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A significant number of breast cancer survivors are living with their minor children. In this review we investigated the impact of maternal breast cancer on children. A literature search conducted through PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and CINAHL yielded 26 relevant studies, which documented a variety of effects. Evidence has been presented that dealing with maternal breast cancer can cause uncertainty, anxiety and depression in children, but may also lead to enhanced social and academic performance. The risk of problems in these children is reported to be associated with both low parental affective responsiveness and excessive parental involvement. Internalising child problems were shown to be linked with maternal depression and family dysfunction, and externalising problems with family dysfunction and communication problems. Some of these problems may be modified by interventions for supporting these families, which should be designed to include both parents and children, and also the healthcare personnel.

A significant number of breast cancer survivors are living with their minor children. In this review we investigated the impact of maternal breast cancer on children. A literature search conducted through PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and CINAHL yielded 26 relevant studies, which documented a variety of effects. Evidence has been presented that dealing with maternal breast cancer can cause uncertainty, anxiety and depression in children, but may also lead to enhanced social and academic performance. The risk of problems in these children is reported to be associated with both low parental affective responsiveness and excessive parental involvement. Internalising child problems were shown to be linked with maternal depression and family dysfunction, and externalising problems with family dysfunction and communication problems. Some of these problems may be modified by interventions for supporting these families, which should be designed to include both parents and children, and also the healthcare personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptualizing intersecting psychical dynamics taking place within the analytic relationship, the concept oftruthis considered as an integral element of the patient's unrepresented, subjective self-experiences, particularly in respect to traumatic aspects.Truthis also conceptualized as a process of exploration of traumatic elements emerging dynamically in the context of transference. During such processes, it is possible that the patient's traumatic truth may collide with certain aspects of the analyst's mental life affecting deeply his/her phantasy and stirring strong feelings and representations of traumatic self-experiences of personal and subjective meaning. These instances are vital intersubjective aspects of the analytic relationship. They facilitate the exploration of the patient's unconscious inner truth and are signified asinternal moments of meeting, emphasizing a psychical interchange between the analytic dyad and creation of amental-cradle, a space for exploring and representing the patient's traumatic self-experiences. Clinical material is provided from the psychotherapy of a young woman with borderline psychopathology and unrepresented traumatic parental loss and migration. Discussion brings together basic theoretical conceptions regarding dynamic, joint mental functions of transference and countertransference and indicates the utility of actualizing disturbing countertransference experiences and the analyst's personal recourses and subjectivity for the exploration of the patient's truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of attachment has been studied extensively as a frame for understanding the self-care behaviours of people with diabetes and their relations with practitioners. A component of attachment is the ability to reflect upon one's mental state and understand what one is feeling and why. Aim of the study was to investigate attachment patterns and their relation with the reflective function of people with type 1 diabetes. 102 people (age 38.6±10 years, 63% females, diabetes duration 21.3±13 years, HbA1c 7.5±1.2%, Gold Score 2.2±1.5) completed measures of attachment (ECR-R) and reflective functioning (RFQ). Results suggested that there were differences in the attachment styles (χ2= 9.04, p= 0.02) between individuals who were able to detect hypoglycemia symptoms quickly enough to avoid progression to a severe hypoglycemic episode and those with hypoglycemia unawareness. 63.6% (p< 0.001) of participants with hypoglycemia unawareness were characterized as fearfully attached, a pattern associated with emotional dysregulation and problems in interpersonal relationships. People with impaired reflective functioning were more likely to report hypoglycemia unawareness (t= 2.74, p= 0.007) suggesting that impairments in identifying and expressing emotional states are associated with the ability to recognize hypoglycemic symptoms. Mediation analysis revealed significant indirect effects with a point estimate of b= 0.128 (SE= 0.055), excluding zero (95% CI= 0.033, 0.248) for anxiety and b= 0.109 (SE= 0.052), excluding zero (95% CI = 0.019, 0.226) for avoidance, indicating that attachment insecurities indirectly influence hypoglycemia awareness via the capacity to recognize and understand one's own and other's psychological state. Overall, the results indicate that impaired reflective processes may be involved in the recognition of hypoglycemia. Therapeutic interventions designed to enhance reflective functioning could improve hypoglycemia awareness. Disclosure: P. Thomakos: None. F. Griva: None. O. Kepaptsoglou: None. A. Mitrakou: None. G. Vaslamatzis: None. C. Zoupas: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]