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La pandemia da Covid-19 ha influenzato molti aspetti della vita, inclusa l'esperienza della nascita e la transizione alla maternità. È stata condotta una review narrativa con l'obiettivo di sintetizzare le prime evidenze sull'impatto psicologico della pandemia sul periodo perinatale, facendo luce, inoltre, sui dati emersi su scala nazionale rispetto ai Paesi, europei ed extraeuropei. La selezione degli studi è stata condotta attraverso le banche dati Scopus e Google Scholar. Sono stati inclusi 36 studi pubblicati da marzo a ottobre 2020 e che rispettavano i criteri di in-clusione ed esclusione stabiliti a priori. Aumento di stress, di sintomatologia ansiosa e depressiva sono risultati trasversali a tutti gli studi, concentrati prevalentemente nella fase prenatale. Il supporto di familiari, del partner, l'attaccamento materno sicuro ed una corretta informazione sono emersi come fattori protettivi. La fase perinatale della vita, quindi, si è caratterizzata come una fase di vulnerabilità che ha ricevuto poca attenzione nei suoi risvolti psicologici. È importante che i contesti di cura che ruotano intorno alla nascita tengano conto che situa-zioni di crisi, come quella attuale, possono acuire alcuni aspetti di vulnerabilità delle donne, sia da un punto di vista medico che psicologico, e avere conseguenze sul benessere della coppia madre-bambino.

An early positive mother-child relationship is a central factor in the development of a psychologically balanced personality. The study aims to identify risk and protective factors for the development of a balanced maternal-infant postnatal attachment. We explored the association between maternal-infant attachment and prenatal and postnatal variables potentially implicated in the development of this early bond: maternal-foetal prenatal attachment, social support, memories of parental care, romantic attachment, dyadic adjustment, parity, breastfeeding, planning pregnancy, woman's and infant's age, and difficulty of delivery.123 pregnant women participated in the longitudinal study; they were assessed on the MAAS, PBI, ECR-R, MSPSS (t1: pregnancy), MPAS (t2: 3-months postnatally), DAS , and CES-D (t1, t2).Four significant predictors of maternal-infant postnatal attachment (MPAS) emerged: maternal-foetal prenatal attachment (β = 0.379, p .001), anxiety in the romantic relationships (β=-0.237, p=0.019), prenatal and postnatal dyadic adjustment (t1, β=-0.323, p=0.025 ;t2, β=0.329, p=0.014) in the couple's relationship. These variables explained 20.2% of variance in mother-infant attachment (The study highlights associations of maternal-infant postnatal attachment with prenatal and postnatal relational variables and with other variables related to the woman's reproductive and pregnancy history. Clinical attention to these factors could help protect the well-being of mother and child.

Even if the use of distance learning and E-learning has a long tradition all over the world and both have been used to keep in contact with students and to provide lessons, support and learning materials, there is an open debate on the balance between advantages and disadvantages in the use of distance learning. This debate is even more central in their use to support students with Learning Disabilities (LDs), an overarching group of neurodevelopmental disorders that affect more than 5% of students. The current COVID-19 outbreak caused school closures and the massive use of E-learning all over the world and it put higher attention on the debate of the effects of E-learning. This paper aims to review papers that investigated the positive and negative effects of the use of Distance Learning and E-learning in students with LDs. We conducted a literature review on the relationship between Distance Learning, E-learning and Learning Disabilities, via Scopus, Eric and Google Scholar electronic database, according to Prisma Guidelines. The findings are summarized using a narrative, but systematic, approach. According to the data resulting from the papers, we also discuss issues to be analyzed in future research and in the use of E-learning during the current pandemic of COVID-19.

