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1.
Am J Hum Biol ; 36(4): e24003, 2024 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37916952

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: The impact of maternal stress on birth outcomes is well established in the scientific research. The sex ratio at birth (SRB), namely the ratio of male to female live births, shows significant alteration when mothers experience acute stress conditions, as proposed by the Trivers-Willard Hypothesis. We aimed to synthetize the literature on the relationship between two exogenous and catastrophic stressful events (natural disasters and epidemics) and SRB. METHODS: A systematic search was run in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, until March 9, 2023. The search produced 1336 articles and 25 articles met the inclusion criteria. We found seven case-control studies and 18 observational studies. Most of studies investigated the impact of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Only seven studies examined the effect of epidemics or pandemics. RESULTS: The results of the studies seem inconsistent, as 16 studies found a decline in SRB, three found a rise, four did not record any change and two studies gave contradictory results. The period and population analyzed, the source of information, the method of variance analysis in the SRB, and the failure to assess confounding variables may have influenced the incongruence of the results. CONCLUSION: Our findings contribute to improve the knowledge about the relationship between socio-ecological factors and SRB. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms by which this relationship impacts public health, in particular the health of pregnant women and their newborn, through an accurate and consistent methodology that also includes confounding factors.


Assuntos
Mães , Razão de Masculinidade , Recém-Nascido , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Gravidez , Nascido Vivo , Estudos de Casos e Controles
2.
Eat Weight Disord ; 28(1): 42, 2023 May 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37133773

RESUMO

PURPOSE: Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) is a potentially pathological condition characterized by a fixation on healthy diet. An increasing number of studies have been conducted on this mental preoccupation, but the validity and reliability of some of the psychometric instruments employed in its assessment are still under debate. Among these measures, the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) seems to be promising, given that it allows to differentiate between OrNe and other non-problematic forms of interest with healthy eating, named as healthy orthorexia (HeOr). The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the TOS, by testing its factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity. METHOD: Through an online survey, we recruited 782 participants from different regions of Italy, asking them to complete the following self-report instruments: TOS, EHQ, EDI-3, OCI-R, and BSI-18. From the initial sample, 144 participants agreed to complete a second TOS administration 2 weeks later. RESULTS: Data confirmed the validity of the 2-correlated factors structure of the TOS. The questionnaire also showed good reliability, both in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability. With regard to the TOS validity, results showed that OrNe was significantly and positively associated with measures of psychopathology and psychological distress, while HeOr showed no correlations or negative associations with the above-mentioned measures. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, the TOS can be considered a promising measure for the assessment of both pathological and non-problematic forms of orthorexic eating behavior also in Italian population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.


Assuntos
Transtornos da Alimentação e da Ingestão de Alimentos , Ortorexia Nervosa , Humanos , Transtornos da Alimentação e da Ingestão de Alimentos/diagnóstico , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Estudos Transversais , Dieta Saudável/psicologia , Comportamento Alimentar/psicologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde
3.
Dev Psychopathol ; 34(3): 1163-1176, 2022 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33494855

RESUMO

Adverse childhood experiences are significant risk factors in the development of adolescent borderline personality disorder symptoms (BPDs). Theorists have posited that two personality vulnerabilities factors, self-criticism and dependency, may inform our understanding of this relationship. However, no research has examined the associations between early negative experiences, personality vulnerabilities, and adolescent BPDs. The current study aimed to identify profiles of dependency and self-criticism to examine the associations of these profiles with cumulative forms of childhood maltreatment (CM) and BPDs as well as to explore the mediating and moderating role of vulnerable personality profiles in the relationship between cumulative CM and BPDs. Two hundred and forty-one nonclinical and clinical adolescents participated in the study (Mage = 16.37, SD = 1.84). The findings indicated three different profiles: average dependent profile, dependent and self-critical profile, and self-critical profile. Individuals in the average dependent profile presented lower levels of CM and BPDs. Mediation analyses showed that relative to the average dependent profile, a higher cumulative CM history predicted a higher probability of belonging in the dependent and self-critical profile or the self-critical profile and, in turn, this was associated with higher levels of BPDs. No moderating effects of profiles of dependency and self-criticism were found.


