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Expressive writing (EW) can be an effective way to alter maladaptive emotional reactions to stressful life events, although little is known about how pre-adolescents may benefit from it. In this quasi-experimental study, we compared measures of depression, anger, forgiveness, positive and negative affect in pre-adolescents before and after EW in both an experimental group undergoing the EW paradigm and a control group (N=138). No significant effects between control and experimental groups were found for the considered variables, except for positive and negative affect. We suggest potential reasons accounting for these results. Given that the theorised mechanisms involved in the EW paradigm include executive functioning abilities, it is possible that preadolescents may not be able to benefit from it, due to not fully developed executive functioning skills. Our results provide useful information in order to better design future studies and prevention/intervention programmes to be implemented with preadolescents. Resumen La Escritura Expresiva (EE) puede ser una forma efectiva de alterar reacciones emocionales maladaptativas a eventos estresantes de la vida, aunque se sabe poco sobre cómo los pre-adolescentes pueden beneficiarse de ella. En este estudio cuasi-experimental, comparamos medidas de depresión, ira, perdón, afecto positivo y negativo en pre-adolescentes antes y después de EE en un grupo experimental sometido al paradigma de EE y en un grupo de control (N=138). No se encontraron efectos significativos entre los grupos control y experimental para las variables consideradas, excepto para los afectos positivos y negativos. Sugerimos posibles razones para explicar estos resultados. Dado que los mecanismos teóricos implicados en el paradigma de la EE incluyen las capacidades de funcionamiento ejecutivo, es posible que los preadolescentes no puedan beneficiarse de ella, debido a las habilidades de funcionamiento ejecutivo no totalmente desarrolladas. Nuestros resultados proporcionan información útil para un mejor diseño de futuros estudios y programas de prevención / intervención a implementar con preadolescentes.

The 18-item Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory (TRIM-18) is a three-dimensional measure of contextual forgiveness widely used in contexts of psychopathology. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the TRIM-18 in Italian adolescents. In study 1 and 2 we examined the internal validity of the scale using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in a sample of 724 students (females = 67.8%; Mage = 16.26, SD = 5.21), and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), in an independent sample of 802 students (females = 51.1%; mean age = 15.95, SD = 1.49). In study 3 we examined the convergent, discriminant, criterion and construct validity in a sample of 274 students (females = 59.1%; Mage = 14.32, SD = 2.73) with measures of forgiveness, positive and negative affect and psychopathology symptoms. EFA confirmed the three original factors, Avoidance, Revenge, and Benevolence and CFA supported the three-factorial structure of the scale. The average variance extracted values of the three TRIM-18 factors in study three provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The correlations between the TRIM-18 scales and the forgiveness measures ranged from strong to moderate, supporting its convergent validity. Similarly, the correlations with affect, and psychopathology measures in expected directions supported the construct validity of the TRIM-18 scales. Results showed strong composite reliability estimates in each sample for all three factors (>.84). The Italian adaptation of the TRIM-18 demonstrated good psychometric properties supporting its reliability and validity as a measure of three forgiveness facets including Avoidance, Revenge, and Benevolence, that are associated with psychopathology in adolescents.

Mindfulness and forgiveness can contribute to decreased rumination, which in turn has been found to play an important role in sleep problems, such as insomnia and poor sleep quality. The authors explored rumination as a potential explanatory variable underlying the association of mindfulness with insomnia and sleep quality, with a model encompassing different mindfulness facets and controlling for interpersonal dispositional forgiveness. One hundred adults (74% females, Mage = 27.62, SD = 8.11) completed measures of Mindfulness, Forgivingness, Rumination, Sleep Quality, and Insomnia. Nonjudging was the main mindfulness facet contributing to better sleep quality. Rumination completely mediated the associations of nonjudgmental attitude with insomnia and sleep quality, and partially mediated the associations of dispositional forgiveness with the outcomes. These findings suggest that a mindful nonjudgmental attitude toward the self and a forgiving interpersonal disposition may reduce rumination by helping individuals let go of thoughts, mental images, and emotions, thus promoting better sleep.

Objectives Literature indicates that positive feelings towards oneself and others are important assets for well-being. In thisstudy we intended to test the mediational role of self-reassurance, self-hate and self-inadequateness on the relationshipsbetween depression and interpers onal forgiveness, avoidance and revenge, respectively.Methods Participants were 2105 adolescents (N = 979 boys; 1126 girls) ranging from 13 to 20 years. Participants completedself-repor t questionnaires measuring their perceived depressive symptoms (Children’s Depression Inventory), perceivedstate forgivene ss (Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory-18) and perceived Self-Criticism and Self-Reassurance.Results The results showed that the feelings towards oneself mediated the associations of feelings and motivations towardsothers with depression. Specifically, the more participants were benevo lent and forgiving, the more they were self-reassuredand, as a consequence, the less they reported depressive symptomatology. On the contrary, the more they were avoidant orvengeful, the more they criticised and attacked themselves, and, as a consequence, the more they reported depressivesymptomatology.Conclusions Overall, our findings highlight the importance of promoting a self-reassuring attitude towards oneself, both toreduce the negative effects of avoidance and revenge on depression, and to increase the beneficial effects of interpersonalforgiveness. Self-criticism only exacerbates the suffering, whereas a warm and reassuring attitude both towards others andoneself reduces depressive symptomatology.

