Background Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, th... more Background Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, the investigation of reflective functioning and dissociative experiences in help-seekers adolescents still appears an unmet need. Objective The study aimed to assess reflective functioning and dissociative symptoms in help-seekers adolescents, and compare them to gender-matched healthy controls. Methods The Reflecting Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) was used to investigate mentalizing; the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES) was used to explore dissociative symptoms. Results The study involved 102 adolescents (mean age 18.06 ± 1.78 years), split into “help-seekers” (N= 51; mean age 19 ± 1.98 years) and healthy controls (N= 51; mean age 17.12 ± 0.84). “Help-seekers” adolescents showed lower RFQ-certainty scores (mean 3.39 ± 2.47), compared to healthy controls (mean 6.73 ± 5.01). Furthermore, “help-seekers” adolescents reported higher scores on RFQ-uncertainty (mean 7.73 ± 4.38)...
In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, ... more In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, discussing the close interaction between caregivers' wellbeing and care recipients' health status. After a brief introduction on the complexity of aging trajectories, the authors will focus on the experiences of assistance to elderly people by formal and informal caregivers, by indicating the main objectives according to the degree and nature of the medical condition. The central topic of the chapter will be the risk of developing a care-related burden by the caregivers, with negative consequences on the caregiver's wellbeing, as well as on the caregiver-patient relationship. In this perspective, the authors will highlight in detail the potential impact on the caregiver burden of peculiar functional and psychological factors exhibited by older care recipients.
This study aims to examine the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress emotional expression, kno... more This study aims to examine the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress emotional expression, known as expressive flexibility, in relation to physical and psychological health, as well as trait emotional intelligence (EI). A sample of 503 Italian (Mage = 28.65 ± 9.26 years, 85.1% females) participants completed the Italian version of Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression (FREE) Scale, the TEIQue‐SF, and the Short Form‐12 Health Survey. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Italian version of FREE showed adequate psychometric properties. In both genders, results of correlational analyses indicated that enhancement ability was associated with well‐being, emotionality, and sociability, whereas suppression ability was associated with self‐control. Regression analyses, controlling for age and gender, indicated that suppression and inversely enhancement abilities, predicted the perceived psychological but not physical health. Well‐being, self‐control, and sociability also contributed to explaining variance in the model. The interaction effect of enhancement and suppression was not significantly associated with either physical or psychological health. Overall, these results suggest that enhancement and suppression abilities differentially contribute to psychological health when trait EI is accounted for. Clinical implications and future directions for research on expressive flexibility are discussed.
Background: Older adults denoted one of the populations that mostly suffered from the consequence... more Background: Older adults denoted one of the populations that mostly suffered from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cost of confinement was paid in terms of social isolation, distance from relatives and friends, lack of social support, and limited access to the healthcare system, which had a negative impact on health of older adults with comorbidities and frailty. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to report the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on cognitive performances, functional status, and health-related quality of life among frail outpatients, compared to pre-pandemic status. Method: The current sample was part of a larger sample of frail and pre-frail outpatients, who were first evaluated at the clinic between April and May 2019 and who underwent a first follow-up evaluation between April and May 2020. Those outpatients who have undergone the first follow-up evaluation were contacted between April and May 2021 and were asked to voluntarily parti...
Handbook of Research on Healthcare Standards, Policies, and Reform
In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, ... more In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, discussing the close interaction between caregivers' wellbeing and care recipients' health status. After a brief introduction on the complexity of aging trajectories, the authors will focus on the experiences of assistance to elderly people by formal and informal caregivers, by indicating the main objectives according to the degree and nature of the medical condition. The central topic of the chapter will be the risk of developing a care-related burden by the caregivers, with negative consequences on the caregiver's wellbeing, as well as on the caregiver-patient relationship. In this perspective, the authors will highlight in detail the potential impact on the caregiver burden of peculiar functional and psychological factors exhibited by older care recipients.
INTRODUCTION Research suggests that alexithymia is a significant element for emotion processing, ... more INTRODUCTION Research suggests that alexithymia is a significant element for emotion processing, while defense mechanisms proved to be important factors for adjusting to stressful life events and to cope with potential psychopathologies. AIMS The aims of the present study are to examine the relationships between alexithymia, defense mechanisms, depression, anxiety and eating disorders and to examine the mediation role of defense mechanisms in the relation between alexithymia and anxiety, depression and eating disorders. MATERIAL In a sample of 283 subjects, aged 18-49 (M=2.33, DS=4.81), instruments were administered to measure alexithymia, defense mechanisms, depression, anxiety and eating disorders. RESULTS This study showed that alexithymia was positively related to anxiety, depression, general psychological maladjustment, eating disorder risk, maladaptive style defense mechanisms, image-distorting style defense mechanisms, self-sacrificing style defense mechanisms, whereas it was...
40 out-patients with a mild to moderate degree of dementia (11 less than or equal to MMSE less th... more 40 out-patients with a mild to moderate degree of dementia (11 less than or equal to MMSE less than 24) participated in a between-subjects (n = 20 + 20) double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial comparing the effects of oxiracetam 800 mg bid and placebo during 90 days of treatment. At the end of therapy, statistical analysis (ANOVA) detected significant differences between groups: after oxiracetam treatment, improvements were observed on Mini Mental State Examination, Auditory Continuous Performance Test, Block Tapping Test, Word Fluency and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. No side effects were observed. In conclusion, in the present population of patients with mild to moderate degree dementia, 1600 mg/day of oxiracetam was effective in enhancing both attentional activities and other, more complex, neuropsychological functions.