Assuntos
Transtorno da Personalidade Borderline , Maus-Tratos Infantis , Adolescente , Criança , Humanos , Personalidade , Transtornos da Personalidade/diagnóstico , Inventário de Personalidade
4.
Eat Weight Disord ; 27(7): 2713-2724, 2022 Oct.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35648315

RESUMO

PURPOSE: Recent studies pointed out the importance to distinguish orthorexia nervosa (ON) from non-problematic forms of interest with healthy eating. This distinction needs to be further explored since it may favor a better comprehension of the relationship between orthorexic behaviors and psychopathology and lead to an improved understanding of the psychological processes implicated in ON. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the associations between ON and the core features of eating disorders (EDs), psychopathological symptoms and defense mechanisms, by differentiating three groups of individuals: an ON symptoms group, a healthy-eating control group, and a normal-eating control group. METHODS: College students (n = 270, Mage = 21.57, SD = 2.16) were recruited from Palermo's University, in the south of Italy, and were assigned to three groups: 52 in the ON symptoms group, 157 in the healthy-eating control group and 61 in the normal-eating control group. Participants completed four questionnaires assessing ON (EHQ-21), eating psychopathology (EDI-3), psychopathological symptoms (BSI) and defense mechanisms (DSQ-40). RESULTS: Compared to the control groups, the ON symptoms group reported greater EDs' features, higher psychopathological symptoms and greater employment of different neurotic and immature defense mechanisms. No differences were found between groups with regard to obsessive-compulsive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the notion that ON behaviors should be carefully distinguished from non-problematic forms of interest with healthy eating. Indeed, results suggest that ON individuals are characterized by similar clinical features and defensive functioning as those observed in traditional EDs, indicating the importance of deepening our understanding of the relationship between these conditions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.


Assuntos
Compreensão , Transtornos da Alimentação e da Ingestão de Alimentos , Adulto , Estudos Transversais , Mecanismos de Defesa , Comportamento Alimentar/psicologia , Humanos , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto Jovem
5.
Aging Ment Health ; 25(7): 1305-1313, 2021 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33291987

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: Older adults have been identified as a high-risk population for COVID-19, therefore it is crucial to understand how they perceived and reacted to the emergency. We examined age-related differences in emotions, cognitive attitudes, and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 crisis. Based on the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, we expected to find a positive approach in older adults, which may translate into lower compliance with restrictive measures.Methods: We analyzed data (n = 306) from a nation-wide online survey conducted between April 1st and April 16th, 2020. We compared young (18-29 years), middle-aged (30-50 years), and older (65-85 years) adults' self-reported emotions, attitudes toward the emergency, and compliance with governmental rules.Results: Older adults showed lower negative emotions than young and middle-aged adults. Also, older adults were more confident about COVID-related information received, more favorable toward the restrictive measures, and perceived lower underestimation of the emergency compared to the other age groups. However, older people anticipated a longer time for the emergency to resolve. No age-related differences in compliance with the rules emerged.Conclusion: Older people showed a positive attitude toward the emergency. This attitude was confined in the here and now and did not extend to expectations for the future. Compliance with rules was high across our sample. However, less compliant individuals were also less confident in COVID-related information received by the media and official sources, suggesting the importance of providing precise and reliable information to promote adherence to restrictive measures.


Assuntos
COVID-19 , Idoso , Surtos de Doenças , Humanos , Itália , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Percepção , SARS-CoV-2
6.
Pers Individ Dif ; 174: 110674, 2021 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36540758

RESUMO

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future are hardly predictable, and people differ in terms of expected repercussions on their future. This study investigated individual differences in the pandemic's expected repercussions, with particular attention to a Balanced Time Perspective (BTP). BTP reflects an individual profile with optimal temporal orientations, it is positively associated with mental health, and it has proven to promote successful coping with unexpected crises. We analyzed data from 3991 adults from 18 to 85 years old participating in an online survey conducted during the Italian lockdown. Participants provided information on BTP, affective states, financial resources, and expectations for the future. Multi-group path analysis was used to test the hypothesized model and to explore gender differences. Results showed that people with a more BTP had fewer negative beliefs about COVID-19's consequences on their future life. BTP affected expected repercussions also indirectly, via affects and beliefs. Finally, gender emerged as a significant moderator of some of the relationships highlighted. The present study contributes to the understanding of the psychological reactions to the current health emergency by confirming its impact on several life domains besides health, not only in the present but also in the anticipated future.

