Gaia de Campora

Cultural Adaptation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: Reliability and Validity of an Italian Version

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of an Italian version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004). METHOD Three studies were completed. First, factorial structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of our Italian version of the DERS were examined with a sample of 323 students (77% female; mean age 25.6). Second, test-retest analyses were completed using a different sample of 61 students (80% female; mean age 24.7). Third, the scores produced by a small clinical sample of participants (N = 38; mean age = 24.2) affected by anorexia, binge eating disorder, or bulimia were compared to those of an age-matched, nonclinical female sample (N = 38; mean age = 24.7). RESULTS The factorial structure replicated quite well the six-factor structure proposed by Gratz and Roemer. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were adequate and comparable to previous findings. The validity was good, as indicated by both the concurrent validity analysis and the clinical-nonclinical sample comparison. CONCLUSIONS These studies provide further support for the multidimensional model of emotion regulation postulated by Gratz and Roemer and strengthen the rationale for cross-cultural utilization of the DERS.

The impact of maternal overweight and emotion regulation on early eating behaviors

Empirical data indicate that the risk for childhood obesity and overweight increases when one or both parents are overweight or obese. Such an association, however, cannot be entirely explained only by biological factors. Based on available literature, we hypothesized that maternal emotion regulation might play a role in explaining the intergenerational transfer of overweight and obesity. We conducted a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study: (step I) during the third trimester of pregnancy of 65 Italian women (33 overweight and 32 non-overweight), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were administered to assess the quality of their emotion regulation strategies; and (step II) seven months after the delivery, the feeding interactions between the participants and their babies were evaluated in a 20-minute video-recording, by using the Italian version of the Observational Scale for Mother-Infant Interaction during Feeding. When compared to the non-overweight group, the overweight group had more difficulties in emotion regulation, was more psychologically distressed, and had poorer feeding interactions with their babies. Perhaps more importantly, the extent to which the participants were suffering difficulties in emotion regulation during pregnancy predicted, significantly, and beyond the effects of pre-pregnancy maternal weight, the quality of the mother-child feeding interactions 7months after the delivery.

Gender moderates the relationship between attachment insecurities and emotion dysregulation

The relation between attachment styles and emotion regulation is well documented, and emotion dysregulation is considered characteristic of individuals with insecure attachment styles. Although gender differences in emotion regulation have often been reported, it is not clear whether the association between attachment styles and aspects of emotion dysregulation may vary across gender. A sample of 229 newlywed couples completed the Experiences in Close Relationship–Revised scale and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. First, we confirmed previous evidence on the association between attachment insecurities and emotion dysregulation. Indeed, attachment anxiety and avoidance were both related to emotional nonacceptance and lack of emotional clarity. Moreover, attachment anxiety was associated with difficulties in impulse control and limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies, whereas attachment avoidance was uniquely related to lack of emotional awareness. Finally, gender was found to moderate the association that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance had with difficulties in pursuing desired goals when experiencing negative emotions. Specifically, among women (but not men), attachment anxiety was associated with greater difficulties in engaging in goal-directed behavior when distressed. Conversely, the association between attachment avoidance and difficulties in pursuing desired goals when distressed was positive for men and negative for women.

Sintonie e dissintonie nei legami precoci: traiettorie di valutazione e considerazioni cliniche nei contesti ad alto rischio per lo sviluppo infantile

La maternal sensitivity e la capacita del caregiver di comprendere e riconoscere i segnali emessi dal bambino, interpretando accuratamente gli stati sia fisici sia psicologici e fornendo una risposta adeguata e contingente alle sue richieste. Obiettivo della presente rassegna e stato quello di tracciare la rotta dei passaggi teorici che negli ultimi trentacinque anni hanno condotto ad una comprensione piu articolata dei disturbi presenti all’interno della diade, con particolare attenzione ai contesti di scarsa e inadeguata maternal sensitivity, nonche agli esiti psicopatologici e neurofisiologici implicati nello sviluppo infantile. L’approccio interdisciplinare adottato dagli studi piu recenti sembra fornire una visione piu complessa ed esaustiva del ruolo e delle implicazioni legate a tale competenza materna.

Quando la relazione non funziona: il maltrattamento su bambini con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico. Una revisione della letteratura

La presente rassegna ha avuto come obiettivo la disamina della letteratura relativa al tema del maltrattamento e dell’abuso subito da bambini affetti da Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico (DSA). Gli studi emersi hanno evidenziato, da una parte, l’elevato rischio di vittimizzazione a cui i bambini con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico sono esposti e, dall’altra, la scarsita di indagini in grado di fornire informazioni specifiche, soprattutto rispetto all’intervento nelle famiglie. Gli studi esaminati indicano la necessita di stabilire programmi tesi alla prevenzione del maltrattamento e dell’abuso attraverso il miglioramento delle abilita sociali e di problem-solving dei minori e al trattamento delle disfunzioni della relazione genitore-bambino.

Skin to skin interactions. Does the infant massage improve the couple functioning

Transition to parenthood is a critical stage of life due to several changes the couple has to handle. A large body of studies described how transition to parenthood can be linked to the onset of depressive symptoms, as well as the perception of a low social support, and an increased stress, representing a risk for the early mother–baby relationship. Infant massage (IM) emerged as a helpful tool to improve maternal skills in interacting with the baby, and leading toward a decreasing of post-partum symptoms. However, a growing body of literature highlights that men also may experience post-partum diseases, representing an additional risk for the development of the baby. To date, no study observed the impact of the IM on both partners. The aim of the current qualitative research is to observe the impact of the IM on a single couple of parents at childbirth. Pre (Time 1) and post-intervention (Time 3) procedure has been established to observe the changes occurring over the time in the couple. In particular, each member of the couple filled out the EPDS, the BDI-II, the MSPSS, and the PSI-SF both at Time 1 and at Time 3. The treatment (Time 2) was represented by the IM training, and lasted 4 weeks. Findings revealed a decrease in depressive symptoms in both partners, as well as an improvement of their perception of stress related to parental role. No changes has been detected with respect to the perception of social support. The IM seems to be a helpful approach to prevent the establishment of pathological conditions in new parents. Although no direct measures on the child were used, the current qualitative data seem to suggest that the IM may represent a valuable tool to prevent the onset of early negative outcomes of the baby. Further investigations and empirical data are needed to improve the knowledge in this field.