In the literature, the experience of siblings of children and adolescents with cancer has been extensively explored, mainly along two lines of research: the psychological impact of the illness on the typically developing siblings, and the support interventions designed for them. Instead, the effect of cancer on the sibling relationship itself has received comparatively little attention. This systematic integrative review aims to identify studies specifically focused on sibling relationships, to understand whether and how these relationships change during the illness, and what impact these changes may have on broader family dynamics. The review follows the PRISMA guidelines and includes seven studies identified through a comprehensive literature search. The findings were analyzed according to the research methods used and the themes investigated. Most studies employed quantitative methods, such as questionnaires, while only two used qualitative approaches, including interviews and focus groups, primarily with typically developing siblings. The studies reveal that siblings perceive changes in their relationship in ambivalent ways reporting both a general deterioration and an increased sense of closeness. These changes are also linked to their perceptions of the parental relationship. The results highlight a clear need for further research into the specific effects of cancer on sibling relationships and suggest indications for the psychological support to the whole family. More qualitative studies are recommended to explore the nuanced nature of these changes, with attention to the perspectives of both typically developing and siblings with cancer.
La percezione dell'immagine corporea rappresenta un complesso processo intrapsichico e interpersonale, che coinvolge la percezione, la valutazione e la definizione del Sé, anche attraverso le esperienze emotive vissute nelle relazioni con gli altri. Nel contesto della malattia oncologica, quando l'organo colpito riveste un forte valore simbolico, associato culturalmente alla femminilità, alla bellezza e alla fertilità, le ripercussioni psicologiche possono avere un impatto significativo e duraturo sulla qualità di vita della donna. L'obiettivo del presente studio è l'individuazione di un modello che illustri quali variabili siano significativamente legate alla percezione dell'immagine corporea nell'immediato post-operatorio di donne italiane neo-operate di carcinoma mammario, ipotizzando l'esistenza di tre classi di fattori interagenti: (1) variabili socio-demografiche e mediche; (2) variabili intrapsichiche; e (3) variabili interpersonali-diadiche. Il disegno di ricerca è osservazionale trasversale. Attraverso una strategia di campionamento di convenienza, sono state reclutate 162 donne italiane a seguito di un intervento chirurgico per rimozione di un tumore al seno. Le informazioni mediche delle pazienti sono state estratte dalla cartella clinica. Tramite un booklet di questionari sono state, invece, raccolte: (1) informazioni socio-demografiche: età e stato civile; (2) misure intrapsichiche: immagine corporea (Body Image Scale), tratti di personalità (Big Five Questionnaire Short Form), strategie di coping individuale (Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer e Perceived Ability to Cope with Trauma) e sintomatologia ansioso-depressiva (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale); e (3) misure interpersonali-diadiche: coping diadico (Dyadic Coping Questionnaire) e percezione di vicinanza del partner (Inclusion of the Other in the Self). È stato condotto un modello di regressione lineare multipla. I risultati hanno messo in luce che l'operazione chirurgica (variabile medica), la disperazione (variabile intrapsichica) e il coping diadico negativo (variabile interpersonale-diadica) sono significativamente legati alla percezione dell'immagine corporea delle donne del campione considerato. In accordo con quanto riportato nella letteratura scientifica, si evidenzia che la qualità dell'immagine corporea percepita dalle pazienti con pregresso carcinoma mammario scaturisce da un intreccio complesso di caratteristiche individuali distintive, dinamiche interpersonali e influenze contestuali strettamente interrelate.
Il presente contributo analizza l'esperienza del tutorato tra pari presso una grande Università del Nord Italia. L'obiettivo dell'articolo è quello di comprendere se l'esperienza di tutorato solleciti nei tutor lo sviluppo di competenze trasversali incrementando il livello percepito di employability spendibile sul mercato del lavoro. Le riflessioni sviluppate traggono origine da una ricerca fatta su un gruppo di laureati attivi nel mercato del lavoro. La ricerca ha adottato un approccio qualitativo, tramite la conduzione di interviste narrative semi-strutturate avente come obiettivo quello di individuare l'incremento di percezione della propria employability derivante dallo sviluppo di competenze trasversali allenate grazie all'esperienza di tutorship svolta durante il periodo universitario. Sono stati intervistati 30 tutor che hanno conseguito il titolo di laurea da almeno cinque anni e non più di dieci e che hanno avuto un inserimento ritenuto positivo e soddisfacente nel mondo del lavoro. Il materiale raccolto è stato analizzato secondo una metodologia qualitativa, riferendosi all'approccio dell'analisi di contenuto ed ha evidenziato una serie di competenze che i tutor le hanno riconosciute come sollecitate grazie alla loro esperienza di tutorship. Tali competenze, si sono dimostrate utili e hanno generato un vantaggio competitivo per i laureati sia nel percorso di inserimento nel mercato del lavoro che nel successivo consolidamento della carriera professionale. Le competenze evocate dai laureati sono state raggruppate in quattro cluster che hanno evidenziato come l'esperienza anticipata di relazioni finalizzate alla realizzazione di un obiettivo produttivo rappresenti una leva importante per l'incremento della percezione di employability.