7.
Int J Psychol ; 56(4): 577-584, 2021 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33723883

RESUMO

The Italian lockdown following the spread of COVID-19 exposed residents to a long and unexpected period of managing offspring at home. Throughout this time, most parents continued to work remotely. The present research aimed at assessing multiple sociodemographic and psychological variables for parental well-being during the lockdown. An online survey was administered from 6 to 11 April 2020. Respondents were 917 parents aged 23-67 years with up to six children, aged 3-13 years. The measures employed were: 14 demographic questions, the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), the Emotional Symptoms and Hyperactivity-Inattention subscales of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Multiple moderated linear regression analyses were performed. Motherhood, higher levels of education, higher neuroticism, lower extroversion, and more child emotional and hyperactivity-inattention symptoms were found to be significant predictors of parent distress. Furthermore, a significant two-way interaction between child emotional problems and parent extroversion was found. Overall, parents showed high rates of psychological distress, signalling severe difficulties during the lockdown. Families with a child suffering from emotional and behavioural difficulties should immediately be detected by social services to activate support interventions to prevent chronic and amplified manifestations of these problems.


Assuntos
COVID-19/psicologia , Controle de Doenças Transmissíveis/métodos , Relações Pais-Filho , Pais/psicologia , Personalidade , Angústia Psicológica , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , COVID-19/epidemiologia , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Itália/epidemiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Personalidade/fisiologia , Inquéritos e Questionários
8.
J Pediatr Psychol ; 45(10): 1114-1123, 2020 11 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33068403

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Worldwide, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated significant worry, uncertainty, anxiety, sadness, and loneliness. In Italy, these effects have been particularly pronounced. While research on the COVID-19 outbreak has mainly focused on the clinical features of infected patients and the psychological impact on the general population and health professionals, no investigation has yet assessed the psychological impact of the pandemic on parents. In the present research, we conducted a web-based survey of Italian parents to examine the prevalence of parenting-related exhaustion-and to identify its associated risk and protective factors-4 weeks into the lockdown. METHODS: A total of 1,226 parents provided their consent to participate in the study and completed a demographic questionnaire, information relating to particular COVID-19 experiences, and measures of emotional exhaustion, parental resilience, social connections, and psychological distress during the lockdown. RESULTS: Seventeen percent of our sample experienced significant parenting-related exhaustion, with mothers more severely affected. Multiple regression analyses showed that greater parenting-related exhaustion was predicted by psychological distress, lower parental resilience, motherhood, fewer perceived social connections, and being single, as well as having a child with special needs, having a large number of children, and having younger children. CONCLUSION: The findings add further support to the call for preventive programs to support parents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health professionals and social workers should be warned of the effects of lockdown and social distancing on parenting and, consequently, the well-being of children.


Assuntos
Betacoronavirus , Esgotamento Psicológico/epidemiologia , Infecções por Coronavirus/psicologia , Poder Familiar/psicologia , Pais/psicologia , Pneumonia Viral/psicologia , Quarentena/psicologia , Adulto , Esgotamento Psicológico/psicologia , COVID-19 , Criança , Infecções por Coronavirus/prevenção & controle , Feminino , Humanos , Itália/epidemiologia , Masculino , Pandemias/prevenção & controle , Pneumonia Viral/prevenção & controle , SARS-CoV-2 , Inquéritos e Questionários
9.
Psychol Health Med ; 24(3): 281-293, 2019 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30299156

RESUMO

A number of studies have investigated the role of coping and social support as protective factors for psychosocial adjustment after amputation. In contrast, few have focused on the role of attachment styles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between attachment insecurity, social support, coping strategies and negative emotions, such as anxiety and depression, in adult amputees. Sixty-two amputated adults (71% males, 29% females), recruited from the Prosthetic Centre of the Italian Workers' Compensation Authority, completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Beck Depression Inventory II and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y. Based on Pearson's correlations results, we conducted a mediation analysis to examine whether the association between attachment insecurity (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and negative emotion (i.e. depression, state anxiety and trait anxiety) variables was mediated by emotion-oriented coping. Analyses revealed the role of insecure attachment styles in influencing the use of an emotion-oriented coping strategy in particular. The latter mediated the relationship between attachment insecurity, depression and anxiety in adult amputees.


Assuntos
Adaptação Psicológica , Amputação Cirúrgica/psicologia , Amputados/psicologia , Transtornos de Ansiedade/psicologia , Ansiedade/psicologia , Depressão/psicologia , Transtorno Depressivo/psicologia , Apego ao Objeto , Apoio Social , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto Jovem
10.
Hum Psychopharmacol ; 32(3)2017 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28557062

