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Interviews are the privileged tool for carrying out qualitative research and clinical assessments on family relationships. Nevertheless, there are limited examples of interviews in clinical and psychosocial literature that are explicitly aimed at the evaluation of relational-family constructs. This paper presents the essential characteristics of the Clinical Generational Interview (CGI): an original tool for investigating and evaluating family relationships, that aims to combine the complexity of the subject being studied with the systematic and rigorous approach. It was created according to the following criteria: a flexible qualitative approach, the production and relational reading of information, intersubjective measurability and control of the inferential/interpretative process, and clinical use. Although it is organized in a structured and well-defined form and provides a precise system for encoding information, it is not a test, nor an algorithm that can be used in a mechanically diagnostic sense; it is a very versatile psychological tool that can be used in two different areas: the first is related to clinical research on family and couple relationships, the second to relational assessments. The contribution illustrates the path of construction and elaboration of the instrument, considering first of all its theoretical foundations and the constructs derived from them and around which the set of items is organized. The criteria for coding and analyzing the information thus produced and the different possible areas of application are then described. Finally, the theoretical and methodological characteristics of the instrument are also considered in relation to the main interviews in the literature in order to highlight differential particularities.

The Family Life Space (FLS) is a graphic instrument that may aid the relational assessment of families. This interactive instrument involves all members of the family in a joint task, that of collectively making a drawing of their own family system and it allows the gathering of information related to the overall family organization. The FLS was originally conceived by Danuta Mostwin in the early 70s and used as an instrument for clinical intervention. After having been applied to several contexts, the present contribution aims at presenting the key indicators to use the instrument as a tool for assessing family relations. Specifically, the characteristics of the instrument that allow the gathering of relevant information at the individual, relational, and family level will be outlined. For each of these levels, the data regarding the quantity and quality of the elements in the drawing that define the family space (i.e., the number and graphic quality of the actual elements in the drawing) as well the quantity and quality of the relationships among family members and with their community at large (i.e., the number and type of lines connecting the various elements in the drawing) will be presented. The instrument can therefore provide useful insights on the following constructs: quality of life, power dynamics within the family, feelings of belonging, closeness and/or distance as well as conflict or acknowledgement between family members and the overall attitude family members have toward their context and the critical events they had to face. The application and complete potential of the instrument are further elaborated upon through the presentation of a clinical case. This case not only aids in comprehending the tool's usage but also enables the collection of psychological information about the family and provides a clinical interpretation of family relationships.

The aim of the present investigation is to explore the influence of deafness condition on the identity development of 10 deaf adolescents who use Italian Sign Language as their elective mode of communication. During the administration of 10 semi-structured interviews, the following areas were explored: the telling of oneʼs life story, self-image, fantasies about the future, and perceptions of prejudice about deafness. The content analysis made it possible to define the identity profile of each subject. The participants could then be clustered into three different typological groups according to the way they narrated themselves and imagined their future. The results indicate how the use of sign language as a prevalent or exclusive communicative mode is associated in contrasting terms with identity development: on the one hand, it appears to be a resource, in that it constitutes an enhancement of the deaf condition but, at the same time, represents a limitation to the development of social relationships. Moderating elements of this association appear to be the type of school attended and the presence of other deaf individuals in the family.

Le famiglie migranti spesso presentano condizioni di salute peggiori rispetto a quelle degli autoctoni, a causa delle difficoltà di accesso e di engagement nei servizi sanitari. I bambini provenienti da contesti migratori che presentano un disturbo dello spettro autistico (ASD) sono in genere diagnosticati in età più avanzata rispetto ai bambini autoctoni e quelli i cui genitori non parlano adeguatamente la lingua del Paese ospitante ricevono meno attenzione e meno possibilità di cura. Lo studio mira a identificare gli ostacoli principali che impediscono alle famiglie immigrate con un bambino autistico di accedere ai servizi sanitari. Sono stati intervistati 36 genitori di bambini con ASD, immigrati in Italia da più di 8 anni. Le principali difficoltà rilevate includono la mancata conoscenza della lingua italiana, una limitata alfabetizzazione sanitaria e incomprensioni nell’implementazione di pratiche educative utili al figlio, a causa della diversa tradizione culturale di appartenenza., Migrant families often have worse health conditions due to difficulties in access and engagement in healthcare services. Children from migrant backgrounds with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are typically diagnosed at a later age than non-migrante children, and those whose parents do not adequately speak the language of the host country receive less attention and fewer treatment options. The study aims to identify the main barriers that prevent immigrant families with an autistic child from accessing health services. We interviewed 36 parents of children with ASD who have been living in Italy for more than 8 years. The main difficulties noted include lack of knowledge of the Italian language, limited health literacy, and misunderstandings in the implementation of educational practices that are useful to their child, due to their different cultural backgrounds.

Il Gruppo di Parola per figli di genitori separati è un intervento breve digruppo, preventivo e di supporto pensato per promuovere le risorse e ilbenessere dei singoli partecipanti sia in termini individuali, sia a livellorelazionale e familiare. In letteratura scarsi sono gli studi volti ad analizzarequesto intervento dal punto di vista del processo. Il presente contributo sioccupa di analizzare una fase specifica del percorso, la fase di accoglienzadurante il primo incontro, al fine di identificare alcune trasversalità negli scambiinterattivi tali da permettere di configurare veri e propri pattern. Sono staticonsiderati tre differenti Gruppi di Parola, condotti nel medesimo contesto(Servizio per le famiglie) e dai medesimi conduttori (bi-conduzione femminile). Il contributo illustra dettagliatamente il sistema di codifica costruito attraverso l’ausilio del software Transana e le analisi confermano la presenza diconfigurazioni interattive trasversali ai tre Gruppi di Parola in esame. In particolare, connota l’intervento uno sguardo che prevede un’alternanza individuo/gruppo (che diventa soggetto della comunicazione con i conduttori).Inoltre, vengono identificati alcuni elementi di ritualità e micro-ritualità checaratterizzano la specifica fase dell’intervento oggetto di analisi.

Pregnancy and motherhood are events that present particular complexity for migrant women. A qualitative study was conducted on young migrant women in Italy regarding psychological well-being during pregnancy and the perinatal period. Eighteen focus groups were organized with mothers from Morocco, Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia. Analysis of the verbalizations revealed 4 main areas of need: the need for family support; coping with acculturation stress; anxiety about their own and their newborns’ health; and the search for life strategies for good child health. The results indicate the need to reduce the negative effect produced by social isolation and lack of family support, particularly through socializing activities with women of the same ethnic group, also aimed at reconciling traditional caregiving and Italian practices. Special attention should also be paid to depressive symptomatology, frequently already present in mothers before childbirth, as an expression of a failure to adapt to the new cultural context.