Silvia Casale
Biographic Data
| ID | 4029765 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Silvia Casale |
| GIVEN NAMES | Silvia |
| FAMILY NAME | Casale |
| SIGNATURE | CASALE S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Florence |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3823-9773 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 31 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 9 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 31 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1995 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Glitches in diagnostic boundaries
This commentary builds on King et al. (2025) to distinguish benign gaming from harm, framing gaming disorder as a rigid narrowing of experience marked by relational costs, inflexibility, and loss of alternatives. We introduce a concentric three-layer model—subjective symptoms, gaming's symbolic functions tied to vulnerabilities, and its sociocultural context—to guide assessment and treatment as dynamic meaning-making processes. Emphasizing stable…
Maladaptive daydreaming, self-concept clarity, and gaming disorder symptoms assessed through DSM-5 and ICD-11
The present study tested a model proposing a pathway from maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and low self-concept clarity (SCC) to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) symptoms, mediated by fantasy and escape motives. Using a sample of 300 adolescent and young adult gamers (M = 18.26; SD = 2.84; 48% female), the structural equation models showed a good fit to the data regardless of the diagnostic criteria applied (i.e. DSM-5 or ICD-11 guidelines). However, w…
Restless minds, restless nights
A 2-wave study on the associations between dissociative experiences, maladaptive daydreaming, bodily dissociation, and problematic social media use
The perception of Covid-19 amongst vulnerable subgroups of the general population in Italy
The findings of the present study may help shape a Health Belief Model-based intervention to promote well-being and the use of protective measures during pandemics
Investigating the Role of Avoidance Expectancies and Metacognitions About Social Compensation Through SNSs in the Pathway From Psychological Distress to Problematic Social Networking Sites Use
Problematic Social Networking Sites Use (PSNSU) develops along differential trajectories depending on different predisposing factors and motivations, one of which involves psychological distress. The present studies aimed at investigating (1) which distress dimension (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) is more linked to PSNSU, and (2) whether metacognitions about social compensation through social networking sites (SNSs) use and avoidance exp…
The role of perceived parental overprotection in women's restrained eating behavior
Restrained eating behavior (REB) refers to the tendency to rigidly restrict one's eating behavior in everyday life to influence body shape or weight. Parental overprotection, alexithymia, perfectionism, and asceticism are associated with REB among women. However, no studies have examined these variables simultaneously, integrating them into a theoretical model. In the current study, the combined influences of these variables on women's REB were t…
Problematic Social Media Use in Young Adults
Problematic social media use (PSMU) can have profound and detrimental effects across various domains of life. As a result, scientific investigations into the risk factors associated with this phenomenon can hold substantial practical implications within the clinical and preventive realms. Consistently with this framework, this study aimed to examine the relationship between certain variables and PSMU, with a specific focus on alexithymia, defense…
Body shame and problematic social networking sites use
Previous studies have shown that body shame and body image control in photos are associated with Problematic Social Networking Sites Use. The current study aims to build upon previous evidence by examining the role of perfectionistic self-presentation in the relationship between body shame, on the one hand, and body image control in photos and Problematic Social Networking Sites Use, on the other hand. The sample included 695 participants (%F = 6…
Suicide on Italian Instagram
Instagram is the social network with the largest number of adolescent users in Italy; it is also the social network with the largest number of suicide‐related posts. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in Italy in the 15–19 age group. This study aims to describe Italian posts on Instagram related to suicide and to investigate whether there are differences in the number of likes, comments, and hashtags in relation to the characteristics of…
Fear of missing out and fear of not being up to date
The present study introduces a new construct potentially associated with problematic smartphone use, that is the fear of not being up to date, and tests two serial mediation models, in which it was hypothesised that: (i) metacognitions and social smartphone use would be serial mediators of the relationship between the fear of missing out (FoMO) and problematic smartphone use (PSU); and (ii) metacognitions and process smartphone use would be seria…
Developing an intense player-avatar relationship and feeling disconnected by the physical body
The literature suggests that alexithymia and emptiness could be risk factors for various addictive behaviors. The present study developed and tested a model that proposes a pathway leading from emptiness and difficulties in identifying emotions to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) symptoms via an intense gamer-avatar relationship and bodily dissociative experiences. A sample of 285 (64.2% M; mean age = 30.38 ± 7.53) online gamers using avatar-based …
A meta-analysis on the association between self-esteem and problematic smartphone use
Suicidal Ideation among University Students
The present study aimed to examine the link between attachment, personality traits, and suicidal ideation with consideration of the potential moderating role of age and sex. The Suicidal History Self-Rating Screening Scale, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form, and the Attachment Style Questionnaire were administered to 183 students. There was a significant indirect effect of need for approval on suicidal ideation via detachment. Moreov…
Exploring the Psychodynamics of Compulsive Shopping
Interpersonally-Based Fears and Problematic Social Networking Site Use
