Although many studies have examined which teaching strategies are effective in achieving inclusive education, less attention has been paid to the role of teachers’ emotional competence. This study aimed to systematically review the literature on the relationship between teachers’ emotional competence and inclusive education through the following research questions: (1) What aspects of teachers’ emotional competence have been studied in relation to inclusive education? (2) How does teachers’ emotional competence influence different aspects of inclusive education? Five electronic databases were searched for all peer-reviewed empirical studies published from 2010 to February 2025. Studies were selected if they focused on K-12 teachers’ emotional competence in relation to inclusive education and were based on empirical designs. The CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme) checklist was used to assess the quality of included studies. Eighteen studies were included. They drew on partially overlapping definitions of emotional competence (i.e., emotional intelligence, emotional awareness, empathy, and emotion regulation) and considered multiple indicators of inclusion that focused on student (engagement, motivation, emotional self-regulation, emotional development, and academic outcomes) and contextual variables (classroom management, teacher–student relationships, and classroom climate). Outcomes differed across various disabilities and special educational needs (SENs). The role of emotional competence should be considered both in improving teachers’ skills in professional practice and in providing adequate and comprehensive training for future teachers. These findings highlight the need to integrate emotional competence training into teacher education programs and inform education policy aimed at fostering more inclusive learning environments.

Early adolescence is a period of development of emotional competence, but also of increasing vulnerability for the onset of depressive symptoms. While literature underscored that empathy promotes social relationships and psychological well-being over the life course, the possible role of high empathy levels as a risk factor for depression has been under investigated, especially among early adolescents. Moreover, although parenting practices are known to influence both empathy and depression in adolescence, few studies investigated if parenting moderates the relationship between empathy and depression. Therefore, the aims of the study were: (1) to investigate the relationships between affective and cognitive empathy and depression; (2) to investigate the moderating role of perceived paternal and maternal support on the associations between affective and cognitive empathy and depression; (3) to examine if the relationships among affective and cognitive empathy, maternal and paternal support and depression vary as a function of early adolescents’ gender. The study involved 386 Italian students aged between 12 and 14 (M age = 13, SD = 0.3, 47.9% girls) who completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire, including measures of cognitive and affective empathy, paternal and maternal support and depression. Results showed that with a mean level of affective and cognitive empathy, higher maternal support was related to lower depression for girls, whereas higher paternal support was related to lower depression for both boys and girls. Both maternal and paternal support moderated the relation between empathy and depression. In particular, maternal support moderated the non-linear relation between affective empathy and depression and the relation was further moderated by early adolescents’ gender: boys with low affective empathy reported lower depression in a context of high maternal support. Paternal support moderated the linear relation between cognitive empathy and depression, independently of early adolescents’ gender: boys and girls with high cognitive empathy reported higher depression in a context of low paternal support. The results of the study suggested that high empathy might be a risk factor for depression during early adolescence and mothers and fathers have a differential moderating role in relation to the affective and cognitive dimensions of empathy, also in relation to early adolescents’ gender.

Purpose: The study evaluated a group-based cognitive behavioral intervention aimed at promoting the quality of life and the psychological well-being of recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (up to 3 years since the diagnosis). Method: The study involved 85 patients [59% women; mean age 37, SD = 12.3; 94% with relapsing-remitting MS; Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) between 1 and 4]. A quasi-experimental study design was applied; 54 patients (intervention group) participated in five group sessions, a 6-month post-intervention and a 1-year follow-up; 31 patients (comparison group) participated in activities routinely provided to recently diagnosed MS patients. Measures of Quality of Life (SF-12), Depression (CESD-10), Affective well-being (PANAS) and Optimism (LOT-R) were assessed. Results: At the 6-month post-intervention, mental health increased in the intervention group and decreased in the comparison group, whereas negative affect decreased in the intervention group and increased in the comparison group. At the 1-year follow-up, mental health and optimism increased in the intervention group and decreased in the comparison group. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence suggests that the proposed intervention fosters the quality of life and the psychological well-being of recently diagnosed MS patients by reducing negative affect and promoting mental health and optimism, particularly in the long term.

To examine the relationship between coping strategies (problem solving, emotional release, and avoidance) and adjustment (health-related quality of life, depression, and affective well-being) in a group of recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis patients (up to three years since diagnosis), and to explore the mediating role of sense of coherence between coping strategies and adjustment. Cross-sectional. Multiple Sclerosis Clinic Centre. A total of 102 patients (61.8% women; age (years): M = 35.8, SD = 11.9; 95% with a relapsing–remitting form of multiple sclerosis; Expanded Disability Status Scale score, between 1 and 4). Not applicable. Coping with multiple sclerosis (problem solving, emotional release, and avoidance), sense of coherence, health-related quality of life (SF-12), depression (CES-D), and affective well-being (PANAS). Problem solving was linked to higher mental health (β = 0.28) and higher affective well-being (β = 0.36), emotional release was related to lower depression (β = −0.22); avoidance was associated to higher mental health (β = 0.25), higher affective well-being (β = 0.24), and lower depression (β = −0.29) (all betas were significant at p < 0.05). Sense of coherence mediated the relationship between emotional release and depression (Sobel z-value = −2.00; p < 0.05) and the relationship between avoidance and all the indicators of adjustment (mental health: Sobel z-value = 1.97; depression: Sobel z-value = −2.02; affective well-being: Sobel z-value= 2.05; p < 0.05). Emotional and avoidant coping strategies seem to be adaptive among recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis patients. A mediating role between coping strategies and adjustment is played by sense of coherence.