Climate Change, Natural Resources Depletion, COVID-19, and Wars are some of the great challenges of our time. The consequences will affect psychological well-being and could have a harmful impact on mental health. This study aimed to assess the level of preoccupation and fears surrounding issues of the 21st-century and the implication for psychological well-being of the general population from Central/Southern Italy among different age groups. A questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, topics formulated ad-hoc about preoccupation, fears, habits, and willingness to change habits in the future related to the 21st-century challenges, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) was administered online. A sample of 1831 participants (61% F; mean age 47.71 ± 17.30) was obtained. Results showed that young adults and older adults, respectively, reported greater and less psychological well-being. Young adults reported higher scores for preoccupation, changing habits, and willingness to change habits in the future, while older adults reported the lowest scores except for changing habits, also controlling for gender. Results for this variable, as well as correlations between the many variables described, rely on the specificity of age, and 21st-century challenges. Moreover, the main fears related to the 21st-century concerns were different based on both age and gender. In conclusion, the various stresses of the 21st-century discussed in this study have a relationship with personal well-being, and it is important to consider potential global mental health issues resulting from these stressors.

Background/Objectives: Internet addiction (IA) and related behaviors, such as Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and social media addiction (SMA), have gained increasing research attention. Studies show gender differences, with males more likely to develop gaming-related addictions and females more prone to social media and phubbing behaviors. This study aimed to explore gender differences in Internet addiction and related behaviors in a Spanish sample, with the goal of identifying predictors and gender-specific patterns of IA. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 585 participants (265 male, 320 female) aged 18 to 35 years (M = 22.11, SD = 3.08). Data were collected using standardized questionnaires to assess IA, IGD, SMA, phubbing, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), emotional dysregulation, personality traits, and prosociality. Correlation and regression analyses were used to identify gender-specific predictors of IA. Results: Males exhibited significantly higher scores for IA and IGD, while females showed higher scores for SMA and the “phone obsession” dimension of phubbing. No significant gender differences were found in the “communication disturbance” dimension of phubbing or in FoMO. Correlation analyses revealed significant associations between IA and psychological as well as technological variables. Gender-specific predictors of IA included social media engagement and emotional regulation for females, while gaming behaviors and communication patterns were more relevant for males. Conclusions: These findings highlight gender differences in IA, suggesting that tailored interventions should address unique online behaviors and emotional regulation challenges in males and females. Future research should refine gender-specific patterns to develop more effective, targeted prevention and treatment strategies.

Social isolation is considered one of the main risk factors leading to intimate partner violence episodes; this evidence also emerged during the application of stay-at-home policies to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, we aimed to collect data on intimate partner violence over the last year, comparing data reported by victims with data collected by help professionals. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, through keywords related to abuse, pandemic and containment measures, 3174 articles were identified for screening. After full-text reading and risk of bias analysis, 19 studies were included, and a thematic synthesis was conducted according to two categories: “studies with victims” and “studies with help professionals”. The results of the present review showed that there were significant differences between the data provided by victims and the data collected by health care facilities and police departments; additionally, differences among different forms and severity of victimization emerged. The results have been discussed according to the literature; in particular, we reflected on how containment measures have apparently made it more difficult for victims to report, thus making the existence of the dark figure of crime even more salient.

On 24 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the order to invade neighbouring Ukraine; a typical trend during the war is considering events in a one-sided way, emphasising the exclusive contribution of one opponent over the other for the outbreak of war. War may trigger the experience of emotions, such as anger, shame, and disgust. The present study reproduces previous studies on the influence of emotional regulation in support of aggressive reactions (AR) in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. A questionnaire referring to the Russian–Ukrainian conflict has been implemented and spread in the Italian territory. A multiple moderated mediation model was proposed to evaluate the effect of emotional cognitive reappraisal on the propensity for AR, including conflict-related emotions (anger, shame, disgust) as mediators and political alignment and the appraisal of one’s own emotions subscale of the brief emotional intelligence scale as moderators. The results show that cognitive reappraisal of emotions has a negative effect on AR; moreover, recognising and regulating emotions decreases anger, while taking sides with Ukraine or not siding seems to have an effect on AR depending on the emotion felt (anger or shame). The results are discussed according to the current literature on the topic, highlighting the practical implications and limits of the research.