The estimated number of Substance Users (SU) globally has currently reached a very high number and is still increasing. This aspect necessitates appropriate interventions for prevention and specific treatments. The literature shows that digital treatments can be useful in the context of health services and substance abuse. This systematic review focuses mainly on research on the effectiveness of digital treatments for SU. Data sources included studies found on PsycINFO, PubMed, SCOPUS, and WebOfScience (WOS) database searches. The following keywords were used: TITLE (digital OR computer OR software OR tablet OR app OR videogame OR seriousgame OR virtualreality) AND ABSTRACT((mental AND health) AND (addiction OR dependence OR substance OR drug)). We focused on peer-reviewed articles published from 2010 through 2021 using PRISMA guidelines. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria (i.e., type of intervention, efficacy in terms of misuse of substances and scored outcomes from questionnaire or toxicology tests, study methodology). The studies included investigations of specific digital treatments for SU of various kinds of drugs. The interventions were administered using personal computers, smartphones, or, in a few cases, tablets. Most of the interventions focused on the cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) model and/or on the use strategies, tips, or feedback. A minority provided information or training programs. The current review shows that digital treatments and interventions are effective in reducing the frequency of use, augmenting abstinence, or reducing the gravity of dependence for most of the studies at post-treatment. However, due to the heterogeneity of the variables (i.e., substance type, digital tool used, and treatment administered), there was a reduced generalizability of the results. This review highlights the need to continue the research in this field, and above all, to create effective digital protocols.

The aim of this research was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers, particularly on their self-esteem and self-efficacy, their difficulty in the transition to distance learning, the difficulty of students, and specially of students with learning disabilities (LDs students), as perceived by teachers. 226 teachers were invited to complete an online questionnaire. Our results showed lower self-esteem and lower self-efficacy by the teachers compared with the normative sample. Self-esteem and self-efficacy also decrease in teachers with greater service seniority at work. Teachers perceived a greater difficulty in students than in their own difficulty. The concentration of the school system’s efforts on the massive and, for long periods, exclusive organisation of distance learning risks favouring only cognitive aspects to the detriment of affective dynamics. This aspect could make teaching more complex for teachers and learning poorer for students, impoverishing the complex relational process that forms the basis of the learning process.

Bowen’s multigenerational family theory emphasizes the importance of autonomy and interdependence in individual development and focuses on the role played by the differentiation of self processes on the psychological health at the individual, dyadic, and systemic levels. Starting from these premises, the main objective of our investigation was to explore the differences, in the levels of anxiety and differentiation of self, between a control group ( n = 69) and a sample of adults seeking therapeutic services for anxiety ( n = 47). To better specify our results, in a second step, we also explored which of the differentiation of self dimensions could increase or reduce the likelihood that an individual belonged to the anxiety group or to the control group. We found that lower levels of I-position, and higher levels of emotional cutoff and fusion with others, display higher levels of anxiety-related problems. Moreover, emotional cutoff and fusion with other traits emerged as a predictor of the probability of seeking support for anxiety disorders.

Bowen and colleagues argued through their clinical observations that psychological distress is a result of low levels of differentiation of self. Starting from these premises, the main objective of...

Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-4-tva-10.1177_15248380211050595 for The Relation of Anxiety and Avoidance Dimensions of Attachment to Intimate Partner Violence: A Meta-Analysis About Victims by Cataudella Stefania, Guyonne Rogier, Sara Beomonte Zobel and Patrizia Velotti in Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

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What are the main learning difficulties or advantages encountered by students with learning disabilities (LDs) within e-environments? As a result of the Covid-19 emergency, e-learning is being increasingly used to support students’ learning processes. A number of countries closed their schools altogether, so face-to-face lessons were and have been replaced by distance lessons. A search of current literature via Scopus, Eric and Google Scholar electronic databases was conducted according to Prisma Guidelines. Other sources of literature were also considered, starting from the references in the full text of the articles consulted. We used the following search keywords: “LDs” combined with the “AND/OR” Boolean operator and “e-learning platforms,” “well-being,” “psychological factors,” “emotional distress,” and “self-regulation.” One body of literature highlights the lack of inclusive accessibility standards and a lack of attention to specific tools for addressing LDs, which causes students to develop high levels of stress/anxiety and emotional distress, in addition to low levels of well-being, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Another area of literature looks at how students can develop high levels of self-regulation and emotional awareness, as well as high levels of inclusion. Results are discussed in terms of the promotion of e-learning that focuses on the psychological well-being of students and teachers use of technological tools.

Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-2-tva-10.1177_15248380211050595 for The Relation of Anxiety and Avoidance Dimensions of Attachment to Intimate Partner Violence: A Meta-Analysis About Victims by Cataudella Stefania, Guyonne Rogier, Sara Beomonte Zobel and Patrizia Velotti in Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

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Attachment theory and Bowen’s family system theory are theories focused on the central role of the family bonding in the development of the self and in the promotion of affective and relational regulation. The main objective of our study was to reflect on the dialogue between adult attachment and differentiation of self constructs and to explore if and in which measure romantic attachment styles depend on attachment bonding with parents or from differentiation of self processes. Involving a convenience sample of 350 participants, we administered a research protocol composed of the Differentiation of Self Inventory (Skowron, Schmitt in J Marital Fam Ther 29(2):209–222, 2003), the Experience in Close Relationships–Revised Scale (Fraley et al. in J Personal Soc Psychol 78(2):350–365, 2000) and the Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker et al. in Br J Med Psychol 52(1):1–10, 1979). Data revealed that the most important variables in predicting anxiety are emotional reactivity and low level of paternal care and that the most important variable in predicting avoidance is emotional cutoff. This study supports a possible integration of attachment theory and family systems theory.

Bowen's multigenerational theory provides an account of how the internalization of experiences within the family of origin promotes development of the ability to maintain a distinct self whilst also making intimate connections with others. Differentiated people can maintain their I-position in intimate relationships. They can remain calm in conflictual relationships, resolve relational problems effectively, and reach compromises. Fusion with others, emotional cut-off, and emotional reactivity instead are common reactions to relational stress in undifferentiated people. Emotional reactivity is the tendency to react to stressors with irrational and intense emotional arousal. Fusion with others is an excessive emotional involvement in significant relationships, whilst emotional cut-off is the tendency to manage relationship anxiety through physical and emotional distance. This study is based on Bowen's theory, starting from the assumption that dyadic adjustment can be affected both by a member's differentiation of self (actor effect) and by his or her partner's differentiation of self (partner effect). We used the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to study the relationship between differentiation of self and dyadic adjustment in a convenience sample of 137 heterosexual Italian couples (nonindependent, dyadic data). The couples completed the Differentiation