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Perceived parenting is a crucial and complex factor for the psychological well-being of adolescents. The Adolescent Family Process Short-Form (AFP-SF) investigates the perception of adolescents' maternal and paternal parenting across six dimensions: closeness, support, communication, monitoring, peer approval, and conflict. This was the first study to evaluate the psychometric properties of the AFP-SF in 378 Italian adolescents (41.30% boys). The data fit the originally conceptualized models well. Reliability was acceptable and the measurement invariance across sex was established. The results showed that adolescents perceived more monitoring by mothers than fathers. Sex differences in maternal parenting were also found, with girls showing more monitoring and communication than boys. AFP-SF subscales correlated positively with subjective well-being except for conflict, which showed a negative correlation. These findings suggest that AFP-SF is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of perceived parenting among Italian adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of studies have suggested close associations between maternal postpartum mental health (depressive and anxious symptoms), mother-infant bonding, and parenting stress. However, the relationship between maternal bonding and parenting stresshas hardly been explored in published literature. This cross-sectional study explored whether maternal bonding could mediate the effect of postpartum maternal mental health on parenting stress. This study assessed maternal bonding (MPAS), depressive and anxious symptoms (EPDS; STAI), and parenting stress (PSI) at 3 months postpartum in a community sample of 105 women (M (SD) = 32.60 (4.18) years old). Spearman's correlation analyses showed moderate to high correlations between these factors. The three mediation models run showed that mother's MPAS partially mitigates the effects of EPDS (b = 0.71; SE = 0.217; 95% CI = 0.290/1.136) and STAI State (b = 0.39; SE = 0.113; 95% CI = 0.178/0.625) on PSI, and totally mediated the relationship between STAI Trait and PSI (b = 0.59; SE = 0.155; 95% CI = 0.303/0.912). Maternal bonding resulted to be a relevant factor in the association between maternal mental health and parenting stress. This highlights the importance of interventions focusing on mother-infant relationship to reduce parenting stress and prevent developmental difficulties in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empathy is important for interpersonal communication, social emotion, and social cognitive abilities throughout the lifespan. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Empathy Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (EmQue-CA) in a sample of 472 Italian children and early adolescents aged 8–13 years. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor model with one item deleted from the original version. The reliability was acceptable. Measurement invariance was established across gender, age and time. Significant differences by gender and age groups were found. Moreover, empathy was positively correlated with prosocial behaviours and negatively correlated with internalizing and externalizing problems. These findings suggest that the EmQue-CA is a reliable and valid instrument among Italian children and early adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some people diagnosed with schizophrenia show an alteration of the sense of self. From a psychodynamic perspective, it has been hypothesized they have disorders of the integration of self/other identification/differentiation processes. From a neuroscientific view some with this diagnosis present dysfunctions in neural correlates of representation of self from other (the implicit sensorimotor-based bodily self), and self united with other. In "Sense of self and psychosis, part 1" we discussed scientific literature offering empirical evidence for the psychodynamic clinical observations that patients with diagnoses of psychoses didn't receive adequate early infancy parental care and sufficient affective-sensorial/tactile interactions. Introducing parental care/cutaneous interactions seemed relevant in the analytic treatment of psychoses, as the pioneers of the psychoanalytic approach to psychosis suggested. From this theoretical basis we developed amniotic therapy, which reproduces the affective-tactile interactions of early infancy, insufficient in cases of psychosis, and aims at integrating the processes of differentiation and identification. We present a single case study of an experimental intervention plan including amniotic therapy. Results showed increases in interoception and global functioning, with significant decreases in positive symptoms suggesting that amniotic therapy contributes to increasing the protective strength of self-boundaries and integration of identification/differentiation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We will describe in two articles ("Sense of self and psychosis", 1 and 2) the theoretical basis and the methodology of a new therapeutic group approach called amniotic therapy, which aims to improve the sense of self of psychotic patients. In this first article we explore the role of the surface of the body and its early sensorimotor interactions in the processes of self/other identification and differentiation. We propose that these processes have common origins, the body surface and its interactions, but different destinies, depending on where the body's surface is projected. When it is projected intrapsychically we have differentiation, and when it is projected externally onto the body's surface of the other, we have identification. Identification is a reciprocal process, in which the self's and the other's surfaces mutually contain each other and co-create a shared field. The neural correlates of identification and differentiation are discussed. The second article, which follows, describes amniotic therapy and explores a single case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some people diagnosed with "schizophrenia" showed a fundamental alteration of the sense of self. From a psychodynamic perspective, it has been hypothesized that patients diagnosed as schizophrenic have disorders of the embodied self and its boundaries. Phenomenologically, it has been observed a self-disorder, at an implicit and pre-reflective level of bodily awareness. Neuroscientific evidence seems to confirm the aforementioned aspects. The mean levels of Interoceptive Accuracy (IA), which is an objective empirical measure of interoception, namely a measure of basic awareness distinct from subjective measures, are significantly lower in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia than among healthy controls. Affiliative touch is crucial for constructing a basic sense of self and its boundaries, and it affects interoception. In order to reduce the disturbance of the sense of self, Angelo participated for three years in an experimental intervention plan including Amniotic Therapy (AT) and individual psychodynamic psychotherapy. AT is a group-therapy based on sensory-motor interactions, especially affiliative touch, similar to those involved in "holding". Results showed an increase in the Angelo's IA and global functioning, as well as a significant decrease