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Clin Neuropsychiatry
Clin Neuropsychiatry
cn
Clinical Neuropsychiatry
1724-4935
2385-0787
Giovanni Fioriti Editore srl Italy

Article Highlights
Article Highlights
Mucci Federico
Corresponding author Federico Mucci: Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro, 2 53100 Siena, Italy Phone: +39 050 2219768 E-mail: federico.mucci@med.unipi.it
Citation: Mucci, F. (2024). Article highlights. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21(4), 227-228.

Funding: None.

Competing interests: None.

8 2024
21 4 227228
8 2024
8 2024
© 2024 Giovanni Fioriti Editore s.r.l.
2024
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ CC BY-NC-SA This article is published under a Creative Commons license. For more information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
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pmcThis summer issue of Clinical Neuropsychiatry begins with a pivotal study by Silva and colleagues [pp. 229-235], which examines the associations between psychological pain, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation among female patients with fibromyalgia. Through a selected suite of diagnostic and assessment tools, the research analyzed data from 50 women, confirming their diagnoses according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. The results revealed that although psychological pain significantly correlated with depressive symptoms and hopelessness, it did not independently predict suicidal ideation. Rather, the severity of depressive symptoms was found to predict passive suicidal thoughts, while hopelessness was a stronger predictor of active suicidal ideation. Such findings seem to emphasize the critical role of emotional distress in the suicidality of patients with fibromyalgia and highlight specific predictors that could inform targeted therapeutic interventions.

Building on the investigation into psychological pain and its impacts on mental health in clinical settings, as explored by Silva and colleagues, the subsequent study by Di Tella et al. [pp. 236-265] shifts the focus to a broader, non-clinical population. Di Tella's comprehensive systematic review explores how alexithymia — a condition marked by difficulty in understanding and describing emotions — affects social cognitive functions such as Theory of Mind, emotion recognition, and empathy. More specifically, the authors meticulously screened studies through PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases. Out of numerous studies, 117 met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of 40,231 participants. The findings indicated mixed results for the association between alexithymia and ToM. However, the relationship between alexithymia and both emotion recognition and empathy appeared more consistent, with alexithymia significantly correlating with diminished abilities in these areas. The review underscores the significant impact of alexithymia on social cognitive functions and highlights the need for further research to clarify these relationships and address existing theoretical and methodological challenges.

As this systematic review highlights the critical impact of alexithymia on social cognition, it underscores the broader implications of emotional comprehension deficits across societal levels. The nuanced understanding of how challenges in recognizing and expressing emotions can deteriorate social interactions provides a segue into the investigation conducted by Merlo et al. [pp. 266-275] on euthymia in healthcare professionals. In their research, the authors aimed to explore the interplay between euthymia, psychological well-being, and professional quality of life among healthcare workers. Euthymia, characterized by positive mood states, psychological flexibility, and resilience, was assessed in 177 health professionals using the Euthymia Scale (ES), the Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and the Professional Quality of Life Measure (ProQOL-5). The study revealed that these factors are significantly linked to reduced burnout and secondary traumatic stress, and enhanced compassion satisfaction. Notably, the results indicated that female participants exhibited higher compassion satisfaction, and both well-being and psychological flexibility were associated with better professional quality of life outcomes. Such findings advocate for the promotion of euthymia and psychological well-being in medical settings, highlighting their protective effects against the occupational hazards faced by healthcare workers while concluding with a call for evidence-based interventions to foster these qualities among professionals to improve their mental health and job satisfaction.

While Merlo et al. explored the beneficial impacts of maintaining positive psychological states among healthcare professionals, Sesso and colleagues [pp. 276-283] extend the focus on emotional well-being to the realm of adolescence. In particular, in their study, the authors developed and validated the “Reactivity of Emotions in Adolescents – Caregivers’ Tool” (REACT), a pioneering parent-rated questionnaire designed to assess emotional dysregulation (ED) in adolescents. The study involved 165 participants, divided between 89 healthy controls from local schools and 76 clinical patients with various psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, confirmed through the K-SADS-PL [citare per esteso l’acronimo] clinical interview. Both groups were evaluated using the RIPoSt-Y [citare per esteso l’acronimo] and their parents completed the ARI [citare per esteso l’acronimo], contributing to the assessment of affective reactivity in youth. Through rigorous confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses, the REACT was refined to include 55 items across three subscales: Negative Emotionality, Irritability, and Excitability. The questionnaire exhibited excellent internal consistency and strong construct validity, with clinical patients showing higher scores across all subscales compared to controls. The REACT also demonstrated high convergent validity, correlating positively with established measures of ED. This tool marks a significant advancement in the early diagnosis and tailored intervention for emotional dysregulation in adolescents, aiming to improve their emotional well-being and long-term health outcomes.

