51
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Cecere L, de Novellis S, Gravante A, Petrillo G, Pisani L, Terrenato I, Ivziku D, Latina R, Gravante F. Quality of life of critical care nurses and impact on anxiety, depression, stress, burnout and sleep quality: A cross-sectional study. Intensive Crit Care Nurs 2023; 79:103494. [PMID: 37556987 DOI: 10.1016/j.iccn.2023.103494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate how anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, and sleep quality impact on Quality of life of critical care nurses. BACKGROUND Several studies reported that critical care nurses are exposed to a high risk of anxiety, depression, burnout, stress, and sleep quality, but we do not know the impact of critical care nurses. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. METHODS We have included all critical care nurses working in the intensive care unit for at least six months. Data were collected from December 1, 2021, to March 18, 2022. We evaluated the critical care nurses using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Maslach Burnout Inventory scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Nurse Quality of Life. The primary endpoint is Quality of Life. Associations were tested using multivariate modelling. RESULTS A total of 140 critical care nurses were included. Multivariate regression showed the relation between emotional QoL and emotional exhaustion and DASS total score [OR = 0.14; 95% CI (0.03-0.73); p = 0.019 and OR = 3.64; 95% CI (1.07-12.32); p = 0.038, respectively]. Personal accomplishment and DASS total score have a direct relationship on quality of work-life [OR = 0.21; 95% CI (0.05-0.82); p = 0.024 and OR = 4.18; 95% CI (1.01-17.33); p = 0.049, respectively]. CONCLUSIONS The physical quality of life is not optimal in critical care nurses, while burnout and the DASS score directly impact the emotional and work-life quality of life. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE Our research has highlighted the importance of detecting the quality of life of critical care nurses. The nurses should take proper care of their health by adopting the right health behaviours to create correct work conditions and increase the quality of care for critically ill patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano Cecere
- Cardiology Unit and Coronary Intensive Care, Emergency Department, Antonio Cardarelli Hospital in Naples, Italy
| | - Salvatore de Novellis
- Cardiology Unit and Coronary Intensive Care, Department of Clinical Medicine and Aging, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Agostino Gravante
- Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department, Antonio Cardarelli Hospital in Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Petrillo
- Operating Theaters, Division of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, "Fondazione G. Pascale" National Cancer Institute, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Pisani
- Mahidol Oxford Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand; Intensive Care Unit, General Regional Hospital Miulli, Acquaviva delle Fonti, Italy
| | - Irene Terrenato
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatic Unit, Scientific Direction, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Dhurata Ivziku
- Department of Health Professions, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Latina
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche, 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Gravante
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Unit, Local Health Authority of Caserta Viale Unità Italiana, 28, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
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Merlino G, Garbo R, Dal Bello S, Del Negro I, Lamon E, Filippi F, Bernardini A, Lorenzut S, Ceccarelli L, Cella A, Marè A, Tereshko Y, Gigli GL, Valente M. Ketogenic diet may improve sleep quality and daytime somnolence in patients affected by multiple sclerosis. Results of an exploratory study. Sleep Med 2023; 112:181-187. [PMID: 37879260 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2023.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently report sleep complaints. The ketogenic diet (KD) is safe and tolerable in MS patients. Our aim was: 1) to investigate the effects of KD on sleep complaints in patients affected by relapsing-remitting MS and 2) to verify if sleep changes can positively impact on psychological status and quality of life (QoL) in these patients. PATIENTS/METHODS From January 2020 to November 2022, we consecutively enrolled 21 non-disabled or minimally disabled MS patients. We collected information regarding: 1) anthropometric measures; 2) psychological status by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21; 3) QoL by the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54); 4) subjective sleep complaints, i.e. sleep quality, by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). RESULTS After 6 months of KD therapy, anthropometric measures considerably changed, psychological status significantly improved, and almost all the MSQOL-54 subscales ameliorated. Regarding sleep, we observed that the global PSQI (T0: 7.7 ± 3.1 versus T1: 4.4 ± 3.1, p = 0.002) and the ESS (T0: 7.5 ± 3.9 versus T1: 4.9 ± 3.2, p = 0.001) scores significantly decreased after KD therapy. At T1, only the global PSQI score was an independent predictor of anxiety, stress, and mental health. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, we demonstrated that KD may improve sleep complaints in MS patients. In addition, KD seems to have a positive impact on psychological status and QoL of MS patients, mainly through improving sleep quality. Further controlled studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Merlino
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy.
| | | | - Simone Dal Bello
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Ilaria Del Negro
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Eleonora Lamon
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Francesca Filippi
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Andrea Bernardini
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Simone Lorenzut
- Division of Neurology, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Laura Ceccarelli
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Arianna Cella
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marè
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Yan Tereshko
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gigli
- Dipartimento di Area Medica (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Mariarosaria Valente
- Clinical Neurology, Sleep Medicine Center, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy; Dipartimento di Area Medica (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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Giuliani A, Romano L, Attanasio M, Tersigni L, Iacobelli E, Mazza M. Proctological disorders: psychometrics assessment of personality features and clinical evaluation. Updates Surg 2023; 75:2291-2296. [PMID: 37269423 DOI: 10.1007/s13304-023-01548-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Patients with gastrointestinal diseases have been shown to report greater stress, anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive characteristics. The aim of our study is to investigate personality characteristics and general distress of adult patients suffering from common coloproctological conditions. We conducted a retrospective observational study including patients aged 18 years or older, with diagnosis of haemorrhoidal disease (HD group) or anal fissure (AF group). The final sample was composed of 64 participants, who were asked to complete a battery of questionnaires. They were compared with a control group of healthy volunteers. In terms of general distress, HD group scored higher than both the CG and AF groups. The two proctological groups had higher scores in neuroticism/emotional lability compared to the CG group. In the MOCQ-R scale (obsessive-compulsive tendency), HD group had significantly higher scores compared to the CG group in the total score (p < 0.01,) and also scored higher in the doubting/ruminating subscale compared to the AF group. We support the importance of taking a multidisciplinary perspective and incorporating psychometric tools to assess the psychological and personality dimensions of patients into proctological clinical practice. The correct early evaluation and management of these conditions may result in an improvement in patients' quality of life and better response to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Giuliani
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Lucia Romano
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Leonardo Tersigni
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Iacobelli
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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Perego G, Cugnata F, Brombin C, Milano F, Mazzetti M, Taranto P, Preti E, Di Pierro R, De Panfilis C, Madeddu F, Di Mattei VE. Analysis of healthcare workers' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a three-wave longitudinal study. J Health Psychol 2023; 28:1279-1292. [PMID: 37078431 PMCID: PMC10119662 DOI: 10.1177/13591053231168040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The "Healthcare workers' wellbeing [Benessere Operatori]" project is an exploratory longitudinal study assessing healthcare workers' mental health at three different time points over a 14-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected socio-demographic and work-related information and assessed the perceived social support, coping strategies, and levels of depression, anxiety, insomnia, anger, burnout, and PTSD symptoms. In total, 325 Italian healthcare workers (i.e. physicians, nurses, other healthcare workers, and clerks) participated in the first initial survey and either the second or third subsequent survey. Participants reported subclinical levels of psychiatric symptoms that remained mostly unchanged across time, except for an increase in stress, depression, state anger, and emotional exhaustion symptoms. Despite subclinical levels, healthcare workers' distress can adversely affect the quality of care, patient satisfaction, and medical error rates. Therefore, implementing interventions to improve healthcare workers' wellbeing is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Perego
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University,
Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute,
Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Valentina E Di Mattei
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University,
Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute,
Italy
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Alfì G, Orrù G, Menicucci D, Miccoli M, Casigliani V, Totaro M, Baggiani A, Gemignani A. A Machine Learning Approach Unveils the Relationships between Sickness Behavior and Interoception after Vaccination: Suggestions for Psychometric Indices of Higher Vulnerability. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2981. [PMID: 37998473 PMCID: PMC10671008 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11222981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prior research has suggested a possible connection between vaccination and manifestations of Sickness Behavior; however, a need remains to first delve deeper into this association and second examine how Interoceptive Awareness and emotional factors may modulate individuals' perceptions of their health status post vaccination. METHOD An online retrospective cross-sectional survey of 647 individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccination was conducted. Together with vaccination side effects, socio-demographic characteristics, health status, level of concern about vaccination, and Interoceptive Awareness were collected at the baseline level. Mood, sleep, and Sickness Behavior were assessed at baseline and after vaccination. Data were analyzed using inferential statistics and machine learning techniques. RESULTS After vaccination, there was a significant increase in Sickness Behavior levels (mean (±SD) SicknessQ T0 = 1.57 (±2.72), mean (±SD) SicknessQ T1 = 5.54 (±5.51); p-value = 0.001; ES = 0.77). A Machine Learning analysis revealed specific patterns of individual dispositions (sex and age), baseline emotional characteristics (levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and concern about adverse reactions), as well as some components of Interoceptive Awareness (Noticing, Body Listening, and Attention Regulation), as predictors of high levels of Sickness Behavior, both in terms of overall scores (JRIP: 72.65% accuracy, AUC = 0.692, d = 0.709; F1 = 0.726) and individual items (JRIP: 75.77% accuracy, AUC = 0.694; d = 0.717; F1 = 0.754). CONCLUSIONS Our results provide new insight into post-immune reactions by highlighting the contribution of Interoceptive Awareness in modulating the severity of Sickness Behavior. This sheds light on the role of awareness of bodily sensations in modulating perceptions of health status, helping to identify the characteristics that make individuals more prone to feeling sick.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaspare Alfì
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.A.); (D.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Graziella Orrù
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.A.); (D.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Danilo Menicucci
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.A.); (D.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Mario Miccoli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Virginia Casigliani
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.C.); (M.T.); (A.B.)
| | - Michele Totaro
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.C.); (M.T.); (A.B.)
| | - Angelo Baggiani
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.C.); (M.T.); (A.B.)
| | - Angelo Gemignani
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.A.); (D.M.); (A.G.)
