Ricerca pubblicazioni scientifiche

@article{Visco-Comandini2021,

title = {Depression in the Mirror: Depression Severity and Its Link to Negative Judgments of Symptoms},

author = {Federica Visco-Comandini and Andrea Gragnani and Mauro Giacomantonio and Giuseppe Romano and Manuel Petrucci and Francesco Mancini},

editor = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},

url = {https://apc.it/2021-mancini-depression-in-the-mirror-visco/},

doi = {doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.621282},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-07-23},

journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},

volume = {12},

abstract = {Background and Objectives: Depressive states represent a normal and physiological response to the experience of loss. However, it is possible to identify some elements that allow distinguishing physiological depressive states from pathological ones. Over the years, research has confirmed that a stable tendency to negative self-evaluation is a transdiagnostic factor that triggers and amplifies dysfunctional emotional reactivity, thus contributing to the shift from normal to pathological reaction. In this sense, the secondary problem, or meta-emotional problem, referring to the negative evaluation of one’s depressive state and the consequent dysfunctional attempts to solve it, seems to play an important role. The aim of the present study is to investigate how dysfunctional beliefs and the evaluations of depressive symptoms (meta-emotional problems) are

related to depression severity.

Methods: We asked to a community sample to focus on the depressive symptoms they regard as most distressful and evaluate them through specific questionnaires. One-hundred and eighty nine participants were asked to complete a set of

questionnaires: (1) the Meta-Emotional Problem Questionnaire; (2) the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; (3) the Beck Depression Inventory; (4) the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale-24 in order to investigate the relation between dysfunctional beliefs, meta-emotional problems, and depressive symptoms severity.

Results: Our results show that higher levels of depression are associated both to more pervasive dysfunctional attitudes and increased evaluation of meta-emotional problem. In addition, we conduct a regression analysis to disentangle the impact of the two different measures of depressive symptoms (i.e., BDI-II and CES-D) with two explanatory variables (dysfunctional attitudes and meta-emotional problem). Results show that meta-emotional problem remains a significant and robust predictor of the severity of depressive symptomatology, while dysfunctional beliefs has a rather weak and non-significant

relation with the criterion. In other words, meta-emotional problem consistently explains the higher variance of depressive symptoms than dysfunctional beliefs. In conclusion our study shows a clear link between meta-emotional problem and depression severity. This is relevant for clinical practice, as it highlights the importance of specifically targeting beliefs about the depressive condition in cognitive-behavioral treatment of depression, since they represent crucial factors maintaining depressive symptomatologies},

keywords = {depression, depressive symptoms, dysfunctional beliefs, meta-emotional problem, non-clinical population},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bacaro2020,

title = {Insomnia in the Italian Population During Covid-19 Outbreak: A Snapshot on One Major Risk Factor for Depression and Anxiety},

author = {Valeria Bacaro and Marco Chiabudini and Carlo Buonanno and Paola De Bartolo and Dieter Riemann and Francesco Mancini and Chiara Baglioni},

editor = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},

url = {https://apc.it/2020-mancini-insomnia-in-the-italian-population/},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.579107},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-12-15},

journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},

abstract = {Objectives: One of the largest clusters of Covid-19 infections was observed in Italy. The population was forced to home confinement, exposing individuals to increased risk for insomnia, which is, in turn, associated with depression and anxiety. Through a cross-sectional online survey targeting all Italian adult population (≥18 yrs), insomnia prevalence and its interactions with relevant factors were investigated.



Methods: The survey was distributed from 1st April to 4th May 2020. We collected information on insomnia severity, depression, anxiety, sleep hygiene behaviors, dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, circadian preference, emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, perceived stress, health habits, self-report of mental disorders, and variables related to individual difference in life changes due to the pandemic's outbreak.



