Abstract
According to Wilma Bucci’s theory, psychological and emotional wellbeing
are strictly associated with the ability of connecting subsymbolic
experiences, tying words and images together; such a process, named
referential, allows a modulation of the self regulation states. On the
contrary, dissociation, at any level, among the three systems of emotional
information processing (non verbal-non symbolic, non verbal-symbolic,
verbal-symbolic), may often lead to psychopathology. On the basis of these
assumptions, the present exploratory work aims to determine whether
depressive symptoms during the perinatal period might be characterized by
a greater difficulty in connecting sensory experiences, emotions and
language, or, in other words, whether they can be associated to a poor
referential activity (RA). More specifically, the connection between
depressive symptoms and referential activity was investigated within a
sample of 50 primiparous Italian women, divided into two groups according
to the score obtained at the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
(“depressed/at risk women” N=11; “non depressed women N=39). Women
were administered a semi-structured interview about childbirth one month
after delivery and their RA was measured. The Italian Weighted Referential
Activity Dictionary (IWRAD) was used to perform a computer assisted
analysis of the RA. Results show some differences between the referential
activity scores obtained by depressed and non depressed mothers; the
outcomes, which will be further discussed and analyzed during the congress,
call for some clinical reflections on perinatal distress and on the possibility
that assessing RA after childbirth may help the screening process and the
identification of at risk situations.
Lingua originale | English |
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pagine (da-a) | 176-176 |
Numero di pagine | 1 |
Rivista | Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2015 |
Evento | XVII Congresso nazionale dell'Associazione Italiana di Psicologia - Sezione psicologia clinica e dinamica - Milazzo (Messina) Durata: 25 set 2015 → 27 set 2015 |
Keywords
- perinatal depression, referential activity