Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological health in a sample of Italian adults: A three-wave longitudinal study.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting societal restrictions have had negative implications for mental health in the general population. The aims of the present longitudinal study were (i) to investigate changes in psychopathological symptoms and psychological well-being in a sample of Italian individuals surveyed at different points of the pandemic and (ii) to evaluate the potential risk and protective factors associated with the psychopathological outcomes. Self-reported data on psychiatric symptoms, and psychological well-being were collected in March 2020 (T0, the lockdown phase), in May 2020 (T1, the end of the lockdown phase), and in November 2020 (T2, the second wave of COVID-19 infection). 1258 participants (Mage=23.43, SDage=6.45; 75.4% female) were recruited at T0. Of these, 712 also completed the T1 survey, and 369 also completed the T2 survey. A significant decrease in anxiety, depressive, posttraumatic, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and a significant increase in psychological well-being were observed from T0 to T1. All psychopathological symptoms increased, and psychological well-being decreased significantly from T1 to T2. Several demographic, psychological and COVID-19-related factors emerged as predictors over the course of the pandemic. The current findings indicated that psychological health covaried with the intensity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated societal restrictions.

Narcissism and problematic social media use: A systematic literature review.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between narcissism and social media use has been a topic of research since the advent of the first social media website. While numerous meta-analyses have been conducted to synthesize empirical evidence on the association between narcissism and typical online behaviors (e.g., uploading photos and usage frequency), evidence on the association between narcissism and Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU) has not yet been systematized. The current study represents the first systematic review on this topic. METHODS: Electronic literature databases, including the Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and EMBASE, were searched to identify studies that examined the relationship between narcissism and PSMU. We found 14 empirical studies on narcissism and PSMU. Additionally, seven studies focused on the association with Problematic Facebook Use (PFU). RESULTS: Consistent results were reported regarding the positive and significant association between grandiose narcissism and PFU (0.13 < r < 0.32). The only two studies that included a vulnerable narcissism measure reported a positive and significant correlation with PFU as well. Studies that did not distinguish between different online platforms (i.e., those measuring PSMU) reported less consistent results. CONCLUSIONS: The results generally revealed that narcissism might be involved in PFU, but it might not have consistent effects across social media platforms. The assessment of problematic social media use without distinguishing different platforms might not individuate narcissists' preferences and risks. However, our findings need to be interpreted with caution not only due to the relatively small number of studies on this topic but also because 19 studies out 21 used a cross-sectional design.