An Examination of the Synergy of Age and PTSD on Narrative Coherence in Child Sexual Abuse Testimony.

In a criminal proceeding, a witness is considered as reliable if he/she can recall in narrative form the events, chronologically ordered, with salient contextual (place and time) details, and essential evaluations for the definition of meanings. This study aimed to confirm the effects of age and PTSD on narrative coherence and to investigate the moderating role of age on the association between PTSD and narrative coherence. Narrative coherence was analyzed in 92 allegations of children (M = 10.3; range: 4-17), who were victims of sexual abuse. Thirty-five children presented the symptoms for a diagnosis of PTSD. Each deposition has been codified through the Narrative Coherence Coding Scheme, a coding scheme based on the three independent dimensions (context, chronology, and theme). Correlation analysis indicated the positive associations between age and context, chronology, and theme; and the negative associations between PTSD symptoms and context, chronology, and theme. Predictive effect of PTSD became less and less significant with increasing age. This study could underline the importance of age and PTSD (and their synergy) in legal testimony of children who have been sexually abused.

Maternal mind-mindedness as a linking mechanism between childbirth-related posttraumatic stress symptoms and parenting stress.

The researchers of this study have two aims. The first aim is to verify whether posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, evaluated at 87 hours and at 3 months postpartum, are associated with maternal mind-mindedness (MM) and parenting stress, measured at 17 months postpartum. The second aim is to investigate, at 17 months, the predictive effects of PTS symptoms on the dimensions of parenting stress and to explore whether MM mediates these associations. Forty-one mother-infant dyads participated in the study. The results show that at 17 months, hyper-arousal symptoms predicted both MM and parenting stress. MM was a linking mechanism between maternal PTS symptoms and parenting stress.

Child Sexual Behaviors in School Context: Age and Gender Differences.

The main purpose of the study was to explore the child sexual behaviors that Italian teachers have observed in the school context. A representative sample of 227 children, from 5 to 10 years old, was rated by their teachers through the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory. Frequencies of sexual behaviors among children aged 5 to 6, 7 to 8, and 9 to 10 are presented. Younger children showed a broader range of sexual behaviors that decrease with the growing age, such as males in comparison to females. Moreover, findings showed that child sexual behavior is not only related to age and gender but also to family characteristics. These results suggested that child sexual behaviors reported by teachers through the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory may provide useful information about the development of children's sexuality. The knowledge of age appropriate sexual behaviors can help teachers discern normal sexual behaviors from problematic sexual behaviors.

The CPS Workers' Child Removal Decision in Cases of Domestic and Witnessed Violence.

This study aimed to explore maternal and paternal risks and protective factors that may influence the Child Protection Service (CPS) workers' child removal decision in case of domestic and witnessed violence. In all, 218 case reports of Italian CPSs were retrospectively analyzed through the Protocol of Risk and Protective Factors. The sample was then split up into two groups on the basis of the CPS professionals' placement decision after the investigation (child removal decision versus parents support and monitoring intervention). Two statistical approaches were used to identify the patterns of risk and protective factors associated with maternal and paternal assessments: logistic regression models and decision tree analysis. Results showed that mothers who are victims of Intimate Partner Violence experienced the child removal in about half of the cases, while fathers showed a higher removal rate. Differences emerged between mothers' and fathers' risk profiles, suggesting that workers attributed a different weight to some factors depending on whether they concerned the mother or the father. Only the proximal risk factor poor empathy skills was significant for both mothers and fathers. For the mothers' group, one of the most important factors was the presence of direct forms of child maltreatment in addition to witnessed violence, while for fathers' group the drug abuse emerged a crucial relevant proximal risk factor.

The Role of Pre-Pandemic Mental Health Status and Personality Traits on Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Lockdown among Italian Young Adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed changes on day-to-day activities and had a detrimental psychological effect on the population, especially among vulnerable individuals, such as adolescents and young adults. The current study aimed to explore variables associated with anxiety, depressive and somatic symptoms in a sample of 608 Italian young adults aged 18 to 25. Data were collected using an online questionnaire administered two months into the COVID-19 lockdown, which explored several areas including sociodemographic information, pre-pandemic and current psychological distress, pre-pandemic and current levels of loneliness, and the traits of intolerance of uncertainty and boredom susceptibility. Results highlighted that having pre-existing mental health issues, being female, and the personality traits of intolerance to uncertainty and boredom susceptibility all played a role in the psychological distress experienced during the pandemic. COVID-19 contributed to negative impacts on young adults' mental health, highlighting the necessity to develop protective psychological intervention tailored for this vulnerable population.

Difficulties in emotion regulation in child abuse potential: Gender differences in parents.

