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Objective: Research showed that ovarian cancer poses unique challenges to patients' care experiences and that patients' social networks could affect their care path significantly. The present study aimed to analyse the metaphors that patients used to signify the impact of the illness on their social relationships and the role of relationships in dealing with cancer. Design: Following a qualitative description approach we conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with Australian (14) and Italian (24) women diagnosed at different stages of ovarian cancer. Results: The analysis identified four themes bringing together the meanings expressed by participants' metaphors: Lack of comprehension and communication; Isolation, marginalisation, and self-isolation; Discrepancy between the private and public self; and Social relationships as empowerment resources. Conclusion: The polysemic nature of patients' metaphors captures both the empowering and especially disempowering role of social relationships in dealing with ovarian cancer. Results also show that metaphors are used to make sense of the impact of ovarian cancer on social relationships and to express different strategies for managing patients' networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Parents vary in their gradual adaptation to the demands of caring for an autistic child. Their experiences can be positive, negative, or a combination of both, depending on the severity of the cases and various personal and social factors. Cross-cultural comparisons can aid in understanding how contextual factors, such as the availability of social and health services, and cultural factors, such as family relationships and the distribution of care burden, may influence the caregiving experience. However, there is a limited amount of cross-cultural research on this topic, which is almost exclusively quantitative. Aims and methods: From an ecocultural perspective, our interview-based study aimed to explore the experiences of Australian (15) and Italian (11) parents of autistic children living in their respective countries. Results: The analysis identified three main themes. Life through autism, autism through life: coexisting with an unexpected life partner, Parenting autistic children: reorganization of parents' subjectivity and familiar dynamics, and The unseen side of disability: autism communities between inclusion and segregation. Discussion: Our comparative approach reveals both commonalities and differences between the two groups of participants. The similarities support features previously identified in the literature: the emotional and physical burden on parents and the positive impact on parental identity. The differences relate to the diagnostic process, interactions with health professionals, the impact of autism on family dynamics and parental perspectives, and the role assigned to siblings. Despite facing similar challenges, these differences reveal how Italian and Australian parents articulate different understandings linked to social and cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIntroductionMethodsResultsConclusionsMental health problems seemed to have increased among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. To deepen our understanding of the pandemic’s effects in this population, we conducted qualitative research to investigate any perceived changes in students during the pandemic, differentiating the sample based on the presence or absence of current suicidal ideation (SI).A wide sample of Italian university students (n = 1,214) completed an online questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic, March 2020–June 2021. We conducted a computer-assisted content analysis of an open-ended question about the perceived changes that occurred to them during the pandemic.(1) Four thematic clusters were identified: “The psychological impact of the pandemic,” “New ties and new loneliness,” “An uncertain forethought” and “Discovering the value of relationships.” (2) In subjects characterized by severe SI, the state of confinement at home was related to the most intense emotional states and worries. (3) Students with severe SI were different from the others, in particular using the lemma “panic,” which was the only psychological state specifically associated with this group.Students with current severe SI experienced higher level of psychological distress and suffering compared to the other groups during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Given its profound and transversal impact, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 marked a deep point of division in how people make sense of the world and their lives. The consequences of this event were remarkable, especially for populations already facing vulnerability, exclusion, and discrimination. In Italy, over 3 million people (5.2% of the entire population) have a disability due to health issues or severe limitations that prevent them from performing daily activities. Although the COVID-19 health emergency aggravated and amplified these problems, research and studies investigating the incidence of psychological distress and the role of psychological resources for people with disabilities in the aftermath of the pandemic are still to be implemented. For these reasons, the Department of Psychology conducted a study on behalf of the Italian Government to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social, psychological, and economic wellbeing of Italians with disabilities. Methods: The aim was to assess the consequences of the pandemic on this population, especially the impacts related to the lockdowns and preventive measures, and to evaluate the protective role that could be played by psychological resources such as resilience, future orientation, and career adaptability in a Life Design perspective. With the collaboration of local, regional, and national associations for people with disability, an anonymous, online self-report questionnaire was distributed to 403 persons with disabilities in Italy. Results: Results showed a strong relationship between the levels of psychological resources and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion: In line with studies in international literature regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities, this research highlights the extension of this period's impacts on this population's psychological wellbeing. Moreover, this study amplifies the urgent call for action and research in promoting Life Design psychological resources, given their positive and protective role in preserving and increasing people's wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistently alive but unaware, vegetative state patients are