PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND INTERNALIZING DIFFICULTIES IN ITALIAN EMERGING ADULTS

The new theoretical view of well-being considers happiness not only as “feeling good” psychologically but, in a wider perspective, as an optimal experience in human functioning. In the last years research has examined the trajectory of psychological well-being (PWB) over the lifespan, in particular during different life transition period, and its relationship with psychological health. Few studies specifically focused on emerging adulthood, a life stage characterized by many developmental challenges. As conceived by Ryff’s model of PWB, it is a complex and multifaced construct with different dimensions. The aims of this paper were to explore the PWB dimensions in a specific population of Italian emerging adults and to analyse the link between the psychological well-being and internalizing emotional difficulties. Findings showed in Italian EA higher scores in specific dimensions of PWB such as personal growth and purpose in life, and lower scores in self-acceptance and environmental mastery. Moreover, results highlighted negative relationships between all PWB dimensions with internalizing difficulties. This study suggests the importance of exploring the specificities of PWB both in clinical and health contexts in order to promote more tailored interventions specifically aimed for internalizing difficulties. KEY WORDS: Psychological well-being, happiness, internalizing difficulties, emotional difficulties, emerging adulthood.

Children’s mental health in different contexts: Results from a multi-informant assessment of Estonian first-grade students

The current study sought to investigate the agreement between teachers and parents about the mental health of first-grade students, the factors that affected this agreement and the associations between measures completed by students, parents and teachers. The investigation used baseline data collected during the PAX Good Behavior Game (PAX GBG) effectiveness study in 42 Estonian schools (N = 708). Information was collected about externalizing and internalizing difficulties and prosocial behaviour, and about inhibitory control. Our research showed higher agreement between parents and teachers about externalizing behaviour and lower agreement regarding prosocial behavior and emotional problems. Inhibition was correlated with teacher-rated questionnaires, but not with parents’ responses. Sociodemographic factors influenced the agreement between teachers and parents somewhat differently. This study highlights the importance of a multi-informant approach in students’ mental health assessments, as some problems might be less observable in certain environments or by some respondents. The practical implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions are provided for the development of a school-based mental health screening system.

A multiple levels of analysis examination of the performance goal model of depression vulnerability in preadolescent children

If performance goals (i.e., motivation to prove ability) increase children's vulnerability to depression (Dykman, 1998), why are they overlooked in the psychopathology literature? Evidence has relied on self-report or observational methods and has yet to articulate how this vulnerability unfolds across levels of analysis implicated in stress–depression linkages; for example, hypothalamic–pituitaryadrenal axis (HPA), sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Utilizing a multiple-levels-of-analysis approach (Cicchetti, 2010), this experimental study tested Dykman's goal orientation model of depression vulnerability in a community sample of preadolescents (N = 121, Mage = 10.60 years, Range = 9.08–12.00 years, 51.6% male). Self-reports of performance goals, attachment security, and subjective experience of internalizing difficulties were obtained in addition to objective behavioral (i.e., task persistence) and physiologic arousal (i.e., salivary cortisol, skin conductance level) responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and two randomly assigned coping conditions: avoidance, distraction. Children with performance goals reported greater internalizing difficulties and exhibited more dysregulated TSST physiologic responses (i.e., HPA hyperreactivity, SNS protracted recovery), yet unexpectedly displayed greater TSST task persistence and more efficient physiologic recovery during avoidance relative to distraction. These associations were stronger and nonsignificant in the context of insecure and secure attachment, respectively. Findings illustrate a complex matrix of in-the-moment, integrative psychobiological relationships linking performance goals to depression vulnerability.