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe a sample of subjects admitted to a psychiatric unit after the intake of psychoactive substances for recreational purposes. METHODS: Between June and September 2015, 49 subjects were included. Sociodemographic characteristics and psychopathological aspects were investigated, and urine samples for further analysis were collected. Three subgroups (cannabinoids, stimulants, and depressors users) were identified, according to the structured interview regarding substance use and urinalysis. RESULTS: Level of aggressiveness was found to be significantly higher (p < .05) in the cannabinoids subgroup. Self-reported symptom severity was comparable among groups, but trends could be identified: SCL-90 results showed a prevalence of anxiety symptoms among depressors users, hostility or aggression in the tetrahydrocannabinol subgroup, and psychoticism in the stimulants subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: The use of psychoactive substances was be characterised by poly-use of both traditional and novel substances. The presence of aggressiveness emerged as a main feature associated with the use of cannabis and other cannabinoids. Binge drinking and sleep deprivation also represented a relevant component in almost all the evaluated subjects.


Assuntos
Agressão , Férias e Feriados , Drogas Ilícitas/efeitos adversos , Unidade Hospitalar de Psiquiatria/tendências , Psicotrópicos/efeitos adversos , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/epidemiologia , Adulto , Agressão/psicologia , Feminino , Férias e Feriados/psicologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Projetos Piloto , Espanha/epidemiologia , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/psicologia , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/terapia , Adulto Jovem
11.
Nord J Psychiatry ; 70(6): 424-9, 2016 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26906494

RESUMO

Background Anxiety and depression have been considered to be neglected disorders in epilepsy. Because panic disorder is one of the most important anxiety disorders, it has been problematic to use very comprehensive anxiety questionnaires in epilepsy patients, as panic attacks and epileptic seizures, although two distinct clinical entities from a diagnostic point of view, show a significant overlap of symptoms. Aims We have focused on single items for anxiety and depression as screening candidates in adolescent epilepsy. Methods The individual panic attack item in the Screen for Children Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders Scale (SCARED) and the single depression item in the Kellner Symptom Questionnaire were tested. Our samples consisted of adolescent patients with epilepsy and a matched control group with healthy participants, as well as two numerical groups acting as controls. Results The single panic attack item identified panic anxiety in 24.1% in the group of patients with epilepsy and 0.0% in the matched control group (p = 0.01). The single depression item identified 52.2% with depression in the epilepsy group and 6.2% in the matched control group (p = 0.001). Conclusion As screening instruments, single items of panic attack and depression are sufficient to screen for these affective states in adolescent epilepsy. The clinical implications are that it is important to be quite specific when screening for depression and panic attacks in adolescent patients with epilepsy.


Assuntos
Comportamento do Adolescente/psicologia , Ansiedade/epidemiologia , Ansiedade/psicologia , Epilepsia/epidemiologia , Epilepsia/psicologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adolescente , Ansiedade/diagnóstico , Criança , Emoções , Epilepsia/diagnóstico , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Transtorno de Pânico/diagnóstico , Transtorno de Pânico/epidemiologia , Transtorno de Pânico/psicologia , Psicometria
12.
Behav Sci (Basel) ; 13(2)2023 Feb 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36829370

RESUMO

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.

13.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36613081

RESUMO

The COVID-19 pandemic and its protective measures had a tremendous effect on the general population's mental health and deeply affected their lifestyle. The present study carried out a longitudinal analysis to evaluate the long-lasting psychological effects of the pandemic and its impact on the general population's day-to-day routine. Three points in time were considered: the initial period of the lockdown (T1; n = 2766; March 2020), the final period of the lockdown (T2; n = 439; May 2020) and two years after the lockdown (T3; n = 268; July 2022). Frequency analyses were carried out to examine which behavioral changes were maintained following the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown; furthermore, a repeated measures ANOVA test was run to measure differences in depression, stress, and anxiety levels between the three periods considered; lastly, multivariable ordinal logistic regression analyses were carried out to examine which variables were associated with psychological distress more than two years after the lockdown. The results highlighted that depression at T3 was associated with depression at T2 and negative affect, whereas stress at T3 was associated with stress at T2 and detachment. The psychological effects and lifestyle changes are also discussed.


