scholarly journals Mentalized affectivity in a nutshell: Validation of the Italian version of the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity Scale (B-MAS)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260678
Author(s):  
Marianna Liotti ◽  
Grazia Fernanda Spitoni ◽  
Vittorio Lingiardi ◽  
Antonella Marchetti ◽  
Anna Maria Speranza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Reflective Functioning ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Italian Version ◽  
Empirical Foundation

The term “mentalized affectivity” describes the ability to reflect on, process, modulate and express emotions through the prism of autobiographical memory. It represents a bridge concept that integrates previous contributions on emotion regulation and mentalization, offering a quite unique perspective on affective and reflective functioning. The overall aim of this study was to validate the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity Scale (B-MAS), a 12-items self-report instrument, on the Italian population. We tested both the factorial validity of the instrument and its reliability and convergent validity with other similar constructs. We also obtained normative data for the Italian population, broken down by gender. Participants (n = 389) were recruited through snowball sampling. Data was collected through an online survey. Besides the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity Scale, the survey included an ad hoc schedule with questions investigating socio-demographic characteristics, and self-report measures of empathy and reflective functioning. Statistical analysis has shown a three-component (Identifying, Processing, and Expressing emotions) hierarchical structure underlying mentalized affectivity, mirroring the model already proposed in the original validation of the instrument. Moreover, the B-MAS showed good psychometric properties for what regards both reliability and convergent validity. The results of our study highlight the good operationalization and robust empirical foundation of the construct, revealing that the B-MAS is a promising instrument to assess mentalized affectivity. Its brevity makes it particularly valuable both in clinical and research contexts, and the normative data provided in this study will allow an easy comparison with the scores obtained by other samples (clinical and non-clinical).

scholarly journals Going through the lockdown: a longitudinal study on the psychological consequences of the coronavirus pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Gullo ◽  
Ilaria Misici ◽  
Arianna Teti ◽  
Michele Liuzzi ◽  
Enrico Chiara
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Data Points

Coronavirus 2019 pandemic lockdown in Italy lasted for 2 months, 1 week and 2 days. During this long period, one of the longest in Europe, the restrictions produced effects on people’s psychological well-being, with consequences that also continued after lockdown. The purpose of the study is to investigate these effects and how they changed in the general population over a period of time. We are also interested in exploring people’s post-lockdown anxiety and concerns. We conducted an online survey using snowball sampling techniques. The longitudinal study consisted of four administrations covering a period of 10 weeks between April (baseline) and June (last follow-up). Levels of anxiety and depression were assessed by GAD-7 and PHQ-9, coping strategies were assessed by Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and social support was assessed by MSPSS. Post-lockdown anxiety was explored by developing a set of ad-hoc questions. PCA was used to determine the principal categories of post-lockdown anxiety/concern resulting from the ad-hoc questions. Longitudinal data, given their nested structure, were analyzed through mixed modeling. Of the 411 responders at baseline, 169 had at least 3 out of 4 data points; the analysis was therefore conducted on this sample. Levels of depression and anxiety were found to be significantly higher in the study sample in comparison with normative samples for each of the fourtime points; levels of coping showed that scores from the study sample were significantly lower than normative data at all-time points. Levels of perceived social support were significantly lower than normative data at the baseline and the first follow-up. The results of the study suggest that the lockdown experience had enduring consequences on the mental health of individuals. Prevention and support interventions to limit the psychological distress caused by COVID-19 should be taken into consideration in countries experiencing a second wave of the pandemic.

scholarly journals A pilot study of the Italian adaptation of the Session Evaluation Questionnaire fourth version

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Rocco ◽  
Silvia Salcuni ◽  
Elena Antonelli
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Evaluation Questionnaire ◽  
Perceived Satisfaction ◽  
Clinical Session ◽  
Session Evaluation ◽  
The Impact