of Self Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Men's dyadic adjustment depended only on their personal I-position, whereas women's dyadic adjustment was affected by their personal I-position and emotional cut-off as well as by their partner's I-position and emotional cut-off. The empirical and clinical implications of the results are discussed.La teoría multigeneracional de Bowen (1978) ofrece una explicación de cómo la internalización de experiencias dentro de la familia de origen promueve el desarrollo de la capacidad para mantener un yo diferenciado y a su vez conectarse de forma íntima con otras personas. Las personas diferenciadas pueden mantener su posición del yo en las relaciones amorosas. Pueden mantener la calma en relaciones conflictivas, resolver problemas relacionales eficazmente y llegar a acuerdos. En cambio, la fusión con los demás, el distanciamiento emocional y la sensibilidad emocional son reacciones comuntes al estrés relacional en las personas indiferenciadas. La sensibilidad emocional es la tendencia a reaccionar a factores desencadentes de estrés con excitación emocional irracional e intensa. La fusión con los demás es una implicación emocional excesiva en las relaciones significativas, mientras que el distanciamiento emocional es la tendencia a controlar la ansiedad relacional mediante la distancia física y emocional. Este estudio se basa en la teoría de Bowen, comenzando desde la suposición de que la adaptación diádica puede verse afectada tanto por la diferenciación del yo de un integrante de la pareja (efecto actor) como por la diferenciación del yo de su pareja (efecto pareja). Utilizamos el modelo de interdependicia actor-pareja (CookKenny, 2005) para estudiar la relación entre la diferenciación del yo y la adaptación diádica en una muestra de conveniencia de 137 parejas italianas heterosexuales (datos diádicos, no independientes). Las parejas contestaron la “Encuesta sobre la diferenciación del yo” (Differentiation of Self Inventory, SkowronSchmitt, 2003) y la “Escala de adaptación diádica” (Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Spanier, 1976). La adaptación diádica de los hombres dependió solo de su posición personal del yo, mientras que la adaptación diádica de las mujeres estuvo afectada por su posición personal del yo y el distanciamiento emocional así como por la posición del yo y el distanciamiento emocional de su pareja. Se debaten las consecuencias empíricas y clínicas de los resultados.Bowen (1978)的多代理论提供了关于原生家庭内部经历内化如何促进保持明确自我同时和他人建立亲密关系能力发展的论述。差异化人群能够在亲密关系中保持其自我身份。他们能够在冲突关系中保持平静,有效解决关系问题,并达成妥协。相反和他人的融汇,情感隔阻以及情绪化反应性是非差异化人群面对关系压力时的普遍反应。情绪化反应指应对压力源时非理性,激烈的情绪反应。和他人融汇指在重要关系中过度情感投入,而情感阻隔指通过身体和情感距离来应对关系焦虑的倾向。该研究基于Bowen的理论,从假设一个人的自我差异化(行为者效果)和其伴侣的自我差异化(伴侣效果)都能够影响二元调试开始。我们 使用行为者-伴侣相互依靠模型(CookKenny, 2005; )来研究在由137对异性恋意大利裔伴侣(非独立二元数据)构成的便利样本中自我差异化和二元调试之间的关系。这些伴侣完成了自我差异化清单(SkowronSchmitt, 2003; )以及二元调试尺度(Spanier, 1976)。男性二元调试取决于其个人身份感,而女性二元调试受其个人身份,情感阻隔以及其伴侣个人身份和情感阻隔的影响。我们还讨论了这些研究发现的实症以及临床意义。.

