Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people experience high rates of minority stress and associated risk for negative health outcomes. However, during the last years, significant positive socio-cultural changes have happened, and younger cohorts of TGNC individuals are having diverse experiences compared to older cohorts. By integrating the minority stress theory and the life course perspective, this cross-sectional, web-based study aimed to explore in 197 Italian TGNC people aged 18 to 54 years (M = 29.82, SD = 9.64) whether the average ages of gender identity milestones (i.e., first insights about being TGNC, self-labeling as a TGNC person, and coming out), minority stress, and mental health vary among three generational cohorts (i.e., Generation Z, Millennials, and Generation X). Compared with older cohorts, younger participants: (a) were more likely to be in the trans-masculine spectrum; (b) self-labeled as TGNC and came out earlier; (c) had more negative expectations and lower levels of disclosure; and (d) had higher levels of mental health problems. No generational differences related to first insights about being TGNC and distal minority stressors were found. Furthermore, compared with binary individuals, participants with a non-binary identity: (a) reported later ages for the gender identity milestones; (b) had higher negative expectations; and (c) had higher levels of mental health problems. Overall, our findings indicated that changes in the social environments have a limited impact on stigmatization processes and mental health of Italian TGNC people.

This study analyzes the critical aspects of the professional life of primary school teachers in a southern European context. The social changes of the last two decades have profoundly impacted teachers’ well-being, putting a strain on their ability to adapt to sometimes unfair working conditions. For this purpose, we interviewed twenty teachers (M = 38.85; DS = 9.17) from different areas of Italy and analyzed data using the grounded theory method. Through a data analysis, we summarized and emphasized eight core themes. The results show the effects of the gradual impoverishment of the recognition for the role of the teacher, highlighting the difficulty for teachers in renegotiating more flexible workload assessments and reinforcing psycho-emotional skills for developing a teaching methodology that is attentive to the psycho-emotional needs of their pupils. Schools emerge as a rigid working context where a competent organizational function is often absent. The practical psychological implications of this are discussed.

The coming out (CO) is a family process that involves the LGB+ person and all family members. The present study aimed to analyze the CO process from parents’ perspective and examine if and how the emotional states of mothers and fathers changed in the years following the disclosure. The study involved 25 Italian parents (16 mothers, 9 fathers; M_age = 67, SD = 7.8) of 17 gay men and 8 lesbian women. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview designed to explore parents’ reactions to their child’s CO and the evolution of their CO experiences over the medium to long term (M = 13.9; SD = 8.3). Interviews were analyzed using emotional text analysis, representing a mixed methodology for tracing the emotional dimensions that organize linguistic productions. The factorial analysis generated four thematic clusters: (1) the un-doing of family bonds; (2) perceived gender typicality in childhood; (3) the freedom to be oneself and transgression; and (4) family generativity. Parents experience CO as challenging, especially in the initial phase. However, some parents develop CO narratives characterized by openness, pride, and generativity. The findings have implications for practice.

Down syndrome (DS), due the presence of an intellectual disability and a precarious health condition, involves important challenges for developing skills at school. The study explores the relational dynamics between teachers and students with DS and how the latter influence the processes of socialization and learning at school. The study involved 15 (n = 15) special education teachers (M _age = 40.4; SD = 9.3) from primary schools in Italy who were or had previously been in charge of a pupil with DS. The teachers were interviewed through a semi-structured interview, built ad hoc. The data were analyzed through the grounded theory method supported by ATLAS.ti software. Data analysis produced 20 (n = 20) categories grouped into 6 (n = 6) macro-categories: (1) psychophysical characteristics; (2) learnings; (3) relational aspects; (4) collaborations; (5) extracurricular activities; and (6) teacher training. The research shows that students with DS have good relationships with their peers; however, there are still some important critical issues, including poor training of teachers on certain topics and on the application of collaborative and relationship support strategies, the limited collaboration between support teachers and curricular teachers, and the absence of support from ad hoc professional figures.

For decades, scientific literature has highlighted the discomfort and delay of the transition to adulthood of the young generations of southern Italy. This article examines the experience of the current young generation, strongly disadvantaged by structural factors of their environment, like crime and unemployment, and by a familistic culture. This study involved 160 young people (age range = 18-34; sd = 4.242) living in the metropolitan area of Naples. They were asked to describe their emotional relations with their community of belonging, their family bonds and their aspirations for the future. Data were collected qualitatively and analyzed through a psychological textual analysis (Emotional Textual Analysis) aimed at capturing the emotionality through which these youths attribute meaning to their reality and make decisions. Results show a generation left alone with its goals; in fact, the presence of crime inhibits the ability to plan the future, while the family of origin is mostly focused on keeping the younger generations inside to defend themselves against the instability of the outside world. In these circumstances, relations with peers and higher education function exclusively as a condition of pervasive presentification, in which to continue living within the role of eternal young people and students.

(1) Background: The study deepens the diagnosis of “pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified” (PDD-NOS), a subthreshold diagnosis introduced in DSM-IV and then absorbed into the broader spectrum disorder of autism in DSM 5. The presence of people still attributed with a diagnosis of PDD-NOS can cause confusion in the understanding of this disorder, which is no longer present in the current diagnostic system. This review aims to gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics and boundaries of diagnosis, its use within the scientific community, and the long-term stability of that diagnosis. (2) Methods: The Prisma method was used to carry out the literature review; the scientific papers were selected using scientific search engines, including SCOPUS, PUBMED, and PsychINFO. Twenty-three articles were finally selected, and a meticulous reading was carried out in relation to the research questions. (3) Results: Four cross-cutting categories were identified: (1) diagnosis; (2) differential diagnosis; (3) prognosis; and (4) comorbidity. (4) Conclusions: Limits have emerged regarding the consistency, sensitivity, and the stability of PDD-NOS. The inclusion of this diagnosis within the broader autism spectrum disorder category coined in DSM-5 appears applicable.