This study aims to contribute to the scientific debate about the evaluation of the intervention in infant mental health and presents the main results after one year of intervention based on integrated types of treatments (psychodynamic psychotherapy for the child/adolescent, parental support and observation and assessment of family interactions). Furthermore, the study aims to explore the use of the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP) as a new assessment tool for planning the of treatments. The sample consists of 23 children and adolescents, aged between 4 and 17 years old, and their families, attending the Infancy, Adolescence and Family Service, Local Health Unit 16 of Padua due to their psychopathological problems. In order to assess their psychological conditions we used the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to evaluate psycho-behavioral problems and the LTP to assess family interactions. The CBCL was used at the time of the diagnostic assessment (T0) and after 12 months of treatment (T12). Concerning the application of LTP, the sample was divided randomly in two groups: one where LTP was used in two different time intervals during therapy (T0 and T12) and another one where it was used in three different time intervals during therapy (T0, T6 and T12) with a video-feedback intervention at time T6. Results report a favorable outcome in regards of the gravity of patients' symptoms, displaying, after one year of treatment, a statistical significant decrease in the clinical level of internalizing symptoms. In terms of family interactions, results show stability within the family patterns except for a statistically significant deterioration in the management of interactive mistakes. Regarding the use of LTP as evaluator of the above intervention, the study shows that the assessment of family's interactions during long-term psychotherapy helps clinicians focus the intervention on those aspects that remain dysfunctional. These results and the possible interpretations, however, emphasize the need for further studies on this topic.

Recent clinical and theoretical research in the field of developmental psychopathology has focused on the importance of interactions in a child's development. The literature has investigated how children's early relationships contribute to the structure and expression of any subsequent psychological problems. The main focus of this pilot study is the application of the Lausanne Trilogue Play paradigm as part of psychodiagnostic assessments to elucidate family functioning in clinical settings. The research aims particularly to observe the characteristics of a family's interactions in the light of their child's psychopathological symptoms, based on a sample of 38 families with school-age children referred to a Neuropsychiatry Unit for Children and Adolescents for emotional or behavioral problems. The children's psychopathological symptoms were assessed by administering the Child Behavior Check List to their parents. Triadic family interactions were observed using the Lausanne Trilogue Play procedure. Statistically significant relationships emerged between the family's interaction patterns and the child's externalizing and internalizing problems, suggesting an interdependence between these relational and individual factors in the development of the young person's psychopathology. The clinical and therapeutic implications of these findings are discussed.

Introduction: Several studies on developmental age have investigated aspects relating to emotional competence, and alexithymia in particular, showing that it is associated with behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence. Some such research has focused on the relationship between emotional difficulties and family interactions assuming a link between the quality of family relationships and a child's emotional competence. Subjects and Methods:The aims of the present study were: 1) to compare a group of psychiatric adolescents with a group of "healthy" adolescents in terms of any alexithymia and its relationship with the former's psychopathological issues; 2) to clarify the relationship, if any, between psychopathology, alexithymia and family interaction patterns in our sample of psychiatric INDJ, 4(1): 47-54, 2015; Article no.INDJ.2015.025 48 adolescents. The experimental group consisted of 41 psychiatric adolescents and the control group of 41 students matched for gender and age. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used to identify any alexithymic traits, the Youth Self Report (YSR) 11-18 and the CBCL to detect any psycho-behavioral problems, and the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP) to analyze family interactions. Results: There was a higher prevalence of alexithymia among the adolescents with mental health problems than in the control group, and a correlation between their scores for internalizing problems and alexithymia. In the experimental group, adolescents with internalizing problems, somatic complaints and attention difficulties belonged to families revealing high levels of parental conflict. As for alexithymia, adolescents' difficulty identifying emotions correlated significantly with the same trait in their mothers. This feature also seemed to be associated with better family interactions. Conclusion: Our study confirms the importance of family relationships in the development of emotional skills, and highlights how deficiencies in the development of emotional competence are strongly associated with psychopathologies in adolescence. In the light of these findings, it is advisable in clinical practice to provide psychotherapeutic interventions for teens and their parents. Short Research Article

Introduction: This work is an example of empirical research. The aim was to look to the possible transgenerational influence between parents and adolescents attachment bond to their respective parents, infant armonic and/or disarmonic development and functional or dysfunctional family interactions. Methodology: 40 families with adolescents aged from 12 to 18 years (μ = 14.575, σ = 1.716) coming for a psychodiagnostic evaluation were tested with Lausanne Trilogue Play, Parental Bonding Instrument, Child Behaviour Checklist and Youth Self Report. Hypothesis: a) Is there an association between the adolescent's perceived attachment relationship with his parents and his psychopathological symptoms? In this case a non parametric test for k independent groups was Short Research Article INDJ, 4(2): 84-91, 2015; Article no.INDJ.2015.029 85 performed. b) Is there an association between parents-adolescent interactive dynamics and the parents' perceived attachment relationship with their parents (adolescent's grand-parents). In this case correlations and non-parametric test for k independent groups were performed. Results: a) We found significant statistical differences (p < .05) between adolescent psychopathology and the quality of perceived relationship with both the mother and the father. b) we found positive correlations between quality of relationship between the mother and her father (adolescent grandfather) and the scores of some LTP scales concerning normative function; moreover we found negative correlations between the father and his mother (adolescent's grandmother) and the scores of some LTP scales concerning affective function. Conclusion: These results underline a significant association between the internal working model of the mother and her ways to interact and manage the relation with her adolescent son; this is a clinical evidence too. Another relevant result is the association between adolescent's psychopathology and his internal working model. Clinical applications regarding these findings should be taken in account when psychotherapeutically working with adolescents and their families.

Studies about the effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy interventions with children and adolescents suggest potential adverse effects of this treatment when not supported by a parallel work with parents: it seems that it could damage family functioning and affect family balances. This research aims to assess psychopathological outcomes after two years of psychodynamic psychotherapy by comparing two groups (G) of children and adolescents, related to a Childhood Adolescence Family Service: G1 – individual therapy for child/adolescent only; G2 - therapy for child/adolescent and a separate session of co-parenting support. 21 families with children aged between 6 and 17 years completed the entire treatment. The research protocol involves: Lausanne Trilogue Play, Children Behavior Check List and Family Empowerment Scale. Results show a positive effect of the treatment on the child/adolescent psychopathological profile with a significant improvement concerning the reduction of both internalizing and externalizing problems. Results show the effectiveness of the integrated intervention in the improvement of parents’ abilities to validate the children emotional state. Our results suggesting that parenting support increase parental sensitivity, helping the parents to become more able to recognize the children’s emotional state and to validate it.