Background Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, th... more Background Despite the established contribution to psychological well-being in young subjects, the investigation of reflective functioning and dissociative experiences in help-seekers adolescents still appears an unmet need. Objective The study aimed to assess reflective functioning and dissociative symptoms in help-seekers adolescents, and compare them to gender-matched healthy controls. Methods The Reflecting Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) was used to investigate mentalizing; the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES) was used to explore dissociative symptoms. Results The study involved 102 adolescents (mean age 18.06 ± 1.78 years), split into “help-seekers” (N= 51; mean age 19 ± 1.98 years) and healthy controls (N= 51; mean age 17.12 ± 0.84). “Help-seekers” adolescents showed lower RFQ-certainty scores (mean 3.39 ± 2.47), compared to healthy controls (mean 6.73 ± 5.01). Furthermore, “help-seekers” adolescents reported higher scores on RFQ-uncertainty (mean 7.73 ± 4.38)...
In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, ... more In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, discussing the close interaction between caregivers' wellbeing and care recipients' health status. After a brief introduction on the complexity of aging trajectories, the authors will focus on the experiences of assistance to elderly people by formal and informal caregivers, by indicating the main objectives according to the degree and nature of the medical condition. The central topic of the chapter will be the risk of developing a care-related burden by the caregivers, with negative consequences on the caregiver's wellbeing, as well as on the caregiver-patient relationship. In this perspective, the authors will highlight in detail the potential impact on the caregiver burden of peculiar functional and psychological factors exhibited by older care recipients.
This study aims to examine the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress emotional expression, kno... more This study aims to examine the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress emotional expression, known as expressive flexibility, in relation to physical and psychological health, as well as trait emotional intelligence (EI). A sample of 503 Italian (Mage = 28.65 ± 9.26 years, 85.1% females) participants completed the Italian version of Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression (FREE) Scale, the TEIQue‐SF, and the Short Form‐12 Health Survey. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Italian version of FREE showed adequate psychometric properties. In both genders, results of correlational analyses indicated that enhancement ability was associated with well‐being, emotionality, and sociability, whereas suppression ability was associated with self‐control. Regression analyses, controlling for age and gender, indicated that suppression and inversely enhancement abilities, predicted the perceived psychological but not physical health. Well‐being, self‐control, and sociability also contributed to explaining variance in the model. The interaction effect of enhancement and suppression was not significantly associated with either physical or psychological health. Overall, these results suggest that enhancement and suppression abilities differentially contribute to psychological health when trait EI is accounted for. Clinical implications and future directions for research on expressive flexibility are discussed.
Background: Older adults denoted one of the populations that mostly suffered from the consequence... more Background: Older adults denoted one of the populations that mostly suffered from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cost of confinement was paid in terms of social isolation, distance from relatives and friends, lack of social support, and limited access to the healthcare system, which had a negative impact on health of older adults with comorbidities and frailty. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to report the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on cognitive performances, functional status, and health-related quality of life among frail outpatients, compared to pre-pandemic status. Method: The current sample was part of a larger sample of frail and pre-frail outpatients, who were first evaluated at the clinic between April and May 2019 and who underwent a first follow-up evaluation between April and May 2020. Those outpatients who have undergone the first follow-up evaluation were contacted between April and May 2021 and were asked to voluntarily parti...
Handbook of Research on Healthcare Standards, Policies, and Reform
In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, ... more In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, discussing the close interaction between caregivers' wellbeing and care recipients' health status. After a brief introduction on the complexity of aging trajectories, the authors will focus on the experiences of assistance to elderly people by formal and informal caregivers, by indicating the main objectives according to the degree and nature of the medical condition. The central topic of the chapter will be the risk of developing a care-related burden by the caregivers, with negative consequences on the caregiver's wellbeing, as well as on the caregiver-patient relationship. In this perspective, the authors will highlight in detail the potential impact on the caregiver burden of peculiar functional and psychological factors exhibited by older care recipients.
INTRODUCTION Research suggests that alexithymia is a significant element for emotion processing, ... more INTRODUCTION Research suggests that alexithymia is a significant element for emotion processing, while defense mechanisms proved to be important factors for adjusting to stressful life events and to cope with potential psychopathologies. AIMS The aims of the present study are to examine the relationships between alexithymia, defense mechanisms, depression, anxiety and eating disorders and to examine the mediation role of defense mechanisms in the relation between alexithymia and anxiety, depression and eating disorders. MATERIAL In a sample of 283 subjects, aged 18-49 (M=2.33, DS=4.81), instruments were administered to measure alexithymia, defense mechanisms, depression, anxiety and eating disorders. RESULTS This study showed that alexithymia was positively related to anxiety, depression, general psychological maladjustment, eating disorder risk, maladaptive style defense mechanisms, image-distorting style defense mechanisms, self-sacrificing style defense mechanisms, whereas it was...
40 out-patients with a mild to moderate degree of dementia (11 less than or equal to MMSE less th... more 40 out-patients with a mild to moderate degree of dementia (11 less than or equal to MMSE less than 24) participated in a between-subjects (n = 20 + 20) double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial comparing the effects of oxiracetam 800 mg bid and placebo during 90 days of treatment. At the end of therapy, statistical analysis (ANOVA) detected significant differences between groups: after oxiracetam treatment, improvements were observed on Mini Mental State Examination, Auditory Continuous Performance Test, Block Tapping Test, Word Fluency and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. No side effects were observed. In conclusion, in the present population of patients with mild to moderate degree dementia, 1600 mg/day of oxiracetam was effective in enhancing both attentional activities and other, more complex, neuropsychological functions.
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