BACKGROUND: The Social Information Processing model (SIP; Milner, 1993, 2000, 2003) suggests that emotion dysregulation can be a moderating factor in Child Abuse Potential (CAP), influencing the processes of perception, interpretation and attribution of child's behavior. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate comprehensively emotion dysregulation in CAP and to examine gender differences between fathers and mother at risk. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were 186 mothers and 110 fathers of Italian pupils, aged 6-14 years (M = 9.3; SD = 1.9). METHODS: We analyzed emotion dysregulation in terms of specific dimensions (non-acceptance of emotional responses; difficulty in distracting and performing alternative behaviors; lack of confidence in the emotional regulation skills; difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors when distressed; difficulties recognizing emotion; and lack of emotional awareness) and, through correlation and regression analyses, we tested the gender differences. RESULTS: Overall, parents at risk showed several difficulties in the regulation, from emotional awareness/recognition to impulse control through effective coping strategies. In particular, lack of emotional awareness (ß = .20, p = .026) was a specific deficit of fathers at risk, whereas non-acceptance of emotional responses (ß = .30, p = .001) and difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors (when distressed) (ß = .35, p = .001) of mothers at risk. CONCLUSIONS: Findings confirmed the significant role of emotional dysregulation in CAP with different profiles for fathers and mothers. Clinical implications were discussed.

Video games use in childhood and adolescence: Social phobia and differential susceptibility to media effects.

Literature established a correlation between heavy exposure with video games (VGs) and withdrawal, loneliness, worse social skills, and social phobia. The present study hypothesizes that children with social phobia are more vulnerable to higher exposure in video gaming. Moreover, it hypothesizes that children with social phobia and higher exposure with VGs will be more at risk of developing negative outcomes such as externalizing problems. A survey measuring VG use habits, social phobia, and clinical outcomes was administered to 359 children and adolescents attending primary, secondary, and high schools in Northern Italy (aged 6-18 years old; M = 12.81, standard deviation (SD) = 3.16). Results show that participants with both social phobia and higher exposure in video gaming habits display worse developmental outcomes. Results are discussed in the light of the existing literature.

Children's Cognitive and Emotional Processes in Adult Versus Child-Related Inter-Parental Conflicts.

In the literature, little attention has been paid to the specific impact of child-related versus adult-related inter-parental conflicts on children's intrapersonal processes and adjustment. Aimed to advance knowledge on this topic, the cross-sectional study explores: 1) the predictive effects of the two forms of inter-parental conflicts on: a) children's internalizing/externalizing behaviors and b) children's cognitive appraisals, emotional distress, and triangulation; 2) the mediating role of children's cognitive appraisals, emotional distress, and triangulation, in the association between adult-related vs child-related conflict and children's adjustment. Seventy-five school-aged children and their parents completed measures of inter-parental conflict, cognitive, emotional and behavioral processes and child adjustment. The results indicated that: 1) higher levels of adult-related inter-parental conflict promoted children's internalizing behaviors, through the mediation of perceived threat; 2) higher levels of child-related inter-parental discord promoted both children's internalizing/externalzing behaviors, through the mediation of perceived threat and self-blame.

Investigating linguistic coherence relations in child sexual abuse: A comparison of PTSD and non-PTSD children.

BACKGROUND: Language is the most common way to communicate internal states and emotions into a narrative form. Studies on the use of language provide a useful understanding of how people process an event and interpret it. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PTSD on the narrative coherence of children's reports of sexual abuse. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Narrative coherence was analyzed within a group of 89 allegations of children (M = 10; range: 4-16), who were victims of sexual abuse. Thirty-seven children presented the symptoms for a diagnosis of PTSD. METHOD: Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) was employed and narrative coherence was analyzed through some linguistic markers (first-person singular pronouns, conjunctions, and cognitive words). RESULTS: Results illustrated the effects of PTSD on the narrative coherence, in terms of first-person singular pronouns, conjunctions, and cognitive processes. Indeed, compared with traumatic narratives of children without PTSD, traumatic narratives of children with PTSD contained a greater number of first-person singular pronouns (M PTSD = 1.45 versus M no-PTSD = 1.12) and a smaller number of conjunctions (M PTSD = .37 versus M non-PTSD = .67), cognitive (M PTSD = 2.93 versus M non-PTSD = 3.76) and insight words (M PTSD = 2.29 versus M non-PTSD = 3.09). Regression analyses were used to examine if age and PTSD were predictors of the narrative coherence, suggesting the effects of PTSD in predicting the use of the first-person singular pronouns and the conjunctions. CONCLUSION: This study could underline the importance of considering the PTSD in legal testimony of children who have been sexually abused.

Childbirth Related Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms and Maternal Sleep Difficulties: Associations With Parenting Stress.