In this study we examined the gender differences in self-reported forgiving behaviours in a sample of Italian preadolescents (aged 11 to 14Âyears), who were either involved or not involved in religious practises. Were asked 289 Catholic, Italian preadolescent students were asked about their involvement in the religious practises. They also completed measures of forgiveness, avoidance and revenge motivations. The results showed that forgiveness was negatively correlated to avoidance and revenge, as expected, given that these constructs represent two different forms of non-forgiveness. Avoidance and revenge motivations were positively inter-correlated, highlighting how these forms of non-forgiveness are two distinct, but related pathways, leading away from forgiveness. Regarding age, younger participants reported higher degrees of forgiveness than their older counterparts. Lastly, regarding the association between involvement in one’s faith and gender as predictors of forgiving behaviours, only girls actively practising their faith emerged as significantly more forgiving than the other participants.

Forgivingness, or the dispositional tendency to forgive, is an enduring tendency to forgive transgressions across situations and over time. It can be distinguished from state-forgiveness, which refers to the experience of forgiveness in specific situations. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Trait- Forgivingness Scale (TFS) in Italian adolescents. Participants were 921 middle and high school students (58% females), ranging from 12 to 19 years of age (M = 15.9, SD = 2.04). The results of Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) supported the one-factorial structure of the scale, and showed an acceptable measurement invariance across gender and a partial invariance of the scales across age. Correlations supported the scales’ construct and discriminant validity. The correlation between the TFS and other indicators of forgiveness ranged from strong to moderate supporting its convergent validity. The Italian version of the TFS presents good psychometric properties and therefore can be considered a reliable and valid instrument.

Forgiveness has been proven to be an effective way of regulating negative affect and decreasing depression. This study aimed at examining the relationship among constructs particularly relevant to adolescents’ well-being, including forgivingness (dispositional forgiveness) anger, depression and Hedonic Balance (HB). Specifically, using a structural equation modelling approach, the fully mediational role of the different facets of anger in the relationship between forgiveness and depression was tested in 773 adolescents, of which 69% girls. Results showed that forgivingness was positively and negatively related to, respectively, HB and depression, through a general effect of anger, suggesting that more forgiving adolescents had higher HB and lower depression as they reported a lower general tendency to experience anger. Forgivingness was also positively related both to HB and to depression through the mediation of all the facets of Anger. Moreover, only for HB, a specific effect of Anger-control was found, suggesting that more forgiving adolescents had higher HB as they reported higher strategies to control anger in a functional manner. The model invariance was supported across gender. Our results suggest that forgiveness is a significant protective factor against depression for adolescents, helping them to effectively control and manage anger, thus fostering emotional health. An important clinical implication of our study regards the potential of forgiveness as a resource for well-being in therapy: among the various possible protective factors in adolescence, forgiveness has the added advantage that it can be fostered in clinical settings, and working on forgiveness in psychotherapy or in counselling could decrease adolescent depression and improve well-being.

Adolescent victims of bullying often present high levels of maladjustment, such as depression, anxiety, and the inability to manage anger. Both forgiveness and friendship have been found to be moderating agents for the debilitating psychological effects seen in the victims of bullying. Our aim was to explore the roles of forgiveness and friendship in the psychological adjustment of victimised youths. El perdón y la amistad protegen a los adolescentes víctimas de acoso escolar de la inadaptación emocional. Antecedentes: los adolescentes víctimas de acoso escolar presentan a menudo niveles altos de depresión y de ansiedad y problemas en el manejo de la ira. Se ha observado que tanto el perdón como la amistad funcionan como moderadores de los efectos psicológicos del acoso. Nuestro objetivo fue explorar las funciones del perdón y la amistad en la adaptación de jóvenes víctimas de acoso escolar. Método: se han utilizado datos sobre el acoso, el perdón, la amistad, la depresión y la ira de una muestra de 2.015 adolescentes, de entre 13 y 20 años, de centros de educación de Italia centro-meridional. Resultados: se encuentra que el perdón y no tener un amigo afectan a la inadaptación de forma aditiva. Además, los adolescentes con puntuaciones bajas en perdón tienden a deprimirse y enfadarse. Conclusiones: nuestros datos confi rman que tanto el perdón como la amistad funcionan como factores de protección para los adolescentes italianos, aunque no de forma interactiva. Dada la importancia del perdón para el bienestar y puesto que se puede enseñar y potenciar en escuelas y fuera de ellas, conviene incluir el perdón en programas de prevención y tratamiento.