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56
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Vicentin S, Cantarella G, Cona G, Bisiacchi P. Thinking about it: the impact of COVID-19-related stimuli on prospective memory. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16389. [PMID: 38025740 PMCID: PMC10657566 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Since 2020, information regarding COVID-19 has been a constant presence in the news, in our conversations and thoughts. Continuous exposure to this type of stimuli could have an impact on cognitive processes essential for our everyday activities, such as prospective memory (PM). PM is the ability to remember to perform an intention at a specific point in the future, like remembering to take prescribed medicines at a specific time or to turn off the stove after cooking. Do COVID-related stimuli affect our ability to perform a PM task? Methods To answer this question, we proposed a novel version of the classical paradigm used to investigate PM. Namely, this paradigm includes a baseline condition, in which an ongoing task is presented alone, and a PM condition in which the same task is proposed again together with a second (prospective) task. In this study, a short video clip was presented between the baseline and the PM condition. The video clip displayed either neutral, negative, or COVID-related content. Additionally, participants were asked to respond to two questionnaires and a series of questions regarding their well-being and experience with the pandemic. Namely, the DASS-21 scale (evaluating depression, anxiety, and stress), and the COVID-19-PTSD questionnaire (a questionnaire evaluating post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms related to the pandemic experience) were administered. Participants' performance and responses were analyzed using a linear mixed effect (LME) model approach, and correlation analyses were run to highlight possible correlations between participants' scores in the DASS-21, the COVID-19-PTSD, and the additional questions on their personal experience with the pandemic. Results The LME models revealed significant effects of the displayed video on performance: in line with previous studies, the clip displaying standard negative contents led to impaired accuracy in the ongoing task in the PM condition, compared to the Baseline. In contrast, participants who saw the COVID-related clip showed improved accuracy in the ongoing task compared to the other participants, selectively in the block performed after the video clip was displayed (PM condition). Furthermore, the explanatory power of the LME model calculated on accuracy to the ongoing trials was enhanced by the inclusion of the scores in the anxiety subscale of the DASS-21, suggesting a detrimental role of anxiety. Altogether, these results indicate a different effect of the exposure to classical negative contents (associated with a cost in terms of accuracy in the ongoing task between the baseline and the PM condition) and the pandemic-related one, which was instead characterized by a higher accuracy to ongoing trials compared to the other video clips. This counterintuitive finding seems to suggest that COVID-related stimuli are processed as "acute stressors" rather than negative stimuli, thus inducing a state of increased alertness and responsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Vicentin
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Giorgia Cona
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Patrizia Bisiacchi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Piccardi L, Pecchinenda A, Palmiero M, Giancola M, Boccia M, Giannini AM, Guariglia C. The contribution of being physically active to successful aging. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1274151. [PMID: 38034073 PMCID: PMC10682790 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1274151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing old involves changes in physical, psychological, and cognitive functions. Promoting physical and mental health has become one of the priorities for an aging population. Studies have demonstrated the benefits of engaging in regular physical activity. Here, we aimed to understand the relationships between physical activity and working memory complaints in attention, memory storage, and executive functions. We hypothesized that physical activity was negatively associated with complaints in working memory domains after controlling for socio-demographics and distress factors, such as anxiety, stress, and depression. Two hundred and twenty-three individuals aged between 65 and 100 years (74.84; SD = 7.74; 133 males) without self-reported neurological and/or psychiatric disorders completed a questionnaire on socio-demographic, with questions on physical activity and the Italian version of the working memory questionnaire (WMQ) and the DASS-21 measuring anxiety, stress, and depression. Results from three linear regression models showed that low physical activity was associated with complaints in attention (R2 = 0.35) and executive functions (R2 = 0.37) but not in memory storage (R2 = 0.28). Notably, age, gender, and total emotional distress (DASS score) were significant in all regression models. Our results suggested regular physical activity, even just walking, is crucial for maintaining efficient cognitive function. Theoretical and practical implications for engaging in physical activity programs and social aggregation during exercise are considered. Limitations are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- San Raffaele Cassino Hospital, Cassino, Italy
| | - Anna Pecchinenda
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Giancola
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Maddalena Boccia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Cecilia Guariglia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Mihić L, Janičić B, Marchetti I, Novović Z, Sica C, Bottesi G, Belopavlović R, Jakšić N. Comorbidity among depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in naturalistic clinical samples: A cross-cultural network analysis. Clin Psychol Psychother 2023. [PMID: 37940606 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Comorbidity between depression and anxiety is well-established across various settings and cultures. We approached comorbidity from the network psychopathology perspective and examined the depression, anxiety/autonomic arousal and stress/tension symptoms in naturalistic clinical samples from Serbia, Italy and Croatia. This was a multisite study in which regularized partial correlation networks of the symptoms, obtained via self-reports on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) in three cross-cultural, clinical samples (total N = 874), were compared with respect to centrality, edge weights, community structure and bridge centrality. A moderate degree of similarity in a number of network indices across the three networks was observed. While negative mood emerged to be the most central node, stress/tension nodes were the most likely bridge symptoms between depressive and anxiety/autonomic arousal symptoms. We demonstrated that the network structure and features in mixed clinical samples were similar across three different languages and cultures. The symptoms such as agitation, restlessness and inability to relax functioned as bridges across the three symptom communities explored in this study. Important theoretical and clinical implications were derived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ljiljana Mihić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Bojan Janičić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Igor Marchetti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Zdenka Novović
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Claudio Sica
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Gioia Bottesi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Radomir Belopavlović
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Nenad Jakšić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Mattioni L, Spada MM, Ferri F, Sestieri C. The relationship between perseverative thinking, proactive control, and inhibition in psychological distress: a study in a women's cohort. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19319. [PMID: 37935825 PMCID: PMC10630504 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46713-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control is a core feature of several mental disorders. A recent account poses that health problems may derive from proactive forms of cognitive control that maintain stress representation over time. The working hypothesis of the present study is that psychological distress is caused by the tendency to select a particular maladaptive self-regulation strategy over time, namely perseverative thinking, rather than by transient stimulus-response patterns. To test this hypothesis, we asked 84 women to carry out a battery of standardized questionnaires regarding their tendency to undertake perseverative thinking and their level of psychological distress, followed by cognitive tasks measuring the tendency to use proactive versus reactive control modality and disinhibition. Through a series of mediation analyses, we demonstrate that the tendency to use proactive control correlates with psychological distress and that this relation is mediated by perseverative thinking. Moreover, we show that the relation between low inhibitory control and psychological stress is more strongly mediated by perseverative thinking than impulsiveness, a classical construct that focuses on more transient reactions to stimuli. The present results underline the importance of considering psychological distress as the consequence of a maladaptive way of applying control over time, rather than the result of a general deficit in cognitive control abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Mattioni
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University G. d'Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara, Via Dei Vestini 11, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
| | | | - Francesca Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University G. d'Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara, Via Dei Vestini 11, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Carlo Sestieri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University G. d'Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara, Via Dei Vestini 11, 66100, Chieti, Italy
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Laranjeira C, Querido A, Sousa P, Dixe MA. Assessment and Psychometric Properties of the 21-Item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) among Portuguese Higher Education Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ 2023; 13:2546-2560. [PMID: 37998067 PMCID: PMC10670895 DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe13110177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused substantial disruptions in the lives of higher education students, with detrimental repercussions for academic performance and overall mental health. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among Portuguese higher education students during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic and investigate DASS-21's psychometric characteristics and whether it functions effectively during a pandemic. A convenience sampling procedure was used to recruit 1522 participants (75.1% women and 79.2% undergraduate students) for this cross-sectional research. Participants completed an e-survey created using DASS-21. The results revealed a considerable prevalence of symptoms of depression [≥10] (N = 434, 28.5%), anxiety [≥7] (N = 551, 36.2%), and stress [≥11] (N = 544, 35.7%). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed the scale's three-factor structure, which matched the three DASS-21 subscales. Subsequently, the heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) correlation ratio evaluated the scale's discriminant validity, which was relatively good. Cronbach's alpha measured the internal consistency of the DASS subscales, which was excellent (Cronbach's α > 0.90). DASS-21 was shown to be a reliable and appropriate measure for assessing students' mental health. Furthermore, DASS-21 is recommended for use by academics and healthcare professionals in measuring students' psychological distress. Further validation studies of this scale are needed with larger and more representative samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Laranjeira
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic University of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal; (A.Q.); (M.A.D.)
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Rua de Santo André—66–68, Campus 5, Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal;
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), University of Évora, 7000-801 Évora, Portugal
| | - Ana Querido
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic University of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal; (A.Q.); (M.A.D.)
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Rua de Santo André—66–68, Campus 5, Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal;
- Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), NursID, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Sousa
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Rua de Santo André—66–68, Campus 5, Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal;
- The Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), Polo A, Av. Bissaya Barreto, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria Anjos Dixe
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic University of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal; (A.Q.); (M.A.D.)
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Rua de Santo André—66–68, Campus 5, Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal;
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Cilli E, Ranieri J, Guerra F, Di Giacomo D. Early career researchers and mental health: Observational study of challenge and wellbeing. Health Sci Rep 2023; 6:e1649. [PMID: 38028694 PMCID: PMC10661320 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Early career researchers (ECRs) are a strategic sector in the academic community because they represent a scientific incubator for future academic scholars. Recently, growing evidence suggests that relevant doctoral researchers work under elevated levels of stress and frustration and that this has a significant impact on their personal health and research output and their future career development. This study aimed to analyse the well-being and mental health within ECR, focusing on coping strategies for stress, and to contribute and exploit a conceptual framework tailored to the academic context considering the specifics and challenges of academia. Methods Participants were 134 young early career academics (mean age = 30.6; SD = 4.38; range = 25-40 years) enrolled via institutional email. A 94-item questionnaire was created using Survey Monkey and distributed between October and December 2022. The survey assessment was based on three parts: (1) sociodemographic data, (2) psychological assessment, and (3) research skills design. Results Our findings highlighted a general trend toward negative psychological dimensions in ECRs: PhD students and research contracts appeared to be stressed, anxious, and depressed. Moreover, they had segmented ECRs: PhD students showed higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than research contracts, highlighting reduced positive outcomes in psychological dimensions, as well as lower ability to manage emotional experiences and then to be perseverant for long-term goals and motivation. Our findings highlight that mental health in ECRs is a challenge that needs to be addressed in academia. Conclusions New and innovative ways of encouraging help-seeking must be developed and implemented to address policy changes, communication activities, training, and health-promotion activities through the circulation of experience, sharing actions, and strategies to foster healthy academics by raising awareness, implementing interventions, or engaging professionals concerning mental health in academia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Cilli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L'AquilaL'AquilaItaly
- Postgraduate School on Clinical PsychologyUniversity of L'AquilaL'AquilaItaly
| | - Jessica Ranieri
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L'AquilaL'AquilaItaly
| | - Federica Guerra
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L'AquilaL'AquilaItaly
| | - Dina Di Giacomo
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L'AquilaL'AquilaItaly
- Postgraduate School on Clinical PsychologyUniversity of L'AquilaL'AquilaItaly
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Dionigi A, Duradoni M, Vagnoli L. Understanding the Association Between Humor and Emotional Distress: The Role of Light and Dark Humor in Predicting Depression, Anxiety, and Stress. EUROPES JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 19:358-370. [PMID: 38487314 PMCID: PMC10936143 DOI: 10.5964/ejop.10013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Despite increasing interest in the relationship between humor and psychological distress, investigations have failed to focus on specific categories of humor and negative mental conditions. A sample of 686 Italian participants (187 men and 499 women), aged between 20 and 76 years, completed an online survey, data from which was used to investigate the relationship between eight comic styles, depression, anxiety, and stress. Findings from the multiple linear regression demonstrate benign humor as a protective factor of all three variables considered, while irony was positively associated with anxiety and stress. Wit was a protective factor associated with anxiety, while sarcasm was positively related to depression. No significant correlations emerged between the other variables considered. These findings highlight how specific categories are linked to varying dimensions of emotional distress, which are discussed with reference to the extant literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mirko Duradoni
