Marta Ghisi

University of Padova | UNIPD · Department of General Psychology

Objectives Body dissatisfaction is a public health concern, prevalent among women. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of a 2‐week online functionality‐focused intervention combined with psychoeducation on improving body image among young women at both high and low risk of Body Image Disorders (BIDs). Design A randomized controlled trial w...

The literature on COVID-19 continues to increase daily. Cognitive sequelae associated with COVID-19 infection still draw the attention of the scientific community given the lack of consensus about their existence, etiology, characterization and reversibility. The aim of this study is to provide a neuropsychological identikit for younger (<65 years)...

Detachment from nature is contributing to the environmental crisis and reversing this trend requires detailed monitoring and targeted interventions to reconnect people to nature. Most tools measuring nature exposure and attachment were developed in high-income countries and little is known about their robustness across national and linguistic group...

Parents can influence sons’ body image and eating behaviors both directly (e.g., through comments) and/or indirectly (i.e., through modeling). However, available studies still lack in addressing parents’ influence on their sons. This study aimed to explore parental indirect influence by investigating the associations between mothers’ and fathers’ b...

Public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic can further strain the mental health of informal caregivers who provide unpaid assistance to family members or friends who need support due to illness, disability, or aging. However, there is a lack of research exploring the resources and adaptive strategies that promote resilience in informal...

Introduction: Psychosocial pre-transplant evaluation in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) could help identify those patients at higher risk of pharmacological non-adherence, organ rejection, and mortality. The Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation (SIPAT) is a validated tool for assessing LT candidates’ psycho...

[Oral Presentation] Background and aims: Photo-based behaviors are associated with a positive attitude toward cosmetic surgery (Chen et al., 2019; Varman et al., 2021). To date, no studies have addressed whether BDD symptoms, highly related to interest in cosmetic surgery (Crerand et al., 2005), mediate this relation. The present study aimed to fur...

The adoption and maintenance of physical activity (PA) is an important health behavior. This paper presents the first comprehensive empirical test of the Physical Activity Adoption and Maintenance (PAAM) model, which proposes that a combination of explicit (e.g., intention) and implicit (e.g., habit,, affect) self-regulatory processes is involved i...

Purpose Dragon Boat discipline has become a popular type of physical exercise among women with breast cancer. The present study aims to investigate the effects of Dragon Boat activity on body composition, physical function, and psychosocial aspects (i.e., body appreciation and quality of life [QoL]) in women operated for breast cancer. Methods Thi...

Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ROCD) is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that manifests in the relationship domain, such as romantic relationships. Within romantic relationship, ROCD symptoms could be focused on flaws perceived on the relationship itself (ROCD relationship-centered) or on the partners' quality (ROCD partner-focu...

Detachment from nature is contributing to the environmental crisis and reversing this trend requires detailed monitoring and targeted interventions to reconnect people to nature. Most tools measuring nature exposure and attachment were developed in high-income countries and little is known about their robustness across national and linguistic group...

Background: Photo investment refers to concerns about the quality of the photo and effort expended in choosing self-photos to post online; it demonstrated an association with negative body image. To examine it, the Photo Investment Scale (PIS) was developed. The current study aims to examine the factorial structure, gender invariance, internal c...

Exposure to Instagram content and photo manipulation behaviors may negatively impact women’s body image. However, some studies did not find support for this assumption. The current study aimed to explore this issue further. The first objective was to investigate associations between self-reported frequency of following Instagram beauty-related and...

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset – with data collected between 2020 and 2022 – to asse...

Élite athletes, due to the intense mental and physical demand, may experience injuries and hormonal dysfunction, including overuse injuries and menstrual disorders. Both these factors are influenced by Low Energy Availability (LEA), so this study aims to determine the relationship between menstrual irregularities, stress fractures and LEA in Italia...

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a vulnerability factor for several psychological disorders and may be an important target for transdiagnostic interventions (Shihata et al., 2016). The current pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural group intervention delivered to 7 university students. These stu...

Dragon Boat (DB) is a discipline that has become more popular in the last few years among women with breast cancer thanks to its psychophysical benefits. The present randomized control trial aims to depict the effects of a DB program on body composition, physical function, and some psychosocial aspects. METHODS: Thirty-two women with a previous dia...

Objective: To explore the direct and indirect associations between intolerance of uncertainty, health anxiety (HA), and psychological distress through problematic internet use (PIU) and cyberchondria, both before and during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Two Italian samples were enrolled via an online questionnaire. Sample 1 (N...

The Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) developed by Tangney, Baumeister, and Boone (2004) is a widely used measure of trait self-control. The present study aimed to validate Italian version of the BSCS. 262 Italian university students completed BSCS along with measures of grit, impulsive behavior, self-esteem, resilience, and psychological distress. 1...