In psicoanalisi, l'analisi clinica dei sogni può offrire all'analista un prezioso strumento per formulare un'ipotesi diagnostica. In questo contributo, propongo di esplorare il rapporto dei sogni in relazione ai tre livelli di organizzazione della personalità: nevrotico, borderline e psicotico. Basandomi sulla diagnosi strutturale elaborata da Otto Kernberg, valuterò la possibilità di individuare nei sogni le sette dimensioni fondamentali per la diagnosi strutturale della personalità, che comprendono: identità, relazioni oggettuali, esame di realtà, difese, aggressività, coping e valori morali, a cui l'autore di questo articolo aggiunge due dimensioni: tonalità affettiva e simbolizzazione/metaforizzazione.
The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of Ukrainian adolescents' reactions to martial law and related stressful situations. To achieve this goal, a comparative analysis of the results of a survey conducted in 2025 was conducted, in which 127 adolescents aged 15-16 years from Kyiv, Ukraine, and 105 of their peers from Mississauga, Canada, participated. The questionnaire covered four scales: emotional, cognitive, behavioural, and physiological. The study also included interviews with three class teachers and four subject teachers from a school in Kyiv to identify stress factors in Ukrainian adolescents. According to the results of the comparative analysis, high stress levels were three times more common among Ukrainian adolescents (40%) than among their Canadian peers (12%). In terms of the emotional sphere, the percentage of Ukrainian respondents who were in a state of constant emotional calm and confidence was lower than that of Canadian respondents-30% and 45.7%, respectively. In terms of cognitive functioning, there was also a discrepancy between the percentage of Ukrainian (36%) and Canadian (28.6%) students who had difficulty concentrating and memorising. Behavioural responses to stress manifested themselves, in particular, in the form of conflicts, the regularity of which was reported by 22% of Kyiv students; Canadian students (50%), on the other hand, were predominantly in a state of emotional calm and productive social interaction. On a physiological level, headaches, frequent illnesses and other symptoms were more common among Kyiv students than among Canadian students. During interviews with class teachers and subject teachers, age-related, political and socio-cultural stressors were identified, on the basis of which the following recommendations were made: reducing academic workload, conducting regular psychological training, and working with parents to create a favourable atmosphere for development. The results of the study can be used to improve the psychological resilience of adolescents and promote their harmonious development in conditions of uncertainty caused by the state of war.
Background: Mental health issues remain a significant concern in our society, ranging from mild to severe conditions. This study aims to document anxiety and somatic symptoms as two disorders that manifest to varying degrees in individuals, with the primary objective of exploring the relationship between these symptoms. Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between anxiety symptoms and somatic disorders in young people aged 15-21. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study design was employed. The sample consisted of 150 respondents divided into two educational levels: high school and university students. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure proportional representation of the target population. Participants were recruited via email invitations. Data were collected through standardized instruments measuring anxiety and somatic symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics version 27.0. Results: The sample included 73 girls (48.7%) and 77 boys (51.3%), with an average age of 17.13 years (SD = 2.18). Educational distribution comprised 42 participants (28.0%) in 10th grade, 43 (28.7%) in 11th grade, 1 (0.7%) in 12th grade, 53 (35.3%) in first-year undergraduate studies, 1 (0.7%) in second year, and 10 (6.7%) in third year. Of the 147 participants reporting residence, 49 (33.1%) lived in urban areas, while 98 (66.2%) resided in rural areas. The average anxiety score was 0.76 (SD = 0.6) and the average somatic symptom score was 0.57 (SD = 0.35). A significant positive correlation was found between anxiety and somatic symptoms (r = 0.725, p = 0.000).