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Vagnoli
- Meyer Children’s Hospital IRCCS, Pediatric Psychology, Florence, Italy
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Terziotti C, Ceolin C, Devita M, Raffaelli C, Antenucci S, Bazzano S, Capasso A, Castellino M, Signore SD, Lubian F, Maiotti M, Monacelli F, Mormile MT, Sgarito C, Vella F, Sergi G, Gareri P, Trevisan C, Bellio A, Fini F, Malara A, Mossello E, Fumagalli S, Volpato S, Monzani F, Bellelli G, Zia G, Incalzi RA, Coin A. Frailty, psychological well-being, and social isolation in older adults with cognitive impairment during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: data from the GeroCovid initiative. Psychogeriatrics 2023; 23:1007-1018. [PMID: 37679953 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.13021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The containment measures linked to the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the phyco-physical well-being of the population, especially older adults with neurocognitive disorders (NCDs). This study aims to evaluate whether the frailty of NCD patients was associated with different changes in multiple health domains, in particular in relation to loneliness and social isolation, pre- and post-lockdown. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients were recruited from 10 Italian Centers for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia. Data were collected in the pre-pandemic period (T0), during the pandemic lockdown (T1), and 6-9 months post-lockdown (T2). The UCLA Loneliness Scale-3, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental ADL (IADL), Mini-Mental State Examination, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) were administered. Caregivers' burden was also tested. Patients were categorized as non-frail, pre-frail, and frail according to the Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illness, and Loss of Weight scale. RESULTS The sample included 165 subjects (61.9% women, mean age 79.5 ± 4.9 years). In the whole sample, the ADL, IADL, and NPI scores significantly declined between T0 and T2. There were no significative variations in functional and cognitive domains between the frail groups. During lockdown we recorded higher Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and Perceived Stress Scale scores in frail people. In multivariable logistic regression, frailty was associated with an increase in social isolation, and a loss of IADL. CONCLUSIONS We observed a global deterioration in functional and neuro-psychiatric domains irrespective of the degree of frailty. Frailty was associated with the worsening of social isolation during lockdown. Frail patients and their caregivers seemed to experience more anxiety and stress disorders during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Terziotti
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Ceolin
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Devita
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Cecilia Raffaelli
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Capasso
- Territorial Care Department, ASL NA2 Nord, Naples, Italy
| | - Manuela Castellino
- "B.V. Consolata" Rehabilitation Hospital-Fatebenefratelli, San Maurizio Canavese, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Fiammetta Monacelli
- Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Sgarito
- UOC Involutive Degenerative Diseases, Territorial Psychogeriatrics, ASP of Agrigento, Agrigento, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Sergi
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Pietro Gareri
- Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia-Catanzaro Lido ASP, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Caterina Trevisan
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Andrea Bellio
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Filippo Fini
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Enrico Mossello
- Geriatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Stefano Fumagalli
- Geriatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Stefano Volpato
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Fabio Monzani
- Geriatrics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Bellelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, Acute Geriatric Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | | | - Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi
- Unit of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University and Teaching Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Coin
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Torunsky NT, Knauz S, Vilares I, Marcoulides KM, Koutstaal W. What is the relationship between alexithymia and experiential avoidance? A latent analysis using three alexithymia questionnaires. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023; 214:112308. [PMID: 37637074 PMCID: PMC10455047 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2023.112308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Alexithymia is a clinically relevant personality trait characterized by poor emotional awareness and associated with several psychological and physical health concerns. Individuals with high alexithymia tend to engage in experiential avoidance and this may mediate psychological distress. However, little is known about what specific processes of experiential avoidance are involved, and the nature of the relation between alexithymia, experiential avoidance, and psychological distress remains unclear at a latent construct level. To examine this relationship at the latent construct level, a representative sample of 693 U.S. adults completed alexithymia (TAS-20, BVAQ, PAQ), general distress (DASS-21), multi-dimensional experiential avoidance (MEAQ), and general health (PROMIS-G-10) questionnaires. Structural equation modeling revealed that alexithymia significantly predicted experiential avoidance (β = 0.966, t = 82.383, p < .01), experiential avoidance significantly predicted general distress (β = 0.810, t = 2.017, p < .05), and experiential avoidance fully mediated the relationship between alexithymia and general distress (βindirect = -0.159, t = -0.398, p > .05). Correlations between alexithymia and experiential avoidance subfactors revealed a strong relationship to the repression and denial subfactor. Experiential avoidance is a promising target for clinical interventions, though longitudinal research is necessary to elucidate how the relationship between alexithymia and experiential avoidance unfolds over time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Knauz
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, USA
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Colautti L, Borsa VM, Fusi G, Crepaldi M, Palmiero M, Garau F, Bonfiglio NS, Giannì J, Rusconi ML, Penna MP, Rozzini L, Antonietti A. The Role of Cognition in Divergent Thinking: Implications for Successful Aging. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1489. [PMID: 37891856 PMCID: PMC10605231 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Promoting active and successful aging has become crucial to improve quality of life in later adulthood and reduce the impact of cognitive decline. Increasing evidence suggested that the ability to think creatively (e.g., via divergent thinking), similar to cognitive reserve, could represent a beneficial factor against the negative effects of aging. However, there is still little evidence investigating the relationships between divergent thinking, cognitive functions, and cognitive reserve in late adulthood. The present study explored these relationships in a sample of 98 individuals ranging from 61 to 88 years old (mean age: 72.44 ± 6.35). Results showed that visual, but not verbal, divergent thinking was affected by aging. Interestingly, visual divergent thinking performance was predicted by both the cognitive component of crystallized intelligence and cognitive reserve. Only the crystallized component of intelligence was found to mediate the aging effect on visual divergent thinking performance. These results suggest that in later adulthood a potential shift strategy to prior knowledge and semantic components over executive and control components of cognition could underlie a preserved ability to think divergently and, plausibly, creatively. Limitations of the study and implications for successful aging are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Colautti
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 20123 Milan, Italy;
| | - Virginia Maria Borsa
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy; (V.M.B.); (G.F.); (M.C.); (J.G.); (M.L.R.)
| | - Giulia Fusi
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy; (V.M.B.); (G.F.); (M.C.); (J.G.); (M.L.R.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25136 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Maura Crepaldi
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy; (V.M.B.); (G.F.); (M.C.); (J.G.); (M.L.R.)
| | | | - Francesca Garau
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy; (F.G.); (M.P.P.)
| | | | - Jessica Giannì
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy; (V.M.B.); (G.F.); (M.C.); (J.G.); (M.L.R.)
| | - Maria Luisa Rusconi
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy; (V.M.B.); (G.F.); (M.C.); (J.G.); (M.L.R.)
| | - Maria Pietronilla Penna
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy; (F.G.); (M.P.P.)
| | - Luca Rozzini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25136 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Antonietti
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 20123 Milan, Italy;
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Paphitis S, Akilu F, Chilambo N, Iruayenama A, Samaroo X, Mustapha A, Goldsmith K, Ismail O, Slovak P, Ikpe E, Smith P, Patel P, Sullivan R, Abas M, Olonisakin F. Toward an integrated approach for mental health and psychosocial support and peacebuilding in North-East Nigeria: programme description and preliminary outcomes from 'Counselling on Wheels'. BJPsych Open 2023; 9:e190. [PMID: 37822220 PMCID: PMC10594183 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2023.575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite theoretical support for including mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) with peacebuilding, few programmes in conflict-affected regions fully integrate these approaches. AIMS To describe and assess preliminary outcomes of the Counselling on Wheels programme delivered by the NEEM Foundation in the Borno State of North-East Nigeria. METHOD We first describe the components of the Counselling on Wheels programme, including education and advocacy for peace and social cohesion through community peacebuilding partnerships and activities, and an MHPSS intervention open to all adults, delivered in groups of eight to ten people. We then conducted secondary analysis of data from 1550 adults who took part in the MHPSS intervention, who provided data at baseline and 1-2 weeks after the final group session. Vulnerability to violent extremism was assessed with a locally developed 80-item scale. Symptoms of common mental disorders were assessed with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PTSD-8). Data were analysed through a mixed-effect linear regression model, accounting for clustering by community and adjusted for age and gender. RESULTS After taking part in group MHPSS, scores fell for depression (-5.8, 95% CI -6.7 to -5.0), stress (-5.5, 95% CI -6.3 to -4.6), post-traumatic stress disorder (-2.9, 95% CI -3.4 to -2.4) and vulnerability to violent extremism (-44.6, 95% CI -50.6 to -38.6). CONCLUSIONS The Counselling on Wheels programme shows promise as a model for integrating MHPSS with community peacebuilding activities in this conflict-affected region of Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharli Paphitis
- Department of Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; and Department of Philosophy, Rhodes University, South Africa
| | - Fatima Akilu
- Department of Psychology, Research and Policy, The NEEM Foundation, Abuja, Nigeria; and African Leadership Centre, School of Global Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy, King's College London, UK
| | - Natasha Chilambo
- African Leadership Centre, School of Global Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy, King's College London, UK
| | - Abiye Iruayenama
- Department of Psychology, Research and Policy, The NEEM Foundation, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Xena Samaroo
- Department of Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Asma'u Mustapha
- Department of Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Kimberley Goldsmith
- Department of Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Olawale Ismail
- African Leadership Centre, School of Global Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy, King's College London, UK
| | - Petr Slovak
- Department of Informatics, King's College London, UK
| | - Eka Ikpe
- African Leadership Centre, School of Global Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy, King's College London, UK
| | - Patrick Smith
- Department of Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Preeti Patel
- Department of Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; and Centre for Conflict and Health Research, King's College London, UK
| | - Richard Sullivan
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, UK
| | - Melanie Abas
- Department of Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Funmi Olonisakin
- African Leadership Centre, School of Global Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy, King's College London, UK
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Kiani Z, Fakari FR, Hakimzadeh A, Hajian S, Fakari FR, Nasiri M. Prevalence of depression in infertile men: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1972. [PMID: 37821902 PMCID: PMC10568846 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16865-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generally, infertile men hide their depression, which can threaten their health and lower their quality of life. Given the role of depression and its impact on people's health, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression in infertile men. METHODS This research is a systematic review and meta-analysis based on preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). Using the keywords of "Depression", "Emotional Depression", "Infertility", "Prevalence", and "Epidemiology", all English language articles were searched in international databases (PubMed, Cochran library, Web of sciences, Scopus, Embase, PsyINFO, and Google scholar) by two reviewers independently and without considering the time limit until September 2022. Title, abstract, full text and quality of each study were evaluated by two reviewers independently using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale checklist. The results were analyzed using programming language and R software, and I2 test and Egger's Test were used to check heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively. RESULTS Twenty-two studies were included in the systematic part of this study; and 8 different measurement tools were used to identify depression. Then, based on the possibility of meta-analysis, 18 studies were included in 4 subgroups. Given the heterogeneity of the articles, random effect model was used. The overall prevalence of depression in infertile men was 18.30%. The lowest and highest overall prevalence of depression in men was reported to be 14.04% and 23.63% in the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZDS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) tools, respectively. The overall prevalence of depression among infertile men was reported to be 18.55% and 16.75% using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) tools, respectively. CONCLUSION Based on the findings of this study, the significant prevalence of depression in infertile men requires a specific attention and planning. The study revealed varying degrees of depression among infertile men, emphasizing the importance of assessing their mental health, specifically in terms of depression, during infertility treatments as a hidden variable. It is strongly recommended to develop training programs for health service providers to effectively utilize diagnostic tools in this particular field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Kiani
- Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fahimeh Rashidi Fakari
- Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atena Hakimzadeh
- Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Hajian
- Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Rashidi Fakari
- Department of Midwifery, School of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Malihe Nasiri