Within the Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT) framework, online activities may compensate for psychosocial problems. However, those who attempt to satisfy their needs or mitigate their fears via Social Networking Sites (SNSs) may be at heightened risk for problematic use of SNSs (PSNSU), especially in cases when these fears have an interpersonal basis, and the individual effectively finds online social support. The current study hypothesizes…
Identifying the central symptoms of problematic social networking sites use through network analysis
Modelling the contribution of metacognitions and expectancies to problematic smartphone use
Fear of missing out and social networking sites use and abuse
Fitspiration on Instagram
The present study looks at how exposure to Instagram #fitspiration images affects self‐rated sexual attractiveness among women. An experimental pre‐test/post‐test control group design was implemented. Four hundred and forty‐two female undergraduate students (mean age of 22.06 ± 2.15 years) were randomly exposed to either fitspiration ( N = 233) or travel Instagram images ( N = 209). Well known self‐report measures of Instagram use, body satisfact…
The Effects of the Fear of Missing Out on People's Social Networking Sites Use During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Forced isolation induced by COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted individuals' well-being, reducing the opportunities for social encounters, consequently resulting in a greater use of social media in order to maintain social relationships. Although the range of friend-related activities appeared to be severely constrained during quarantine, the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) needs to be carefully examined, especially in relation to problematic soci…
Measuring Problematic Facebook Use among Adolescents and Young Adults with the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale
The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) is widely used, but psychometric evidence by applying Item Response Theory (IRT) is lacking. Considering the advantages of this psychometric approach, the aim of study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the BFAS among adolescents and young adults. Participants were 1134 (50% males, Mean age = 20.7, SD = 3.5, range = 14-33 years) Italian high school students and under…
Examining the impact of daily exposure to body-positive and fitspiration Instagram content on young women’s mood and body image
The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of daily exposure to body-positive and fitspiration Instagram posts on young women’s mood, body satisfaction, and appearance comparison tendency. One hundred and twenty-two young Italian women (M age = 22.29 ± 2.26 years) were randomly assigned to three different conditions of daily exposure on Instagram (i.e., body-positive, fitspiration and neutral content) and followed with an experienc…
Narcissism and problematic social media use
Taking a Short Break from Instagram
This study investigated whether abstaining from Instagram (Ig) affects subjective well-being among young men and women. By comparing an intervention group (40 participants who take a break from Ig for a week) with a control group (40 participants who kept using Ig), we found that women who quitted Ig reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect than women who kept using it. Whereas positive affect increment depend…
Psychometric Properties of the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey with a General Population Sample of Undergraduate Students
Examining the impact of daily exposure to body-positive and fitspiration Instagram content on young women’s mood and body image
The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of daily exposure to body-positive and fitspiration Instagram posts on young women’s mood, body satisfaction, and appearance comparison tendency. One hundred and twenty-two young Italian women (M age = 22.29 ± 2.26 years) were randomly assigned to three different conditions of daily exposure on Instagram (i.e., body-positive, fitspiration and neutral content) and followed with an experienc…
Suicide and custody
Custodial settings are recognized as an important context both with respect to suicide and self-harm and for HIV prevention and care. This article examines briefly what is known about suicide and self harm in relation to custody, emphasizing the increased risk of suicide and self-harm with suicidal intent among certain subgroups within the custodial population. Subsequently the discussion focuses on the current lack of information as regards HIV …
GID and Gender-Variant Children in Italy
Considering the lack of research and literature in Italy about Gender Identity Disorder (GID) in children and the importance of an early diagnosis, the authors administrated the “Gender Identity Interview” (Zucker et al., 1993 Zucker, K. J., Bradley, S. J. and Sanikhani, M. 1997. Sex differences in referral rates of children with gender identity disorder: Some hypotheses. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 25: 217–227. [Google Scholar]) to 350 child…
Psychometric Properties of the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey with a General Population Sample of Undergraduate Students
Exploring the role of positive metacognitions in explaining the association between the fear of missing out and social media addiction
Why narcissists are at risk for developing Facebook addiction
Narcissism, perfectionistic self-presentation, and relationship satisfaction from a dyadic perspective
The psychological mechanisms that potentially underlie the negative correlation between narcissism and relationship satisfaction are unknown. This study examined the potential mediating role of perfectionistic self-presentation in the association between grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic traits and relationship satisfaction. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model was used to examine these associations in 344 nonclinical heterosexua…
Narcissism and problematic social media use
Taking a Short Break from Instagram
This study investigated whether abstaining from Instagram (Ig) affects subjective well-being among young men and women. By comparing an intervention group (40 participants who take a break from Ig for a week) with a control group (40 participants who kept using Ig), we found that women who quitted Ig reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect than women who kept using it. Whereas positive affect increment depend…
