I am author of over 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in English and Italian. I’m also the editor of an Italian book series on recent advances in psychotherapy and have served as guest editor of a few special issues.
I report below my recent publications in English. I regularly update my ResearchGate profile which can be consulted for all other publications (as well as my Google Scholar profile). Information about my CV are in “Who I am” section, updates in “News” section. You can also find preprints and datasets on my OSF profile.
Under review
Cheli, S., & Brüne, M. (2025). When do personality traits become pathological? An epistemological and evolutionary view. In K. Banicki and P. Zachar (Eds.), Conceptualizing Personality Disorders: Perspectives from Philosophy, Psychological
Science, and Psychiatry (pp. 160-178). Cambridge University Press (In press).
Cheli, S., Wisepape, C.N., Witten, C.D.Y., Floridi, M., Cavalletti, V., Hasson-Ohayon, I., Brüne, M., & Ottaviani, C. (2025). Psychosocial and Pharmacological Interventions for Cluster A Personality Disorders: A Systematic Review and a Series of Exploratory Meta-analyses. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research and Practice (In press).
Bonetto, C., Cheli, S., Bodini, L., Allegrini, E., Porru, S., Del Piccolo, L., Rimondini, M., Amaddeo, F., & Lasalvia, A. (Under review). Feasibility and Signals of Efficacy of Mindful Compassion Care Program to Reduce Burnout in Frontline Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19.
Cheli, S., Goldzweig, G., Brüne, M, Bui, S., Velicogna, F., & Cavalletti, V. (Under review). Evolutionary Systems Therapy for Personality Pathology: A Proof-of-Concept Single-Arm Trial
Books
Cheli, S., & Lysaker P. H. (Eds.) (2023). A Dimensional Approach to Schizotypy. Conceptualization and Treatment. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41788-7
Chapters
Cheli, S., Bui, S. (2025). Savant Syndrome. In G. Bennett and E. Goodall (Eds.), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40858-8_216-1
Cheli, S. (2023). Evolutionary Systems Therapy for Schizotypy: An Integrated Look at Attachment, Compassion and Metacognition. In S. Cheli and P. H. Lysaker (Eds.), A Dimensional Approach to Schizotypy. Conceptualization and Treatment (pp. 269-286). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41788-7_17
Cheli, S. (2023). A (Cross-)Cultural Look at Schizotypy. In S. Cheli and P. H. Lysaker (Eds.), A Dimensional Approach to Schizotypy. Conceptualization and Treatment (pp. 97-109). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41788-7_7
Cheli, S., & Brüne, M. (2023). Evolutionary Aspects of Schizotypy. In S. Cheli and P. H. Lysaker (Eds.), A Dimensional Approach to Schizotypy. Conceptualization and Treatment (pp. 19-36). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41788-7_2
Cheli, S., & Lysaker, P. H. (2023). A Disorder of Engaging in the World: Concluding Remarks and Future Directions. In S. Cheli and P. H. Lysaker (Eds.), A Dimensional Approach to Schizotypy. Conceptualization and Treatment (pp. 351-355). Springer.
Cheli, S., & Lysaker, P. H. (2023). Preface: Schizotypy from a Clinical Point of View. In S. Cheli and P. H. Lysaker (Eds.), A Dimensional Approach to Schizotypy. Conceptualization and Treatment (pp. IX-XIII). Springer.
