1,721,050 research outputs found
"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live" (Goethe). Protective and mediator factors for internalizing disorders in early and mid-adolescence
Full text linkAdolescence is often considered as a period of changes and challenges, during which youth are at particular risk for developing psychological disorders (Lee & Bukowski, 2012; Verona, Javdani, & Sprague, 2011). Anxiety and depression are two very common disorders in adolescence (Angold & Costello, 2008; Vierhaus, Lohaus, & Shah, 2010). Several authors have focused on the study of the possible risk factors that might interfere or enlarge the chance to develop such maladaptive behaviors. Some empirical studies have reported good quality of attachment relationships and positive evaluation of self as two of the most crucial protective factors for the psychological well-being in adolescence (Lee & Hankin, 2009; Tambelli, Laghi, Odorisio, & Notari, 2012; Wilkinson, 2004). Other studies, have focused on how different trends of psychological disorders and attachment relationships are detachable within the whole adolescence. Thus the central purpose of this study is to examine the relationships of attachment, in particular to mother, father, and peer, and self-esteem to depressive and anxiety symptoms, in early and mid-adolescence respectively. A community based sample of Italian early (n=1078) and mid-adolescents (n=1138) completed self-report measures of attachment (Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, IPPA, Armsden & Greenberg, 1987, 1989; Greenberg, Siegel, & Leitch, 1983) self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, RSES, Rosenberg, 1965) as well as anxiety (Spence Childrenâs Anxiety Scale, SCAS, Spence 1997) and depressive symptoms (Childrenâs Depression Inventory, CDI, Kovacs, 1992). After the evaluation of the psychometric properties (internal consistency and structural validity) of each selected measure, age and gender-related differences are evaluated. Correlations between the total scores of the measure are reported. Through structural equation modeling it is assessed the direct influence of both maternal and paternal attachment on psychological health, self-esteem and peer attachment. Moreover, the influence of peer attachment on psychological health is totally mediated by self-esteem. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are considered and evaluated separately. The multi-group approach is used to evaluate gender differences in the model. To avoid the artifacts of sampling and to strengthen the obtained results, the cross-validation procedure is adopted. Results indicate good psychometric characteristics for each measure. Additionally, the comparison between the two age-groups show early adolescence report higher levels of attachment (to mother, father and peer), and self-esteem, whereas mid-adolescents report higher levels of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, in general girls score higher on levels of attachment relationships to peer and on anxiety symptoms, while boys report higher levels of self-esteem and paternal attachment. The major finding from the model concerns the crucial role of self-esteem. Maternal, paternal and peer attachment have only a weak effect on anxiety and depressive symptoms respectively, whereas the self-esteem shows a greater effect on both. The only one exception regards the strong direct role of peer attachment on depressive symptoms showed by the mid-adolescents sample. However, the primary effect of the considered attachment relationships is on self-esteem. Symptom and age-related differences are discussed. To conclude, this study suggests that it is the evaluation of the self rather than the quality of attachment relationships that may influence the levels of psychological symptoms reported by early and mid-adolescents. Limits of the study and implications for research are presente
Per una lettura sociologica del tema carcerario
No full textIl tema carcerario è sempre stato presente nel pensiero sociologico. In tal senso, il contributo propone alcuni dei principali autori che hanno analizzato la detenzion
Familism and depressive symptoms among Italian adolescents: The mediating effect of parental attachment
No full textFamilism refers to “a culturally grounded way of valuing family that emphasizes an ideal for family relationships to be warm, close, and supportive and that family be prioritized over self”. It is considered a core value of Latino culture and a crucial protective factor of psychological health among Latino populations. However, scant research has addressed the possible value of familism and the association between familism and psychological health and the underpinning mechanisms among Italian adolescents. The current study aimed to test the relation of familism to depressive symptoms and the mediating effect of parental attachment in an Italian adolescent sample. Participants (N = 513) completed self-report measures assessing familism, parental attachment, and depressive symptoms. Results of the total effect model showed that familism was negatively related to depressive symptoms. In the indirect effect model, it was found that the relationship between familism and depressive symptoms was mediated by both maternal attachment and paternal attachment. Moreover, results of multi-group path analyses revealed that the associations among familism, parental attachment, and depressive symptoms did not differ by sex but by developmental period (i.e., early- vs. middle adolescence). In conclusion, this research suggests the protective role of familism in Italian adolescents’ depressive symptoms
Meaning in life, self-control and psychological distress among adolescents: A cross-national study
Full text linkMeaning in life refers to the sense made of, and significance felt regarding, the nature of one's being and existence and includes two dimensions (i.e., presence of meaning and search for meaning, Steger et al., 2006). This research aimed to: (1) compare the mean level differences in presence of meaning and search for meaning among Chinese and Italian adolescents; (2) examine the association between presence of and search for meaning and psychological distress; (3) test self-control as a mediator in the aforesaid relationship, and (4) compare the direct and the indirect effects between the two samples. To this end, self-report questionnaires were administered to Chinese (N = 270) and Italian (N = 279) adolescents. Results showed that Chinese adolescents reported greater search for meaning than their Italian counterparts. Moreover, presence of meaning was negatively related to psychological distress whereas search for meaning was positively related to psychological distress, through self-control in both samples with similar magnitude. Collectively, the findings contribute to the knowledge about the influence of meaning in life on adolescent psychological health and the underlying mechanisms. The dialectic model of meaning in life, a model that assumes cultural differences in presence of meaning and search for meaning, is partially supported
Il processo psicoterapeutico di un giovane adolescente attraverso gli interventi del terapeuta
No full textEarly evidence of the Italian validation of Separation Anxiety Assessment Scale for Children
Full text linkThis study is aimed at validating the Separation Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) in a sample of 802 Italian children aged 8–11. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the original model. The tool showed adequate reliability and good convergent validity with the Spence Children Anxiety Scale. Results confirmed a decrease of separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) with age and girls reported higher levels of SAD than boys. Findings suggested that the SASC is a suitable measure to assess SAD in Italian children
Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS): lo psicologo valuta il funzionamento del bambino.
No full textL'inesprimibile peso dell'angoscia: l'AAP dei genitori nella comprensione della paura in età scolare
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