Research on bilingualism showed mixed results about performance on cognitive tasks in preschoolers, and only few studies also considered children's socioeconomic status. This study aims at (i) investigating the difference between monolingual and bilingual preschoolers concerning socioeconomic status in the Italian context; (ii) investigating the difference between monolinguals and bilinguals concerning performance on working memory and executive functions tasks, and (iii) verifying the difference between monolinguals and bilinguals on working memory and executive functions tasks, also controlling for socioeconomic status. A large battery of working memory and executive functions tasks was administered to 91 typically developing children (Mage= 64 months; 44 monolinguals and 47 bilinguals). Findings reported higher socioeconomic status in monolinguals; furthermore, results showed that the monolingual group outperformed the bilingual group on some cognitive tasks administered. However, when performance of monolinguals and bilinguals was controlled for socioeconomic status, no significant difference emerged, and most effect sizes were indeed negligible.
Background: In contemporary China, parenting is characterized by high stress and authoritarian practices, leading to negative impacts on self-efficacy and well-being. Positive Discipline provides an alternative to improve family dynamics that is more in harmony with Chinese culture. The positive discipline method is appropriate for the Chinese culture owing to its focus on self-discipline and high academic achievement. The idea of positive discipline in recent years has emerged as a new effective positive parenting approach supporting both kind and firm parenting styles, contributing positively to child development. Aim: This study examines the impact of Positive Discipline on self-efficacy and subjective wellness of Chinese parents, focusing on culturally responsive psychological interventions. Methodology: A six-week quasi-experimental intervention with 62 parents from Fujian Province, China, utilised the validated Subjective Well-being Scale and the brief-parental-self-efficacy-scale-interactive. Data was analysed quantitatively through SPSS pre-and post-intervention by analysing the two variables self-efficacy and well-being. Results: Parents reported improved parenting self-efficacy, increased subjective well-being, therefore, a reduced stress post-intervention. There was a strong correlation showing the efficacy of the intervention in ensuring parental well-being in promoting a sense of parenting efficacy and subjective well-being. Conclusion: Positive Discipline nurtures self-efficacy in parenting and psychological well-being among Chinese parents. This would empower the parents to adopt a modern parenting style in Chinese society and adapt to the current parenting pressure. Incorporating PD into family support services might reduce parenting stress and improve emotional health.
Dysarthria is characterized by disruptions in motor control necessary for producing speech and other verbal sounds. These motor impairments often extend to reading, impacting both speed and accuracy due to the articulatory challenges inherent in speech production. Most dysarthria treatments traditionally focus on improving oral production. However, a novel approach involves targeting anticipatory processes through rhythmic stimulation combined with verbal fluency exercises. In this study, a remote intervention was delivered via an online platform, incorporating rhythm-based reading exercises for two patients (A and B) diagnosed with dysarthria. Following a two-week period of daily intervention, patients were assessed on reading and language fluency. Both patients showed considerable improvements in reading skills. Additionally, Patient B exhibited improvements in functions commonly impaired in dysarthria, including respiratory and articulatory abilities. In conclusion, this remote rhythm-based intervention resulted in notable enhancements in reading and language parameters in dysarthria. These preliminary findings suggest that this approach holds promise and warrants further investigation in future studies on dysarthria.
This study aimed to explore the characteristics of the adaptation process for students with disabilities and identify factors influencing the effectiveness of their adaptation. The research was conducted at the Kyrgyz National University "J. Balasagyn" and the Kyrgyz State Technical University "I. Razzakov" from September 2023 to March 2024. The study involved 120 students with various forms of disabilities, studying in different courses and departments. The methodology included a comprehensive approach using psychodiagnostic methods, questionnaires, and structured interviews. Data analysis revealed that 68% of respondents experience difficulties in interacting with their peers. The universities involved in the study are ready to interact with students with disabilities; However, 72% of participants pointed out the insufficient accessibility of the educational environment, which complicates their social and academic adaptation. Additionally, 45% of respondents reported issues with self-esteem and confidence, which negatively affects their social activity and academic performance. A correlation was found between the level of socio-psychological adaptation and the availability of specialised support programmes at universities. Students who had access to psychological support and participated in social integration programmes demonstrated higher adaptation scores (30% higher) compared to those without such support. The research indicates that addressing the socio-psychological adaptation of this group of students requires a comprehensive approach aimed at improving their integration into the educational environment.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has drastically reshaped our society, imposing quarantine and social restrictions and posing serious threats to physical and mental health, particularly for vulnerable groups, including pregnant women. This study aims to explore the transition to parenthood experiences of new mothers who lived conception and pregnancy during the pandemic in order to outline possible support and care pathways based on needs that were particularly evident during the emergency. The study uses a qualitative approach and includes 40 women who were interviewed in the hospital 24-48 hours after delivery. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Six themes were developed with related sub-themes: "Emotional experiences", "Changes before and after pregnancy", "Resources", "Difficulties", "Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic", and "Expectations for the future". Some women's experiences appeared to be universal and typical of motherhood, while others were specific and contextualized within the pandemic scenario. Carrying a pregnancy to term and giving birth to a child encompasses a range of experiences, including those that are unplanned, as they depend on the context. The fear of not being able to cope physically and psychologically is part of the normative growth process; however, the pandemic has specifically shaped this experience. Healthcare providers should pay attention to women's experiences of pregnancy and childbirth during the pandemic in order to identify postpartum needs and possible strategies for improving current care practices.
