A Holistic Client Functioning Profile Comparison of People With Serious Mental Illness

The Role of Alexithymia and Impulsivity in Male Victims and Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence

(1) Background: Alexithymia and impulsivity appear to represent risk factors for violence perpetration, while mixed results are present with respect to victimization experience. In light of this, the purpose of this study was to compare the roles of both alexithymia and impulsivity among three different samples of men: men who experienced partner victimization (IPVV); male intimate partner violence perpetrators (IPVP); and men from the general population (CG). (2) Methods: Participants were recruited from specialized centers in Italy. A profile analysis was conducted. (3) Results: The results showed that IPVV presented alexithymia and impulsivity comparable to the CG. Furthermore, differences were found between victims and perpetrators in terms of impulsivity and alexithymia. The IPVP group had higher levels of both impulsivity and alexithymia in comparison to IPVV. Moreover, the perpetrators exhibited significantly higher levels of alexithymia compared to the CG. However, despite the medium Cohen's d (d = 0.441) resulting from the analyses, IPVP's level of impulsivity was not statistically different from the CG. (4) Conclusion: Alexithymia and impulsivity appear to play a key role in violent behaviors and should be the focus of psychological interventions with perpetrators.

Many Facets of Eating Disorders: Profiling Key Psychological Features of Anorexia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder

Objective. The present study employs a profile analysis to identify and compare psychological features and core eating disorder (ED) symptoms in clinical samples of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and binge eating disorder (BED) and the general population (GP). Methods. A sample comprising 421 participants (142 patients with AN; 139 patients with BED; and 140 participants from the GP) was surveyed with the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3). Individuals with AN and BED were recruited and tested during their first week of a multidisciplinary inpatient program for weight loss and rehabilitation at the 'Rete DCA USL Umbria 1' (Eating Disorders Services), Italy. Results. The findings suggest distinct patterns of symptom presentation between the three samples across all the EDI-3 dimensions-with both the AN and BED groups scoring significantly higher than the GP. Patients with AN registered greater scores in all the psychological trait scales and the drive for thinness ED-specific dimension of the EDI-3 compared with their BED counterpart-which, instead, scored higher in the bulimia and body dissatisfaction subscales. These data support the transdiagnostic nature of the main risk factors for the onset and maintenance of EDs-which would vary in severity levels-and the existence of disease-specific pathways giving rise to AN and BED. Conclusion. This study for the first time compares patients with AN and BED with a non-clinical sample on main ED psychological features. This might inform classification approaches and could have important implications for the development of prevention and early intervention programs.

Women and Violence: Alexithymia, Relational Competence and Styles, and Satisfaction with Life: A Comparative Profile Analysis

Background: This research investigates the two sides of violence by profiling female interpersonal violence offenders (IVO) and female interpersonal violence victims (IVV). These groups of women have been compared on three key variables within the context of violence: satisfaction with life (SWL), alexithymia, and relational styles-defined according to the Relational Competence Theory (RCT). Regarding the latter, the experience of functional or dysfunctional relational styles in childhood and adult relationships has been evaluated and compared with both groups of women. Methods: This study involved 131 women: IVO (n = 41; enrolled in a penitentiary), IVV (n = 41; enrolled in an anti-violence center), and a control group (CG; n = 49; enrolled from the general population). Profile analysis was performed. Results: Female IVO showed low SWL, high levels of alexithymia, and a pattern of mixed relational styles with both parents and the current partner. Female IVV revealed low SWL, low levels of alexithymia and dysfunctional relational styles with both parents and current partner. Women from the CG showed high SWL, absence of alexithymia and functional relational styles with both parents and current partner. Conclusions: The profiles outlined in this study are extremely informative regarding alexithymia, relational styles, and SWL in both female IVV and IVO. Clinical interventions for both groups of women should be developed relying on these results.