky for users. The behaviors and outcomes of internet abuse have already been well-documented in the literature; less is known about the role of personal factors that reinforce internet addiction. Based on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model (I-PACE), the current study investigates the role of trait emotional intelligence and self-esteem, age, and gender in relation to addictive internet behaviors. We conducted an online investigation among respondents. The participants were Italian university students who voluntarily completed the Abuse Internet Addiction scale (UADI) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale. Path analysis results revealed that both trait emotional intelligence and self-esteem had a protective direct effect on addictive internet behaviors. Age negatively affects addictive internet behaviors; younger are more likely to develop addictive internet behaviors than older individuals. Finally, we did not find an effect of gender on addictive internet behaviors. Our results suggest the need to develop prevention plans for addictive internet behaviors and educational programs to increase emotional intelligence and self-esteem components to help younger to improve interpersonal and emotional management skills to better handle their internet use., (© 2020 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Women with fibromyalgia (FM) commonly suffer from depression, pervasive fatigue, and pain. The attachment style has been hypothesized to be an important factor for understanding the experience of these symptoms. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study is aimed at investigating the effect of attachment styles in women with a diagnosis of FM on depressive symptoms and quality of life., Method: Participants were 453 Italian women with a physician's diagnosis of FM with a mean age of 47 years (SD = 10.9). To assess attachment styles, quality of life, and depressive symptoms, women responded, respectively, to the Relationship Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory II., Results: Our results showed that the incidence of depressive symptoms was elevated, with 59% of women reporting moderate to severe symptoms. Also, the statistical analyses showed that both preoccupied and avoidant/dismissing attachments were related with depression symptoms and low perception of QoL., Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that, when evaluating the impact of FM on the QoL of women, it is important to consider the complexity of the variables that are at play. Insecure attachment styles and depressive symptoms seem to increase the likelihood of the psycho-social-somatic malaise in FM women., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Cristina Sechi et al.)

Objective: Trait Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been associated with psychological outcomes in many conditions; however, it has received little attention in the field of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). We explored the relationship between trait EI, mood states, and future orientation in a sample of Italian women victims of IPV., Method: We recruited 409 help-seeking women who were victims of IPV. They completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, Positive Affect-Negative Affect Schedule, Long-Term Personal Direction Scale, and Achievability of Future Goals Scale., Results: The results showed that trait EI was associated with the future orientation of IPV victims both directly and indirectly through the mood states., Conclusions: Our findings suggest potential paths for developing future psychoeducation methodologies designed at improving the quality of life of women IPV victims., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Objective: Most studies investigating the role of parenting behaviors on a child's development are directed to mothers. However, recent analyses show that mothers and fathers have a different influence on a child's functioning, specifically her/his temperament. The present study explored the developmental change of parents' perception of their daughters' and sons' temperament and its association with parental mental health problems., Methods: The sample included 188 parents (94 couples) and their at-term 94 babies (55.3% boys, 44.7% girls). Assessments by self-reports were conducted at 3 (Time 1) and 12 (Time 2) months after the children's birth; at Time 1, mothers and fathers independently answered: the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ-R). At Time 2, EPDS, STAI, and IBQ-R were again administered to mothers and fathers., Results: In general, mothers and fathers would give similar descriptions of their child's temperament throughout the first year of life; however, infant temperament showed developmental changes as well as gender differences. Mother and father anxiety and depression symptoms are associated with the infants' negative affectivity. Also, mothers with high anxiety and depression levels perceive their infants with a minor tendency to approach novelty, to seek environmental stimulation, and to express/experience positive emotions., Conclusion: The results highlight the need to screen for infants' temperament vulnerabilities in the context of maternal and paternal depression in order to protect the child from behavioral, cognitive, and emotional difficulties and to create specific programs aimed at preventing dysfunctional parent-infant relationships., (Copyright © 2020 Sechi, Vismara, Rollè, Prino and Lucarelli.)

Recently, the research on pain-related disability has increasingly paid attention to the psychological and social factors that may influence the biological condition. In the current study, we aimed to explore attachment styles, self-esteem, and quality of life in individuals with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Participants were 371 diagnosed women, with a mean age of 42.7 years (standard deviation = 10.6). The average number of years since diagnosis was 7.4 years (standard deviation = 2.4) years. To assess attachment, quality of life, and self-esteem, women responded, respectively, to the Relationship Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory. Our results showed that secure attachment relationships and high self-esteem represent protective factors for quality of life of women with fibromyalgia, while the contrary emerged for insecure attachments and low self-esteem. The understanding of the psychological components that contribute to fibromyalgia may improve the effectiveness of interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Objective: Our study aimed to investigate the effects of a reflective parenting home visiting program in first time-mothers at risk for depression, anxiety, and parenting stress, from three to 12 months after their child's birth., Study Design: The sample was composed by 77 first-time mothers and their healthy babies (53% boys and 47% girls). Mothers filled out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Parenting Stress Index-SF at 3, 6 and 12 months of the child. Thirty-six mothers were assigned to the experimental group and received the reflective parenting home-visiting program, the other 36 constituted the control group., Results: Analyses showed a significant higher reduction in the level of depression, anxiety and parenting stress among mothers belonging to the experimental group, compared to the control group., Conclusion: Our findings confirm the benefits of reflective parenting home visiting programs and underline the need to constantly evaluate the levels of depression, anxiety and parenting stress throughout the perinatal period to target effective prevention programs to foster early mother-child attachment bond., (© 2020 The Authors.)

The current research aims to study the mediating role of alexithymia on the relationship between attachment to parents and peers and mental health problems in a sample of 242 non-referred adolescents. Participants completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Symptom Check List-90-R. Mediation analysis shows that alexithymia fully mediates the relations between attachment to peers and mental health problems in both adolescent males and females. Findings suggest the importance to identify promptly vulnerabilities and risks in order to create prevention and intervention programs aimed to foster positive attachment experiences and to support emotional regulation.