1,721,061 research outputs found
Pornography consumption in pre-/early adolescents: a study on the links with emotion regulation and internalizing/externalizing symptoms
No full textThe prevalence of adolescents watching pornographic material online is growing in the last years. At the same time the average age of youth showing this behavior is rapidly decreasing. Research in this field has focused on adolescents ranging 11–18 years of age, whereas no attention has been given to younger youths. Using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Teacher’s Report Form, this study aimed at evaluating in male and female 9–10 years old subjects: the frequency of porn watching, emotion regulation, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms, verifying whether higher consumption of porn was associated with more maladaptive psychological functioning. Our results showed that the prevalence and frequency of porn watching was higher in males than in females. Moreover, we found that emotion regulation and internalizing/externalizing problems were associated with higher consumption of pornographic material. This study could shed light on the phenomenon of porn watching in pre/early adolescence, which has not been considered in previous literature
Mothers with Dysregulated Eating and Their Offspring’s Emotional/Behavioral Functioning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Study
No full textObjective: Research on the psychopathological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has not specifically focused on mothers with dysregulated eating and their children. Methods: This study aimed to observe whether the symptoms of mothers with binge eating episodes (assessed through the SCL-90/R and the TFEQ-R18) worsened from the pre-pandemic period (T1) to the pandemic period (T2). In addition, we sought to assess whether the levels of internalizing/externalizing and dysregulation symptoms in children (assessed through the CBCL 6-18) worsened from T1 to T2. Results: Our results showed that the values obtained for mothers in the SCL-90/R were significantly higher at T2 (during the pandemic), particularly for Depression, Phobic Anxiety, Interpersonal Sensitivity, and Obsessive-Compulsive subscales. Moreover, in both the Emotional Eating and Uncontrolled Eating subscales of the TFEQ-R18, mothers at T2 scored substantially higher than mothers at T1. The emotional/behavioral functioning of children was more maladaptive at T2, according to mothers, especially for the subscales of Withdrawn, Anxious/Depressed, and Aggressive Behavior. Children also had significantly higher scores on the Internalizing and Externalizing subscales, as well as greater symptoms of dysregulation. Conclusions: This study contributes to demonstrating that the COVID-19 pandemic may have had increased maladaptive emotional/behavioral functioning in children and their mothers with dysregulated eating
Stability of and Change in Psychopathological Risk Levels in Pre-Early Adolescents before, during, and after Their Study Sojourns: A Descriptive Study
No full textBackground: Adolescents can benefit from studying abroad in terms of personal development, cross-cultural encounters, and academic enrichment. This article digs into the psychological challenges that students may face before and during their study abroad, focusing on the emotional components of their experiences. Methods: The current descriptive study sought to assess the stability or change in levels of psychopathological risk in a sample of N = 195 adolescents before and during a study abroad sojourn. To examine psychological symptoms in pre-adolescents, teachers were asked to complete a report-form questionnaire. Results: The findings of this study revealed that students' psychological functioning changed significantly after their study abroad experience. Anxious/depressed and withdrawn ratings specifically increased from the pre-sojourn assessment (T1) to the evaluation during the stay (T2), then remained consistent (T3). In addition, the scores for rule-breaking and aggressive conduct changed, increasing from T1 to T2 and then decreasing from T2 to T3. This trend implies that teenagers may struggle with behavioral challenges early in their study abroad experience, but subsequently adjust and improve their conduct as they grow more used to the new environment. Conclusions: this research offers insight into the emotional and behavioral issues that adolescents face when studying abroad, underlining the significance of treating psychopathological risk factors in this demographic
What are the effects of screen time on emotion regulation and academic achievements? A three-wave longitudinal study on children from 4 to 8 years of age
No full textThe use of digital devices among very young children is quickly spreading, although the effects of screen
time on emotional and cognitive functioning are still debated. In a sample of N = 422 children and their
mothers, this 4-year longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that the use of digital devices as
smartphones and tablets at 4 years of age is related to later dysregulation symptoms and to lower academic
achievements both at 6 and 8 years of age. Children’s mothers were asked whether or not their offspring
had access to digital devices and what was their average screen time on a typical day. Mothers were also
requested to specify whether they used to participate in their children’s activities during screen time and to
report their offspring emotional/behavioral functioning. Children’s teachers were administered the Teachers
Report Form including the competence part to evaluate academic achievements and possible dysregulation
symptoms of their students. The Structural Equation Modeling showed that screen time at 4 years of age,
the child was directly, positively and significantly associated with dysregulation and negatively associated
with mathematics and literacy grades at 8 years of age of the child. These results could help orientate the