Over the last decade, a substantial number of studies have focused on the role of personality traits and of the personality trait similarity/dissimilarity in partner selection and in predicting the quality of adult romantic relationships. The present study contributes to this general objective by investigating the correlations between levels of similarity/dissimilarity in partners’ personality profiles, analyzed through the Big Five dimensions, and levels of romantic relationship adjustment at different stage of a couple’s life course. A sample of Italian couples ( N = 92 couples; 184 individuals) completed the Big Five Questionnaire and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The results revealed that similarity was not directly related with romantic relationship adjustment. Similarity only affected adjustment in interaction with the length of relationship. Partners reporting high levels of similarity in conscientiousness and openness showed the highest levels of romantic relationship adjustment during the first years of their relationship, while showing lower levels of adjustment as the relationship progressed. The lower levels of romantic relationship adjustment fell within the length of relationship range spanning between 10 and 21 years. These results suggest the importance of considering the life cycle perspective when studying the impact of personality similarity on romantic relationships, as well as suggesting the need to analyze the relationship between personality factors and interpersonal processes in a deeper way particularly in counseling and therapeutic contexts.

The Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) is a widely used questionnaire to measure prenatal attachment. However, its internal structure is controversial. None of the previous studies have investigated the dimensions of the Italian version of the scale using both an exploratory and a confirmatory approach. There is also a need to explore extensively the external validity of the Italian PAI.We designed a study aimed at shedding further light on the dimensionality of the questionnaire and expanding the evidence of its reliability and validity.Five-hundred and thirty-five Italian expectant mothers participated in the prenatal phase; a subsample of 100 women participated in the postnatal phase of the study. The PAI was administered together with other scales measuring maternal-fetal attachment, psychological wellbeing and relational variables.The hypothesised relationships with external criteria were substantiated overall. The five dimensions described in the Italian study by Barone, Lionetti, and Dellagiulia also emerged from our factor analyses, with the exception of two items. Internal consistency was adequate for the total scale and for four of the five subscales.As the Fantasy subscale showed poor internal consistency, we advise against its use as an independent measure. However, when used as a global score, the PAI is a reliable and valid measure of prenatal attachment in Italian women. Thus, it can be used for research purposes. The use of the PAI could also be very helpful in clinical settings, in order to identify expectant mothers who have difficulty in establishing an affective bond with their unborn infants. To this end, further research should study the characteristics of the PAI on high-risk groups and clinical samples in order to obtain clinical cut-offs.

The differential prevalence of eating disorders in males and females can be explained by the impact of gender-role orientations. Inside the Italian socio-cultural context, gender socialization can be influenced by stereotypical gender beliefs, and this may contribute to the psychological distress of individuals who identify with discrepant gender roles from their biological sex. Our study explored, within the Italian context, the potential moderating effect of masculinity and femininity on the relationships between gender and attitudes about body and eating. Nine hundred and twenty Italian male and female adolescents (M = 427, F = 493; age 14–21 years) completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI). A moderating effect of gender role on the relationship between gender and bulimia, and drive of thinness emerged. Girls with higher levels of masculinity scored higher on bulimia than did their counterparts with lower levels, and boys with higher levels of femininity scored higher on bulimia and on drive for thinness than did their counterparts with lower levels. Data did not reveal a moderating effect of gender role on the relationship between gender and body satisfaction. Our data suggest that adolescents who endorsed a gender role that is socially considered discrepant from their biological sex (girls with higher levels of masculinity and boys with higher levels of femininity) are more likely to show higher level of bulimia and drive of thinness. This suggests the need for prevention and treatment programmes for eating disorders that take into account individuals’ gender-role orientation and the influence that culturally dominant gender beliefs can exert on it.

Working within the framework of the Bowen’s Family Systems Theory and using data from 318 non-clinical participants, the present study assessed a model in which codependent behaviors were predicted by dyadic adjustment in couple relationships and differentiation of self. Results indicated that the dimensions of differentiation of self (I-position, emotional reactivity, emotional cutoff, fusion with others) were more important in explaining the codependent behavior compared to the dimensions of dyadic adjustment (dyadic satisfaction, cohesion, consensus, affective expression). These results suggest the importance of considering the dynamics and outcomes of the process of differentiation of self both in research and in counselling and clinical practice with individuals, couples, and families.

Autoimmune disease mainly affects women in their reproductive years and has a significant impact on childbearing. Pregnancy can induce an improvement of the mother’s symptomatology in some diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis while exacerbating or having no effect on other autoimmune diseases as multiple sclerosis (Borchers et al., 2010). This uncertainty can affect the process of psychological reorganization, which leads to the acquisition of a maternal identity. The quality of the mother-fetus emotional bond is considered particularly relevant for the subsequent attachment relationship and the psychological development of the infant (Ammaniti et al., 2013). In the last trimester of pregnancy, 15 women with different autoimmune diseases were interviewed using the IRMAG-R (Ammaniti and Tambelli, 2010). They also completed a battery comprising: PAI (Della Vedova et al., 2008); MAAS (Busonera et al., 2016); DAS (Gentili et al., 2002); PBI (Scinto et al., 1999); MSPSS (Prezza and Principato, 2002); Difficulties Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS, Giromini et al., 2012); CES-D (Fava, 1983); HCR-TS (Bova et al., 2012). All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by Atlas.ti. The results show that women with autoimmune disease were ambivalent toward pregnancy, had high levels of depression, had difficulties in recognizing physical and psychological changes, and had difficulties in imagining the child. These are considered risk factors that could negatively affect the postnatal caregiving system. These results focus on the importance of early multidisciplinary interventions that can support expectant women when they show signs of relationship difficulties with their infants prior to his/her birth.