New generations are growing up in an increasingly digital world, where technological devices and virtual environments are a part of everyday life. This digital reality impacts all families, including those of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present study investigates the use of digital devices, particularly tablets and smartphones, by children and adolescents with ASD through an analysis of the current literature and a survey conducted on a large sample of Italian subjects. We aimed to explore the implications and challenges related to the use of these tools through an online questionnaire administered to parents. The results showed a significant prevalence of device use among children with ASD, with 94.5% of participants using at least one device. Despite the benefits reported in the literature, parents noted several critical issues, such as device dependence, social isolation, and behavioral problems. The relationship between the time of use and these problems suggests the importance of a well-balanced and supervised approach to technology use to maximize both educational and therapeutic benefits while minimizing associated risks. In this regard, we emphasize the significance of developing guidelines for the use of digital devices by children with ASD.
Body image perception implies a complicated intrapsychic and interpersonal process that includes self-perception, self-evaluation, and self-definition, as well as emotional experiences in interpersonal interactions. In the context of oncological disease, when the affected organ holds a strong symbolic value, culturally associated with femininity, beauty, and fertility, the psychological repercussions can have a significant and lasting impact on women's quality of life. Assuming the presence of three classes of interacting factors - (1) sociodemographic and medical variables; (2) intrapsychic variables; and (3) interpersonal-dyadic variables - the aim is to find a model that demonstrates which variables are significantly related to body image perception in the immediate postoperative period in a sample of Italian breast cancer patients. This is a cross-sectional observational study. Through a convenience sampling strategy, 162 Italian women who had already undergone surgery for breast cancer removal were recruited. The patient's medical information was extracted from the medical record. Through psychometric questionnaires, the following were collected: (1) socio-demographic information: age and marital status; (2) intrapsychic measures: body image (Body Image Scale), personality traits (Big Five Questionnaire Short Form), individual coping strategies (Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer and Perceived Ability to Cope with Trauma), and anxiety and depressive symptomatology (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale); and (3) interpersonal-dyadic measures: dyadic coping (Dyadic Coping Questionnaire) and perception of partner closeness (Inclusion of the Other in the Self). A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the type of surgery (medical factor), hopelessness (intrapsychic factor), and negative dyadic coping (interpersonal-dyadic factor) are significantly related to women's perception of their body image. In accordance with the scientific literature, it is shown that the quality of the body image perceived by patients with preexisting breast cancer stems from a complex network of individual distinctive characteristics, interpersonal dynamics, and closely interrelated contextual factors.
This paper analyzes the peer tutoring experience at a large university in northern Italy. The objective is to understand whether the mentoring experience promote tutors' development of soft skills by increasing the perceived level of employability in the labor market. The insights are based on a study conducted with a group of former students who are now active in the labor market. Research adopted a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured narrative interviews in the aim of investigating how through the tutorship experience during the university period enabled to improve the perceived employability through the training of soft skills. Thirty tutors were interviewed; inclusion criteria required that they graduated between five and ten years ago and that they had a perceived positive and satisfactory placement in the world of work. The collected material was analyzed using a qualitative methodology, based on a content analysis approach, and revealed several skills that-according to the interviewees - were solicited through their tutorship experience. These skills proved to be useful and generated a competitive advantage for graduates both while entering the labor market and in the subsequent consolidation of their professional careers. The evoked skills were grouped into four clusters that highlighted how the opportunity to early experience relationships aimed at achieving a productive goal is an important lever for increasing the perception of employability.
