{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T14:24:33Z","timestamp":1791987873486,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,29]],"date-time":"2025-09-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759104000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.mdpi.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examined the associations between perceived Islamophobia and social well-being among Muslim women living in Italy, focusing on the potential mediating role of societal mattering and interpersonal mattering with respect to family and friends. Drawing from community and social psychology perspectives, we hypothesized that perceived Islamophobia would be negatively associated with social well-being, and that this relationship would be mediated by perceived mattering. In total, 120 Muslim women completed validated measures of perceived Islamophobia, mattering, and social well-being. Generalized Linear Modeling indicated that the direct association between perceived Islamophobia and social well-being was marginally significant. However, significant indirect associations emerged through societal mattering and mattering to friends. Higher perceived Islamophobia was associated with lower societal mattering and mattering to friends, which in turn were positively associated with social well-being, whereas mattering to family did not mediate the association. These findings underscore the role of different forms of mattering in shaping social well-being among women belonging to a minority religious group. Results have implications for the development of interventions aimed at promoting perception of being important to one\u2019s society and significant others among Muslim women, particularly in national contexts where anti-Muslim sentiments may threaten their well-being.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs15101338","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,29]],"date-time":"2025-09-29T11:40:52Z","timestamp":1759146052000},"page":"1338","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The Mediating Role of Mattering in the Relationship Between Perceived Islamophobia and Well-Being in a Group of Muslim Women Residing in Italy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4443-5025","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristian","family":"Di Gesto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi, 78, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elisa","family":"Guidi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Via Isimbardi, 10, 22060 Novedrate, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8237-7415","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia Rosa","family":"Policardo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Via Isimbardi, 10, 22060 Novedrate, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amanda","family":"Nerini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Via San Salvi, 12, 50135 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1791-4074","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Camilla","family":"Matera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Via San Salvi, 12, 50135 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"206","DOI":"10.1080\/2372966X.2022.2075710","article-title":"The impact of Islamophobia on Muslim students: A systematic review of the literature","volume":"52","author":"Woolweaver","year":"2023","journal-title":"School Psychology Review"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1080\/15313204.2020.1870601","article-title":"Employment discrimination faced by Muslim women wearing the hijab: Exploratory meta-analysis","volume":"32","author":"Ahmed","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work: Innovation in Theory, Research & Practice"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"648","DOI":"10.1177\/0891243220932156","article-title":"The matrix of gendered Islamophobia: Muslim women\u2019s repression and resistance","volume":"34","year":"2020","journal-title":"Gender & Society"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.1037\/cdp0000440","article-title":"\u201cArab, brown, and other\u201d: Voices of Muslim Arab American women on identity, discrimination, and well-being","volume":"29","author":"Alsaidi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bano, M. 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