stuck in the transition between life and death – that is, in a liminal hotspot. This condition raises complex ethical and legal dilemmas concerning end‐of‐life action. Drawing on social representations (SRs) and the liminality framework, our research investigated how the vegetative state was constructed within the Italian parliamentary debates discussing end‐of‐life bills (2009–2017). We aimed to understand (1) how political groups represented the vegetative state, (2) how they legitimised different end‐of‐life bills and (3) came to terms with the issue of liminal hotspots. By dialogically analysing three debates (No. of interventions = 98), we identified six themes and discursive aims allowing parliamentarians to differently represent the vegetative state and support different courses of action. In turn, we identified new features of the psycho‐social processes generating SRs: the dialogical tensions between anchoring and de‐anchoring. Results corroborated the idea that de‐paradoxifying liminality relies on group sense‐making and, thus, different political leanings differently addressed the liminality of the vegetative state. We also reveal a novel feature of dealing with liminal hotspots informing the psycho‐social literature that applies when a decision needs to be taken, such as in the case of crafting a law: moving from the paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' perceptions of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can influence the diagnostic rates of the disorder and the management of children in schools. This study investigated the knowledge and perceptions of ADHD in a sample of 589 Italian primary school teachers using a self-report questionnaire that included the ADHD perceptions questionnaire (Norvilitis & Fang, 2005) and the ADHD knowledge scale (Jerome, Gordon, & Hustler, 1994). The results showed that Italian teachers had a moderate level of knowledge, that their perceptions of ADHD were ambivalent, that their teaching experience was not positively correlated with their perceptions and knowledge of ADHD, and that receiving specialized information about ADHD had a limited influence on their perceptions. These findings suggest that perceptions are more than a matter of knowledge and should be addressed with regard to deep cultural values and representations. The educational and psychological implications of these results are discussed; particular attention is given to the importance of understanding the social context of ADHD and taking into consideration the teachers' perceptions of ADHD in the organization of training. Future research should address the role of children's gender in influencing perceptions of ADHD as well as the perceptions of parents and siblings.

This study investigates the sense of community and interethnic relations in two different metropolitan areas that vary in ethnic heterogeneity. The study was conducted in Milan, Italy using a sample of 318 participants living in different city districts that vary in ethnic heterogeneity (low vs. high). The participants completed a questionnaire that assessed their psychological sense of community, blatant and subtle prejudice, host community acculturation strategies, and some measures of contact (quality, quantity, and type). The results indicate that high ethnic heterogeneity is related to a lower sense of community, higher blatant prejudice, and exclusionism. Residents living in lower ethnic heterogeneity neighborhoods reported closer contact opportunities and lower levels of prejudice. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables, and 6 footnotes.)

Children's coming out has a significant impact at the family level, and parents' reactions can affect their children's well-being. Research investigating parents' perspectives is still limited outside the USA and primarily includes parents involved in LGB associations. Our study investigates coming out within families in Italy, a context characterized by heteronormativity and high stigma toward sexual minorities, with parents not involved in LGB associations. The aim was to explore the meanings parents attributed to their child's coming out and look at how it reshaped their relationships with their offspring in light of the theoretical model elaborated by Chrisler (2017) on studies conducted in the US context. Thirteen participants were interviewed (10 mothers, aged 43–63): ten with a gay son, two with a lesbian daughter and one with a bisexual daughter. The thematic analysis identified four themes that can be framed in Chrisler's theoretical model and then extended its field of application to a new socio-cultural context. The discussion highlights some features transversal to the themes that can be better understood if related to specific traits of the Italian family and relational culture, emphasizing the importance of educational and cultural interventions directed at parents who are not yet involved in associative networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer patients are primary users of Internet Health Forums, virtual self‐help communities where they find and share information, preoccupations, and support. Previous literature has mainly focused on analysing the contents and the outcomes of breast cancer forums' participation. In light of the Community of Practice theoretical model, our research investigated the psychosocial processes that build and shape patients' experience and participation in the forum. We conducted 16 semi‐structured email interviews with breast cancer patients recruited within a well‐established online community. Thematic analysis identified five processes—mirroring, monitoring, modelling, belonging, and distancing—that marked three phases of users' experience: initiation, participation, detachment. An interactive dynamic characterised the identified processes: the disease's experience was shaped by and, in turn, it crafted this virtual community. These community processes contributed to participants' empowerment at practical, informative, and emotional levels through the development of a shared repertoire of resources, stories, and ways of dealing with patients' recurring problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to explore the experiences and representations of Italian parents of TGE (Transgender and Gender-Expansive) adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria who, for the first time, attended a gender clinic for psychological consultation. This study presents findings from fifteen parents of TGE adolescents, mostly (93%) trans boys, aged 14–19. The analysis identified four main themes: Gender Dysphoria: Something Impossible to Understand, Resigned Acceptance, Strategies of social acceptance in a complex context and The Limits of Healthcare Services. Results