Cheli S. e Petrocchi N. (2022). Mindful compassion practices for cancer patients: An integrative approach to culture and faith. In M. Silbermann, A. Berger (Eds.), Global perspectives in cancer care: Religion, spirituality, and cultural diversity in health and healing. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780197551349.001.0001
Petrocchi, S., Di Bello, M., Cheli, S., & Ottaviani, C. (2022). Compassion focused therapy and the body: how physiological underpinnings of prosociality inform clinical practice. In P. Gilbert & G. Simons (Eds), Compassion Focused Therapy: Clinical Practice and Applications. London, UK; Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003035879
Papers
Cheli, S. Goldzweig, G. Hewitt, P., Bui, S., & Cavalletti, V. (2025). Evolutionary Systems Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: A Five Case Series. Journal of Personality Disorders, 39(1), 61–76. https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi.2025.39.1.61
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., Gazzillo, F., Brüne, M. & Hewitt, P.L. (2024), I Don’t Deserve Anything Good: Perfectionistic Self-Recrimination in a Case of Comorbid Personality and Eating Disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23753 (Preprint: http://dx.doi.org/10.22541/au.172114929.99232229/v1)
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., Goldzweig, G., Bui, S., Petrocchi, N., Flett, G.L., & Hewitt, P.L. (2023). A Three-arm Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Feasibility of Mindful Compassion for Perfectionism in Reducing Perfectionistic Cognitions. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. https://doi.org/10.1037/int0000349
Cai, N., Dang, S. S., Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., Flett, G. L., & Hewit, P. L. (2024). Examination of Measures of Perfectionism for Structural and Measurement Invariance in an Italian and a Canadian Sample. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829241273166
Cohen-Chazani, Y., Igra, L., Hamm, J., Leonhardt, B., Klion, R., Cheli, S. and Hasson-Ohayon, I. (2024), Psychotherapy on an Acute Psychiatric Ward: Preliminary Findings From a Controlled Study. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31: e3002. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.3002
Cicero, D. C., Ruggero, C., Balling, C., Bottera, A. R., Cheli, S., Elkrief, L., Forbush, K.T., Hopwood, C.J., Jonas, K.G., Jutras-Aswad, J., Kotov, R., Levin-Aspenson, H.F., Mullins-Sweatt, S.N., Johnson-Munguia, S., Narrowo, SonakshiNegi, W.S., Patrick, C.J., Rodriguez-Seijas, C., Sheth, S., Simms, L.J., & Thomeczek, M. L. (2024). State of the Science: The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP). Behavior Therapy, Online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2024.05.001
Cheli, S., Goldzweig, G., Chiarello, F., & Cavalletti, V. (2024). Evolutionary systems therapy for paranoid personality disorder: A seven cases series. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 88, 1, 61-80. https://doi.org/10.1521/bumc.2024.88.1.61
Hewitt, P., Ge, S., Smith, M.M., Flett, G.L., Cheli, S., Molnar, D.S., Ko, A., Mikail, S.F., & Lang, T. (2024) Automatic Self Recriminations: Development and Validation of a Measure of Self-Condemnatory Internal Dialogue, Journal of Personality Assessment, https://10.1080/00223891.2024.2303429
Petrocchi, N., Ottaviani, C., Cheli, S., Matos, M., Baldi, B., Basran, J. K., & Gilbert, P. (2023). The impact of compassion-focused therapy on positive and negative mental health outcomes: Results of a series of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cps0000193
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., & Hopwood, C. (2023). Threatening beliefs about self and other moderate the association between psychoticism and psychological distress. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0000000000001726
Cheli, S. & Cavalletti, V. (2023). An Evolutionarily Oriented Therapy for Autistic Adolescents with Extraordinary Skills: A Two-Case Series. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10879-023-09586-7
Cheli, S., Goldzweig, G., Lysaker, P.H.,, Chiarello, F., Wiesepape, C., & Cavalletti, V. (2023). An evolutionarily informed therapy for adolescents with prominent schizotypal traits: A pilot five case series. Psychosis. https://doi.org/10.1080/17522439.2023.2199325
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., Lysaker, P.H., Dimaggio, G., Petrocchi, N., Chiarello, F., Enzo, C., Velicogna, F., Mancini, F., & Goldzweig, G. (2023). A pilot randomized controlled trial comparing a novel compassion and metacognition approach for schizotypal personality disorder with a combination of cognitive therapy and psychopharmacological treatment. BMC Psychiatry 23, 113 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04610-5
Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S. R., Ferreira, N., Linharelhos, M., Rijo D, Asano K, Vilas SP, Márquez MG, Gregório S, Brito-Pons G, Lucena-Santos P, da Silva Oliveira M, de Souza EL, Llobenes L, Gumiy N, Costa MI, Habib N, Hakem R, Khrad H, Alzahrani A, Cheli S, Petrocchi N, Tholouli E, Issari P, Simos G, Lunding-Gregersen V, Elklit A, Kolts R, Kelly AC, Bortolon C, Delamillieure P, Paucsik M, Wahl JE, Zieba M, Zatorski M, Komendziński T, Zhang S, Basran J, Kagialis A, Kirby J, Gilbert P. (2023). Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 1845. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031845
Cheli, S. (2023). An evolutionary look at oddity and schizotypy: How the social brain informs clinical practice. New Ideas in Psychology, 68, 10099, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2022.100993
Cheli, S., Pino, M.S., Goldzweig, G., Scoccianti, S., Fabbroni, V., Giordano, C., Cavalletti, V., Bassetti, A., & Fioretto, L. (2022). The relationship between COVID-19 risk perception and vaccine hesitancy in cancer patients: The moderating role of externalizing traits. . Clinical neuropsychiatry, 19(6), 355–364. https://doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20220602
Cheli, S., Chiarello, F. & Cavalletti, V. A (2022). Psychotherapy Oriented by Compassion and Metacognition for Schizoid Personality Disorder: A Two Cases Series. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-022-09566-3
Bodini, L., Bonetto, C., Cheli, S., Del Piccolo, L., Rimondini, M., Rossi, A., Carta, A., Porru, S., Amaddeo, F., & Lasalvia, A. (2022). Effectiveness of a Mindful Compassion Care Program in reducing burnout and psychological distress amongst frontline hospital nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 23(1), 734. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06666-2
Gilbert, P., Basran, J. K., Raven, J., Gilbert, H., Petrocchi, N., Cheli, S., Rayner, A., Hayes, A., Lucre, K., Minou, P., Giles, D., Byrne, F., Newton, E., & McEwan, K. (2022). Compassion Focused Group Therapy for People With a Diagnosis of Bipolar Affective Disorder: A Feasibility Study. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 841932. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.841932
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2022). Perfectionism unbound: An integrated individual and group intervention for those hiding imperfections. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 78, 1624– 1636. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23365
Pino, M. S., Cheli, S., Perna, M., Fabbroni, V., Giordano, C., Martella, F., Lanini, F., Ribecco, A. S., Scoccianti, S., Bacci, C., Baldazzi, V., Bertolini, I., Di Leonardo, G., Fulignati, C., Grifoni, R., Molinara, E., Rangan, S., Tassi, R., Furlan, F., Goldzweig, G., … Fioretto, L. (2022). The national COVID-19 vaccination campaign targeting the extremely vulnerable: the Florence Medical Oncology Unit experience in patients with cancer. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 170, 149–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2022.04.008
Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S.R., Ferreira, N., Linharelhos, M., Rijo, D., Asano, K., Márquez, M.G., Gregório, S., Vilas, S.P., Brito-Pons, G., Lucena-Santos, P., da Silva Oliveira, M., de Souza, E., Llobenes, L., Gumiy, N., Costa, M.I., Habib, N., Hakem, R., Khrad, H., Alzahrani, A., Cheli, S., … Gilbert, Paul (2022). Compassion protects mental health and social safeness during the COVID-19 pandemic across 21 countries. Mindfulness 13 (4) 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2
Takeuchi, E., Katanoda, K., Cheli, S., Goldzweig, G., & Tabuchi, T. (2022). Restrictions on healthcare utilization and psychological distress among patients with diseases potentially vulnerable to COVID-19; the JACSIS 2020 study. Health psychology and behavioral medicine, 10(1), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2022.2037429
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., Mancini, F., & Goldzweig, G. (2022). What if metacognition is not enough? Its association with delusion may be moderated by self-criticism. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02451-7
Cheli, S., Petrocchi, N., & Cavalletti, V. (2021). Hearing divine voices: A qualitative enquiry about criticism, connectedness, and compassion. Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches. https://doi.org/10.1080/17522439.2021.2011387
Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S. R., Ferreira, N., Linharelhos, M., Rijo, D., Asano, K., Vilas, S. P., Márquez, M. G., Gregório, S., Brito-Pons, G., Lucena-Santos, P., Oliveira, M., Souza, E. L., Llobenes, L., Gumiy, N., Costa, M. I., Habib, N., Cheli, S. …Gilbert, P. (2021). The role of social connection on the experience of COVID-19 related post-traumatic growth and stress. PloS one, 16(12), e0261384. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261384