guidelines for the use of digital devices by very young children
Do text messages impact adolescents’ sleep? A Narrative Review
No full textNew technologies, such as cell phones, are now a fundamental part of daily life and have become an essential tool in the social lives of all individuals. Adolescent sleep has been explored through various conceptual and empirical models and the most recent research shows that electronic media use has a significant role in sleep, especially during adolescence. This paper reviews the current knowledge of the impact of adolescents’ text messaging habits and their sleep health. A narrative review of the literature on the impact of texting habits on adolescents’ sleep was performed. Empirical evidence concerning adolescents’ sleep confirms the relevance of texting habits in developing and maintaining sleep disturbances. In particular, increased time spent texting after getting into bed is associated with insufficient sleep, insomnia, and irregular sleep patterns, such as social jetlag, tiredness in school, difficulties in both waking up and falling asleep and differences between weeknights and weekends
Peripartum Depressive Symptoms in Fathers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textBackground: This research investigates peripartum depression in fathers during COVID-19, focusing on how pandemic-related distress is associated with paternal depressive symptoms and the quality of father-child feeding interactions. The primary objective was to understand if the pandemic has influenced depressive symptoms in new fathers and how these symptoms impact their interactions with their children, especially during feeding. Methods: Utilizing a cross-sectional design, the research employs online surveys and remote observation to gather data from 243 Italian fathers. The analysis involves established psychometric tools like the Symptoms Check-List/90R and the Peritraumatic Distress Index to assess the severity of depressive symptoms and their correlation with father-child interaction exchanges, observed through the SVIA. Results: The fathers' peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 was significantly and positively associated with the level of their depressive symptoms and negatively correlated with the quality of their feeding interactions with their children. Moreover, elevated levels of peritraumatic stress were notably predictive of higher instances of depressive symptoms in the fathers. Further, higher levels of stress associated with COVID-19 were predictive of a poorer quality of father-child interactions. Conclusions: This research highlights the need for inclusive perinatal support programs, offering foundational insights into paternal mental health during pandemics
Some Considerations about Pornography Watching in Early Adolescence
No full textAdolescence is a time of significant transition because of the rapid acceleration of bodily changes [...
A longitudinal study for the empirical validation of an etiopathogenetic model of internet addiction in adolescence based on early emotion regulation
Full text linkSeveral etiopathogenetic models have been conceptualized for the onset of Internet Addiction (IA). However, no study had evaluated the possible predictive efect of early emotion regulation strategies on the development of IA in adolescence. In a sample of N = 142 adolescents with Internet Addiction, this twelve-year longitudinal study aimed at verifying whether and how emotion regulation strategies (self-focused versus other-focused) at two years of age were predictive of school-age children's internalizing/externalizing symptoms, which in turn fostered Internet Addiction (compulsive use of the Web versus distressed use) in adolescence. Our results confrmed our hypotheses demonstrating that early emotion regulation has an impact on the emotional-behavioral functioning in middle childhood (8 years of age), which in turn has an infuence on the onset of IA in adolescence. Moreover, our results showed a strong, direct statistical link between the characteristics of emotion regulation strategies in infancy and IA in adolescence. Tese results indicate that a common root of unbalanced emotion regulation could lead to two diferent manifestations of Internet Addiction in youths and could be useful in the assessment and treatment of adolescents with I
Further Evidence on Online Video-Feedback Intervention: Enhancing Parent–Child Interactions and Reducing Disordered Eating in Children
No full textBackground: This study evaluated the effectiveness of an online intervention designed to improve parent-child interactions and address disordered eating behaviors in children. Using remote video-feedback sessions based on observations of mother-child feeding interactions, the intervention offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional in-person methods. Aims: The study aimed to assess the impact of online intervention on the quality of mother-child interactions during feeding and its effectiveness in reducing psychopathological symptoms in both mothers and children. Methods: The intervention was conducted entirely online, with improvements measured using SVIA scores for mother-child interactions and the SCL-90/R Global Severity Index (GSI) for maternal psychopathological symptoms, alongside evaluations of children's emotional and behavioral functioning, particularly anxiety, depression, and aggression. Results: The intervention significantly improved the quality of mother-child interactions across all SVIA subscales and led to reductions in maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as decreases in children's emotional and behavioral symptoms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that online video-feedback interventions can effectively enhance mother-child relationships and reduce psychopathological symptoms in both mothers and children, although further research with larger sample sizes and more robust statistical analyses is needed to confirm these results
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