At the end of 2019, COVID-19 (an infective respiratory disease caused by SARSCoV-2) was discovered in Wuhan, China [...]

The Differentiation of Self (DoS) is a key concept of Bowen’s theory, indicating a process that begins in early infancy and progresses throughout childhood and adolescence, to reach a basic level in early adulthood. This study examined the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the Differentiation of Self Inventory-Revised (DSI-R) Skowron, Schmitt, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 29:209–222, 2003), a multidimensional measure assessing DoS as conceptualized by Bowen. The sample comprised 671 subjects (age 19–69 year). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the Italian DSI-R possesses good psychometric properties. Internal consistencies were adequate. Correlations with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised, and the trait form of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were consistent with the theoretical relations among the constructs. The findings confirm the use of DSI-R as a psychometrically sound measure of the differentiation of self in the Italian context. Implications for future research and clinical practice are addressed.

Objective the Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS), a 24-item self-report questionnaire to measure the antenatal maternal feeling towards the unborn baby, was introduced by Mecca Cranley in 1981. Despite the widespread use of the questionnaire in clinical and research contexts, issues exist about its psychometric properties. An analysis of the literature showed the need for studies aimed at reviewing the MFAS by eliminating some items and modifying and "modernising" others. This study started from these suggestions and aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of a modified 20-item Italian version of the scale. Design the original MFAS was back translated and then administered to a pilot sample of 20 pregnant women in order to identify items hard to understand, inappropriate or ambiguous. On the basis of qualitative information derived from this pilot phase, we developed a 20-item Italian version of the MFAS that was later administered to a large sample of pregnant women. Setting antenatal education classes carried out in public and private structures of Italian central and insular regions. Participants a sample of 482 women in middle and late pregnancy, attending antenatal education classes between February 2013 and October 2014. Measurements the modified MFAS was administered together with other scales measuring maternal–fetal attachment, psychological well-being, relational variables. Internal consistencies were evaluated using Cronbach׳s alpha. Nomological validity was assessed via Pearson correlations. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the factor structure. Findings the hypothesised relationships with external criteria were partially substantiated. Exploratory factor analyses suggested a three-dimensional structure. Confirmatory factor analyses provided general support for an oblique three-factor model. Internal consistency was adequate for the total scale and for two of the three subscales. Key conclusion and implications for practice the 20-item Italian version of the MFAS is a reliable measure of maternal attachment to the fetus in Italian women. Cranley׳s five dimensions were not confirmed; instead, three factors emerged that could be renamed ׳Future parental roletaking׳, ׳Present interaction with the baby׳ and ׳Giving of self and responsibility to the unborn child׳. As maternal–fetal attachment is considered a predictor of the quality of the postnatal mother–child relationship, the MFAS could be a helpful tool in pre- and perinatal research and midwifery care to develop prevention programs based on women specific needs. Moreover, the availability of this questionnaire can assist in expanding research and in facilitating trans cultural comparison in issues related to pregnancy.

This study focused on the development of the emotional tie of the expectant mother towards her unborn child and aimed to achieve structural and external validity evidence for an Italian version of the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS; Br J Med Psychol 66: 167-183, 1993). The MAAS was translated into Italian and was administered to a sample of 482 Italian expectant women (age 20-43 years), together with other questionnaires measuring maternal-fetal attachment, psychological well-being, and relational variables. The hypothesised relationships with external concurrent and predictive criteria were substantiated. Internal consistencies were adequate for the total scale and for one of the two subscales. Confirmatory factor analyses provided general support for an oblique two-factor model, with minor model misfit. Therefore, an exploratory factor analysis with oblimin rotation was performed. The findings suggested that some items may represent extraneous constructs. Implications for future research regarding the functioning of the instrument are addressed.

