Giordano Fiorenza, Calaresi Danilo, Saladino Valeria, Verrastro Valeria
Department of Human Sciences, Society and Health, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, 03043 Cassino, Italy.
Department of Health Sciences, University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
Brain Sci. 2025 Jan 17;15(1):86. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15010086.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Loneliness is a heterogeneous phenomenon, generally defined as an emotional experience based on the perceived distance between an individual's actual social relationships and those he or she would like to have. Adolescence is particularly vulnerable to loneliness because of the many changes in values, feelings, and emotions that characterize it. Among the aspects that may influence this feeling of discomfort, the literature identifies maladaptive personality and a dysfunctional response to traumatic events. Our study aims to identify the possible role that maladaptive personality traits and post-traumatic stress symptomatology in the form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Disturbance in Self-Organization (DSO) may play in the perception of loneliness in adolescents: Methods: We identified a mediation model constructed through structural equation modeling (SEM) to test PTSD and DSO post-traumatic stress symptomatology as independent variables and maladaptive personality as a mediator in the relationship between these and perceptions of loneliness in a population of adolescents of both sexes, Italian high school students; Results: Our study identifies the significant role of PTSD and DSO symptomatology in influencing the state of loneliness, both directly and indirectly through maladaptive personality traits, which appear to exert a substantial influence on the perception of loneliness, potentially functioning as mediators in the relationship between the latter and PTSD/DSO symptomatology. Presumably, a maladaptive personality may complicate recovery from adverse and traumatic experiences by preventing the implementation of functional coping strategies and promoting dysfunctional responses.
Our findings underscore the importance of researchers and clinicians adequately considering different personality traits and the early identification of post-traumatic stress symptomatology. A focus on adolescents' communication and interpersonal skills and their ability to respond effectively to stressful and traumatic events may prove useful in identifying more effective strategies for preventing and managing loneliness and related distress in adolescents.
背景/目的：孤独是一种复杂的现象，通常被定义为一种基于个体实际社会关系与他或她期望拥有的社会关系之间感知距离的情感体验。青少年尤其容易感到孤独，因为其具有价值观、情感和情绪方面的诸多变化。在可能影响这种不适感的诸多因素中，文献指出了适应不良的人格以及对创伤性事件的功能失调反应。我们的研究旨在确定适应不良的人格特质以及以创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）和自我组织障碍（DSO）形式出现的创伤后应激症状学在青少年孤独感认知中可能发挥的作用：方法：我们确定了一个通过结构方程模型（SEM）构建的中介模型，以检验PTSD和DSO创伤后应激症状学作为自变量，以及适应不良人格作为这些因素与意大利男女高中生这一青少年群体孤独感认知之间关系的中介变量；结果：我们的研究确定了PTSD和DSO症状学在直接和间接通过适应不良人格特质影响孤独状态方面的重要作用，适应不良人格特质似乎对孤独感认知产生了重大影响，有可能在孤独感与PTSD/DSO症状学之间的关系中起到中介作用。据推测，适应不良的人格可能会通过阻碍功能性应对策略的实施并促进功能失调反应，使从不良和创伤性经历中恢复变得复杂。
我们的研究结果强调了研究人员和临床医生充分考虑不同人格特质以及早期识别创伤后应激症状学的重要性。关注青少年的沟通和人际交往技能以及他们有效应对压力和创伤性事件的能力，可能有助于确定预防和管理青少年孤独感及相关困扰的更有效策略。