Positive body image is a protective factor for the development of Eating Disorders (Piran, 2015). This study investigates the efficacy of an online psychological intervention focused on functionality appreciation in enhance positive body image and intuitive eating in young females. One hundred and forty-three young females were randomized into two...

Objective The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and body image distress in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), considering relevant psychological variables (i.e., coping strategies, social anxiety symptoms, self-esteem, intolerance of uncertainty, pain, and distress). We also aimed...

Studies pertaining to muscle dysmorphia (MD) have concentrated the most on males. However, a new body ideal for women is emerging: a very toned, athletic body with flat, smooth muscles. The emphasis on the level of muscularity represents a contribution to the growth of MD symptoms in women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factorial struct...

Body dissatisfaction has been related to Body Image Disorders (BIDs) such as Eating Disorders (EDs) and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). This study investigates the efficacy of a mHealth app in reducing body dissatisfaction, BDD/ED symptoms and related features. Ninety-five women who were identified as high-risk of developing BIDs (using the Structu...

Numerous studies have examined the relationship between changes in Physical Activity (PA) and mental health during the lockdown. With respect to Italy, there is a lack of studies investigating changes in the type of and in the levels of PA performed pre- and during the lockdown and the relationship among PA changes and psychological variables such...

Students can turn to university counseling services for several reasons, ranging from study-related to emotional issues; yet, few instruments assess both dimensions. This study examines the validity of the “Study-Anxiety” Questionnaire (SAQ), a measure evaluating study strategies, motivation and anxiety in students seeking psychological help. Two s...

Eating disorders are multifaceted psychopathologies and the transdiagnostic approach is currently considered a useful framework to understand their complexity. This preliminary study aimed to investigate both broad (i.e., intolerance of uncertainty and emotion dysregulation) and narrow (i.e., extreme body dissatisfaction) transdiagnostic risk facto...

Music Performance Anxiety is a specific type of performance anxiety, impairing musical performers around the world. To explain this condition, a model composed of three different and integrated factors was proposed: a factor associated to concerns related to the performance setting, a factor associated to psychological vulnerability (i.e., depressi...

Little is known about the intraindividual dispositional factors related to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional academic learning outcomes under COVID-19. This study investigated (i) the associations of intraindividual factors, some related to studying (motivation to learn, self-regulated learning, and study resilience), others more general (soft s...

Background/Objective Unwanted mental intrusions (UMIs) with contents related to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD), and Eating Disorders (EDs) are highly prevalent, independently of the cultural and/or social context. Cognitive-behavioral explanations for these disorders postulates th...

The triarchic model of psychopathy conceptualizes variants of this clinical condition as expressions of three distinct biobehavioral dispositions, termed boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. As a trait-oriented model, the triarchic model situates psychopathy within a broader nomological network of personality and psychopathology, and has proven u...

The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of coping strategies on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and physical disability assessed with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). PwMS were asked to focus on “MS diagnosis” as the core stressor. One hundred eight pwMS completed the Coping Resp...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced most Italian athletes to cease their regular training activities, with possible consequences on both mental and physical health. The present study aimed at assessing changes in Physical Activity (PA) from pre- to lockdown, and examining the relationships among lockdown PA, quality of life (mental and physica...

Background: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is characterized by concerns for perceived defects in physical appearance that appear to others as mild or unobservable. Individuals with BDD frequently refer concerns with their physical appearance being 'not right' (Not Just Right Experiences; NJREs), and BDD related behaviors may be performed until the...

Background Individuals who possess the “Looming Cognitive Style” (LCS; Riskind et al. in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 79:837–852, 2000) are biased to perceive mental simulations of possible threats as dynamically emergent phenomena that are rapidly growing, approaching, and expanding in negative consequences. The present study aimed...

The construct of intuitive eating is most often measured using the 23-item Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2), but previous studies have typically relied solely on confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to understand IES-2 dimensionality. In contrast, a bifactor exploratory structural equation modelling (B-ESEM) framework offers a more realistic account...

The Covid-19 pandemic obliged people around the world to stay home and self-isolate, with a number of negative psychological consequences. This study focuses on the protective role of character strengths in sustaining mental health and self-efficacy during lockdown. Data were collected from 944 Italian respondents (mean age = 37.24 years, SD = 14.5...

Identifying the correlates of competition anxiety is fundamental to athletes' well-being and performance. Self-compassion is gaining attention in sport psychology because of its associations with positive outcomes, while repetitive negative thinking (i.e. worry and rumination) is associated with negative conditions, such as anxiety. Building on pre...