In sum, the REACT tool provides detailed measurements of emotional dysregulation in adolescents, highlighting how early emotional challenges can significantly influence personal development. Similarly on this thread, Pezzi and his team [pp. 284-299] explore a related concern among young adults: the impact of loneliness—a continuation of emotional struggles—on problematic social media use. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, Pezzi et al. performed a specific search on Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycINFO, selecting studies focused on individuals aged 18-30. From an initial pool of 1,841 studies, 12 met the inclusion criteria, involving a total of 4,009 participants. The review consistently found a positive correlation between general loneliness and increased PSMU. However, variations emerged when considering different aspects of loneliness, other influencing factors, and types of social media platforms. The findings highlighted a significant gap: few studies explored forms of solitary experience beyond general loneliness. This underscores the need for a multidimensional approach to better understand the complexities of solitary experiences and their impact on social media usage.

This review indeed underscores the multifaceted nature of loneliness and its effects on social media usage among young adults, revealing a spectrum of emotional experiences that influence online behavior. As this inquiry sheds light on the broader implications of emotional struggles in digital spaces, it naturally leads to presenting an intriguing research conducted by Spagnuolo et al. [pp. 299-312] who aimed at investigating the complex relationships between psychopathic traits, romantic attachment, and emotion dysregulation—a previously unexplored triad in their interrelated context. The study utilized self-report measures from two distinct samples within the Dutch population, comprising 238 undergraduates and 521 community members. Analysis of the data from these participants revealed that psychopathic traits are significantly linked to both attachment avoidance and anxiety, with emotion dysregulation serving as a key mediator for these relationships, except in the dimension of boldness. These findings emphasize the critical role of emotion regulation in understanding the interplay between psychopathic behaviors and interpersonal dynamics. The results advocate for focusing on emotion regulation and attachment strategies in therapeutic interventions for individuals exhibiting psychopathic traits, potentially enhancing both theoretical and clinical approaches to psychopathy.

This issue finally presents the study of Girone et al. [pp. 313-322] who attempted to explore the influence of gender on Gambling Disorder (GD) through a multicentric study that involved a total of 104 Italian outpatients, diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria. The study, conducted at two clinics in Milan, assessed socio-demographic and clinical variables, and the severity of GD using the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, and the Gambling Attitudes and Beliefs Survey (GABS). The findings revealed significant gender differences: females presented with a higher average age at diagnosis and onset of illness, more psychiatric comorbidities, higher rates of lifetime suicide ideation, and were more likely to have a stressful event at GD onset and a positive family history of GD. Conversely, males were more likely to score higher on the GABS, indicating a greater risk of severe gambling behaviors. The study underscores the distinct clinical profiles and trajectories of GD among genders, suggesting the need for gender-specific therapeutic approaches and public health strategies to address these disparities effectively.
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References

da Silva, M. L. A., de Souza, T. J. N., Alves-da-Silva, M. W. L., Remigio, C. M. M., Pedrosa, M. P. C., de Miranda, C. T., de Melo Neto, V. L. (2024). Psychological pain, hopelessness and suicide ideation in female patients with fibromyalgia. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21 (4 ), 229-235. 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240401
Di Tella, M., Benfante, A., Castelli, L., Adenzato, M., Ardito, B. R. (2024). Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21 (4 ), 236-265. 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240402
Girone, N., Limosani, I., Ciliberti, C., Turco, M., Longo, L., Colletti, M. A., Cocchi, M., Zita, G., Fiocchi, M. I., Benatti, B., Viganò, C., Percudani M. and Dell’Osso, B. (2024). Gender differences in Gambling Disorder: results from an Italian multicentric study. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21 (4 ), 313-322. 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240407
Merlo, E. M., Sicari, F., Myles, L. A. M., Settineri, S. (2024). Euthymia, psychological well-being, and professional quality of life in health care workers. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21 (4 ),266-275. 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240403
Pezzi, M., Corsano, P., Santoro, G., Gori, A., Gámez-Guadix, M., Musetti, A. (2024). Solitary experience and problematic social media use among young adults: A systematic review with recommendations for future research. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21 (4 ), 284-298. 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240405
Sesso, G., Guccione, F., Conti, L., Valente, E., Narzisi, A., Berloffa, S., Fantozzi, P., Viglione, V., Masi, G., Milone, A. (2024). Reactivity of Emotions in Adolescents – Caregivers’ Tool (REACT): Development and Validation of a Novel Parent-Rated Measure for Assessing Emotional Dysregulation in Youth. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21 (4 ), 276-283. 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240404
Spagnuolo, F., Somma, A., Fossati, A., Sellbom, M., Garofalo, C. (2024). Psychopathic traits and romantic attachment: the mediating role of emotion dysregulation. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21 (4 ), 299-312. 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240406