In the literature, increasing evidence is showing the importance of sleep difficulties in the development or maintenance of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms as well as the association between childbirth-related PTS symptoms and early maternal emotions and perceptions of their children. However, little is known regarding the effects of maternal sleep difficulties on parenting or about the mediational role of childbirth-related PTS symptoms in this association. The present study (pregnancy: T0; 1 month postpartum: T1; 3 months postpartum: T2) had two aims. The first one was to explore whether maternal sleep difficulties could contribute to the maintenance of PTS symptoms and whether PTS symptoms could contribute to the maintenance of maternal sleep difficulties. The second purpose was to explore, at 3 months (T2), the associations among childbirth-related PTS symptoms, maternal sleep difficulties, and the three dimensions of parenting stress [parental distress (PD), parent-child dysfunctional interaction, and difficult child] by examining the mediational role of both maternal sleep difficulties and childbirth-related PTS symptoms. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 95 women at different times (T0, T1, and T2). Mediational results confirmed the bidirectional effects between maternal sleep difficulties and PTS symptoms and their reciprocal role of maintenance of symptoms. Moreover, at 3 months postpartum (T2), sleep difficulties mediated the association between PTS symptoms and the three dimensions of maternal parenting stress, while PTS symptoms mediated the associations among maternal sleep difficulties, PD, and difficult child dimensions of parenting stress. The study contributes to the understanding of the maintenance factors of childbirth-related PTS symptoms and of the relationships among PTS symptoms, maternal sleep difficulties, and parenting stress.

Parents' perception of child behavior, parenting stress, and child abuse potential: Individual and partner influences.

Based on the Social Information Processing model of parenting risk for child abuse, the present study examined the associations between mothers' and fathers' perception of child behavior and child abuse potential, as well as whether parenting stress mediates the association between these constructs. Two hundred and fifty-nine mother-father couples raising preschool children answered the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI). The results of dyadic path analysis showed that perception of child behavior was related to heightened parenting stress and abuse potential in both mothers and fathers. Concerning partner effects, we found that mothers' perception of child behavior problems was positively associated with fathers' parenting stress and that the higher the mothers' distress, the higher the fathers' risk of physical abuse. Finally, parenting distress partially mediated the association between parents' perception of child behavior and child abuse potential, with mothers' perception of their children as problematic showing a significant indirect effect through distress on their own abuse risk and on fathers' CAP as well. These findings suggest that parental distress may represent a critical mechanism by which parents' negative views of their children contribute to abuse potential. Moreover, mothers seem to influence fathers' tendency towards abusive behaviors.

Facing Death in Adolescence: What Leads to Internalization and Externalization Problems?

The aim of this study was to test a model to better explain which factors are linked to the development of internalized and externalized problems in adolescents experiencing death through structural equation model. Internalizing problems were predicted by low self-esteem, high PTSD symptomatology and by being a female, whereas externalizing problems were predicted by low self-esteem, by the experience of the loss as central in their own life and by being a male. Our results pointed out the potential importance of controlling this factors in order to provide focused interventions for adolescents after the death of a significant one.

Narrative fragmentation in child sexual abuse: The role of age and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The present study aimed to assess the effects of age and PTSD on the narrative fragmentation in memories for child sexual abuse. Lexical complexity, cohesion and coherence were analyzed within a group of 86 allegations of children (M=10years; SD=3.7; range: 4-17) who were victims of sexual abuse. Results illustrated that age played an important role in establishing narrative coherence and predicted the level of orientation, the sequence of events and the level of evaluation of the event. Instead, PTSD was related to narrative coherence and cohesion. Therefore, in children, the narrative fragmentation could be an effective diagnostic tool for understanding the effects of PTSD. Moreover in a legal setting the traumatic effects of PTSD on the narrative coherence and cohesion could be significant indices in the evaluation of child testimony.

Emotional Distress Following Childbirth: An Intervention to Buffer Depressive and PTSD Symptoms.

Childbirth for some women is a negative experience associated with depressive and post-traumatic symptoms. The preventive actions focusing on helping mothers to cope with negative emotions experienced after childbirth are strongly recommended. It is also recommended both to intervene early and on all women to avoid the risk that these symptoms can worsen in the months after childbirth. The intervention described in the current study is focalized on the elaboration of post-partum negative thoughts and emotion through a writing task, with the purpose to help new mothers to reflect, understand, evaluate and, thus, reformulate the stressful situation with new beliefs and emotions. 176 women aged from 19 to 43 years (M = 31.55, SD = 4.58) were assessed for depression and PTSD in the prenatal phase (T1). In about 96 hours after childbirth they were randomly assigned to either "Making Sense condition" (MS: in which they wrote about the thoughts and emotions connected with delivery and childbirth) or "Control-Neutral condition" (NC: in which they wrote about the daily events in behavioural terms) and then reassessed for depression and PTSD (T2). A follow up was conducted 3 months later (T3) to verify depression and posttraumatic symptoms. The results showed that depressive symptoms decreased both at 96 hours and at 3 months as a result of making-sense task. Regarding the posttraumatic symptoms the positive effect emerged at three months and not at 96 hours after birth.