Identity diffusion is a core element of the borderline personality organization. A valid and reliable assessment tool is needed to identify at-risk adolescents in the Italian context. In this study, we investigated the psychometric properties of the Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence (AIDA), a self-report questionnaire designed to assess identity diffusion vs. identity integration, in an Italian sample (N = 1,102) of clinical and nonclinical adolescents. Explorative structural equation modeling supported the expected bi-factor structure with one general factor and six descriptive factors. Scale reliability was good, with Cronbach’s α = .94 for the AIDA total scale. The results supported convergent validity with measures of borderline personality features as well as discriminant validity with identity dimensions in ideological and interpersonal domains. The AIDA total score identity diffusion differed highly significantly and with a large effect size between the general population sample and patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (n= 55). The Italian version of the AIDA proved to be a valid and reliable measure to assess adolescents’ identity pathology within the Italian context.

Background. This study aimed to investigate the consequence of the COVID 19-related lockdown on the well-being of children with neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders and the repercussion on parental stress during the period 9 March 2020–3 May 2020. Methods. A web-based survey was shared via mail with the parents of children affected by chronic neurologic disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders in the continuity of care in two Italian tertiary centers, independently by the severity of the diseases and the required frequency of controls. For each patient, they were asked to identify a single main caregiver, among the two parents, to fill in the questionnaire. Parental stress was measured via the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. The differences between the clinical groups were performed with one way ANOVA. The dimensional effect of the clinical variables on outcome was evaluated by multiple linear regression analysis. Results. The survey was completed by 250 parents (response rate = 48.9 %). Sars-Cov2 infection was reported in two patients only. A total of 44.2% of the patients had completely interrupted school activities while 70% of parents underwent changes in their job modalities. Health care services were disrupted in 77% of patients. Higher PSS scores were detected in the parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (p = 0.035). Conclusions. The loss of continuity of care during the lockdown must be considered as a risk factor for parents caring for children with chronic neurologic diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders in further phases of the current pandemic.

Introduction: We wanted to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent isolation have influenced some psychological characteristics according to the model of the Big Five theory in a group of adolescents suffering from chronic diseases such as headache. Material and methods: Before and...