The Session Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ) measures the impact of counselling and psychotherapy sessions; it may be conceived as a bridge between psychotherapy process and outcome. Even if the original American SEQ has been translated into many languages, only a few translations have been validated. This is a pilot study that attempted to replicate the five-dimensional structure of the fourth version of the Anglo-American SEQ, for the Italian population. The SEQ is a self-report tool asking patients about their experience with the clinical session just ended; it consists of 27 adjectives in semantic differential scale, divided into three thematic parts: evaluation of the session itself, feelings after the session, and evaluation of the therapist. Data were collected on 111 outpatients attending the Dynamic Psychological Service for University Students, after their first two clinical interviews. Exploratory factor analyses were performed on each of the three parts of the SEQ. Results confirmed the original factorial structure, for Depth, Smoothness, Positivity and Arousal dimensions; Good Therapist dimension overlapped perfectly with the original one. The Italian SEQ showed adequate internal consistency. Convergent validity measured with an index of perceived satisfaction in the counselling process showed significant positive correlations. This pilot study showed that the Italian SEQ is a reliable instrument to measure the impact of clinical sessions. Validation studies are needed, especially to replicate the factor structure of the instrument and to better assess its validity.

Validation of Turkish and English Versions of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-B

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayse Aycicegi ◽  
Wayne M. Dinn ◽  
Catherine L. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Personality Questionnaire ◽  
Schizotypal Personality ◽  
Valid Instrument ◽  
Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Personality Features

Abstract. We present normative data for a Turkish translation of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-B (SPQ-B). The SPQ-B is a brief, self-report screening instrument developed by Raine and Benishay (1995) and is used to evaluate respondents for the presence of schizotypal personality features. We describe the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Turkish instrument and report intercorrelations among subfactors and total SPQ-B score. For comparison purposes, we present normative data for the SPQ-B (English version) from two studies examining schizotypy among nonclinical student samples in the United States. We report α coefficients and assess the convergent validity of the SPQ-B by examining the relationship between scores on the SPQ-B and performance on two existing measures of schizotypy and schizophrenic-spectrum personality disorders. Central tendency, distribution of scores, factor structure, and intercorrelations in both Turkish and US samples were similar, suggesting that our Turkish translation of the SPQ-B is a culturally valid instrument.

The trauma symptom inventory: Italian validation of an instrument for the assessment of post-traumatic symptoms

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Gambetti ◽  
L. Bensi ◽  
R. Nori ◽  
F. Giusberti
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Validity Scales ◽  
Italian Version ◽  
Trauma Symptom Inventory ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Trauma Symptom ◽  
Symptom Inventory ◽  
Post Traumatic

Aim.The trauma symptom inventory (TSI; Briere, 1995) is a useful instrument for the assessment of post-traumatic and common trauma-related mental health symptoms. The purpose of the study was to validate the Italian version of the original TSI.Methods.Participants from non-clinical (n = 285), clinical (n = 110) and post-traumatic (n = 30) samples completed the TSI as part of a battery that included self-report measures of trauma exposure [MMPI-2 PK scale and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R)] and of psychological symptoms [brief symptom inventory (BSI) and symptom questionnaire (SQ)]. TSI validity scales were compared with MMPI-2 validity scales in order to assess convergent validity.Results.The TSI Italian version showed adequate internal consistency reliability and a good convergent validity. Discriminant function analysis indicates a classification accuracy of TSI scales of 90% for true-positive and 91.4% for true-negative post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases. A revised three-factor structural model, which demonstrated an adequate and the best fit for the data, was proposed.Conclusions.The study extended the generalization and validity of TSI and provided some suggestions for eventually revisiting factorial structure of the questionnaire.

scholarly journals Breastfeeding Frequency of Primary Healthcare Professionals and Effective Factors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
EZGİ AGADAYI ◽  
Sanem Nemmezi Karaca ◽  
Gamze Ersen ◽  
Duygu AYHAN BASER ◽  
Hatice Küçükceran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Effective Factors ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean

