Resilience and Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Italian University Students: A Mixed-Method Study.

A vast amount of literature has highlighted that restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as lockdowns and the resulting interruption of face-to-face academic activities, strongly disrupted students' daily routine and undermined their well-being. Through a mixed method approach, this study was aimed at investigating the association between students' experience of the health emergency and their resilience levels during the first pandemic outbreak. Between April and May 2020, 421 Italian university students attending Health Sciences, Humanities, and Political Sciences courses completed the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), provided narratives about the emergency by answering an open-ended question, and filled out a demographic questionnaire. Results showed that narratives about community/society issues were by far the most recurrent ones across disciplinary areas, while a significantly higher percentage of students from Humanities focused on study/university. Health Sciences students were more likely to provide narratives concerning social commitment, and they reported significantly higher resilience levels than Humanities students. A higher percentage of students with moderate resilience focused their narratives on the study/university domain, compared to students with high resilience. Findings suggest the importance of supporting students' resilience to counterbalance their academic concerns in both times of crisis and ordinary times.

The Efficacy of Parent Training Interventions with Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities.

Parenting children with developmental disabilities (DD) can be generally characterized by a considerable psychological burden. The effects on parental and familial psychological well-being and, consequently, on children's developmental outcomes should not be underestimated, especially in early childhood. The current review aims to advance our understanding of the key factors (e.g., formats, sample characteristics, research design) that characterize parent training interventions, and that could be related to their outcomes, to guide researchers and clinical practitioners to develop and provide efficient programs. Studies were identified via an Internet search from three electronic databases, following PRIMSA guidelines. Studies published until November 2021 were taken into account. The initial search yielded a total of 2475 studies. Among them, 101 studies were fully reviewed. Finally, ten of the studies, which met all the inclusion criteria, formed the basis for this review. Participants' characteristics, main features of the interventions (i.e., study design, structure, and contents), outcome variables and treatment efficacy were deeply examined and discussed. Key factors of parent training interventions with parents of children affected by DD are enlightened, to guide researchers and clinicians in the design and implementation of tailored specific programs, aimed to sustain parenting and foster children's developmental outcomes, from early stages of life.

Psychological distress and resilience among italian healthcare workers of geriatric services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed healthcare workers (HW) to heavy workload and psychological distress. This study was aimed to investigate distress levels among Italian physicians, nurses, rehabilitation professionals and healthcare assistants working in geriatric and long-term care services, and to explore the potential role of resilience as a protective resource. The General Health Questionnaire-12, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and a demographic survey were completed by 708 Italian HWs. Distress and resilience levels were compared between professionals through ANOVA; the contribution of sex, age, professional role, and resilience to distress was explored through regression analyses. Physicians reported significantly higher resilience and distress levels than rehabilitation professionals and healthcare assistants respectively. Women, HWs aged above 45, physicians, and participants reporting low resilience levels were at higher risk for distress. Findings suggest the importance of supporting HW's resilience to counterbalance the pandemic related distress.

Insecure Attachment Styles and Unbalanced Family Functioning as Risk Factors of Problematic Smartphone Use in Spanish Young Adults: A Relative Weight Analysis.

Young adulthood is the life stage during which people are more prone to develop problematic smartphone use (PSU). Only one study investigated the relationship among attachment styles, family functioning, and PSU, but thus far, no research has shown the relative importance that such dimensions may have on PSU. The main aim of this study was to analyze to what extent insecure attachment styles and unbalanced family functioning are related to PSU, investigating the specific weight of each dimension in a sample of young adults (N = 301; 82.7% females; Mage = 22.89; SD = 3.02). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire, including the Relationship Questionnaire, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale. The regression and relative weight analyses results showed that preoccupied attachment style and disengaged, chaotic, and enmeshed family functioning were positively related to PSU. Implications for future research and interventions were discussed.

A dyadic approach to stress and prenatal depression in first-time parents: The mediating role of marital satisfaction.

In the field of perinatal clinical psychology, most studies focus on mothers' psychological states during pregnancy, neglecting the role of their partners. This study used an Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model to evaluate the mediating role of dyadic satisfaction on the relationship between perceived stress and prenatal depressive symptomatology in both members of male-female-mixed-gender couples who were expecting their first child. One hundred thirty-eight couples in their third trimester of pregnancy were asked to complete questionnaires about perceived stress, dyadic adjustment, and depression. The model revealed that there was an intrapersonal indirect effect of fathers' perceived stress on prenatal paternal depression through their marital satisfaction. Moreover, an interpersonal indirect effect was found with mothers' perceived stress being associated with prenatal paternal depression through fathers' dyadic satisfaction. Maternal indirect effects were all non-significant, suggesting that their dyadic satisfaction and that of their partner did not mediate the relation between their perceived stress and that of their partner and their prenatal depression. Findings support the importance of assessing the dyadic satisfaction of couples during pregnancy, especially in expectant fathers, and targeting it in the psychological support offered to couples as a way of improving their prenatal distress, and consequently, their mental health.

Screening for Early Signs of Paternal Perinatal Affective Disorder in Expectant Fathers: A Cluster Analysis Approach.

Previous studies documented gender-related differences in the expression of Perinatal Affective Disorders. However, little attention has been paid to screening the male population during the perinatal period. This study was based on three aims: (1) to investigate the mental health of expectant fathers based on their levels of depression, anxiety, addiction, anger attacks/hostility, and somatization, identifying psychological profiles; (2) to analyze the association between these profiles and the individual variable of perceived stress; (3) and to examine the association between these profiles and the couple's variable of marital adjustment. A total of 350 Italian expectant fathers in the last trimester of pregnancy were asked to fill in questionnaires concerning perceived stress, dyadic adjustment, psychiatric symptomatology, and depression. Three different clusters were found: "psychologically healthy men" (68%) with low levels of symptoms on all the scales; "men at risk of externalized behavioral problems" (17.1%), characterized by one or more addictive or risky behaviors and moderate levels of scales scores; and "men experiencing psychological distress" (14.9%), with the highest scores on all the scales. A significant association emerged among the perceived stress, marital adjustment, and cluster membership. These results highlight the importance of screening fathers in perinatal health services, which are still predominantly mother-centered, and underscore the necessity to create tailored and personalized interventions.

The relationship between dyadic adjustment and psychiatric symptomatology in expectant couples: An actor-partner interdependency model approach.

BACKGROUND: Many researchers who evaluated psychological distress during the transition to parenthood agree in identifying pregnancy as the most sensitive period for the onset of psychiatric symptomatology for both parents. Furthermore, research highlights a correlation between symptoms experienced by fathers in relation to those experienced by mothers. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether dyadic functioning influences the level of psychiatric symptomatology in couples expecting their first child. Participants were 137 couples expecting their first child; they were recruited at the San Filippo Neri and the Santo Spirito hospitals in Rome (ASLROMA1). We used an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to test the interdependence of both partners and the effect of dyadic relationships on psychiatric symptoms in the couple. RESULTS: The overall test of distinguishability yielded a chi square value of 122.167 (23 df; p < .001). The actor-partner interdependence model showed significant paths between couple coping and psychiatric symptomatology. Specifically, we found that the quality of couple coping perceived by the mother negatively predicted maternal psychiatric symptomatology, and the quality of couple coping perceived by the father negatively predicted paternal psychiatric symptomatology. Furthermore, the quality of couple coping perceived by the father negatively predicted maternal psychiatric symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm that dyadic adjustment is an important element for the development of effective interpersonal relationships. These data highlight the importance of promoting psycho-educational and clinical courses and programs for the development of social support with future parents.