Table 5.

List of Psychological Questionnaires adopted in the study.

Variables	Psychological Questionnaire	Main Characteristics and Scores
Psychological Distress	The Symptom Check List-90-R [86]	90 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (from “not at all” to “extremely”). 3 global indexes have been calculated: the global severity index (GSI)—an overall measure of psychological distress; the positive symptom total (PST)—number of items scored above zero, reflects the symptoms’ breadth; the positive symptom distress index (PSDI)—the average level of distress for the self-reported symptoms, indicating the perceived intensity of symptoms. Data have been reported using a T-score approach: GSI or PST or PSDI, T scores below the cut off of 55 indicate a level of the specific index similar to the mean of the general population; T scores between 55 and 64 indicate a moderate-severe level of psychological distress (GSI), a moderate-high a number of symptoms (PST) and a moderate-high intensity of symptoms (PSDI) respectively; at T scores higher than or equal to 65, the level of GSI becomes very severe and the number of symptoms or their intensity is considered high [87,88]
Coping Strategies	Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced (COPE) [62,89,90]	60 items rated on a 4-point scale (from ‘‘usually do not do this at all’’ to ‘‘usually do this a lot’’). 5 essentially, independent coping strategies have been calculated: social support (COPE-SS)—seeking social support to obtain advice, information or sympathy from others and express emotions; avoidance strategies (COPE-AS)—the attempts to avoid dealing with either the problem or the associated emotions, including denial; behavioural and mental disengagement; helplessness attitude and substance utilization to reduce distress; positive attitude (COPE-PA)—the attitude of acceptance; containment; positive reinterpretation of events and restraint-coping; problem-solving orientation (COPE-PO)—the active involvement in dealing with the source of stress through taking steps to eliminate the problem, planning and suppression of competing activities; turning to religion (COPE-TR)—the use of faith for support and the absence of humour.
Perceived self-efficacy	The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) [91,92,93]	10 items rated on a 4-point scale (from “not at all true” to “exactly true”). Higher scores correspond to higher levels of perceived self-efficacy.
Psychological Flexibility	The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQ-II) [64,94]	7 items on a 7-point scale (from “never true” to “always true”). Higher scores correspond to higher levels of psychological inflexibility, which is conceived experiential avoidance. “The phenomenon that occurs when a person is unwilling to remain in contact with particular private experiences (e.g., bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts, memories, images, behavioural predispositions) and takes steps to alter the form or frequency of these experiences or the contexts that occasion them, even when these forms of avoidance cause behavioural harm” [95].
Perceived Social Support	Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) [63,96]	12 items rated on a 7-point scale (from “full disagreement” to “full agreement”). 3 mean perceived support scores have been calculated: perceived social support by family (MSPSS-FA), by friends (MSPSS-FR), by significant others (MSPSS-O).