Assuntos
COVID-19 , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , COVID-19/psicologia , Saúde Mental , SARS-CoV-2 , Estudos Longitudinais , Pandemias , Ansiedade/epidemiologia , Ansiedade/psicologia , Estresse Psicológico/epidemiologia , Estresse Psicológico/psicologia , Controle de Doenças Transmissíveis , Depressão/epidemiologia , Depressão/psicologia , Estilo de Vida
14.
Data Brief ; 35: 106892, 2021 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33748358

RESUMO

The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has unpredictably changed the way people live, by influencing their behaviors and beliefs. This article presents the raw data that have been used to investigate how the pandemic affected people's beliefs and expectations about their future. A total of 3991 participants (18-85 years old) were recruited through an online survey using the Qualtrics platform. The data collection was carried out during the Italian lockdown, between April 1st and April 20th, 2020. This survey collected information about psychological and socioeconomic variables related to the COVID-19 emergency. Respondents filled out a battery of questionnaires that included five measures. Three of the measures were specifically developed by the authors: 1. Expected repercussions of COVID-19; 2. Forethought scale; and 3. Perceived financial resources. The two other measures were standardized questionnaires: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory Short Version (ZTPI-short) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Data from tailored measures on the COVID-19 pandemic reflect people's beliefs about the future, in terms of expectation about the pandemic's effect, estimation of the time needed for the pandemic to resolve, and estimation of how long people could endure the lockdown situation from a financial perspective. The ZTPI questionnaire was administered to measure people's differences in terms of Deviation from Balanced Time Perspective (DBTP). The PANAS questionnaire, instead, was administered to investigate people's differences in terms of emotional mood states. The provided dataset could be useful to other researchers, considering that the data were collected during the lockdown imposed on Italian citizens to face the unprecedented emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the collected data may help to understand how people coped with the pandemic, both from a psychological and socioeconomic perspective. Finally, this dataset can be included in the broad context of data, procedures, and experimental materials that have been used to expand our knowledge in the study of time perspective, beliefs, and emotions.

15.
PLoS One ; 16(8): e0256095, 2021.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34398916

RESUMO

The COVID-19 pandemic is far more than a health crisis: it has unpredictably changed our whole way of life. As suggested by the analysis of economic data on sales, this dramatic scenario has also heavily impacted individuals' spending levels. To better understand these changes, the present study focused on consumer behavior and its psychological antecedents. Previous studies found that crises differently affect people's willingness to buy necessities products (i.e., utilitarian shopping) and non-necessities products (i.e., hedonic shopping). Therefore, in examining whether changes in spending levels were associated with changes in consumer behavior, we adopted a fine-grained approach disentangling between necessities and non-necessities. We administered an online survey to 3833 participants (age range 18-64) during the first peak period of the contagion in Italy. Consumer behavior toward necessities was predicted by anxiety and COVID-related fear, whereas consumer behavior toward non-necessities was predicted by depression. Furthermore, consumer behavior toward necessities and non-necessities was predicted by personality traits, perceived economic stability, and self-justifications for purchasing. The present study extended our understanding of consumer behavior changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results could be helpful to develop marketing strategies that consider psychological factors to meet actual consumers' needs and feelings.


Assuntos
COVID-19/epidemiologia , Comportamento do Consumidor , Estresse Psicológico , Adolescente , Adulto , Ansiedade/psicologia , COVID-19/patologia , COVID-19/virologia , Feminino , Humanos , Itália/epidemiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2/isolamento & purificação , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto Jovem
16.
Front Psychol ; 11: 567052, 2020.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33362632

RESUMO

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis is strongly affecting the psychological well-being of the general population. According to a very recent literature, the imposed lockdown and social distancing measures have generated a series of negative outcomes, including fear of the future, anxiety, and somatization symptoms. Few studies have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of parents and children, and still fewer studies have assessed the relationship between the psychological health of parents and children. The present study aimed at understanding the effect of parents' psychological distress and verbal aggression on behavioral and emotional symptoms of children during the COVID-19 lockdown. Using an online survey administered in the first weeks of the lockdown in Italy, we explored the mediating effects of parent verbal hostility and child emotional symptoms on the relationship between parent distress and child hyperactivity/inattention in a sample of 878 Italian parents (87.4% mothers; meanage = 40.58). Two hypotheses were proposed: (1) parent distress would significantly predict child hyperactivity/inattention, and (2) parent verbal hostility and child emotional symptoms would mediate the association between parent distress and child hyperactivity/inattention. The serial mediated model confirmed both hypotheses, suggesting that higher rates of psychological distress in parents were associated with higher levels of hyperactivity/inattention in children. Parent verbal hostility and child emotional problems were also found to positively mediate this relation. Our results may be used to improve sociopsychological interventions in the general population in the near future. They may also contribute to the clinical definition of therapeutic paths for parents and families.

17.
Psychol Trauma ; 12(S1): S79-S81, 2020 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32525382

RESUMO

The COVID-19 health crisis is strongly affecting the mental health of the general population. In particular, the pandemic may be producing psychological distress and collateral concerns for parents in lockdown, due to unstable financial circumstances, school closures, and suspended educational services for children. A call for measures to increase family-based interventions during the emergency is urgently needed to forestall psychopathological trajectories and prevent the exacerbation of vulnerable conditions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).