Results: The final sample comprised 1,989 persons (38.4 ± 12.8 yrs). Prevalence of clinical insomnia was 18.6%. Results from multivariable linear regression showed that insomnia severity was associated with poor sleep hygiene behaviors [β = 0.11, 95% CI (0.07–0.14)]; dysfunctional beliefs about sleep [β = 0.09, 95% CI (0.08–0.11)]; self-reported mental disorder [β = 2.51, 95% CI (1.8–3.1)]; anxiety [β = 0.33, 95% CI (0.25–0.42)]; and depression [β = 0.24, 95% CI (0.16–0.32)] symptoms.



Conclusion: An alarming high prevalence of clinical insomnia was observed. Results suggest that clinical attention should be devoted to problems of insomnia in the Italian population with respect to both prevention and treatment.},

keywords = {Anxiety, COVID-19, depression, home confinement, insomnia, Italian, sleep},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Barcaccia2019b,

title = {Forgiving Adolescents: far from depression, close to well-being},

author = {Barbara Barcaccia and Susanna Pallini and Andrea Pozza and Michela Milioni and Roberto Baiocco and Francesco Mancini and Giovanni Maria Vecchio},

url = {https://apc.it/2019-barcaccia-et-al-2019-forgiving-adolescents/},

doi = {www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01725/full},

issn = {1664-1078   },

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-07-24},

journal = {Frontiers in Psychology     },

volume = {10},

pages = {1725},

abstract = {Forgiveness has been proven to be an effective way of regulating negative affect and decreasing depression. This study aimed at examining the relationship among constructs particularly relevant to adolescents’ well-being, including forgivingness (dispositional forgiveness) anger, depression and Hedonic Balance (HB). Specifically, using a structural equation modelling approach, the fully mediational role of the different facets of anger in the relationship between forgiveness and depression was tested in 773 adolescents, of which 69% girls. Results showed that forgivingness was positively and negatively related to, respectively, HB and depression, through a general effect of anger, suggesting that more forgiving adolescents had higher HB and lower depression, as they reported a lower general tendency to experience anger. Forgivingness was also positively related both to HB and to depression through the mediation of all the facets of Anger.  Moreover, only for HB, a specific effect of Anger-control was found, suggesting that more forgiving adolescents had higher HB, as they reported higher strategies to control anger in a functional manner. Model invariance was supported across gender.  Our results suggest that forgiveness is a significant protective factor against depression for adolescents, helping them to effectively control and manage anger, thus fostering emotional health. An important clinical implication of our study regards the potential of forgiveness as a resource for well-being in therapy: among the various possible protective factors in adolescence, forgiveness has the added advantage that it can be fostered in clinical settings, and working on forgiveness in psychotherapy could decrease adolescent depression and improve well-being.},

keywords = {adolescence, Anger, depression, forgiveness, well-being},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Barcaccia2018,

title = {The more you judge the worse you feel. A judgemental attitude towards one's inner experience predicts depression and anxiety},

author = {Barbara Barcaccia and Roberto Baiocco and Andrea Pozza and Susanna Pallini and Francesco Mancini and Marco Salvati},

editor = {Elsevier},

url = {https://apc.it/2018-the-more-you-judge_barcaccia-et-al-2018/},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.09.012},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-09-10},

urldate = {2018-09-10},

journal = {Personality and Individual Differences},

volume = {138},

number = {2019},

pages = {33-39},

abstract = {Literature reviews have shown that trait-mindfulness is significantly correlated to emotional wellbeing, both in adults and in children. Particularly, being judgemental towards one's inner thoughts, feelings and sensations, and acting unawares, is associated with higher maladjustment.

In the present cross-sectional study, we explored the role of the different facets of mindfulness in both anxiety and depression, controlling for the effects of gender, age, rumination, and worry, and analysed which facets of mindfulness have the strongest effect in predicting depression and anxiety. Two-hundred seventy-four community adults were assessed in the domains of depression, anxiety, rumination, worry, and mindfulness.

