Failures in Reflective Functioning and Reported Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Bereaved Individuals: A Study on a Sample of Family Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients

Vittorio Lenzo, Alberto Sardella (), Alessandro Musetti, Maria Cristina Petralia, Irene Grado and Maria C. Quattropani
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Vittorio Lenzo: Department of Social and Educational Sciences of the Mediterranean Area, University for Foreigners “Dante Alighieri” of Reggio Calabria, 89125 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Alberto Sardella: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Alessandro Musetti: Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy
Maria Cristina Petralia: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Irene Grado: Sisifo-Consortium of Social Cooperatives, 95125 Catania, Italy
Maria C. Quattropani: Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-9

Abstract: Introduction. This study aims at examining the role of failures in reflective functioning in predicting anxiety and depression among family caregivers of palliative care patients deceased for at least one year. Methods. A sample of 157 bereaved participants (77.1% females, mean age = 43.50 ± 14.04 years) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ). Results. Results of the correlational analysis showed that anxiety was positively correlated with uncertainty about mental states, indicating one type of impairment in reflective functioning. Anxiety was also negatively correlated with the certainty about mental states. Depression was negatively correlated with certainty but not with uncertainty about mental states. The results of regression analysis indicated that gender and certainty about mental states were statistically significant predictors of anxiety, with the final model explaining 23% of the variance. The results also showed that gender, the condition of being the main caregiver, and the certainty about mental states were significant predictors of depression, with the final model predicting 14% of the variance. Conclusions. Overall, the results of this study point out that the bereaved individuals who scored low on certainty about mental states reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression. Psychological interventions to prevent mental disorders and to promote psychological health in the context of palliative care should carefully consider these findings.

Keywords: health psychology; palliative care; caregiver; cancer; anxiety; depression; mentalizing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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