Questa rassegna presenta lo stato attuale delle conoscenze sui precursori della violenza infantile nel periodo perinatale. La letteratura evidenzia fattori di rischio che, se presenti nella vita della donna, si intensificano durante la gravidanza compromettendo la salute psicofisica della madre e del bambino con conseguenze a breve/medio/lungo termine. I fattori individuati sono: individuali (storia di maltrattamento, psicopatologia genitoriale, eta materna, uso di fumo/droghe/alcool); relazionali (violenza domestica, difficolta di interazione madre- neonato); contestuali (svantaggio sociale); caratteristiche del neonato (basso peso neonatale, prematurita, presenza di handicap). La ricerca necessita di approfondimenti relativi a: 1) maggiore comprensione di come i fattori individuali-relazionali-contestuali interagiscano per produrre pattern violenti di comportamento verso la prole; 2) messa a punto di strumenti per lo screening delle popolazioni a rischio nel periodo perinatale.

Objective impaired maternal bonding is a risk factor for problems with infant well-being and development. The investigation of perinatal variables related to disorders of the mother–infant relationship as well as the administration of reliable and valid screening tools to new mothers in the postpartum can help identify early signs of a disturbed mother–child relationship. The Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) has been shown to be a valid screening instrument, but its dimensional structure is still controversial. An analysis of the literature demonstrated the need for research into the perinatal correlates of the quality of mother-newborn bonding as measured by the PBQ, and for information about the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the questionnaire. Aim to (a) carry out preliminary analysis of the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the PBQ and (b) explore how mother–infant disturbances are related to relevant perinatal psychological variables. Design the research design consisted of a prenatal and a postnatal phase. Setting prenatal education classes delivered in public and private institutions. Participants 123 pregnant Italian women were recruited from prenatal education classes. Measurements in the prenatal period participants completed a questionnaire measuring maternal-fetal attachment; at the postnatal assessment (3 months postpartum) participants completed the Italian PBQ together with measures of mother–infant attachment, the couple's adjustment and maternal psychological well-being. Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate the factor structure of the PBQ. Internal consistencies were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Nomological validity was assessed via Pearson correlations. Findings a three-factor model provided the most meaningful representation of the PBQ data, with one factor reflecting annoyance and anger towards the infant, another reflecting detachment and rejection and the third reflecting anxiety about infant care. Internal consistencies were good. Impaired mother-infant bonding was negatively correlated with prenatal and postnatal mother–infant attachment and couple adjustment, as well as being positively correlated with maternal depressive symptoms. Key conclusions and implications for practice the Italian PBQ is a reliable, valid screening instrument and can be used for research, including transcultural comparisons in perinatal psychiatry. It can also be used clinically to detect signs of a disordered mother–child relationship. Knowledge of the variables generally associated with mother-infant bonding problems combined with data from postpartum administration of the PBQ could be used in midwifery to develop preventive programmes based on the specific needs of new mothers.

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between parental emotion regulation, infant medical risks and representation of child's behavior at 3 months corrected age.The sample includes 28 couples (parents) and 32 preterm infants (4 set of twins) (AG average: 29 weeks), low birth weight (average weight: 1180.62 g), hospitalized for about two months. At the 3rd month of corrected age of the child all couples were interviewed using the "Clinical Interview for Parents of High Risk Infants" (CLIP), which explores the emotional aspects associated with preterm birth. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using ATLAS.TI. After the interview, only 14 mothers and 14 fathers completed the Behavior Rating Scale (SVC-80; Laicardi, 1998), which explores the observational-representative styles of each parent with respect to the child's behavior in the context of everyday life. We identified three Couples Groups indicating qualitative differences in the emotional functioning of the subjects mainly in the temporal dimension: 1) 12 "future-oriented"; 2) 12 "suspended in the present"; 3) 4 "oriented to the past".The results show that the infant's medical status has a impact on ability of parents to process the experience of preterm birth: increasing the infant's medical risks increases the difficulty of parents ability to process the experience.The CLIP can be a useful screening tool to identify difficulties of parents, to structure interventions focused on the elaboration of the traumatic experience of birth and on improving the quality of parent-infant relationship.