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Vigl J, Talamini F, Strauss H, Zentner M. A prospective study of relationship and sexual satisfaction during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of dispositional vulnerabilities and external stressors. J Pers 2023; 91:1152-1170. [PMID: 36308046 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong impact on many aspects of life, particularly social relationships. Although there is some evidence regarding short-term effects of the pandemic on cohabitating couples or individuals, it is unclear to what extent these effects persist over time and whether they also apply to noncohabitating individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in relationship and sexual satisfaction among both cohabitating and noncohabitating individuals during the first year of the pandemic and to examine the extent to which these changes could be accounted for by personal vulnerabilities, pandemic-related stressors, and their interaction. METHOD We assessed relationship and sexual satisfaction longitudinally with a cross-national sample (N = 2859) that included five prospective measurement time points and analyzed the data with multilevel models. RESULTS We observed a decrease in relationship satisfaction over the course of the study, especially among noncohabitants. Sexual satisfaction, in turn, conformed to a quadratic trend among noncohabitants while changing only minimally in cohabitating individuals. Of the individual vulnerabilities examined, attachment avoidance was the greatest risk factor for both relationship and sexual satisfaction. Among pandemic-related stressors, mobility restrictions had a negative impact into the relationship and sexual satisfaction of noncohabitating individuals. CONCLUSIONS Although the pandemic generally showed negative effects on close relationships, these effects varied depending on the type of couple (cohabitants or noncohabitants), the component of relationship satisfaction (relationship satisfaction or sexual satisfaction), the time interval (curfew period or not), and also individual dispositions (especially attachment avoidance).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Vigl
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Hannah Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Marcel Zentner
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Marinucci M, Riva P, Lenzi M, Lasagna C, Waldeck D, Tyndall I, Volpato C. On the lowest rung of the ladder: How social exclusion, perceived economic inequality and stigma increase homeless people's resignation. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 62:1817-1838. [PMID: 37248683 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite the relevance of social exclusion and economic inequality for homelessness, empirical studies investigating how these issues relate to homeless people's psychological well-being are scarce. We aimed to fill this gap by conducting two quasi-experimental studies on homeless and non-homeless groups. The first study (N = 200) showed that homeless (vs. non-homeless) people presented higher levels of resignation, characterized by depression, alienation, helplessness, and unworthiness (Williams, 2009). The second study (N = 183) replicated the findings from Study 1 and showed that perceived economic inequality could increase homeless people's resignation by emphasizing perceptions of social exclusion. Additional analyses found that identification with the stigmatized homeless group could mediate the relationship between perceived inequality and social exclusion, increasing the resignation. Overall, the results showed that chronic social exclusion of homeless people is associated with higher levels of resignation. Moreover, they showed the role of perceived economic inequality and homeless group stigmatized identification as group-specific mechanisms favouring social exclusion and ultimately worsening psychological well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paolo Riva
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
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Barcaccia B, Couyoumdjian A, Di Consiglio M, Papa C, Cancellieri UG, Cervin M. Purpose in life as an asset for well-being and a protective factor against depression in adolescents. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1250279. [PMID: 37829070 PMCID: PMC10566624 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1250279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose in life, which is a central component of the eudaimonic paradigm of well-being, has been sparsely examined in adolescence. This is unfortunate as adolescence is characterised by identity development and is a key period for the onset of mental disorders. To inform future research on well-being and purpose in life in adolescents, we drew factors from several fields of research, including mental health and psychological factors, and explored which factors were most strongly associated with purpose in life. Data were collected in a sample of 444 Italian adolescents (Mage = 16.30 [SD = 1.50], range: 14 to 20 years; 58% girls) and associations with mental health (stress, anxiety, depression, anger), psychological traits (mindfulness, self-hate, self-inadequacy, self-reassurance, isolation), and sociodemographic variables (age, sex, place of birth) were examined. Regression, dominance, and network analyses indicated that a stronger sense of purpose in life was associated with lower depressive symptoms, higher levels of self-reassurance, and being born in Italy. Our findings suggest that purpose in life is an important asset for well-being in adolescents and may protect against depression. Future longitudinal and/or experimental research should examine the potential protective role of purpose in life in relation to adolescent depression and how self-reassurance and sociodemographic factors (e.g., immigrant background) are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Barcaccia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Associazione di Psicologia Cognitiva APC and Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva Srl SPC, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Carolina Papa
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Matti Cervin
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Tsormpatzoudi SO, Moraitou D, Papaliagkas V, Pezirkianidis C, Tsolaki M. Resilience in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): Examining the Level and the Associations of Resilience with Subjective Wellbeing and Negative Affect in Early and Late-Stage MCI. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:792. [PMID: 37887442 PMCID: PMC10603887 DOI: 10.3390/bs13100792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The current study examines the relationship between the cognitive state of participants [healthy-early mild cognitive impairment (MCI)-late MCI], some subjective wellbeing factors (positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning in life, accomplishment, and negative emotions), and negative psychological outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress), as well as psychological resilience. We expected that people with advanced MCI would perceive increased negative psychological outcomes, poorer psychological resilience, and lower levels of subjective wellbeing in contrast to early MCI and healthy participants. The study involved 30 healthy, 31 early, and 28 late MCI individuals. A series of questionnaires have been applied to assess the aforementioned constructs. To examine the hypotheses of the study, path analysis (EQS program) was applied. Results showed that early MCI persons maintain the same levels of positive emotions and feelings of accomplishment with healthy peers. Late-stage patients present those feelings in a diminished form, which adversely impacts psychological resilience. Individuals with early and late MCI exhibit negative emotions and stress that impact their resilience; however, those with early MCI experience greater stress, negative emotions, depression, and anxiety. These findings may be utilized to design psychological interventions for resilience enhancement and support brain health in elderly adults who are at risk of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Styliani Olympia Tsormpatzoudi
- Neurosciences and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Postgraduate Course, Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Despina Moraitou
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Aristotle University, 10th km Thessaloniki-Thermi, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vasileios Papaliagkas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, International Hellenic University, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Christos Pezirkianidis
- Laboratory of Positive Psychology, Panteion University of Social & Political Sciences, Syggrou Ave. 136, 17671 Athens, Greece;
| | - Magda Tsolaki
- Neurosciences and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Postgraduate Course, Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Aristotle University, 10th km Thessaloniki-Thermi, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD), 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
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72
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Brailovskaia J, Margraf J, Ceccatelli S, Cosci F. The relationship among psychological distress, well-being and excessive social media use during the outbreak of Covid-19: A longitudinal investigation. Clin Psychol Psychother 2023; 30:1013-1019. [PMID: 37056167 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The corona pandemic has been a life event causing negative consequences on mental health. Mental health consists of positive and negative dimensions. The present longitudinal study investigated how positive and negative dimensions changed over 15 months after the Covid-19 outbreak. Potential changes of excessive social media use (SMU) and its relationship with mental health were also investigated. METHOD Data (N = 189) on distress (measured overall and as depression, anxiety, and stress), well-being and excessive SMU were collected at three time points (baseline, BL; 3-month follow-up, FU1; 15-month follow-up, FU2) via online surveys in Italy. Repeated analyses of variance were used to test differences among the three measurement time points. Mediational models were applied. RESULTS Distress did not change over time, well-being decreased and excessive SMU increased significantly. The relationship between distress at BL and excessive SMU at FU2 was significant (total effect, c: p < .001). The relationship between distress at BL and well-being at FU1 (a: p < .001), and between well-being at FU1and excessive SMU at FU2 (b: p = .004) was significant. Including FU1 well-being in the model, the relationship between distress at BL and excessive SMU at FU2 was not significant (direct effect, c': p = .078). The indirect effect (ab) was significant. CONCLUSION Well-being mediated the relationship between baseline stress and excessive SMU. Enhanced stress may reduce well-being which, in turn, increases the risk of excessive SMU. This emphasizes the urgency of programmes that foster well-being, especially during stressful events such as a pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Brailovskaia
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Juergen Margraf
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sara Ceccatelli
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Fiammetta Cosci
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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73
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Riva G, Di Lernia D, Tuena C, Bernardelli L, Maldonado JG, Ferrer-Garcia M, Porras-Garcia B, Meyer ML, Shiban Y, Castelnuovo G, Pagnini F, Pedroli E, Sforza F, Clementi A, Sansoni M, Wiederhold BK, Serino S. A Self-Help Virtual Therapeutic Experience Intervention for Overcoming Psychological Distress Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From the European Multicentric COVID Feel Good Trial. Psychosom Med 2023; 85:639-650. [PMID: 37053096 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The general objective of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of a novel self-help virtual therapeutic experience (specifically, the COVID Feel Good intervention) in lowering the psychological burden experienced during the COVID-19 lockdowns in four European countries. METHODS We focused on participants recruited from June 2020 to May 2021 in the context of a European multicenter project including four university/academic sites. The total number of participants in the longitudinal studies was 107 (study 1, N = 40; study 2, N = 29; study 3, N = 38). The randomized controlled trial (study 4) included 31 participants in total, 16 in the intervention group and 15 in the control group. Primary outcome measures were depression, anxiety, stress symptoms, perceived stress level, and perceived hopelessness. The secondary outcome was experienced social connectedness. RESULTS Using separate linear mixed-effects models, the most consistent result across countries was a reduction in perceived stress after the participation in the COVID Feel Good intervention. By pooling the results of the models using a random-effects meta-analysis, we found that after the COVID Feel Good intervention, participants reported a decrease in perceived general distress (mean standardized effect size for general distress in the treatment groups compared with the control conditions was -0.52 [ p = .008, 95% confidence interval = -0.89 to -0.14]) and an increase in the perceived social connection (mean standardized effect size for social connection using COVID Feel Good compared with the control conditions was 0.50 [ p ≤ .001, 95% confidence interval = 0.25 to 0.76]). CONCLUSIONS Findings of this study indicate that a virtual self-help intervention is effective in reducing psychological distress. These results contribute to the growing literature supporting the use of digital psychological therapies to relieve psychological distress among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.Trial Registration : ISRCTN63887521.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Riva
- From the Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano (Riva, Tuena, Pedroli); Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Riva, Di Lernia, Pedroli); Become-Hub (Bernardelli, Sforza, Pedroli), Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology (Gutiérrez Maldonado, Ferrer-Garcia, Porras-Garcia, Pedroli), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychology (Meyer, Shiban, Pedroli), Private University of Applied Science, Goettingen, Germany; Clinical Psychology Research Laboratory (Castelnuovo, Pedroli), Ospedale San Giuseppe, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania; Department of Psychology (Castelnuovo, Pagnini, Pedroli, Clementi, Sansoni, Serino), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy; Faculty of Psychology (Pedroli), University of eCampus, Novedrate, Italy; Virtual Reality Medical Center (Wiederhold), La Jolla, California; Virtual Reality Medical Institute (Wiederhold), Brussels, Belgium
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Del Casale A, Modesti MN, Lai C, Carola V, Mimun S, Bruzzese A, Speranza AM, Drakes DH, Asmundson GJG, Nicolais G. Anxiety Symptoms, COVID-19-Related Stress Reactions in the Italian General Population, and Validation of the Italian COVID Stress Scales (CSS-I). J Clin Med 2023; 12:5680. [PMID: 37685747 PMCID: PMC10488780 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12175680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. The COVID Stress Scales (CSS) assess COVID-related stress experienced in the past week related to danger and contamination fears, socioeconomic consequences, xenophobia, compulsive checking, and reassurance seeking, and traumatic stress symptoms. Our objective was to provide a translation into Italian, replication, and psychometric validation of the CSS in the general population. Moreover, we aimed to test the convergent and discriminant validity of the Italian CSS (CSS-I) with respect to anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms in the general Italian population. Method. Adult participants (n = 935) over the age of 18 years were recruited from the general population in Italy. Psychological status was assessed using multiple validated measures, including the CSS, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and the Prejudice Against Immigrants Scale (PAIS). Results. Our confirmatory factor analysis supported a 6-factor model, including danger fears (DAN), socioeconomic consequences (SEC), xenophobia (XEN), compulsive checking and reassurance seeking (CHE), contamination fears (CON), and traumatic stress symptoms (TSS). Strong reliability of the CSS-I (Cronbach's α = 0.863-0.936) and convergent validity with the DASS-21 and PAI were established with positive correlations between total and scale scores across measures. Conclusions. The CSS-I is a valid and reliable instrument to measure COVID-19-related distress in the Italian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Del Casale
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy (V.C.)
| | - Martina Nicole Modesti
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Lai
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy (V.C.)
| | - Valeria Carola
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy (V.C.)
| | - Simone Mimun
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Alba Bruzzese
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Speranza
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy (V.C.)
| | - Dalainey H. Drakes
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Gordon J. G. Asmundson
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Giampaolo Nicolais
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy (V.C.)