The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS; Alleva et al., 2017) is a widely used instrument for the measurement of an individual’s appreciation of their body for what it can do and is capable of doing (i.e., functionality appreciation). Here, we examined the psychometric properties of a novel Italian translation of the FAS. A sample of 950 Italian...

We used structural equation modeling to assess the role of impaired emotional awareness and clarity (Impaired Awareness/Clarity) and inability to control behaviors when experiencing emotional distress (Inability to Control Behaviors) as an account for the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and negative affect (NA) in individuals w...

This study investigated the association between maladaptive personality traits, personality disorders (PDs), schizophrenia, and the risk of aggressive behavior. Ninety-four patients with a history of violence and 92 patients with no history of violence underwent a multidimensional baseline assessment. Aggressive behavior was monitored during a 1-ye...

Background/Objective: Not Just Right Experiences (NJREs) are currently considered as one of the motivators of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), but the ways through which NJREs affect OCD symptoms remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine the putative mediational role of Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) in the association betwe...

Background Individuals who possess the “Looming Cognitive Style” (LCS; Riskind, Williams, Gessner, Chrosniak, & Cortina, 2000) are biased to perceive mental simulations of possible threats as dynamically emergent phenomena that are rapidly growing, approaching, and expanding in negative consequences. The present study aimed to evaluate whether the...

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor spanning psychological disorders. Although IU has been extensively studied, its internal structure is still not fully understood. In the current study, we applied network analysis to investigate IU-as measured by the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Revised (IUS-R)-in two lar...

Cyberchondria refers to the tendency to excessively and compulsively search for online medical information despite the distress experienced, with consequent impairment of daily‐life activities. The current two studies sought to explore (i) the factor structure of the Italian version of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) and (ii) a metacognitive...

Background: Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ROCD) is a presentation of OCD centering on interpersonal relationships. The aim of the Randomized Control Trial (RCT) was to assess the efficacy of short, game like, daily cognitive intervention delivered via a mobile application in reducing subclinical ROCD symptoms and associated phenomena....

Despite rapidly increasing knowledge about Trichotillomania (TTM), no gold-standard evidence-based psychological intervention has been identified. In the current study, we evaluated the potential efficacy of an eight-session psychological intervention for TTM, namely the Comprehensive Behavioral Model (ComB) treatment, using a multiple-baseline sin...

Background: Metacognitive functions play a key role in understanding which psychological variables underlying the personality might lead a person with a severe mental disorder to commit violent acts against others. The aims of this study were to: (a) investigate the differences between patients with poor metacognitive functioning (PM group) and pa...

Introduction Young adult males are more likely to demonstrate health-risk behaviors than other individuals. The use of specific data about health-risk behaviors within this population might be important to promote effective preventive psychosocial and educational programs and interventions. Aim To provide a detailed description of health-related l...

Body dissatisfaction is prevalent in young women, and is associated with symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Eating Disorders (EDs). The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of a mobile application, based on cognitive behavioral principles, in reducing body dissatisfaction and BDD/ED symptoms in female university students consider...

Background The achievement of recovery is related to the notion of developing personal potential and restoring a legitimate social role, even against the backdrop of mental illness limitations. It is still difficult to fully understand this highly subjective and dynamic process. Therefore, in order to test the recovery process, specific tools, stil...

The overlap between parent and child psychological distress might be attributed to the intergenerational transmission of intolerance of uncertainty (IU). The current study explored the association between parental and child IU in female university students. Female undergraduates (N = 234) and their parents completed questionnaires assessing IU and...

Although “not just right experiences” (NJREs) and disgust proneness (DP) have been increasingly implicated in the development and maintenance of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), no studies to date have examined their conjoint effect. In the present study, structural equation modeling was used to examine the extent to which NJREs and DP were ass...

It has been contended that research about “Not Just Right Experiences” (NJREs) would be biased by the type of measures prevalently utilized to assess such phenomenon. That is, items intended to assess a construct conceptualized as a possible vulnerability factor of obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms may have tapped the symptoms themselves. In the c...

Introduction: Patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) usually act impulsively to manage negative emotions due to poor emotion regulation (ER) and to the tendency to engage in rash behavior when experiencing negative affect (i.e., negative urgency, NU). Similarly, people with high levels of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) might perform impulsiv...

Participation in specific sport disciplines such as aesthetic sports might expose a greater risk for developing eating disorders. Demands and pressures associated with aesthetic sports constitute socio-environmental risk factors.The primary aim of the present study was to investigate whether there are differences between athletes who practice aesth...

Background/Objective Unwanted mental intrusions (UMIs), typically discussed in relation to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), are highly prevalent, regardless of the specific nationality, religion, and/or cultural context. Studies have also shown that UMIs related to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Illness anxiety/Hypochondriasis (IA-H), and Eati...

The Italian Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Revised.