in positive symptoms. In Angelo, AT seems to strengthen a basic sense of self, reducing self-disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety is one of the most widespread disorders in childhood. Researchers claim the need for a tool useful to assess the core constructs common to multiple anxiety disorders, to catch the generalized propensity to be anxious and to assess anxiety stability across the lifespan. The Trait Anxiety Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC-T) seems to fill these gaps. The present study examined STAIC-T validity in a sample of 1324 Italian children aged 8–13 years old. Scalar invariance across gender was established. Internal consistency was good. Results reported higher levels of anxiety in girls, whereas no gender differences were found. The measure demonstrated good convergent validity with the Spence Children Anxiety Scale. Findings support the validity of the STAIC-T as a brief and concise diagnostic tool to assess the anxiety proneness in Italian children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We compared each individual group member’s attachment fit with the attachment of the other group members. Participants were 201 members of 20 therapy groups who sought treatment because they were overweight or obese. Group members completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire before commencing treatment and the Group Questionnaire at three points during group treatment. Multilevel polynomial regression followed by response surface analysis was used to examine how the attachment anxiety and avoidance of the individual group member and the aggregated attachment anxiety and avoidance of the group members were related to individual group members’ perceptions of the positive bonding, positive working relationships, and negative relationships in the group. The findings suggested that attachment heterogeneity in group is related to the perception of members’ stronger bonding relationships and lower negative relationships. In addition, positive bonding can be increased when a patient high in attachment avoidance is added to a group whose patients are low in attachment avoidance; however, group members reported weaker negative relationships when their attachment anxiety or avoidance became increasingly higher or lower than other group members’ attachment anxiety or avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background:Amniotic therapy (AT) is a sensory integration group-therapy for psychotic patients. Therapeutic interactions are non-verbal and similar to mother–foetus interactions in amniotic fluid. AT aims to define internal and external self-boundaries through the integration of separate self and symbiotic self. Aims:The aim of this paper is to present the first data regarding an empirical investigation on AT conducted with a group of long-term psychotic patients and their co-therapists. Patients were treated intensively through AT sessions for one year. Results:Outcome clinical data show an improvement in the interpersonal social functioning of the patients as measured by the quality of life and by the clinical judgment of a psychiatrist external to the research project. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective. Following recent literature which stresses the importance of broadening the conceptualization of mental functioning in youth, this paper aims to investigate structural relations between indicators of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and psychological resources in non-referred Italian adolescents, as captured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman 2001), the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS; Spence 1998) and the Children Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs 1992). Methods. A hierarchical model which considers both the interplays and overlaps between these instruments is tested by means of Confirmatory Factor Analysis, in order to explore the possibility to use the three tools within a meaningful screening battery. First, validity and reliability of SDQ, SCAS, and CDI is successfully controlled thanks to three appropriate preliminary studies, an evidence not already acquired in the Italian context for the adolescent population. Then, the focal study devises and tests a model that merges indicators of the SDQ, SCAS, and CDI scales into four correlated factors, that is, Psychological Resources, Externalized behavior problems, Internalized Fear and Internalized Anxious Misery. Conclusions. Overall, findings corroborate the combined use of SDQ, SCAS, and CDI as a screening battery for the assessment of mental functioning in youth adopting a dimensional rather than a categorical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at validating a Chinese questionnaire on self-consciousness for Italian adolescents. Self-consciousness is a hierarchical construct of self which comprehends self-evaluation, self-experience and self-monitoring. 1138 Italian adolescents filled in the Adolescent Self-Consciousness questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis with cross-validation procedure was adopted to strengthen the findings. Results confirmed the second-order factor structure proposed by the authors showed good psychometric properties and discrete criteria validity, suggesting that the ASC could be a reliable and suitable measure to assess self-consciousness in Italian youths. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Attachment patterns and personality dimensions have always been considered important to the development and adaptation of the individual. The first aim of this article was to address some basic questions about the place of attachment in a multimethod assessment when compiling a complete picture of the patient's personality functioning. The second aim was to present the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP; George & West, 2001) as a valid and productive assessment measure. Based on a single case study of an anorexic young woman, the article demonstrates how the AAP is integrated with the Rorschach Comprehensive System (Exner, 1991, 1993) and other assessment tools in both the assessment and in developing a treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project provides information on how nonpatient children perform on the Rorschach test, administered and scored following Exner's guidelines (1995). Lis, Parolin, Zennaro, and Mazzeschi (2001) previously reported initial data for 70 nonpatient children living in Italy who were administered this instrument by graduate and postgraduate students in a 2-year research course at the Psychotherapy School of the University of Padua between July 1998 and February 2001. The current study is an extension of that work and includes information on an additional 153 participants gathered between November 2002 and December 2006. The total number of participants includes 223 individuals, 75 5–7-year-old children in the first level of elementary school, and 148 8–11-year-old children in the second level of elementary school. Exclusion criteria are described, and interrater reliability statistics at the response level for scoring segments are reported using percent agreement and iota. Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS) findings are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]