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Michela Gatta,1,2 Marina Miscioscia,2,3 Lorenza Svanellini,2 Maria Elena Brianda,3 Giada Guerra,3 Pier Antonio Battistella,2 Alessandra Simonelli3 1Childhood Adolescence Family Unit AULSS 6 Veneto, 2Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, 3Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy Abstract: The relationship between parents and infants born preterm is multifaceted and could present some relational patterns which are believed to predict psychological risk more than others. For example, insensitive parenting behavior has been shown to place very preterm children at greater risk of emotional and behavioral dysregulation. The main objective of this study was to compare the quality of family interactions in a sample of families with preterm children with one of the families with at-term children, exploring possible differences and similarities. The second aim of this research was to consider the associations among family interactions and parental empowerment, the child’s temperament, parenting stress, and perceived social support. The sample consisted of 52 children and their families: 25 families, one with two preterm brothers with preterm children (mean 22.3 months, SD 12.17), and 26 families with children born at term (mean 22.2 months, SD 14.97). The Lausanne Trilogue Play procedure was administered to the two groups to assess the quality of their family interactions. The preterm group was also administered the Questionari Italiani del Temperamento, the Family Empowerment Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Parenting Stress Index – Short Form. Differences in the quality of family interactions emerged between the preterm and at-term groups. The preterm group showed significantly lower quality of family interactions than the at-term group. The parenting stress of both parents related to their parental empowerment, and maternal stre

Michela Gatta1, Andrea Spoto2, Paolo Testa3, Lorenza Svanellini3, Jessica Lai3, Maurizio Salis3, Maxim De Sauma4, Pier Antonio Battistella31Department of Paediatrics, 2Department of General Psychology, 3Neuropsychiatric Unit for Children and Adolescents, Azienda ULSS 16, Padua, Italy; 4Brent Centre For Young People, London, UKAbstract: In the literature it has been stressed how important it is during consultation interviews to evaluate an adolescent’s insight with a view to starting psychotherapeutic work. Motivated adolescents bring to the therapeutic effort a real, interiorized request for help and can start moving towards a change. The aim of this study is to assess the insight of adolescents with mental disorders during the diagnostic process and to analyze how this relates to further therapeutic compliance and clinical evolution. The study included 55 adolescents, 35 males and 20 females aged between 11 and 19 years, who were advised to receive psychotherapeutic treatment after a diagnostic procedure. Patient insight was assessed at the beginning and end of the diagnostic process. Then, six months later, a clinical interview assessed their therapeutic compliance and clinical evolution. The findings suggest that insight is important when working with adolescents because it influences both therapeutic compliance and clinical outcome.Keywords: adolescence, insight, therapeutic alliance, therapeutic compliance, outcome

Michela Gatta1, Elisabetta Ramaglioni3, Jessica Lai3, Lorenza Svanellini3,  Irene Toldo1, Lara Del Col3, Cinzia Salviato3,  Andrea Spoto2,  Battistella Pier Antonio31Paediatrics Department, 2Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; 3Neuropsychiatric Unit for Children and Adolescents, Azienda ULSS 16, Padua, ItalyAbstract: The aim of the study is to analyze the clinician’s alliance with parents during the diagnostic process in relation to therapeutic compliance and clinical evolution of individuals aged 0–11 years. The sample was formed by 84 individuals aged 0 to 11 years (18 < 6 years, 66 aged 6 to 11 years; 62 males and 22 females) who came to the Neuropsychiatric Unit for Children and Adolescents for a consultation regarding psychorelational and behavioral problems. Neuropsychiatric consultation took place in five diagnostic interviews with child and parents, separately. The last session was devoted to communication of psychiatric diagnosis (according to ICD 10) and therapeutic suggestions, if any. The clinician’s relationship with parents and patients’ participation were evaluated in terms of collaboration and quality of interaction, on the basis of pre-established criteria. Data about patients’ therapeutic compliance and clinical outcome were collected during a follow-up visit eight months after the last session. Results suggest that the better the alliance between parents and clinician, the higher the therapeutic compliance and the likelihood of a positive outcome for patients. Our data suggest that good communication with parents benefits child patients, both in terms of response to the parents’ need to report their children’s worrying behavior and as a response to the discomfort expressed by children when they come in for consultation.Keywords: psychopathology, developmental age, psychotherapy, alliance relationship, parental fu