Background: To determine the frequency of breastfeeding of mothers working in primary care, the differences between different employment groups, and the effective factors. Methods: This descriptive research study was conducted with a self-report online survey design. The snowball sampling method was used for the sample selection, and 151 family physicians and 126 family health professionals were included in the study during the research period (June 2019-December 2019). A 35-item survey was used to collect data. The response rate was 44.9% (49.5% family physicians/40.3% family health professionals). Results: The mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 3.9 ± 2.0 months, and the mean duration of total breastfeeding was 16.7 ± 8.5 months. There was no significant difference between the family physicians and family health professionals in terms of exclusive breastfeeding (P = 0.580) and total breastfeeding (P = 0.325) durations. The most common reasons for weaning was reduced milk supply (25.6%) and not being able to use breastfeeding leave (23.1%) due to problems at work. Of the sample, 41.3% had problems with their co-workers and 41.9% had problems related to patient care when taking breastfeeding leave. Working in a baby-friendly center (P = 0.010), prolonged exclusive breastfeeding (P < 0.001), and increased hours of breastfeeding leave taken (P = 0.001) had a positive effect on breastfeeding for ≥24 months while experiencing problems with co-workers in taking breastfeeding leave (P = 0.023) had a negative effect on this variable. Conclusions: All of the factors that were determined to affect the continuation of breastfeeding for ≥24 months are modifiable. It is very important for relevant authorities to undertake necessary action to improve the conditions of working mothers based on these results. Health professional that can maintain the balance between family and work will work more efficiently.

Italian version and normative data of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Pigliautile ◽  
Francesca Chiesi ◽  
Franca Stablum ◽  
Sonia Rossetti ◽  
Caterina Primi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Normative Data ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Performance Score ◽  
Italian Version ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Visuospatial Abilities ◽  
Gender And Education ◽  
Addenbrooke’S Cognitive Examination

ABSTRACTObjectives:Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) is a brief cognitive screening tool to assess five cognitive domains: attention/orientation, verbal fluency, memory, language, and visuospatial abilities. This study aimed to provide normative data (for total score and subscale scores) of the Italian version of ACE-III for gender, age, and education.Methods:A total of 574 healthy Italian participants (mean age 68.70 ± 9.65; mean education 9.15 ± 4.04) were recruited from the community and included in the study. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of age, gender, and education on the ACE-III total performance score.Results:Age and education exerted a significant effect on total and subscale ACE-III scores, whereas gender was on attention/orientation, language, and visuospatial subscale scores. From the derived linear equation, correction grids to adjust raw scores and equivalent scores (ESs) with cut-off values were provided.Conclusions:The present study provided normative data, correction grids, and ESs for ACE-III in an Italian population.

The Italian Version of the Affective Gottschalk-Gleser Content Analysis Scales: A Step Toward Concurrent Validation

1996 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-52
Author(s):  
Thomas Suslow ◽  
Marco W. Battacchi ◽  
Margherita Renna
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Standard Procedure ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Italian Version ◽  
Affective Content ◽  
Affective Content Analysis ◽  
Correlational Data

A first approach to the validation of the Italian version of the Gottschalk-Gleser Content Analysis Scales of Anxiety and Hostility is presented. To assess the validity of the Affective Content Analysis Scales the Gottschalk-Gleser standard procedure for obtaining verbal samples was followed and concurrently self-report measurements of comparable emotional constructs were applied. A short form of the Differential Emotions Scale (DES) was administered three times to 50 university students to measure the emotional state before as well as after speech sampling and the affectivity associated with the narrated life event. To investigate whether the Gottschalk-Gleser Affect Scales measure emotional traits the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory, an S-R Inventory of Anxiety, the Shame-Guilt Scale ( Battacchi, Codispoti, & Marano, 1994 ) and the Irritability Scale ( Caprara, Borgogni, Cinanni, di Giandomenico, & Passerini, 1985 ) were applied. Though the correlations between the measures were generally low, evidence of convergent validity emerged for the Gottschalk-Gleser Total Anxiety Scale, the anxiety subscales Guilt Anxiety and Shame Anxiety (that seem to measure an anxiety pattern consisting of several basic emotions) and for the hostility subscale Overt Outward Hostility. The correlational data indicate that the Gottschalk-Gleser Affect Scales assess emotional traits as well as emotional states.

