Depression and anxiety are among the most frequent comorbidities reported in cystic fibrosis (CF), and depression and parental anxiety can influence therapeutic adherence and clinical outcomes. Personality traits and attachment styles can influence the course of underlying psychiatric and medical conditions. The analysis of these variables could identify a subpopulation of persons with CF at risk of a worse clinical and therapeutic prognosis. The main objectives of the project are to investigate the temperamental characteristics that contribute to the onset of mood and anxiety disorders in persons with CF, the role of personality and attachment styles in predicting adherence to therapies, the impact of perception disease and dissociative symptoms on the clinical course and treatment. The research group will carry out validated psychological tests on about 70 persons with CF from the age of 14 and parents of CF adolescents (between 14 and 17 years) and the data collected will be analyzed in relation to clinical parameters. This study could improve the knowledge of temperament and personality traits of persons with CF and improve knowledge of risk factors for developing psychopathological conditions in persons with CF.

XIX Convention FFC Ricerca – download here a brief presentation of the project