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75
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Ruggeri M, Ricci M, Pagliaro M, Gerace C. Anosmia predicts memory impairment in post-COVID-19 syndrome: results of a neuropsychological cohort study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023:10.1007/s00406-023-01670-2. [PMID: 37644214 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01670-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Recovered COVID-19 patients frequently suffer of cognitive disorders. Several etiopathogenetic mechanisms have been considered for the brain complications in COVID-19 but results are uncertain. Amongst them, an olfactory route to SARS-CoV-2 brain infection might explain cognitive and memory disturbances in post-COVID-19 patients, given the cooccurrence of anosmia and possible underlying limbic involvement. The aims of the study are to investigate cognition of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome, and to find clinical factors predicting cognitive and memory impairments. 18 patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome underwent neuropsychological assessment and evaluation of clinical parameters. Stepwise regression analysis was used between clinical parameters as factors and cognitive global scores as dependent variables. Since only anosmia predicted memory performances, repeated measures ANOVA of memory scores was conducted between anosmic and non-anosmic patients. We found lack of association between clinical parameters and cognitive performances. Only anosmia was a good predictor for memory performances, with anosmic subjects showing a temporo-mesial amnesic profile. Our study shows novel findings of causal association between transient anosmia during COVID-19 and memory disorders with temporo-mesial dysfunction, probably sharing a common pathophysiological mechanism, and suggesting a possible SARS-CoV 2 infection of the limbic brain via the olfactory route. In contrast to previous studies, cognitive dysfunctions were not associated with respiratory distress, comorbidity, and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Ruggeri
- Cognitive Disorders and Dementia Unit, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, C.ne Gianicolense 57, 00152, Rome, Italy.
- Rehabilitation Center C.A.R., Rome, Italy.
| | - Monica Ricci
- Cognitive Disorders and Dementia Unit, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, C.ne Gianicolense 57, 00152, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Carmela Gerace
- Cognitive Disorders and Dementia Unit, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, C.ne Gianicolense 57, 00152, Rome, Italy
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76
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Tiberio L, Massullo C, Carrus G, Mastandrea S, Fagioli S. Impact of COVID-19 on Mothers Raising Children with Special Needs: Insights from a Survey Study. J Clin Med 2023; 12:5363. [PMID: 37629405 PMCID: PMC10455744 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12165363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Home confinement during the COVID-19 outbreak had psychological effects that continue to be explored by researchers. This study investigated factors influencing the mental health of mothers caring for special needs children in Italy's first lockdown. Specifically, we investigated the relationships between emotional states of depression, anxiety, stress, perceived distress related to home confinement, coping strategies, and other contextual variables (such as opportunities for distance learning and remote working) in a group of 68 mothers of children with special needs and 68 matched mothers of typically developing children. Data from an online survey showed no significant difference between the two groups. However, the research revealed that being a remote worker was a significant predictor of reduced stress in mothers of children with special needs, while distance learning was a significant predictor of reduced stress in mothers of typically developing children. In addition, the study found that hyperarousal symptoms were predictive of stress in mothers of children with special needs, while intrusive thoughts and avoidance coping were predictive of stress in mothers of typically developing children. In conclusion, further research is needed to develop effective support and intervention strategies for families with children with special needs and to deeply investigate the impact of flexible work arrangements and social aid on the mental health of mothers in non-emergency settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sabrina Fagioli
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Education, “Roma Tre” University, via del Castro Pretorio 20, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.T.); (C.M.); (G.C.); (S.M.)
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77
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Lo Coco G, Salerno L, Albano G, Pazzagli C, Lagetto G, Mancinelli E, Freda MF, Bassi G, Giordano C, Gullo S, Di Blasi M. Psychosocial predictors of trajectories of mental health distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: A four-wave panel study. Psychiatry Res 2023; 326:115262. [PMID: 37270863 PMCID: PMC10205647 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Previous research suggested that during the COVID-19 pandemic, mental distress did not affect all people equally. This longitudinal study aims to examine joint trajectories of depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms in a sample of Italian adults during the pandemic, and to identify psychosocial predictors of distress states. We analyzed four-wave panel data from 3,931 adults who had received assessments of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms between April 2020 and May 2021. Trajectories of individual psychological distress were identified by Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) with parallel processes, and multinomial regression models were conducted to identify baseline predictors. Parallel process LCGA identified three joint trajectory classes for depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Most individuals (54%) showed a resilient trajectory. However, two subgroups showed vulnerable joint trajectories for depression, anxiety and stress. Expressive suppression, intolerance to uncertainty, and fear of COVID-19 were risk characteristics associated with vulnerable trajectories for mental health distress. Moreover, vulnerability to mental health distress was higher in females, younger age groups and those unemployed during the first lockdown. Findings support the fact that group heterogeneity could be detected in the trajectories of mental health distress during the pandemic and it may help to identify subgroups at risk of worsening states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Lo Coco
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Laura Salerno
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gaia Albano
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Chiara Pazzagli
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Gloria Lagetto
- Department of History, Society and Human Studies Studium 2000, University of Salento, Edificio 5, Via di Valesio, 24-73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Elisa Mancinelli
- Department of Developmental and Socialization Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8-35132, Padova, Italy; Digital Health Lab, Centre for Digital Health and Wellbeing, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18-38123, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Bassi
- Department of Developmental and Socialization Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8-35132, Padova, Italy; Digital Health Lab, Centre for Digital Health and Wellbeing, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18-38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Cecilia Giordano
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Gullo
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Di Blasi
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Fiorini Bincoletto A, Zanini L, Spitoni GF, Lingiardi V. Negative and positive ageism in an Italian sample: how ageist beliefs relate to epistemic trust, psychological distress, and well-being. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY (MILANO) 2023; 26:676. [PMID: 37503673 PMCID: PMC10483480 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2023.676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Ageism is a social issue of growing concern; ageist beliefs can shape the individual and collective experience of aging. The present study aimed to explore positive and negative ageism in young adults (YA) (18-30 years) and adults (AD) (31-60 years) and their relationship with epistemic trust, psychological distress, and psychological well-being. 301 Italian adult participants completed an online survey that included the following self-report questionnaires: attitudes towards older people scale, epistemic trust, mistrust and credulity questionnaire, depression anxiety stress scale-21, and Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale. Negative ageism was significantly higher in YA compared to AD; on the contrary, AD presented more positive ageism than YA. When considering the entire sample, negative ageism was correlated with various dimensions of psychological distress and epistemic trust. A mediation model revealed that epistemic mistrust fully mediated the relationship between age and negative ageism, suggesting that changes in ageist beliefs that seem to occur with age are mediated by a mistrustful epistemic stance. Future research should focus on further exploring the link between epistemic trust, mental health, and holding ageist beliefs. The results are also discussed in terms of their implications for the treatment of older patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ludovica Zanini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
| | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
| | - Vittorio Lingiardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
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79
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Bottaro R, Valenti GD, Faraci P. Assessment of an Epidemic Urgency: Psychometric Evidence for the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:2843-2855. [PMID: 37525851 PMCID: PMC10387257 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s406523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In modern industrialized countries, loneliness has been declared an epidemic. The present paper aimed to replicate previous findings about the dimensionality of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-3 version (LS-3) in a sample of Italian adults using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM). Methods In Study 1, 1676 participants (Mage= 31.15; SD = 11.89) completed the LS-3. The three-factor ESEM model was performed to replicate the previous Italian version, and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis compared the three- and ten-item short versions. In Studies 2, 3, and 4, we administered measures of anxiety, depression, stress, internet addiction, self-esteem, and social interaction anxiety to 3513 participants (Mage= 30.81; SD = 11.77) to assess the convergent and discriminant validity of LS-3. Results The ESEM 3-factor model was replicated using a Target rotation (X2 = 847.597; df = 133; CFI = 0.942; TLI = 0.917; RMSEA = 0.062), whereas the already-known LS-3 short version raised psychometric concerns. Positive relationships with anxiety, depression, stress, internet addiction, and social interaction anxiety, as well as negative association with self-esteem were found. Conclusion In conclusion, our findings support the use of the LS-3 in the Italian sample and discourage the administration of the current short forms. The implications for research and clinical practice have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Bottaro
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Enna “Kore”, Enna, Italy
| | - Giusy Danila Valenti
- Department of Psychological, Educational Sciences and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Palmira Faraci
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Enna “Kore”, Enna, Italy
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80
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Samraj JR, Wright DJ, McMurtrie H. Age and adult attachment style predict psychological distress in the Singapore general population during COVID-19. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2023; 28:2212-2224. [PMID: 37278229 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2023.2216466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To date, there is increasing evidence to suggest that age and adult attachment styles, such as secure, anxious and avoidant attachment are predictive or protective for psychological distress. The study aimed to investigate the extent to which age and adult attachment style, measured by the Attachment Style Questionnaire, predicted psychological distress, measured by the Kessler 10 Psychological Distress Scale, in the Singapore general population during COVID-19. Ninety-nine residents of Singapore (44 females, 52 males, 3 prefer not to state their gender) aged between 18 and 66 completed an online survey, which collected information on age, adult attachment styles and levels of psychological distress. Multiple regression analysis was performed to study the influence of predictive factors on psychological distress. The study identified 20.2%, 13.1% and 14.1% of participants reporting psychological distress at the mild, moderate and severe levels, respectively. The study also reported that age and psychological distress were negatively correlated, and that psychological distress was negatively correlated with both anxious and avoidant attachment styles. It was concluded that age and adult attachment style significantly predicted psychological distress in the Singapore general population during COVID-19. Further studies exploring other variables and risk factors are required to further consolidate these results. At the global level, these findings may help countries predict residents' reactions to future outbreaks and help them prepare strategies and approaches to address these situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet R Samraj
- Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - David J Wright
- Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Hazel McMurtrie
- Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
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Barberis N, Cannavò M, Cuzzocrea F, Saladino V, Verrastro V. "Illness perceptions and factors of distress as mediators between trait emotional intelligence and quality of life in endometriosis". PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2023; 28:1818-1830. [PMID: 36747368 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2023.2175878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Past findings highlighted the presence of distress symptoms and poor quality of life in people with endometriosis. Several studies showed that trait Emotional Intelligence (trait EI) is a key component of one's wellbeing, whilst Illness Perceptions may play an important role in psychological distress and perceived quality of life. The current study sought to test the hypothesis that an association between trait EI and Quality of Life in individuals with endometriosis would be mediated by Illness Perceptions, examining also the relations with General Distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). 364 women with endometriosis aged between 18 and 58 years old (M = 33.87; SD = 8.64) filled a protocol to assess Trait EI, Illness Perceptions, General Distress, and Quality of Life. Structural Equation Modelling was used to assess the relationship between the observed variables. Illness Perception was a mediator in the relationship between Trait EI, General Distress, and Quality of Life. Moreover, General Distress was a mediator between Trait EI and Quality of Life, and between Illness Perceptions and Quality of Life. Results showed that both Trait EI and Illness perceptions are key components for levels of distress and quality of life in women with endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Barberis