Cheli, S., Enzo, Chiarello, F., & Cavalletti, V. (2021). Metacognitive Assessment Scale – Abbreviated and Indiana Psychiatric Illness Interview: Psychometric validation in two Italian clinical and non-clinical samples. BPA-Applied PSychology Bullettin. https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.290.1
Hasson‐Ohayon, I., Cheli, S., & Lysaker, P. H. (2021). Emerging psychotherapeutic approaches to addressing self‐experience in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychology 77(8), 1781-1785. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23223
Cheli, S., Lam, W. W. T., Estapé, T., Winterling, J., Bahcivan, O., Andritsch, E., Weis, J., Centeno, I., Serpentini, S., Farkas, C., Wengström, Y., Fioretto, L., Baider, L., Lam, C. C. L., & Goldzweig, G. (2021). Risk perception, treatment adherence, and personality during COVID‐19 pandemic: An international study on cancer patients. Psycho‐Oncology. 2021;1–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5775
Lysaker, P.H., Cheli, S., Dimaggio, G., Buck, B., Bonfils, K. A., Huling, K., Wiesepape, C. & Lysaker, J. T. (2021). Metacognition, social cognition, and mentalizing in psychosis: are these distinct constructs when it comes to subjective experience or are we just splitting hairs?. BMC Psychiatry, 21, 329. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03338-4
Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S. R., Ferreira, N., Cheli, S…. & Gilbert, P. (2021). Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID‐19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2601
Cheli, S., Pino, M.S., Marta, F., Cavalletti V., Fioretto, L., & Goldzweig, G. (2021). COVID-19 vaccine risk perception in cancer patients: Psychometric validation of a new screening tool. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin, 292(1):26-38. https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.292.1
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., Popolo, R., & Dimaggio, G. (2021). A case study on a severe paranoid personality disorder client treated with Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 77(8), 1807-1820. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23201
Cheli, S., & Cavalletti, V. (2021). The paradox of overcontrol, perfectionism, and self-criticism: A cases series on gifted students. Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva 48(1), 59-73. https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc48-2021oa12141
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V., Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2020). Mindful compassion for perfectionism in personality disorders: A pilot acceptability and feasibility study. BPA-Applied Psychology Bulletin, 6 (287). https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.287.5
Cheli, S, Cavalletti, V, Flett, G, Hewitt, P (2020). Mindful compassion for perfectionism in personality disorders: A feasibility and acceptability study. Applied Psychology Bulettin, 287: 57-67. https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.287.10
Cheli, S., Zagonel, Oliani, C., Blasi, L., Fioretto, L (2020). Is burnout affecting life satisfaction in oncology? The moderating role of family concerns in an Italian sample. Psycho-oncoology, https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5589
García Mieres, H., Lundin, N., Minor, K., Dimaggio, G., Cheli, S., Popolo, R., Ochoa, S. & Lysaker, P. (2020). T193. The role of metacognition on negative symptoms: a psychological model for diminished expression in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 46, S305-S305. https://10.1093/schbul/sbaa029.753
García Mieres, H., Lundin, N., Minor, K., Dimaggio, G., Popolo, R., Cheli, S. & Lysaker, P. (2020). A cognitive model of diminished expression in schizophrenia: The interface of metacognition, cognitive symptoms and language disturbances. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 131. https://10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.09.008
Cheli, S., Macbeth, A., Popolo, R. & Dimaggio, G. (2020). The intertwined path of perfectionism and self-criticism in a client with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://10.1002/jclp.23051
Cheli, S., Cavalletti, V. & Petrocchi, N. (2020). An online compassion-focused crisis intervention during COVID-19 lockdown: a cases series on patients at high risk for psychosis. Psychosis, 1-4. https://10.1080/17522439.2020.1786148
Cheli S. (2020). Assessment and treatment planning for schizotypal personality disorder: A metacognitively oriented point of view. Psychiatric rehabilitation journal. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000429