Validation of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory in younger adults

2022 ◽  
pp. 016502542110643
Author(s):  
Tina Zhai ◽  
Phoebe E. Bailey ◽  
Kris D. Rogers ◽  
Ian I. Kneebone
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cutoff Score ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Component Structure ◽  
State Worry

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) in younger adults. Participants were 212 younger adults age M = 22 (range = 17–53) years. They completed a demographic information questionnaire and self-report measures: the GAI, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9), the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), and the Worry Behaviors Inventory (WBI). Data from the GAI were collected at two time points, one week apart, and data from other self-report measures were collected once via Qualtrics, an online survey platform. The internal consistency and test–retest score reliability of the GAI were excellent. It had good congruent validity with other anxiety measures, limited divergent validity with depression measures, and sound convergent validity with worry measures. The GAI showed good discrimination between probable cases and noncases of generalized anxiety disorder (participants who scored ⩾8 on the GAD-7) and its optimal cutoff score for probable cases of GAD was ⩾12. A unidimensional component structure of the GAI best fit this study’s data. This study has provided preliminary evidence that the GAI is reliable and valid for use in an Australian sample of younger adults.

Validation of the Italian Version of the Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale (BEIS-10)

2020 ◽  
pp. 003329412095977
Author(s):  
Ilaria Durosini ◽  
Stefano Triberti ◽  
Giulia Ongaro ◽  
Gabriella Pravettoni
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Italian Version ◽  
Good Reliability ◽  
Italian Context

Based on Salovey and Mayer’s conceptualization of emotional intelligence, Davies and colleagues developed the BEIS-10 scale, a 10-items self-report questionnaire that explores individual dispositions that people have about exploring one’s own and others’ emotions. To date, no studies assess the validity of the BEIS-10 scale in the Italian context. This article aims to fill this gap, exploring the validity, reliability, and construct validity of the Italian version of this scale. 244 Italian adults participated in the study and 67 respondents completed a second administration of the scale after two-weeks. The recommended statistical procedures were followed to validate the Italian version of the BEIS-10 scale and, after a back-translation process and a pilot testing, the five-factor structure of the scale was tested through a confirmatory factor analysis. Results highlighted that the five-factor model of emotional intelligence proposed by Davies and colleagues (2010) is confirmed in the Italian population. Data showed good reliability, good stability over time, and evidence of construct validity of the BEIS-10 scale. The BEIS-10 scale could be completed in a couple of minutes and it is particularly useful for collecting data in contexts in which time is an issue.

scholarly journals The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and its sub-scales: validation and updated normative data in an Italian population sample

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edoardo Nicolò Aiello ◽  
Antonella Esposito ◽  
Chiara Gramegna ◽  
Valentina Gazzaniga ◽  
Stefano Zago ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Frontal Assessment Battery ◽  
Assessment Battery

Abstract Background Deficits of executive functioning (EF) are frequently found in neurological disorders. The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) is one of the most widespread and psychometrically robust EF screeners in clinical settings. However, in Italy, FAB norms date back to 15 years ago; moreover, its validity against “EF-loaded” global cognitive screeners (e.g., the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA) has yet to be tested. This study thus aimed at (a) providing updated normative data for the Italian FAB and (b) assessing its convergent validity with the MoCA. Methods Four-hundred and seventy-five healthy Italian native speakers (306 females, 169 males; mean age: 61.08 ± 15.1; mean education: 11.67 ± 4.57) were administered by the MoCA and the FAB. FAB items were divided into three subscales: FAB-1 (linguistically mediated EF), FAB-2 (planning), and FAB-3 (inhibition). Regression-based norms were derived (equivalent scores) for all FAB measures. Results Age and education were predictive of all FAB measures, whereas no gender differences were detected. The FAB and its sub-scales were related to MoCA measures—the strongest associations being found with MoCA total and MoCA-EF scores. FAB sub-scales were both internally related and associated with FAB total scores. Discussion The FAB proved to have convergent validity with both global cognitive and EF measures in healthy individuals. The present study provides updated normative data for the FAB and its sub-scales in an Italian population sample, and thus supports an adaptive usage of this EF screener.

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