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi MagnaGraecia di Catanzaro, viale Europa, Catanzaro (CZ), Italy
| | - Marco Cannavò
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi MagnaGraecia di Catanzaro, viale Europa, Catanzaro (CZ), Italy
| | - Francesca Cuzzocrea
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi MagnaGraecia di Catanzaro, viale Europa, Catanzaro (CZ), Italy
| | - Valeria Saladino
- Dipartimento di Scienze umane, sociali e della salute, Università degli studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, viale dell'Università, Cassino (FR), Italy
| | - Valeria Verrastro
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi MagnaGraecia di Catanzaro, viale Europa, Catanzaro (CZ), Italy
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82
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Picascia M, Cerami C, Panzavolta A, Bernini S, Calculli A, Regalbuto S, Pisani A. Risk factors for post-COVID cognitive dysfunctions: the impact of psychosocial vulnerability. Neurol Sci 2023:10.1007/s10072-023-06884-9. [PMID: 37349527 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-06884-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive dysfunction is a well-established manifestation of the post-COVID syndrome. Psychological vulnerability to stressors can modify disease trajectories, causing long-term risk for negative outcomes. Nonetheless, how premorbid risk factors and response to stressor affect neuropsychological changes is still incompletely understood. In this study, we explored the impact of psychosocial variables on cognitive functioning in a post-COVID sample. METHODS All subjects were submitted to a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and an assessment of perceived loneliness, post-traumatic stress, and changes in anxiety and depression levels. A social vulnerability index was also calculated. The set of psycho-social variables was reduced to two Principal Component Analysis (PCA) components: distress and isolation. RESULTS Forty-five percent of individuals showed cognitive impairments, with predominant memory and executive deficits. Post-traumatic stress disorder was clinically relevant in 44% of the sample. Social vulnerability scores of the sample were comparable to those of general population. The individual performance in learning and response initiation/suppression was directly related to distress component, encasing anxiety, stress, and depression measures. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that psychosocial assessment of post-COVID patients can detect fragile individuals at risk of cognitive impairments. Dedicated psychological support services may play a useful role in the prevention of post-COVID cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Cerami
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Piazza della Vittoria 10, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Andrea Panzavolta
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Piazza della Vittoria 10, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra Calculli
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Simone Regalbuto
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Pisani
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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83
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Mattioni L, Ferri F, Nikčević AV, Spada MM, Sestieri C. Twisted memories: Addiction-related engrams are strengthened by desire thinking. Addict Behav 2023; 145:107782. [PMID: 37348176 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Associative learning plays a central role in addiction by reinforcing associations between environmental cues and addiction-related information. Unsupervised learning models posit that memories are adjusted based on how strongly these representations are coactivated during the retrieval process. From a different perspective, clinical models of addiction posit that the escalation and persistence of craving may depend on desire thinking, a thinking style orienting to prefigure information about positive addiction-related experiences. In the present work, we tested the main hypothesis that desire thinking is a key factor in the strengthening of addiction-related associations. A group of adult smoking volunteers (N = 26) engaged in a period of desire thinking before performing an associative learning task in which neutral words (cues) were shown along with images (smoking-related vs. neutral context) at different frequencies. Two retrieval tests were administered, one immediately after encoding and the other after 24 h, to test how the recall of associations changed as a function of retention interval. Two control groups, smokers (N = 21) and non-smokers (N = 22), performed a similar procedure, with a neutral imagination task replacing desire thinking. Participants who engaged in desire thinking increased their performance from the first to the second retrieval test only for the most frequent smoking-related associations. Crucially, this selective effect was not observed in the two control groups. These results provide behavioral evidence in support of the idea that desire thinking plays a role in strengthening addiction-related associations. Thus, this thinking process may be considered a target for reconsolidation-based conceptualizations of, and treatments for, addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Mattioni
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Francesca Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy
| | - Ana V Nikčević
- Department of Psychology, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
| | | | - Carlo Sestieri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences - and ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy
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84
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Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Camaioni M, Gorgoni M, Albano A, Musetti A, Quattropani MC, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L, Franceschini C. Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic. Nat Sci Sleep 2023; 15:435-447. [PMID: 37313311 PMCID: PMC10259600 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s410732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose COVID-19 pandemic waves have strongly influenced individuals' behaviors and mental health. Here, we analyzed longitudinal data collected in the Spring 2020 and 2021 from a large Italian sample with the aim of assessing changes in dream features between the first and third wave. Specifically, we evaluated the modifications of pandemic dream activity as a function of the general distress variations over time. Also, we detected the best explanatory variables of nightmare frequency and distress. Materials and Methods Participants previously involved in the web survey during the first wave of the pandemic were asked to complete a new online survey on sleep and dream features available in Spring 2021 (N=728). Subjects decreasing their level of psychological general distress in the third (T3) vs the first (T1) pandemic wave were defined as "Improved" (N=330). In contrast, participants with an unchanged or increased level of general distress were defined as "Not Improved" (N=398). Results Statistical comparisons revealed that dream recall frequency, nightmare frequency, lucid dream frequency, and emotional intensity show a reduction in T3 than T1. Moreover, the Improved group is characterized by lower nightmare rate and nightmare distress than Not Improved people. Our findings confirmed that beyond the trait-like variables (ie, age, sex), specific sleep-related measures are related to nightmare features. In particular, poor sleep hygiene was one of the best determinants of nightmare distress among Not Improved subjects. Conclusion Our findings revealed that people experienced an adaptation to the pandemic during the third wave. We also strengthen the notion that nightmares and their variations over time are strongly related to human well-being, suggesting that specific trait-like and sleep-related factors could modulate the relationship between mental health and nightmare features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Milena Camaioni
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Albano
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Maria Catena Quattropani
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Christian Franceschini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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85
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Sommantico M, Ramaglia F, Lacatena M. Relationships between Depression, Fear of Missing Out and Social Media Addiction: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1667. [PMID: 37372785 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11121667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study examines the relationships between depression, self-esteem, fear of missing out, online fear of missing out, and social media addiction in a sample of 311 Italian young adults (66.2% women and 33.8% men), ages 18-35 yrs. (M = 23.5; SD = 3.5). The following hypotheses were tested: that depression is positively correlated with fear of missing out, online fear of missing out, and social media addiction, while being significantly negatively correlated with self-esteem; that depression, self-esteem, fear of missing out, and online fear of missing out explain social media addiction scores; that self-esteem mediates the relationship between depression and social media addiction; and that, among Italian participants between the ages of 18 and 35, younger women report higher scores on fear of missing out, online fear of missing out, and social media addiction. Results strongly supported the hypotheses. Taken together, our findings not only contribute to the growing body of research on online addictive behaviors and individuals' well-being, but also provide support for prevention programs in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Sommantico
- Dynamic Psychology Laboratory, Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Via Porta di Massa 1, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Ramaglia
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Lacatena
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
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Testoni I, Ronconi L, Lampis F, Iacona E, Zammarrelli J, Pompele S, Valle R, Boscolo G, De Leo D. Alternative Means of Informed Consent in Cardiology: Strategies and Effectiveness in a Group of Italian Patients. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:bs13050430. [PMID: 37232667 DOI: 10.3390/bs13050430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Informed consent practices in healthcare represent a fundamental element of patient-centred care; however, the traditional use of a written, paper-based description of the medical procedure to obtain informed consent presents many limitations. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of an alternative modality of obtaining informed consent using a brief informative video for patients waiting to undergo a coronary angiography procedure in Italy. The study involved 40 participants-28 males and 12 females (mean age: 68.55, SD = 13.03)-divided equally into two groups: one group received the video-based informed consent and the other received a traditional paper-based form. Each group was asked to fill in two questionnaires; one was created by the researchers to measure the patient's level of understanding of the given information and the perception of usefulness of the informed consent, and the other was the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), which evaluates levels of anxiety, depression and stress. A comparison of the results of the two groups showed that video-based informed consent allowed participants to better understand the given information, to feel more confident concerning their subjective comprehension of it and to perceive the video-based informed consent as more useful than the traditional one. The video-based informed consent did not lead to higher levels of anxiety, depression or stress among the participants. It can be hypothesized that video-based formats may represent a more useful, understandable and safe alternative to traditional paper-based informed consent in healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Testoni
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
- Emili Sagol Creative Arts Therapies Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Lucia Ronconi
- IT and Statistical Services, Multifunctional Centre of Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Lampis
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Erika Iacona
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
- Human Rights Centre Antonio Papisca, University of Padua, 35137 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Sara Pompele
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Roberto Valle
- Department of Cardiology, General Hospital, 30015 Chioggia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Boscolo
- Department of Cardiology, General Hospital, 30015 Chioggia, Italy
| | - Diego De Leo
- De Leo Fund, 35137 Padua, Italy
- Slovene Centre for Suicide Research, Primorska University, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
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87
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Veronese G, Cavazzoni F, Pepe A. Trajectories of quality of life and mental health during the Covid-19 lockdown and six months after in Italy. A longitudinal exploration. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR GESUNDHEITSWISSENSCHAFTEN = JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37361293 PMCID: PMC10154179 DOI: 10.1007/s10389-023-01913-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Aim Covid-19 pandemic and its relative containment measures have affected populations' quality of life and psychological well-being worldwide. The fear related to the pandemic and the imposed containment measures has acted as a trigger causing a global increase in negative mental health states. Thus, we aimed to explore the relationship between fear of covid-19 and mental health via QoL (the first and the second lockdown in Italy, 2020). Subject and methods Through a quantitative cross-lagged path model research design, the study investigates people's fear of Covid-19, quality of life, and negative mental states in a population of 444 Italian adults (Mean=40.7; Standard Deviation=16.9; 80% women), in the period between the first and the second waves of the pandemic. Results Results show that participants' Covid-19 fear decreased between waves, contributing to a decrease in negative mental states (stress, anxiety and depression), thus improving the perceived quality of life. Furthermore, quality of life emerged as able to buffer the impact of fear of Covid on people's psychological distress in short and medium terms, confirming its central role in regulating mental distress. Conclusion The study suggests important guidelines for developing interventions to support the populations' well-being and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Veronese
- Department of Human Sciences “R. Massa”, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
- Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Federica Cavazzoni
- Department of Human Sciences “R. Massa”, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pepe
- Department of Human Sciences “R. Massa”, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
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88