The multidisciplinary approach for the treatment of hearing impaired children presented the work group with several tasks: the group had to integrate different competences and techniques, to share common treatment goals, to manage relational dynamics with the children and their parents, and to explore the families’ expectancies. These efforts may create stressful conditions for the work group and, consequently, might negatively affect the quality of the intervention to be carried out. Our aim was to illustrate a psychosocial analysis performed in a religious Institute for hearing impaired children, intended to break the pattern of the Institute’s stalled productivity, to avoid inefficient and fragmented treatments, to prevent unelaborated relational dynamics among the staff members and between the staff and the children’s families. By means of the Content Analysis of semi-structured interviews administered to staff-members and families we have analyzed the quality of the teamwork, the relational arrangements towards the families and local services (25 interviews with 5 staff members); the family-Institute relationship and the family’s representation and satisfaction of the Institute (7 interviews with 13 hearing impaired parents and non-hearing impaired parents). The institute activity seemed to be more characterized by the maintenance of the relationship with the families per se, rather than oriented to productive goals. The non hearing impaired parents seemed to be more satisfied than the hearing-impaired parents, possibly because the former are more prepared to receive the Institute’s help. The stalled productivity can only be overcome by the elaboration of those relational/emotional dynamics which prevent staff members and children’s parents from focusing on productive goals. The staffmembers’ training should be improved in order to develop specific competences, to perform an integrated, multidisciplinary approach in treatments, to negotiate with the families, and share the work program and treatment objectives with them. Multidisciplinarni pristup tretmanu dece oštećenog sluha postavlja pred stručni tim mnoge izazove: članovi tima treba da integrišu različite kompetencije i pristupe u radu, da dele zajedničke ciljeve tretmana, da upravljaju dinamikom odnosa između dece i njihovih roditelja i da ispituju očekivanja porodične zajednice. Za članove tima navedeni zadaci mogu biti veoma stresogeni što, posledično, može imati negativan uticaj na kvalitet planiranog tretmana. U ovom radu je dat primer psihosocijalne analize koja je sprovedena u verskom Institutu za decu oštećenog sluha. Cilj ovog postupka je da razreši pat-poziciju u radu Instituta, da izbegne neefikasne i parcijalizovane oblike tretmana, da predupredi pojavu neraščišćene relacione dinamike između zaposlenih, kao i između osoblja i članova porodice. Sadržinskom analizom semistrukturisanih intervjua sa zaposlenima i članovima porodice obuhvaćeni su: kvalitet timskog rada; relacioni dogovori sa članovima porodica i servisima lokalne zajednice (25 intervjua sa 5 članova osoblja); odnosi između porodice i Instituta, način na koji porodica sagledava rad Instituta i stepen zadovoljstva tim radom (7 intervjua sa 13 roditelja oštećenog sluha i čujućih roditelja). Po svemu sudeći, aktivnost Instituta je više usmerena ka održavanju odnosa sa porodicom, nego ka produktivnim ciljevima. Čujući roditelji su zadovoljniji radom Instituta od roditelja oštećenog sluha, verovatno zbog toga što su spremniji da prihvate pomoć koju im Institut nudi. Izlazak iz pat-pozicije može se prevazići samo detaljnom razradom svih onih relaciono-emocionalnih dinamičkih odnosa koji i osoblju i roditeljima onemogućavaju fokusiranje na produktivne ciljeve. Potrebno je poboljšati obuku zaposlenih u pravcu razvoja specifičnih kompetencija; realizacije integrisanog, multidisciplinarnog pristupa u tretmanu; ostvarivanja dogovora sa porodicama i saradnje u definisanju programa rada i ciljeva tretmana.