Assuntos
Esgotamento Psicológico/psicologia , Infecções por Coronavirus/psicologia , Transtornos Mentais/terapia , Serviços de Saúde Mental/normas , Pandemias , Pais/psicologia , Pneumonia Viral/psicologia , Angústia Psicológica , Adolescente , Adulto , COVID-19 , Criança , Humanos , Itália
18.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32867313

RESUMO

Since the initiation of the COVID-19 lockdown, Italian parents have been forced to manage their children at home. The present study aimed at investigating the psychological distress of parents during the lockdown, identifying contributing factors. An online survey was administered to 833 participants from 3 to 15 April 2020. Mediation and moderated mediation models were run to explore the association between parent neuroticism and parent distress, mediated by child hyperactivity-inattention and child emotional symptoms, and the moderating effect of living only with child(ren) on the direct and indirect effects of parent neuroticism on parent distress. For parents living only with child(ren), high levels of psychological distress depended exclusively on their levels of neuroticism. For parents living with at least one other person in addition to child(ren), distress levels were also mediated by child behavioral and emotional difficulties. Motherhood emerged as a significant factor contributing to greater distress. Furthermore, parent psychological distress decreased in line with increased child age. The results confirm that neuroticism is an important risk factor for mental health. Preventive measures should be primarily target multicomponent families with younger children and directed towards parents who are already known to present emotional instability and to parents of children who have received local mental health assistance for behavioral and/or emotional difficulties.


Assuntos
Infecções por Coronavirus/psicologia , Família , Pais/psicologia , Personalidade , Pneumonia Viral/psicologia , Angústia Psicológica , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Criança , Emoções , Humanos , Pandemias , Comportamento Problema , SARS-CoV-2
19.
Front Psychol ; 11: 567367, 2020.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33013604

RESUMO

On January 30th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Italy has been one of the most affected countries in the world. To contain further spread of the virus, the Italian government has imposed an unprecedented long-period lockdown for the entire country. This dramatic scenario may have caused a strong psychological distress, with potential negative long-term mental health consequences. The aim of the present study is to report the prevalence of high psychological distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population, especially considering that this aspect is consistently associated with PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, the present study aims to identify the risk factors for high PTSD symptoms, including individual differences and subjective perception of both economic and psychological aspects. We administered an online survey to 1253 participants during the peak period of the contagion in Italy. A logistic regression on the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R) scores was used to test the risk factors that predict the possibility to develop PTSD symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gender (female), lower perceived economic stability, higher neuroticism, and fear and consequences of contagion were predictors of high PTSD symptomatology. The results, highlighted in the present study, extend our understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the population's mental health, by identifying individuals at high-risk of developing PTSD. This may help with the implementation of specific protocols to prevent the possibility of developing symptoms of PTSD in target populations.

20.
Front Psychol ; 11: 568899, 2020.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33329207

RESUMO

Background and Objective: Currently, climate change represents an existential, physical, and psychological threat. Therefore, mitigation and adaptation actions and measures have become increasingly necessary to preserve individual and collective well-being. The psychological distance is one of the main psychological constructs that explains the most concrete or abstract perception of the objects and events surrounding people. The psychological distance is a multidimensional construct, and in accordance with the construal level theory (CLT), temporal, hypothetical, spatial, and social distance are considered the most critical dimensions. This systematic review aims to provide an update of the literature on the role of psychological distance in the commitment to engagement mitigation and adaptation attitudes toward climate change. Method: The review was carried out following PRISMA guidelines and a systematic search was performed on PubMed, Psycinfo, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus databases. Results: Nineteen articles have been identified as being eligible for the final synthesis. Results showed, in general, that individuals have a higher propensity to perform pro-environmental and resilient behaviors against climate change when it is perceived as more proximal and concrete within the construct of psychological distance. However, not all studies show this result. Some studies showed that, despite people considering climate changes as real and tangible, they do not perform mitigation and adaptation behaviors. Other studies showed that people implement these behaviors despite perceiving climate changes as distal and abstract. Conclusions: The current literature shows the existence of a relation among psychological distance and pro-environmental and resilient behaviors applied to climate change. For a deeper understanding of the conflicting results that emerged, more studies are necessary to explore the possible presence of further psychological variables involved in the relation within psychological distance, mitigation, and adaptation in environmental contexts.

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