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Mariani Wigley ILC, Mascheroni E, Pastore M, Bonichini S, Montirosso R. Exploring maternal touch in the infant’s first 18 months of Life: A study on an Italian sample. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 71:101836. [PMID: 36990018 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Affective touch is a crucial component of caregiving in early life and constitutes a key factor with a significant impact on infant later-life outcomes. The Parent-Infant Caregiving Touch Scale (PICTS) allows to quantify and qualify the caregiver's self-perception of touch in the first months of an infant's life. In the current study, we contributed to validation of the PICTS in the Italian language in order to explore whether early maternal touch would be associated with maternal emotional state, maternal history of affective touch experiences throughout the lifespan, and infants' sex and age. Data analyses were run on a sample of 377 Italian mothers (mean age = 33.29; SD = 4.79) participating in an online survey. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied. A three-dimensional structure of PICTS (i.e., stroking, affective communication, and holding) after removing one item out resulted in the best model in our sample. Maternal emotional state did not affect PICTS factor scores while maternal comfort and amount of affective touch experienced during adulthood was significantly associated with the stroking, affective communication, and holding factors. Regarding infants' dimensions, infants' sex and age were not associated with PICTS factor scores. Findings suggest that the PICTS Italian version is a good measurement of caregiver's self-perception of touch in early infancy and that maternal history of touch is associated with a mother's current use of touch.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eleonora Mascheroni
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
| | - Massimiliano Pastore
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Sabrina Bonichini
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Rosario Montirosso
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
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89
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Iotti NO, Menin D, Longobardi C, Jungert T. Investigating the effects of autonomy-supportive parenting practices on Italian young adolescent students' motivation to defend victims of bullying: findings on the mediating roles of reactance, depression, anxiety, and stress. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1156807. [PMID: 37151352 PMCID: PMC10157229 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1156807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of autonomy-supportive parenting practices on young adolescents' self-reported motivation to defend victims of bullying, and the possible mediating effects of factors such as reactance, anxiety, depression, and stress. Methods Data were collected from 578 Italian public school students ages 10-14 (M age = 11.8 years, 52% boys), who completed a survey in their classroom. The survey included self-report measures of parental orientation, motivation to defend victims of bullying, reactance, anxiety, depression, and stress. Results We found that autonomy-supportive parenting had a positive effect on autonomous motivation to defend, and that this effect was weakly mediated by reactance. Moreover, autonomy-supportive parenting had a negative effect on extrinsic motivation to defend, which was partially mediated by reactance. Reactance had a positive direct effect on extrinsic motivation to defend, but results also showed that anxiety, depression, and stress did not mediate the effect of autonomy-supportive parenting on motivation to defend. Additionally, autonomy-supportive parenting appeared to play a protective role, being associated with lower levels of reactance, anxiety, depression, and stress. Finally, gender differences were found in our sample, with extrinsic motivation to defend being more prevalent in boys, and autonomous motivation to defend being more prevalent in girls. Girls also reported higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, compared to boys. Conclusion Our findings show that autonomy-supportive parenting practices play a significant role in fostering young adolescents' motivation to defend victims of bullying, and that they are also linked with lower feelings of reactance, anxiety, depression, and stress. We argue that interventions aimed at contrasting bullying and cyberbullying among youths should seek to involve parents more and promote the adoption of more autonomy-supportive parenting practices, due to their consistently proven beneficial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Damiano Menin
- Department of Human Studies, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Tomas Jungert
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Pardini S, Gabrielli S, Olivetto S, Fusina F, Dianti M, Forti S, Lancini C, Novara C. Personalized, Naturalistic Virtual Reality Scenarios Coupled With Web-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training for the General Population: Protocol for a Proof-of-Principle Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e44183. [PMID: 37067881 PMCID: PMC10152380 DOI: 10.2196/44183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative tool that can facilitate exposure to either stressful or relaxing stimuli and enables individuals who have difficulties visualizing scenes to be involved in a more realistic sensorimotor experience. It also facilitates multisensory stimulation, a sense of presence, and achievement of relaxation. VR scenarios representing visual and auditory elements of natural relaxing environments can facilitate the learning of relaxation techniques such as the progressive muscle relaxation technique (PMRT). A complementary standardized technique deployed to reduce anxiety symptoms is the integration of PMRT and guided imagery (GI). Exposure to a pleasant imaginary environment helps the establishment of an association between a relaxing scenario and the relaxation technique, consequently promoting relaxation. Empirical evidence has shown that VR scenarios can increase the effects of relaxation techniques by enabling people to experience emotional conditions in more vivid settings. OBJECTIVE The main aim of this pilot study protocol is to investigate the impact on state anxiety of PMRT, associated with a personalized relaxing scenario in VR, and the role of VR scenarios in facilitating the recall of relaxing images and a sense of presence. A secondary aim is to understand if relaxing sessions administered via Zoom are more effective for managing anxiety and stress than a procedural setting based on audio-track guidance. METHODS Based on a longitudinal, between-subject design, 108 university students will be randomly exposed to one of three experimental conditions: (1) PMRT via Zoom and GI exposure, (2) PMRT via Zoom and personalized VR exposure, and (3) PMRT based on audio-track guidance and personalized VR exposure. Individuals are assessed before and after 7 training sessions based on self-report questionnaires investigating anxiety, depression, quality of life, coping strategies, sense of presence, engagement, and side effects related to VR exposure. Heart rate data are also detected by an Mi Band 2 sensor. RESULTS The experimental procedure is ongoing. In this paper, preliminary data from a sample of 40 participants will be illustrated. The experimental phase is expected to conclude in May 2023, and the final results of the research will be presented in June 2023. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study will help shape the experimental design to apply it on a subsequent randomized controlled trial, also considering clinical samples. This work is expected to measure whether VR is a more engaging and helpful technique in promoting relaxation and decreasing anxiety levels than GI, by making the visualization process easier and by helping people to face more realistic sensory experiences. Assessing the efficacy of the PMRT in alternative delivery modes may extend its applications, especially in situations where the standard procedure is more challenging to be administered. To our knowledge, no equivalent study has been published so far on this matter. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05478941; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05478941. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/44183.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Pardini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Digital Health Lab, Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Gabrielli
- Digital Health Lab, Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Silvia Olivetto
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Fusina
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Dianti
- Digital Health Lab, Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Stefano Forti
- Digital Health Lab, Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Cristina Lancini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Caterina Novara
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Barberis N, Calaresi D, Cannavò M, Verrastro V. Trait emotional intelligence and quality of life in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Dysmorphic concerns and general distress as mediators. Compr Psychiatry 2023; 122:152373. [PMID: 36739836 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among women. It is characterised by a variety of symptoms that can seriously impair one's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Dysmorphic concerns and general distress appear to be related to the development of HRQoL issues, whilst trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) has been significantly linked to better adaptability to chronic conditions. The present study sought to test the hypothesis that an association between trait EI and HRQoL in individuals with PCOS would be mediated by dysmorphic concerns and to examine their relationship with general distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). METHODS Questionnaires were administered to 478 individuals with PCOS to analyse trait EI, dysmorphic concerns, general distress, and HRQoL. RESULTS The results indicated that trait EI was negatively associated with dysmorphic concerns and general distress; dysmorphic concerns were positively related to general distress; dysmorphic concerns and general distress were negatively related to HRQoL; and dysmorphic concerns and general distress had a mediating role in the relationship between trait EI and HRQoL. CONCLUSION The results suggest that individuals with PCOS may have a lower HRQoL and high levels of trait EI may represent a protective factor against poor HRQoL. The implications for clinical practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Barberis
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, IT, Italy.
| | - Danilo Calaresi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, IT, Italy.
| | - Marco Cannavò
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, IT, Italy.
| | - Valeria Verrastro
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, IT, Italy.
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92
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Castellano P, Gigli V, Ghezzi V, Ang YS, Schettino M, Pizzagalli DA, Ottaviani C. Momentary gustative-olfactory sensitivity and tonic heart rate variability are independently associated with motivational behavior. Int J Psychophysiol 2023; 186:1-9. [PMID: 36738932 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2023.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in motivational functioning including impairments in reward learning or reward sensitivity are common in psychiatric disorders characterized by anhedonia. Recently, anhedonic symptoms have been exacerbated by the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the general population. The present study examined the putative associations between loss of smell (anosmia) and taste (ageusia) sensitivity, irrespective of COVID-19 infection, and anhedonia, measured by a signal-detection task probing the ability to modify behavior as a function of rewards (Probabilistic Reward Task; PRT). Tonic heart rate variability (HRV) was included in the model, due to its association with both smell and taste sensitivity as well as motivational functioning. The sample included 114 healthy individuals (81 females; mean age 22.2 years), who underwent a laboratory session in which dispositional traits, resting HRV and PRT performance were assessed, followed by a 4-days ecological momentary assessment to obtain daily measures of anosmia and ageusia. Lower levels of tonic HRV and lower momentary levels of smell and taste sensitivity were associated with impaired reward responsiveness and ability to shape future behavioral choices based on prior reinforcement experiences. Overall, the current results provide initial correlational evidence that could be fruitfully used to inform future experimental investigations aimed at elucidating the disruptive worldwide mental health consequences triggered by the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Castellano
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valeria Gigli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Ghezzi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Yuen-Siang Ang
- Department of Social and Cognitive Computing, Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Martino Schettino
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego A Pizzagalli
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Cristina Ottaviani
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
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93
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Gorini A, De Maria B, Krasinska P, Bussotti M, Perego F, Dalla Vecchia LA. Physiological and Psychological Response to Acute Mental Stress in Female Patients Affected by Chronic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: An Explorative Controlled Pilot Trial. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040493. [PMID: 37111250 PMCID: PMC10146967 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about physiological and psychological responses to mental stress in stable patients affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The current explorative controlled pilot study was conducted to investigate whether heart rate (HR) and perceived stress would differ during standardized mental stress testing in PAH patients compared to healthy subjects. Correlation analysis between HR, perceived stress, participants’ psychological status and performance on the mental stress task was also performed. The study included 13 female PAH patients (average age: 44.38 ± 10.88 years; average education: 14 ± 3.07 years; mean duration of illness: 9.15 ± 5.37 years) and 13 female controls similar in age (mean age: 47.85 ± 6.36 years) and education (15.92 ± 1.55 years). Participants performed a standardized 9 min mental stress test (computer based, adaptive math task). HR and perceived stress during the task were compared to resting baseline and correlated with psychological state and task performance. Both HR and perceived stress significantly increased during mental stress in a similar way in both groups. A significant correlation was found between HR and perceived stress. Our data show that moderate mental stress has a comparable effect on HR and perceived stress increase in stable PAH patients and control subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Gorini
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice De Maria
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
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94
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Rogier G, Cavalli RG, Maggiolo C, Velotti P. Factorial Structure of the Emotional Beliefs Questionnaire: Testing Measurement Invariance and Competitive Models. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-023-10038-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe role of metacognitive beliefs towards positive and negative emotions has been stressed by several theoretical models. The Emotion Belief Questionnaire (EBQ) has been developed to assess these metacognitive beliefs. We administrated the Italian version of the EBQ, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the DERS-Positive and the short form of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) to a sample of Italian adults. (N = 516). Structural Equation Modelling testing the factorial structure of EBQ evidenced a good fit in the four-factor model compared to the three-factor model and model with two second order variables. The EBQ showed invariance across sex, and significant associations with validating variables. These results demonstrate the goodness of the four-factor structure for the EBQ and support its use for assessment of metacognition beliefs towards emotions.
