Maria Rita Sergi

Cognitive Vulnerabilities and Depression in Young Adults: An ROC Curves Analysis

Objectives and Methods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate, by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, whether cognitive vulnerabilities (CV), as measured by three well-known instruments (the Beck Hopelessness Scale, BHS; the Life Orientation Test-Revised, LOT-R; and the Attitudes Toward Self-Revised, ATS-R), independently discriminate between subjects with different severities of depression. Participants were 467 young adults (336 females and 131 males), recruited from the general population. The subjects were also administered the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Results. Four first-order (BHS Optimism/Low Standard; BHS Pessimism; Generalized Self-Criticism; and LOT Optimism) and two higher-order factors (Pessimism/Negative Attitudes Toward Self, Optimism) were extracted using Principal Axis Factoring analysis. Although all first-order and second-order factors were able to discriminate individuals with different depression severities, the Pessimism factor had the best performance in discriminating individuals with moderate to severe depression from those with lower depression severity. Conclusion. In the screening of young adults at risk of depression, clinicians have to pay particular attention to the expression of pessimism about the future.

The Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Relation between Co-Rumination and Depression in Young Adults.

Research on co-rumination has investigated its relationship with internalizing symptoms, but few studies have addressed underlying maladaptive cognitive-affective processes that may play an important role in the maintenance of this relation. This study examines if Young’s schema domains mediate the relation between co-rumination and depression in a community sample of non-clinical young adults. Participants completed the Co-Rumination Questionnaire, Young Schema Questionnaire-L3, and Teate Depression Inventory. Correlations and path analysis were calculated for the full sample and separately by gender. The schema domains of Overvigilance/Inhibition and Other-Directedness fully mediated the relation between co-rumination and depression. When analyses were performed separately for males and females, mediation persisted only for females. Findings suggest that among young women, co-rumination with a friend may be associated with depressive symptoms because of its activation of specific maladaptive cognitive schemas. Better understanding of the content and processes underpinning co-rumination may have important implications for the prevention and treatment of depression.

Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Young Schema Questionnaire L-3: Preliminary Results

Schema Therapy (ST) is a well-known approach for the treatment of personality disorders. This therapy integrates different theories and techniques into an original and systematic treatment model. The Young Schema Questionnaire L-3 (YSQ-L3) is a self-report instrument, based on the ST model, designed to assess 18 Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs). During the last decade, it has been translated and validated in different countries and languages. This study aims to establish the psychometric properties of the Italian Version of the YSQ-L3. We enrolled two groups: a clinical (n = 148) and a non-clinical one (n = 918). We investigated the factor structure, reliability and convergent validity with anxiety and depression between clinical and non-clinical groups. The results highlighted a few relevant findings. Cronbachs alpha showed significant values for all the schemas. All of the factor models do not seem highly adequate, even if the hierarchical model has proven to be the most significant one. Furthermore, the questionnaire confirms the ability to discriminate between clinical and non-clinical groups and could represent a useful tool in the clinical practice. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

A Validation Study of the Psychometric Properties of the Other As Shamer Scale–2:

External shame is associated to social and emotional difficulties, which are predictors of psychological disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the shorter Italian version of the Other As Shamer Scale (OAS-2), a measure of external shame. Confirmatory factor analysis was used in a sample of 612 (54.2% male) Italian undergraduate students. Evidence for this model provided support for the assumption that the one-factor model was similar across the gender groups. The Italian OAS-2 fully replicated the one-factor structure of the original OAS. Cronbach’s alpha index, as well as test–retest stability provided satisfactory results. The OAS-2 showed good convergent and divergent validity, being highly correlated with measures of internal shame, trait anxiety, and depression. The OAS-2 can be considered a useful instrument for measuring external shame when time constraints impede the use of the 18-item OAS. Implications of the results are discussed and recommendations for future work with the scale are made.

Compatibility quotient, and its relationship with marital satisfaction and personality traits in Italian married couples

Abstract The increasing numbers of divorces and separations in Italy has focused the attention of many researchers on the necessity to develop psychological instruments to measure the probability that a couple will end their marriage. Wilsons compatibility quotient (CQ) is considered a valid test for measuring risk of divorcing in married couples. The test measures the level of compatibility or similarity between partners. One hundred and eighty-four Italian married heterosexual couples were administered the CQ, the Locke--Wallace Marital Adjustment Test measuring marital satisfaction and the Big Five Questionnaire. Couples with high compatibility scores have higher level of marital satisfaction and partners attractiveness. Energy, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability Openness and Agreeableness were also related to couple compatibility. Therefore, Wilsons CQ could represent a suitable tool for measuring divorce risk in married couples.

Associations between the Antioxidant Network and Emotional Intelligence: A Preliminary Study

Background Emotional intelligence (EI) can be broadly defined as the ability to cope with environmental demands. In the scientific research, however, there is not a univocal precise definition of EI and recent articles have underlined the necessity to explore its biological basis to advance understanding of the construct. The aim of study was to investigate if the antioxidant network may be associated with typical-performance or trait EI. Methods The study group consisted of 50 women (age, M = 25.10, SD = 3.87). Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione Reductase (GR), and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) activities were evaluated on proteins extracted from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells. Participants completed the Italian version of the EQ-i (Bar-On, 1997) as a measure of trait EI. Results We observed positive and significant correlations between some biological variables and EQ-i scores, and a significant predictive effect of CAT activity when controlling for related biological variables, age, and smoking. Conclusions Our preliminary study suggests that the antioxidant network may constitute some of trait EIs biological basis. In particular, CAT and the SOD/CAT ratio could be two biological variables involved in some specific components of EI.