are discussed in the light of a highly transphobic social and cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our research explored the social representations of the 'vegetative state' across different cultural (India, Italy, and the UK) and social milieus (left‐leaning, right‐leaning, and religious/tabloid newspapers). The aim was to discover how public discourse engages liminality between life and death. Qualitative and quantitative text analyses were conducted on news headlines and full‐texts from British (n = 300), Indian (n = 300), and Italian (n = 300) newspapers published between January 1990 and June 2019. Our study shows three results: (a) the vegetative state is a potentially global issue that remains discussed with local timing and characteristics; (b) it is commonly represented in eight frames of different resonance across cultural milieus; (c) the news flows are organised on different dimensions (quality, political, and ideological). Results shed light on how liminality is discursively managed by the interplay of cultural resources and social positionings. In particular, this suggests a hitherto unrecognised function of the objectification process: personification as position‐taking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus can cause serious complications; it has a severe impact on the quality of life and high costs. One of the key strategies to manage diabetes is self-care, a complex multifactorial process influenced by personal, cultural, and systemic factors, that comprises self-care maintenance, self-care monitoring, and self-care management. Few patients perform adequate self-care. To deepen our understanding of patients' experiences of self-care maintenance, self-care monitoring, and self-care management, we conducted the first qualitative study on this topic. This study used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, informed by the Middle-range Theory of Self-care of Chronic Illness, to explore the experience and meaning of self-care maintenance, self-care monitoring, and self-care management in adults with T2DM (n = 10). Three themes were identified: self-care is renouncement, self-care is routine, and self-care is control. A cross-cutting moral pattern connects the three themes. Our findings corroborate the Middle-range Theory of Self-care of Chronic Illness in the field of diabetes self-care and could inform practitioners in understanding the experience of self-care as a complex phenomenon and in developing tailored interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a description of the presence of qualitative research in Italian social and organisational psychology. The first section of the article identifies three major phases of qualitative methods and the factors that, from the 1990s, played a major role in their development: the legitimisation of qualitative research in sociology, the rising of theoretical perspectives expressing a critical stance toward the hegemonic quantitative and experimental approach of the discipline, and the demand for qualitative studies from public and private clients. In the second section, we present a review of the scientific articles published in the last five years. Our analysis shows that the health field stands out as having the greatest number of publications, both for social and organizational psychology; the absolute prevalence of the interview as a data collection method; and that Grounded theory, Discourse analysis, and Conversation analysis are the most cited references for data analysis. We discuss these results in relation to the set of rules that regulates the careers of researchers in Italy (and abroad), and to the only partial acceptance of qualitative research in Italian psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiences of social exclusion, including ostracism and rejection, can last anywhere from a few seconds to many years. Most research focused on short-term social exclusion, whereas virtually no empirical work has investigated the experiences of long-term social exclusion. Williams theorized that prolonged experiences of social exclusion (i.e., ostracism) would cause individuals to pass from the reflexive and reflective stages to the resignation stage characterized by the inability to recover threatened psychological needs and feelings of alienation, unworthiness, helplessness, and depression. Across two studies, we explored this prediction—and, in light of pain overlap theories, considered the possibility that chronic exclusion and chronic pain induce common psychological responses. Study 1 consisted of a quasi-experimental study involving five groups of participants: (1) those with chronic experiences of social exclusion (n = 82), (2) those with chronic physical pain (n = 82), (3) those with chronic hypertension (n = 69), (4) those with chronic kidney disease (n = 60), and (5) a group of healthy people (n = 83). Participants filled out a questionnaire including measures of need threat, negative emotions, and the four key outcomes linked to the resignation stage (i.e., alienation, unworthiness, helplessness, and depression). Although our data showed little evidence to support the psychological overlap between chronic exclusion and chronic physical pain, the results suggested that chronic experiences of social exclusion were associated with higher levels of negative emotions and resignation stage outcomes compared to participants in all the other groups. Furthermore, we found that threatened psychological needs mediated the effect of social exclusion on the resignation stage outcomes. Study 2 tested, but found no support for, the possibility that acute experiences of social exclusion could increase the resignation stage outcomes. Overall, our research indicates that when people are exposed to short-term exclusion, they recover their threatened psychological needs. However, when enduring chronic social exclusion, they do not, and enter the resignation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutual aid groups have become a common form of help in the mental health field. Although self-help groups are associated with a range of health and social benefits, they remain poorly understood in terms of the dynamics of their interactions. Adopting an ethnographic-discursive approach, we conducted a 6-month observation of the meetings of a self-help group of parents with children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to analyze the discursive dynamics of the interactions that characterized the group. Using a set of discursive strategies and practices, the parents promoted a homogeneity of viewpoints and experiences within the group and constructed a shared and consensual narrative to endorse a specific understanding of ADHD. The production of both homogeneity within the group and a shared narrative served to absolve parents of guilt, helped parents to signify their experience within a blaming social context, and preserved their identities as “good parents.