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95
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Bruno F, Tagliaferro C, Canterini S, Laganà V, Contrada M, Fioravanti C, Altomari N, Pistininzi R, Tarantino F, Placanica A, Greco EM, Capicotto F, Spadea S, Coscarella AM, Bonanno M, Scarfone F, Luchetta-Mattace S, Filice A, Pettinato A, Avramovic A, Lau C, Marunic G, Chiesi F. Positive Touch Deprivation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Anxiety, Stress, and Depression among Italian General Population. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040540. [PMID: 37190505 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Physical distancing due to the COVID-19 Pandemic has limited the opportunities for family members, friends, and significant others to show physical affection (i.e., hugs, kisses, caresses, holding hands) during social interactions. The present study investigated the effects of positive touch and psychological distress in 991 Italian participants (Mage = 34.43, SD = 14.27). Results showed the frequency of hugs with the cohabiting partner significantly decreased the symptoms of depression (β = −1.187, p = 0.018, eβ = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.11–0.82), whereas the frequency of caresses with cohabiting relatives predicted the symptoms of anxiety (β = 0.575, p = 0.034, eβ = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.04–3.03). The frequency of hugs (β = −0.609, p = 0.049, eβ = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.30–1.00), and kisses (β = 0.663, p = 0.045, eβ = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.01–3.71) with non-cohabiting relatives predicted the symptoms of anxiety (χ2 = 1.35, df = 5, p = 0.93). These results suggest the importance of positive touch on psychological well-being in the social context.
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96
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Tancredi S, Ulytė A, Wagner C, Keidel D, Witzig M, Imboden M, Probst-Hensch N, Amati R, Albanese E, Levati S, Crivelli L, Kohler P, Cusini A, Kahlert C, Harju E, Michel G, Lüdi C, Ortega N, Baggio S, Chocano-Bedoya P, Rodondi N, Ballouz T, Frei A, Kaufmann M, Von Wyl V, Lorthe E, Baysson H, Stringhini S, Schneider V, Kaufmann L, Wieber F, Volken T, Zysset A, Dratva J, Cullati S. Changes in socioeconomic resources and mental health after the second COVID-19 wave (2020-2021): a longitudinal study in Switzerland. Int J Equity Health 2023; 22:51. [PMID: 36959642 PMCID: PMC10035489 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-01853-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the 2020/2021 winter, the labour market was under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in socioeconomic resources during this period could have influenced individual mental health. This association may have been mitigated or exacerbated by subjective risk perceptions, such as perceived risk of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 or perception of the national economic situation. Therefore, we aimed to determine if changes in financial resources and employment situation during and after the second COVID-19 wave were prospectively associated with depression, anxiety and stress, and whether perceptions of the national economic situation and of the risk of getting infected modified this association. METHODS One thousand seven hundred fifty nine participants from a nation-wide population-based eCohort in Switzerland were followed between November 2020 and September 2021. Financial resources and employment status were assessed twice (Nov2020-Mar2021, May-Jul 2021). Mental health was assessed after the second measurement of financial resources and employment status, using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). We modelled DASS-21 scores with linear regression, adjusting for demographics, health status, social relationships and changes in workload, and tested interactions with subjective risk perceptions. RESULTS We observed scores above thresholds for normal levels for 16% (95%CI = 15-18) of participants for depression, 8% (95%CI = 7-10) for anxiety, and 10% (95%CI = 9-12) for stress. Compared to continuously comfortable or sufficient financial resources, continuously precarious or insufficient resources were associated with worse scores for all outcomes. Increased financial resources were associated with higher anxiety. In the working-age group, shifting from full to part-time employment was associated with higher stress and anxiety. Perceiving the Swiss economic situation as worrisome was associated with higher anxiety in participants who lost financial resources or had continuously precarious or insufficient resources. CONCLUSION This study confirms the association of economic stressors and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the exacerbating role of subjective risk perception on this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Tancredi
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | - Agnė Ulytė
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia Wagner
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Keidel
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Melissa Witzig
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Medea Imboden
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Probst-Hensch
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca Amati
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Emiliano Albanese
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Sara Levati
- Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Luca Crivelli
- Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Kohler
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Kantonsspital St Gallen, St-Gallen, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Alexia Cusini
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Kantonsspital St Gallen, St-Gallen, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Christian Kahlert
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Kantonsspital St Gallen, St-Gallen, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Erika Harju
- Department Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Gisela Michel
- Department Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Lüdi
- Department Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Ortega
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stéphanie Baggio
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Division of Prison Health, Geneva University Hospitals & University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Chocano-Bedoya
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Rodondi
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tala Ballouz
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anja Frei
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Kaufmann
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Viktor Von Wyl
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elsa Lorthe
- Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hélène Baysson
- Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valentine Schneider
- Cantonal Public Health Service of the Canton of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Kaufmann
- Cantonal Public Health Service of the Canton of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Frank Wieber
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Winterthur, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Thomas Volken
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Annina Zysset
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Julia Dratva
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Cullati
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Fournier L, Schimmenti A, Musetti A, Boursier V, Flayelle M, Cataldo I, Starcevic V, Billieux J. Deconstructing the components model of addiction: an illustration through "addictive" use of social media. Addict Behav 2023; 143:107694. [PMID: 36940658 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
The components model of addiction posits that all addictions share six components, namely salience, tolerance, mood modification, relapse, withdrawal, and conflict. This highly influential model has resulted in the development of numerous psychometric instruments that measure addictive behaviors according to these criteria. However, recent research suggests that, in the context of behavioral addictions, certain components constitute peripheral features that do not distinguish non-pathological from pathological behavior. Using "addictive" use of social media as a representative example, we examined this perspective by testing whether these six components actually assess central features of addiction, or whether some of them constitute peripheral features that are not indicative of a disorder. Four independent samples totaling 4,256 participants from the general population completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, a six-item psychometric instrument derived from the components model of addiction to assess social media "addiction". By performing structural equation modeling and network analyses, we showed that the six components did not form a unitary construct and, crucially, that some components (i.e., salience, tolerance) were not associated with measures assessing psychopathological symptoms. Taken together, these results suggest that psychometric instruments based on the components model conflate central and peripheral features of addiction when applied to behavioral addictions. This implies that such instruments pathologize involvement in appetitive behaviors. Our findings thus call for renewing the conceptualization and assessment of behavioral addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïs Fournier
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Adriano Schimmenti
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, UKE - Kore University of Enna, Cittadella Universitaria, 94100 Enna, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy.
| | - Valentina Boursier
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples "Federico II", 80133 Naples, Italy.
| | - Maèva Flayelle
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Ilaria Cataldo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Trento, Italy.
| | - Vladan Starcevic
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Medical School, Nepean Clinical School, University of Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
| | - Joël Billieux
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Center for Excessive Gambling, Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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98
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Barberis N, Cannavò M, Trovato M, Verrastro V. Pathways from Trait Emotional Intelligence to factors of distress in Rosacea: The mediating role of Social Phobia and Self-Esteem. J Affect Disord 2023; 331:362-368. [PMID: 36906111 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rosacea is a skin disease characterized by facial erythema and inflammatory pustules that may result in emotional distress. Social Phobia and Self-Esteem appear to be linked to the development of higher levels of distress in dermatological conditions, while Trait Emotional Intelligence (Trait EI) has been consistently associated with greater levels of adaptation to one's chronic condition. Hence, it seems extremely relevant to observe the interplay between these dimensions in the context of Rosacea. The goal of the current study is to test the hypothesis that an association between Trait EI and General Distress, in individuals with Rosacea would be mediated by Self-Esteem and Social Phobia. METHODS Questionnaires were administered to 224 individuals suffering from Rosacea to assess Trait EI, Social Phobia, Self-Esteem, and General Distress. RESULTS Results highlighted that Trait EI was positively related to Self-Esteem and negatively related to Social Phobia and General Distress. In addition, both Self-Esteem and Social Phobia showed a mediating role in the relationship between Trait EI and General Distress. LIMITATIONS The main limitations of this work consist in the cross-sectional nature of the data, the small number of participants, also it was not possible to differentiate the participants according to the type of rosacea. DISCUSSION These results emphasize how individuals with Rosacea may be vulnerable to internalizing states and how high levels of Trait EI may constitute a protective factor for the onset of distressing states and it would be useful to create programs aimed at fostering Trait EI in Rosacea sufferers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Barberis
- Dipartimento di Scienze della salute. Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Marco Cannavò
- Dipartimento di Scienze della salute. Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Trovato
- Dipartimento di Scienze della salute. Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Valeria Verrastro
- Dipartimento di Scienze della salute. Università degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
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Orsolini L, Longo G, Volpe U. The Mediatory Role of the Boredom and Loneliness Dimensions in the Development of Problematic Internet Use. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4446. [PMID: 36901452 PMCID: PMC10001960 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a gradual digitalization of our society, resulting in intensified technology use for daily life activities, including the emergence of problematic Internet use (PIU). Few studies specifically addressed the boredom and loneliness dimensions in mediating the association between depression, anxiety, and stress levels and the onset of PIU. A nationwide population-based cross-sectional case-control study was carried out by recruiting a sample of Italian young people (aged 18-35). Only 1643 participants were selected for the analyses based on the age and the presence versus absence of PIU. Participants were mainly females (68.7%), with a mean age of 21.8 (SD = 1.7). Non-PIU individuals had significantly stable relationships (p = 0.012), siblings (p = 0.044) and lived with their family (p = 0.010), compared to PIU. PIU individuals displayed significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as higher loneliness and boredom levels (all p < 0.001), compared to non-PIU. Depressive symptomatology predicted PIU and that their interaction is positively double mediated by boredom and loneliness (ß = 0.3829 (0.0245), 95%CI = 0.3349-0.4309). Our findings suggested that boredom and loneliness dimensions could act as mediators in the association between depressive symptomatology and the likelihood of PIU onset and maintenance.
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100
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Ostan R, Varani S, Giannelli A, Malavasi I, Pannuti F, Pannuti R, Biasco G, Mattioli AV. Distance Monitoring of Advanced Cancer Patients with Impaired Cardiac and Respiratory Function Assisted at Home: A Study Protocol in Italy. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12051922. [PMID: 36902706 PMCID: PMC10004121 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12051922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
During the pandemic, telemedicine and telehealth interventions have been leading in maintaining the continuity of care independently of patients' physical location. However, the evidence available about the effectiveness of the telehealth approach for advanced cancer patients with chronic disease is limited. This interventional randomized pilot study aims to evaluate the acceptability of a daily telemonitoring of five vital parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygenation, blood pressure, and body temperature) using a medical device in advanced cancer patients with relevant cardiovascular and respiratory comorbidities assisted at home. The purpose of the current paper is to describe the design of the telemonitoring intervention in a home palliative and supportive care setting with the objective of optimizing the management of patients, improving both their quality of life and psychological status and the caregiver's perceived care burden. This study may improve scientific knowledge regarding the impact of telemonitoring. Moreover, this intervention could foster continuous healthcare delivery and closer communication among the physician, patient and family, enabling the physician to have an updated overview of the clinical trajectory of the disease. Finally, the study may help family caregivers to maintain their habits and professional position and to limit financial consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ostan
- Training and Research Department, National Tumor Assistance (ANT) Foundation, Via Jacopo di Paolo, 36, 40128 Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Varani
- Training and Research Department, National Tumor Assistance (ANT) Foundation, Via Jacopo di Paolo, 36, 40128 Bologna, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.V.); (A.V.M.)
| | - Andrea Giannelli
- Training and Research Department, National Tumor Assistance (ANT) Foundation, Via Jacopo di Paolo, 36, 40128 Bologna, Italy
| | - Italo Malavasi
- Training and Research Department, National Tumor Assistance (ANT) Foundation, Via Jacopo di Paolo, 36, 40128 Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Pannuti
- Training and Research Department, National Tumor Assistance (ANT) Foundation, Via Jacopo di Paolo, 36, 40128 Bologna, Italy
| | - Guido Biasco
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Massarenti, 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Vittoria Mattioli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124 Modena, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.V.); (A.V.M.)
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