In psychoanalysis, the clinical analysis of dreams can offer the analyst a valuable tool for formulating a diagnostic hypothesis. In this contribution, I propose to explore dreams in relation to the three levels of personality organization: neurotic, borderline, and psychotic. Based on the structural diagnosis developed by Otto Kernberg, Iwill assess the possibility to identify in dreams the seven key dimensions for structural personality diagnosis, which include: identity, object relations, reality testing, defenses, aggression, coping, and moral values o which the author of this paper adds two dimensions: affective tonality and symbolisation/metaphorisation
The purpose of this study was to provide a picture of the school psychologist in Lombardy, by investigating related roles, functions and experiences. The aims were twofold: to describe school psychologists' work areas, perceived professional knowledge, skills, perceived obstacles, and potential resources for their job; to investigate the extent to which the seniority and the school grade in which the participants mainly worked affected these aspects. Participants were 285 Lombardy school psychologists (89,4% females, 56,5% aged between 36-50 years old, 58,2% with more than 5 years of seniority), working in primary, middle and high school, who were administered an online survey. Results provided an overview of school psychologists' perceptions regarding their work areas, knowledge, skills, and aspects to enhance and address. Findings also highlighted the existence of significant differences when considering seniority and order of school. Finally, evidence suggested the importance of specific trainings aimed to address gaps or critical issues related to school psychologist's professional practice.
The present study aimed to analyze the differences between drug addicts and non-addicts, in regard to family functioning and alexithymia, and also to investigate inter-individual differences of drug addicts relating to the dimensions of family functioning. The research involved 15 participants being treated for addictions to alcohol and/or other drugs in a therapeutic community and 15 subjects who were not addicted to substances. Significant differences emerged from the comparison between the two groups: the drug addict group has worse family functioning and higher levels of alexithymia. The analysis of inter-individual differences within the clinical group highlighted varied and non-homogeneous family profiles, but largely united by a marked disengagement.
The acquisition of numerical and mathematical skills is one of the primary objectives of formal education. This contribution is a critical review of the studies that have examined the development of the processing of symbolic and non-symbolic quantities in primary school children, and the impact that these skills have on the development of arithmetic skills. Furthermore, the evidence on developmental dyscalculia and the effectiveness of training for the development of numerical representation is examined. Understanding the development of symbolic and non-symbolic numerical magnitude is fundamental to plan more effective didactic interventions for the acquisition of numerical and arithmetic skills.
Introduction: There are many studies and reviews that investigate the most functional ways of explicitly teaching clinical reasoning skills in more traditionally healthcare areas such as medicine and nursing, hypothesizing that reducing the gap between theory and practice could guarantee continuity in the quality of care provided to patients.Clinical reasoning and critical thinking are aspects that in clinical practice guide the psychologist in diagnosis and intervention. However, in the psychological field there is a lack of experimental studies that address the issue of direct or explicit teaching of these skills.This systematic review study sought to investigate, via a systematic review, whether there is an association between the teaching methodology and the student's improvement in their critical analyses and clinical reasoning skills.Statement of the Problem: Despite the importance for clinicians, the interest of researchers and academics is quite recent. Teaching of clinical reasoning is, on the contrary, more common in medicine and nursing sectors. Methodology: Articles published from 2004 until 2023 within PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information, NCBI), Web of Science (Core Collection, Clarivate Analytics), Scopus (Elsevier), EBSCO, Scielo, and Psychinfo databases were searched through the following keywords: Critical Thinking - Clinical Reasoning; Problem Based Learning - Case Based Learning; Teaching Methods - Teaching Strategies; Learning Strategies - Clinical Learning; University; Intervention - Training; Psychology; Psychology Students.Results: Theoretical and practical implications to teach clinical reasoning and critical thinking in the psychological field were discussed, including recommendations for designing researches aimed at investigating the impact of the different methodologies, as well as the possibility of including education in critical thinking within the different levels of training dedicated to psychologists.Conclusion: The collected studies presented methodologies that, although different, significantly promoted the improvement of critical thinking in university students, demonstrating that it is "possible" to transfer this complex skill.
The indirect exposure to war could have an impact on children's construction of meaning about peace and war. The study investigates Italian children's representations of peace and war by observing the contents and expressive connotations of their drawings, and the possible influences of the conflict in Ukraine.Drawings of peace and war of 38 children (M = 9.43, SD = 1.47) were collected in Italy in the Spring of 2022 after the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Parents answered a socio-demographical questionnaire, including information about family indirect experience of war. According to previous literature, peace images resulted as positive actions or absence of war, and war images are typical objects and activities of war. In contrast to the negative connotation of war drawings, peace drawings were more colored and convey a positive expressivity. The majority of children began by representing peace and included few people in both drawings. The frequencies of references to the war in Ukraine are not high, even if the majority of children talked about war with their parents after the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Educational implications of understanding the representations of peace and war in children with indirect exposure to conflicts are discussed.