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The premature birth of their infant can constitute a sudden interruption of the transition to motherhood that requires a reorganisation of the process. The present study aimed to analyse the experience of the transition to motherhood of preterm infants’ mothers, framing it within Stern’s transition to motherhood theory. Method:A semi-structured interview was administered to 30 mothers during the recovery of the infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The interview explored the experience of mothers related to pregnancy, the infant’s birth and recovery. Results:Thematic Analyses evidenced four interrelated themes: disconnection from the child, perception of maternal inadequacy, loss of parental role and temporal suspension. The themes showed that the mothers’ experience of preterm birth not only concerns the traumatic delivery, but is also embedded in the entire process of becoming a mother within an institutional context. Conclusions:Results were connected to Stern’s theory. Findings revealed difficulties for preterm mothers that could affect the development of the maternal constellation and thus their transition to motherhood. These difficulties may influence the construction of maternal identity, mother’s representation of their child and the bond with their child. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research suggests that ostracism increases susceptibility to indirect forms of social influence (e.g., conformity). Yet, no study to date has explored whether the effects of ostracism extend to the most direct form of social influence—obedience. We investigated whether ostracized individuals would be more likely to obey a direct command to do something effortful in uncomfortable conditions. Participants (N= 62) were randomly assigned to be included or ostracized inCyberball, or assigned to a control condition. They were then approached by the experimenter and commanded to go outside when temperatures were below 30°F and take 39 unique and creative photographs in the cold of winter. Ostracized participants were more likely to obey the experimenter’s command to be creative when taking photographs. No differences in obedience emerged between the inclusion and the control condition. We provided evidence completing the social influence “trifecta”: ostracism increases susceptibility to conformity, compliance, and now, obedience. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common diagnosis given to children. In recent decades, there has been an increase in the diagnosis of ADHD and in methylphenidate use. This research analyses the discursive construction of ADHD in the Italian context, focusing on the positioning of the child. The study addresses the discourses of the key adults who interact with the child, analysing professional, scholarly and parental discourses. Regarding the theoretical and methodological framework, this study integrates a discourse analysis approach with positioning theory. The discourse and psychological framing of 'risk' pervades the structuring of participants' narratives, which position the child as at-risk, and risky, in body and mind. The three groups of participants in this study articulated the notion of risk in different, but overlapping, ways. For mental health professionals, children are likely to develop serious psychiatric conditions; for teachers, children mainly represent a potential threat and danger to other children and the school's social order; for parents, the child is susceptible to becoming an 'out-of-society' individual in the future. The notion of risk operates as a regulatory device, leading from warning (picturing a possible future) to action (preventing this future), and implies the moral obligation to intervene and govern children in the name of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research analyses media discourse on migration in Italy, regarded as a means of reproducing and maintaining a racist interpretation of inter-group relations. The theoretical framework is the Critical Discourse Analysis approach. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed on data consisting of headlines and articles from the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, published between 1992 and 2009. Overall, it emerged that discourse is built according to themes and discursive strategies already identified by similar research based on European media, indicating how this system of representations defines a common sense of cultural belonging and a shared construction of ethnic relations. The rather long time span considered in the study allowed us to focus on how the discourse on migration in Italy might have evolved over time, but also to identify any elements that may have remained unchanged. Key words: Racism; prejudice; migration; mass media; Critical Discourse Analysis; Corriere della Sera; Italy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of discourses involves problems and choices related to the integration of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the formalisation of qualitative analysis, the software used and the identification of the units of analysis. These are issues that can be solved considering the typology of discourses analysed and the topic under examination. We present results of research that examined the integration of two different methods of analysing data using the two computer programmes Alceste and NUD*IST. The corpus examined is made up of articles published in two leading news magazines about 'the Di Bella affair', which exploded in Italy at the end of the 1990s. The affair concerned an anti-tumour therapy introduced as an alternative to chemotherapy by Doctor Di Bella, but rejected by the Ministry of Health. This issue flared up in the mass media and public opinion seemed mainly to side with the Di Bella treatment. Our general hypothesis is that this affair gave rise to a conflict between 'the reified universe' - scientific and governmental institutions - and 'the consensual universe' - laymen, patients and their relatives. An important role was played by the mass media that inflamed the conflict at the same time as representing it. We suggest that this case is understandable only if viewed within the context of the Italian political, cultural and ideological situation. The description of the results stresses the usefulness of integrating the two methods of analysis since what emerges from one method serves to corroborate and clarify that which emerges from the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]