Raffaella Perrella

Obesity and brain illness: from cognitive and psychological evidences to obesity paradox

Recent findings showed that obesity represents an additional risk factor to developing brain illness such as cognitive impairments and psychopathological disorders. However, some benefits of overweight in the elderly have been identified and an “obesity paradox” has been shown. Currently, it is still unknown how obesity and brain functioning could be linked, and the process by which body fat independently injures cognitive abilities and psychological well-being remains unclear. To establish the independent role of obesity on cognitive abilities and mental health, clarifying the role played by several factors and understanding their interaction is essential. In this review, we discuss the relationship between obesity and brain illness and underline the role played by confounders and other covariates to determine this link.

Child maltreatment: an attachment theory perspective

This paper offers reflections about the relationship between child maltreatment, attachment disturbance and psychopathology in Bowlby’s attachment theory perspective. Child maltreatment is a complex and frequent phenomenon that has pretty clear implications on the developmental outcomes of its juvenile victims. The areas most affected by the experience of maltreatments suffered during childhood are to refer especially to self-development and to the ability to structure healthy and stable relationships. This is the reason that justifies the choice to make the phenomenon to be figured out in the Bowlby’s perspective, who has always underlined in his works the importance of the role of attachment relationships structured during the first few months of life in order to define the psychological and relational development of the subject. In this regard, we discuss a single case to underline the effects that maltreatment has on children psychological structure in the short and long term, trying to comprehend the subject symptomatology presented in view of the attachment theory perspective.

Social behaviour, socio-cognitive skills and attachment style in school-aged children: what is the relation with academic outcomes?

ABSTRACT The present research explored the relation between socio-cognitive skills, as Theory of Mind and affective empathy, social behaviour, attachment style and scholastic success in children, aged from 8 to 11 years (N = 159; 90 females, 69 males; Mage = 9,60; DS = .78). Several assessment tools were administered to children on mentalizing abilities (Stories), empathy (FASTE), language (PPVT-R), attachment style (SAT) and learning (M.T. and AC-MT 6-11), while the teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire about every child’s social behaviour (SDQ). The correlational analysis and MANOVA prove that ‘secure’ children show more prosocial behaviour, moral mentalizing and empathic capacities in the classroom, receiving better evaluations from teachers and in learning tests. Moreover, socio-cognitive skills and prosocial behaviour are associated with academic performance, while the affective empathy is only related to teachers’ evaluations. Finally, the implications of these findings for theoretical and research development on socio-cognitive skills are discussed.

Continuity and discontinuity between psychopathology of childhood and adulthood: a review on retrospective and prospective studies

The knowledge of the possible development of a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed for the first time in childhood, is very crucial for all specialists in helping professions working with children and adults. Recent longitudinal studies have demonstrated the possibility that disturbances in childhood may increase the risk of psychiatric illnesses in adulthood, through a homotypic or heterotypic continuity. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review of existing literature on the psychopathological progression from childhood to adulthood, taking into account both prospective and retrospective studies, and the antecedents and conditions that may encourage/disadvantage the process of continuity of psychopathological syndromes. The study of the possible trajectories of psychopathological disorders is considered fundamental, as it allows the clinician to configure prevention strategies and evaluate interventions, but also to offer to the parent a more concrete vision of the possible risks of their child’s disorders to minimize them.

A Psychotherapy Perspective: what about on the Process and on the Outcome in a Functional Approach for Clinical and Personality Disorders?

The psychotherapy perspective deals with the points of connections between body and mind in a modern functional approach. Through the study of Metacognition, which is intended to be a connection that verifies the integration of different emotional and cognitive, and sensory and motor systems, we evaluated if is possible identify a overlapping between bodily change and metacognitive functions change.

Reflective and High Functioning in preliminary assessment

Objectives : In this work we tried to infer some important information in psychotherapeutic process from different measures. The primary aim was to obtain a better assessment of strengths and weaknesses of two patients during the first evaluation sessions and generally in psychotherapy. Methods : We used two main measures, the Adult Attachment Interview and the SWAP-200. The first assessed adult mental representations regarding relationships, while the latter assessed personality disorders and traits. We also measured reflective functioning through the Reflective Functioning scale applied on the AAI. As for the SWAP-200, the Personality Health Index and the RADIO were calculated. Results : We tried to explain in descriptive terms some unusual results from the measurements, comparing the data. Discordances in the different levels of reflective functioning of the two patients were explicated through the in-depth analysis of the SWAP indices, showing different ways to deal with personal and relational difficulties. Conclusions : Comparing two different patients that share similar scores in the assessment can be confusing. In order to better envision strengths and weaknesses of the patients it is sometimes necessary to go in depth of the different indices. Also, we tried to stress some of these results in order to better orient the therapeutic program.

Psychotherapeutic Change in Mental Health: Narcissistic Personality Disorder and its Treatment

The aim of this study is to analyze if a specific type of metacognitive deficit is present in a patient with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, if a metacognitive improvement can be detected during the psychotherapy treatment and if this improvement can be indicative of the effectiveness of psychotherapy itself . A single case study has been conducted; metacognitive deficits have been measured with the Metacognition Assessment Scale (MAS). In line with the hypothesis, results show a global and progressive improvement of metacognitive functions. We conclude in agreement with the current literature, the existence of a major deficit in “Understanding of Others’ Mind/Decentration” function, if we compare it to “Self-reflexivity” (both belonging to Metacognitive monitoring).