Identifying the central symptoms of problematic social networking sites use through network analysis
Modelling the contribution of metacognitions and expectancies to problematic smartphone use
Fear of missing out and social networking sites use and abuse
Fitspiration on Instagram
The present study looks at how exposure to Instagram #fitspiration images affects self‐rated sexual attractiveness among women. An experimental pre‐test/post‐test control group design was implemented. Four hundred and forty‐two female undergraduate students (mean age of 22.06 ± 2.15 years) were randomly exposed to either fitspiration ( N = 233) or travel Instagram images ( N = 209). Well known self‐report measures of Instagram use, body satisfact…
The Effects of the Fear of Missing Out on People's Social Networking Sites Use During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Forced isolation induced by COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted individuals' well-being, reducing the opportunities for social encounters, consequently resulting in a greater use of social media in order to maintain social relationships. Although the range of friend-related activities appeared to be severely constrained during quarantine, the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) needs to be carefully examined, especially in relation to problematic soci…
Measuring Problematic Facebook Use among Adolescents and Young Adults with the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale
The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) is widely used, but psychometric evidence by applying Item Response Theory (IRT) is lacking. Considering the advantages of this psychometric approach, the aim of study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the BFAS among adolescents and young adults. Participants were 1134 (50% males, Mean age = 20.7, SD = 3.5, range = 14-33 years) Italian high school students and under…
Examining the impact of daily exposure to body-positive and fitspiration Instagram content on young women’s mood and body image
The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of daily exposure to body-positive and fitspiration Instagram posts on young women’s mood, body satisfaction, and appearance comparison tendency. One hundred and twenty-two young Italian women (M age = 22.29 ± 2.26 years) were randomly assigned to three different conditions of daily exposure on Instagram (i.e., body-positive, fitspiration and neutral content) and followed with an experienc…
A meta-analysis on the association between self-esteem and problematic smartphone use
Suicidal Ideation among University Students
The present study aimed to examine the link between attachment, personality traits, and suicidal ideation with consideration of the potential moderating role of age and sex. The Suicidal History Self-Rating Screening Scale, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form, and the Attachment Style Questionnaire were administered to 183 students. There was a significant indirect effect of need for approval on suicidal ideation via detachment. Moreov…
Exploring the Psychodynamics of Compulsive Shopping
Interpersonally-Based Fears and Problematic Social Networking Site Use
Within the Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT) framework, online activities may compensate for psychosocial problems. However, those who attempt to satisfy their needs or mitigate their fears via Social Networking Sites (SNSs) may be at heightened risk for problematic use of SNSs (PSNSU), especially in cases when these fears have an interpersonal basis, and the individual effectively finds online social support. The current study hypothesizes…
Fear of missing out and fear of not being up to date
The present study introduces a new construct potentially associated with problematic smartphone use, that is the fear of not being up to date, and tests two serial mediation models, in which it was hypothesised that: (i) metacognitions and social smartphone use would be serial mediators of the relationship between the fear of missing out (FoMO) and problematic smartphone use (PSU); and (ii) metacognitions and process smartphone use would be seria…
Developing an intense player-avatar relationship and feeling disconnected by the physical body
The literature suggests that alexithymia and emptiness could be risk factors for various addictive behaviors. The present study developed and tested a model that proposes a pathway leading from emptiness and difficulties in identifying emotions to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) symptoms via an intense gamer-avatar relationship and bodily dissociative experiences. A sample of 285 (64.2% M; mean age = 30.38 ± 7.53) online gamers using avatar-based …
Problematic Social Media Use in Young Adults
Problematic social media use (PSMU) can have profound and detrimental effects across various domains of life. As a result, scientific investigations into the risk factors associated with this phenomenon can hold substantial practical implications within the clinical and preventive realms. Consistently with this framework, this study aimed to examine the relationship between certain variables and PSMU, with a specific focus on alexithymia, defense…
Body shame and problematic social networking sites use
Previous studies have shown that body shame and body image control in photos are associated with Problematic Social Networking Sites Use. The current study aims to build upon previous evidence by examining the role of perfectionistic self-presentation in the relationship between body shame, on the one hand, and body image control in photos and Problematic Social Networking Sites Use, on the other hand. The sample included 695 participants (%F = 6…
Suicide on Italian Instagram
Instagram is the social network with the largest number of adolescent users in Italy; it is also the social network with the largest number of suicide‐related posts. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in Italy in the 15–19 age group. This study aims to describe Italian posts on Instagram related to suicide and to investigate whether there are differences in the number of likes, comments, and hashtags in relation to the characteristics of…
Restless minds, restless nights
Psychology (27 works) · Social Psychology (23 works) · Impact of Technology on Adolescents (19 works) · Clinical Psychology (15 works) · Developmental psychology (12 works) · Psychiatry (12 works) · Social Psychology (11 works) · Medicine (10 works) · Clinical Psychology (7 works) · Digital Mental Health Interventions (7 works)