Regression analyses showed that, among the facets of mindfulness, a judgemental attitude towards one's thoughts and feelings is the strongest predictor of both depression and anxiety. Our study highlights the importance of a normalising, accepting, non-judgemental attitude to decrease anxiety and depression, and to foster wellbeing.},

keywords = {Acceptance, Anxiety, depression, Judgemental attitude, Mindfulness, Rumination, worry},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Basile2018,

title = {Investigating schema therapy constructs in individuals with depression},

author = {Barbara Basile and Katia Tenore and Francesco Mancini},

url = {https://apc.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-Investigating-schema-therapy-Basile-et-al.pdf},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-04-25},

journal = {Journal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry},

volume = {9},

number = {2},

pages = {214-221},

abstract = {Background: Schema Therapy (ST) has been applied to several psychological disorders. The aim of this study was to further corroborate Renner’s ST model for depression (2012), investigating maladaptive schemas, modes, and avoidant coping styles in a large non-clinical sample and in two sub-groups of subjects with high and low depression rates. Descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analyses were run on the whole sample and in the two sub-groups, with additional analyses comparing ST constructs in highly depressed versus not depressed individuals. Within the total sample, a positive correlation was observed between levels of depression and

most maladaptive schemas, dysfunctional modes and intra-psychic avoidant coping strategies. Significant differences emerged with respect to the two sub-groups. Within the depressed group, positive associations occurred between the disconnection and rejection schema domain, the demanding parent mode and dissociative avoidant coping and symptoms severity. Multiple regression analyses also revealed the role of specific

predictor variables explaining depression levels. Despite some important caveats, like the recruitment of a non-clinical sample, our data further support Renner’s schema model for depression, adding some new evidences about the role of specific modes and avoidant coping strategies that seem to play a role in this psychopathological condition.},

keywords = {avoidant coping strategies, depression, Early maladaptive schemas, modes, Schema therapy},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Barcaccia2017bb,

title = {Is expressive writing effective in decreasing depression and increasing forgiveness and emotional wellbeing if preadolescents?},

author = {Barbara Barcaccia and Tyler Schaeffer and Viviana Balestrini and Fabio Rizzo and Francesca Mattogno and Roberto Baiocco and Francesco Mancini and Barry Howard Schneider},

editor = {Sociedad Chilena de Psicologia Clinica},

url = {https://apc.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2017-Expressive-Writing-and-forgiveness-in-preadolescents_Barcaccia-et-al.-2017.pdf},

doi = {10.1037//0022-3514.82.4.675},

issn = {0716-6184},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-08-31},

journal = {Terapia psicológica},

volume = {35},

number = {3},

pages = {213-222},

abstract = {Expressive writing (EW) can be an effective way to alter maladaptive emotional reactions to stressful life events,

although little is known about how pre-adolescents may beneft from it. In this quasi-experimental study, we

compared measures of depression, anger, forgiveness, positive and negative affect in pre-adolescents before

and after EW in both an experimental group undergoing the EW paradigm and a control group (N=138). No

signifcant effects between control and experimental groups were found for the considered variables, except

for positive and negative affect. We suggest potential reasons accounting for these results. Given that the

theorised mechanisms involved in the EW paradigm include executive functioning abilities, it is possible that

preadolescents may not be able to beneft from it, due to not fully developed executive functioning skills.

Our results provide useful information in order to better design future studies and prevention/intervention

programmes to be implemented with preadolescents.},

keywords = {Anger, depression, Expressive Writing, forgiveness, Pre-adolescents},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Couyoumdjian2012,

title = {The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional Study},

author = {Alessandro Couyoumdjian and Cristina Ottaviani and Roberta Trincas and Grazia Spitoni and Katia Tenore and Francesco Mancini},

editor = {Hindawi Publishing Corporation},

url = {https://apc.it/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-Role-of-Personal-Goals-in-Depressive-Reaction-to-Adverse-Life-Events.pdf},

