Federica Andrei

The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Internal Structure, Convergent, Criterion, and Incremental Validity in an Italian Sample

This study investigated the structure and validity of the Italian translation of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Data were self-reported from 227 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure of the scale. Hierarchical regressions also demonstrated its incremental validity beyond demographics, the Big Five, emotion regulation strategies, and self-enhancement.

Effects of assisted reproductive technology and of women's quality of life on depressive symptoms in the early postpartum period: A prospective case-control study

Abstract This study explored the influence of both assisted reproductive technology (ART) and reduced quality of life (QoL) during pregnancy on postpartum blues (PPB). Sixty-three sub-fertile patients who conceived through ART and 72 women who naturally conceived were enrolled in this prospective study. At 22nd and 32nd gestational weeks, women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36), to investigate depressive symptoms and QoL, respectively; EPDS was again used at 15 days after birth to assess PPB. At both time points, higher EPDS scores and lower mental well-being scores (SF-36) significantly predicted PPB. The number of previous ART cycles emerged as the strongest predictor, whereas no significant effect was observed for the conceiving method. The results suggest the usefulness of assessing QoL during pregnancy and considering previous ART failures in preventing PPB.

Effect of the previous reproductive outcomes in subfertile women after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments on perinatal anxious and depressive symptomatology

Abstract Introduction: The present study aims to investigate the effects of previous reproductive outcomes on the levels of depression, anxiety and perceived social support in subfertile women who conceived after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. Methods: A prospective cohort study was developed. Data were collected on subfertile patients who conceived after IVF/ICSI treatment. All demographic and clinical data were recorded. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support at 22 and 32 weeks of gestation and 15 days after delivery were completed. Data were analyzed comparing patients who conceived at their first IVF/ICSI cycle, after one unsuccessful ARTs cycle, and after multiple unsuccessful IVF/ICSI cycles. Results: A significant increase in state anxiety and depression scores from 22 gestational weeks of gestation to 15 days after delivery was observed in patients who received multiple unsuccessful IVF/ICSI cycles compared with other groups. No significant difference in perceived social support was detected among groups. The differences in depression and anxiety scores remained consistent after controlling for perceived social support. Discussion: A history of unsuccessful IVF/ICSI treatments seems to leave women more vulnerable in facing the duties of the new parental role. Such possibility underlies the importance of the availability of a psychological support for these women, even after a successful medical treatment for infertility.

Pattern of mother-child feeding interactions in preterm and term dyads at 18 and 24 months.

Literature on mother–child feeding interactions during the transition to self-feeding in preterm populations is lacking, particularly through observational methods. The present research study aims to look at the longitudinal patterns of mother–toddler feeding interactions, comparing preterm and full term dyads. To this end, a multi-method approach was used to collect data from 27 preterm to 20 full-term toddlers and their mothers. For each dyad, mother–child interactions were observed during the snack time at 18 and 24 months of age and then assessed through the Italian version of the Feeding Scale. Higher scores on the scale indicate a less healthy pattern of interaction. Additionally, at both points in time, mothers completed the BDI-II questionnaire as a screen for maternal depression and the child’s developmental stage was assessed using the Griffiths Scales. A series of repeated measures Analysis of Variances were run to detect differences in feeding interactions between the two groups at the time of assessment. Our results show that preterm dyads report overall higher levels of maternal negative affection, interactional conflicts, and less dyadic reciprocity during the meal compared to full-term dyads. Additionally, longitudinal data show that dyadic conflict decreases in both groups, whereas the child’s food refusal behaviors increase in the preterm group from 18 to 24 months. No differences were reported for both the BDI-II and the child’s development for the two groups. The results reveal that regardless of maternal depression and the child’s developmental stage, the two groups show different trajectories in the pattern of feeding interactions during the transition to self –feeding, at 18 and 24 months, with overall less positive interactions in preterm mother–child dyads.

Emotional intelligence, emotion regulation and affectivity in adults seeking treatment for obesity

Obesity has become an increasingly widespread endemic with social implications; however, the relationship between higher body mass index (BMI) and psychological functioning is still not fully understood. This study examined the differences in affect-related psychological variables among BMI classes. A total of 134 adults seeking treatment for obesity and 124 controls completed a set of questionnaires to assess: trait emotional intelligence, emotion regulation strategies, anxiety, depression, binge eating behaviors and happiness. Correlations and multivariate analysis of variance were run per each study variable controlling for BMI class (normal weight, overweight, or obesity class I, II, III). Individuals with obesity class III were characterized by reduced trait emotional intelligence and happiness, and a higher tendency to use emotion suppression compared to normal weight individuals. All individuals with obesity also showed higher levels of depression and binge eating behaviors compared to both normal weight and overweight adults. Depression and emotion suppression were the most relevant discriminant factors across BMI classes, while trait emotional intelligence resulted as an important psychological factor clustering individual differences between obese and non-obese individuals. These results suggest that more attention to the affective domain of psychological functioning is needed for proper and comprehensive treatment of obesity.