Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at “high-risk” of psychosis and healthy controls
# Background Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, the investigation of reflective functioning and dissociative experiences in help-seekers adolescents still appears an unmet need. # Objective The study aimed to assess reflective functioning and disso...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Open Medical Publishing
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Health Psychology Research |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.88937 |
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| _version_ | 1825139376683745280 |
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| author | Alberto Sardella Alessandra Geraci Vittorio Lenzo Laura Fusar Poli Alessandro Rodolico Maria C. Quattropani Maria Salvina Signorelli |
| author_facet | Alberto Sardella Alessandra Geraci Vittorio Lenzo Laura Fusar Poli Alessandro Rodolico Maria C. Quattropani Maria Salvina Signorelli |
| author_sort | Alberto Sardella |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | # Background
Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, the investigation of reflective functioning and dissociative experiences in help-seekers adolescents still appears an unmet need.
# Objective
The study aimed to assess reflective functioning and dissociative symptoms in help-seekers adolescents, and compare them to gender-matched healthy controls.
# Methods
The Reflecting Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) was used to investigate mentalizing; the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES) was used to explore dissociative symptoms.
# Results
The study involved 102 adolescents (mean age 18.06 ± 1.78 years), split into "help-seekers" (N= 51; mean age 19 ± 1.98 years) and healthy controls (N= 51; mean age 17.12 ± 0.84). "Help-seekers" adolescents showed lower RFQ-certainty scores (mean 3.39 ± 2.47), compared to healthy controls (mean 6.73 ± 5.01). Furthermore, "help-seekers" adolescents reported higher scores on RFQ-uncertainty (mean 7.73 ± 4.38), compared to healthy controls (mean 5.14 ± 4.17), which indicates a greater lack of knowledge about mental states (hypomentalizing). Eventually, "help-seekers" adolescents showed significantly worse dissociative symptoms (A-DES total mean score 3.49 ± 2.04), compared to healthy controls (A-DES total mean score 2.06 ± 1.43).
# Conclusion
The importance of an assessment in early adolescence denotes a topic of increasing concern, in order to identify failures in reflective functioning and the onset of dissociative experiences among help-seekers adolescents, toward the implementation of tailored psychological interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1c86eab9c22a43139719f3c73c8a965b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2420-8124 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Open Medical Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Psychology Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-1c86eab9c22a43139719f3c73c8a965b2025-02-11T20:30:16ZengOpen Medical PublishingHealth Psychology Research2420-81242023-10-0111Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at “high-risk” of psychosis and healthy controlsAlberto SardellaAlessandra GeraciVittorio LenzoLaura Fusar PoliAlessandro RodolicoMaria C. QuattropaniMaria Salvina Signorelli# Background Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, the investigation of reflective functioning and dissociative experiences in help-seekers adolescents still appears an unmet need. # Objective The study aimed to assess reflective functioning and dissociative symptoms in help-seekers adolescents, and compare them to gender-matched healthy controls. # Methods The Reflecting Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) was used to investigate mentalizing; the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES) was used to explore dissociative symptoms. # Results The study involved 102 adolescents (mean age 18.06 ± 1.78 years), split into "help-seekers" (N= 51; mean age 19 ± 1.98 years) and healthy controls (N= 51; mean age 17.12 ± 0.84). "Help-seekers" adolescents showed lower RFQ-certainty scores (mean 3.39 ± 2.47), compared to healthy controls (mean 6.73 ± 5.01). Furthermore, "help-seekers" adolescents reported higher scores on RFQ-uncertainty (mean 7.73 ± 4.38), compared to healthy controls (mean 5.14 ± 4.17), which indicates a greater lack of knowledge about mental states (hypomentalizing). Eventually, "help-seekers" adolescents showed significantly worse dissociative symptoms (A-DES total mean score 3.49 ± 2.04), compared to healthy controls (A-DES total mean score 2.06 ± 1.43). # Conclusion The importance of an assessment in early adolescence denotes a topic of increasing concern, in order to identify failures in reflective functioning and the onset of dissociative experiences among help-seekers adolescents, toward the implementation of tailored psychological interventions.https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.88937 |
| spellingShingle | Alberto Sardella Alessandra Geraci Vittorio Lenzo Laura Fusar Poli Alessandro Rodolico Maria C. Quattropani Maria Salvina Signorelli Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at “high-risk” of psychosis and healthy controls Health Psychology Research |
| title | Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at “high-risk” of psychosis and healthy controls |
| title_full | Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at “high-risk” of psychosis and healthy controls |
| title_fullStr | Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at “high-risk” of psychosis and healthy controls |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at “high-risk” of psychosis and healthy controls |
| title_short | Reflective functioning and dissociative experiences: A comparison study between adolescents at “high-risk” of psychosis and healthy controls |
| title_sort | reflective functioning and dissociative experiences a comparison study between adolescents at high risk of psychosis and healthy controls |
| url | https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.88937 |
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