doi = {10.1100/2012/810341},

year  = {2012},

date = {2012-11-01},

journal = {The Scientific World Journal},

number = {810341},

pages = {8},

abstract = {Consistent with cognitive views of depression, we aimed to investigate the mediating role of personal goals in the relationship between stressful events and distinct patterns of depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample. Participants identified a dysphoric episode that occurred in the previous year by reporting the severity of 12 depressive symptoms and their plausible cause. A goal taxonomy was used to determine how much the event interfered with the achievement of a series of personal goals. After controlling for age and current level of depression, the patterns of symptoms differed based on the triggering events. The relationship between sadness and affective losses was partially mediated by the personal goal of lovableness, and success was a partial mediator in the association between an event of failure and symptoms of worthlessness and anhedonia. Although the cross-sectional design of the study does not allow for conclusions on the direction of effects, findings suggest the importance of motivational factors in the development of specific patterns of depressive symptoms to adverse events. Assuming a continuum from low mood to clinical depression, treatment models could benefit from a precise identification of the specific stressors that initiate depressive behaviour and the personal meaning assigned to those events.},

keywords = {depression},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Mancini2002401,

title = {Obsessions and compulsions and intolerance for uncertainty in a non-clinical sample},

author = {Francesco Mancini and Francesca D'Olimpio and Marisa Del Genio and Fabrizio Didonna and Elena Prunetti},

editor = {Elsevier ScienceDirect},

url = {https://apc.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2002_obsession%20and%20compulsions%20and%20intolerance%20for%20uncertainty%20in%20a%20non_clinical%20sample.pdf},

doi = {10.1016/S0887-6185(02)00133-0},

issn = {0887-6185},

year  = {2002},

date = {2002-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Anxiety Disorders},

volume = {16},

number = {4},

pages = {401 - 411},

abstract = {It has been hypothesized that decision-making difficulties in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder may arise from intolerance for uncertainty. We investigated the relationship between obsessivity and intolerance for uncertainty (defined in terms of need for cognitive closure), controlling for state and trait anxiety and depression. We tested non-clinical subjects through the Need for Closure Scale (NFCS), the Padua Inventory Revised (PI-R), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form-Y; STAI-Y). A principal component analysis showed a lack of correlation between the PI-R and the NFCS subscales. A set of multiple regression analyses performed on PI-R subscales showed that the need for cognitive closure cannot be considered as a strong predictor of obsessions and compulsions. These results speak against the hypothesis that people with high obsessivity have difficulties in taking decisions because of a cognitive need for certainty. We instead argue that difficulties in taking decisions may be related to other specific cognitive beliefs or meta-beliefs.},

keywords = {depression, Intolerance for uncertainty, Need for Closure Scale, Padua Inventory, State anxiety, Trait anxiety},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Mancini20011173,

title = {The connection between disgust and obsessions and compulsions in a non-clinical sample},

author = {Francesco Mancini and Andrea Gragnani and Francesca D'Olimpio},

editor = {Elsevier ScienceDirect},

url = {https://apc.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/OCD%20and%20Disgust%202001.pdf},

doi = {10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00215-4},

issn = {0191-8869},

year  = {2001},

date = {2001-01-01},

journal = {Personality and Individual Differences},

volume = {31},

number = {7},

pages = {1173 - 1180},

abstract = {Although obsessive-compulsive patients (OCD) frequently report thoughts and compulsions about dirt and contamination, there is scarce evidence for a relationship between disgust and OCD. This study investigates whether there is a specific relationship between obsessive symptoms and disgust, independently of general psychological distress symptoms. We tested 278 non-clinical volunteers, through the Disgust Scale [Haidt, J., McCauley, C., & Rozin, P. (1994). Individual differences in sensitivity to disgust: a scale sampling seven domains of disgust elicitors. Personality Individual Differences. 16, 701–713], the Padua Inventory — Revised [PI-R; van Oppen, P., Hoekstra, R. J., & Emmelkamp, M. G. (1985). The structure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 15–23], the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press], and the Beck Depression Inventory [Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. (1987). Beck depression inventory scoring manual. The psychological corporation. New York: Harcourt Brace Janovich]. A multiple regression analysis showed a significant positive relationship between disgust and obsessive symptoms, after controlling for gender, age, anxiety, and depression. Washing and checking behaviors were best predicted by disgust, while impulses and rumination were best predicted by anxiety and/or depression. These findings are in line with the hypothesis of a specific relationship between disgust and at least some kinds of obsessive symptoms.},

keywords = {Anxiety, depression, Disgust, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Padua Inventory-Revised},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}