The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on children’s and caregivers’ mental health. We investigated psychopathological symptoms in a group of non-at-risk and a group of at-risk mothers and their school-age children from the pre-pandemic period to the lockdown period and to the post-lockdown period. We used the SCL-90/R to assess mothers’ psychological symptoms, the CBCL 1½–5, and the CBCL 6–18 for the perceived children’s emotional-behavioral functioning. Analysis of variance was conducted to assess significant differences in the groups over the three assessment points. Linear regressions were run to investigate the effect of maternal psychological symptoms on their children’s functioning. In the non-at-risk group, maternal psychopathological symptoms significantly varied during the pandemic. Children’s Aggression scores decreased after the lockdown, while Depression scores significantly increased during lockdown and after. The mothers in the at- risk group presented overall decreasing scores over the three assessment points. Children’s Aggression scores did not increase during lockdown. Depression scores did not show significant changes over the three assessment points. Overall, our results showed that mothers’ psychopathological risk did not influence specific areas of children’s emotional/behavioral functioning, but it had an effect on the general offspring psychological well-being.

Adolescents frequently experience motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). Research has mostly underlined the psychological outcomes, rather than adolescents’ general emotional–behavioral functioning and the role played by family. This study aims to explore the emotional–behavioral functioning, measured with the Youth Self Report (YSR), difficulties to identify and describe emotions, measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the use of defense strategies, measured with the Response Evaluation Measure for Youth (REM-71), and perceived family collaboration, measured with the Perceived Collective Family scale, in adolescents that have experienced more than three MVCs in a year. N = 150 adolescents who visited an emergency department for MVCs were assessed through self-report questionnaires. Adolescents showed difficulties to identify and describe their emotions and a massive use of defense strategies. Moreover, lower perceived family collaboration predicted adolescents’ alexithymic traits and the massive use of maladaptive defense strategies. These results may be useful in assessing and creating prevention programs for risky driving behaviors in adolescence.

Research has shown that Postnatal maternal depression (PND) is associated with children’s emotional and behavioral problems during infancy, but the possible effect of father-child relationship quality on this association is yet to be thoroughly investigated. We recruited 401 families (802 parents; 401 children) via mental health clinics in Central Italy. We divided families into two groups: Group 1 included families with mothers with PND; Group 2 included families with mothers without PND (control group). The assessment took place at T1 (18 months of age of children) and T2 (36 months of age of children): postnatal maternal depression was measured through the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); parent-child relationship quality was assessed through the Scale for the Assessment of Feeding Interactions (SVIA); and the child emotional–behavioral functioning was evaluated with the Child-Behavior-Checklist (CBCL). Compared to the control group, the children of the groups where mothers had PND, showed overall higher scores (i.e., more maladaptive) on the CBCL. A direct effect of postnatal maternal depression on children’s emotional-behavioral functioning was found, both at T1 and at T2. A mediation effect of father-child relationship quality between postnatal maternal depression and child outcomes was also found. These results could inform prevention and intervention programs in families with mothers with PND.

Adolescents tend to experience multiple motor-vehicle crashes (MVCs). Recent literature has thoroughly explored the psychological consequences following an MVC, but prior psychological functioning, the ability to regulate one’s emotions and tendencies to impulsivity and aggressive behaviors have been far less explored. This study aims to explore the emotional–behavioral functioning, measured with the Youth Self-Report (YSR); emotional dysregulation, measured with the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS); impulsivity traits, measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11); and the capacity to be mindful, measured with the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), in adolescents that have experienced one or more MVCs in a year. N = 295 adolescents who visited an emergency department for MVCs were divided in two groups based on the number of MVCs they had sustained over the course of a year. The adolescents in Group 1 sustained more than three MVCs, and adolescents in Group 2 sustained only one. Participants were assessed through self-report questionnaires. Adolescents showed difficulties in emotional regulation, impulsivity traits, aggressive behaviors and a low capacity to be mindful. These results may be useful in the creation of intervention and prevention programs focused on emotional awareness targets for adolescents.