BACKGROUND: CIRCuiTS is a computerized cognitive remediation program for individuals with schizophrenia. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the Italian version of CIRCuiTS. METHODS: Feasibility was measured through ad-hoc questionnaires in a non-clinical sample (N.=30; target-score 70%; study 1); in patients with schizophrenia (N.=5; target-score 60%; study 2) and CR therapists (N.=3; target-score 60%; study 2). Study 3 was a pilot study investigating: 1) enrolment, compliance, and retention rates; 2) satisfaction; 3) potential post-treatment and follow-up improvements in patients with schizophrenia (N.=20). These results were used to estimate sample size and feasibility for a future trial. RESULTS : All non-clinical participants rated high feasibility of CIRCuiTS (83.3-100% scores). All patients (60-100% high-scores) and CR therapists (66-100% high-scores) evaluated CIRCuiTS feasible. High rates of retention in treatment (74.5%) and satisfaction (85-100%) in patients were showed. Post-treatment assessment revealed an improvement in all cognitive measures. A sample size of 32 was calculated for each arm of the trial, at the desired power of 80%, to recruit for 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed the feasibility of the Italian version of CIRCuiTS, they will inform a controlled future trial and implementation study of this therapy approach in the Italian mental health system.
INTRODUCTION: Anxiety disorders constitute a leading cause of disability worldwide. The purpose of this study is to identify and characterize the top 50 most frequently cited publications in the field of anxiety disorder research.EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: The Clarivate Analytics Web of Science citation indexing service was searched for articles published from 1900 and onward concerning anxiety disorders. After implementation of a two-step inclusion and exclusion criteria, the 50 mostly highly cited articles were analyzed according to the number of citations, publication year, first author, journal, country of origin, research institution, and topic.EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The 50 most highly cited articles were published from the years 1953 to 2010 with the greatest number of articles being published during the 1990s decade. The number of citations ranged from 756 for the 50th most cited paper to 17,585 for the most cited paper. Journals with the most publications included Behavior Research and Therapy, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Science, and Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Article topics included diagnostic and screening tools research, basic and translational research, anxiety modeling, treatment, epidemiology, imaging, and other topics.CONCLUSIONS. This study identifies the top 50 most cited studies in the field of anxiety disorder research and recognizes the individuals who have made impactful changes that have shaped the modern approach of diagnosis, basic science knowledge, and the treatment of patients with anxiety disorders.
BACKGROUND: Smartphones have been one of the success stories of the last decade. The aim of this study is to analyze the possible effects of smartphone and tablet use among children and the possible relationship between exposure to the screen and behavioral and physical alterations. METHODS: One hundred children aged 4 to 17 years from Rome was recruited and consented to participate. All parents gave oral informed consent. Data were collected between October 1, 2018 through May 30, 2019. All participants were required to complete a structural questionnaire that comprised of three parts. RESULTS: One hundred children who completed the questionnaire were recruited for the current study. The mean age of the participants was 9 (9 +/- 3). 55% of the children examined have their own smartphone and the mean age of their first smartphone is 8.5. 28% of them spent 1 hour per day using the smartphone; 53% 2 hours per day; 2% about 3 hours and 17% more than 4 hours per day. 39% of participants are addicted to smartphones or tablets according to their SAS-SV score positivity. Over 50% of participants reported habitual smartphone use before bedtime. 63% of them feels more aggressive; 65% believes smartphone isolates them; 61% feels that smartphone induce them lying. CONCLUSIONS: The continuative and persistent smartphone utilization is today an acknowledged risk factor for children's health, and this is the reason why indulgence in extended screens exposure is strongly not recommended among children.
BACKGROUND: Attitudes presented by society towards mentally ill people were and they are still diverse, ranging from reverence and respect, to being considered insane and dangerous to the environment. Behind the mentally ill often go: inhuman treatment, stigmatization and marginalization, as well as the willingness to understand and helping them. The aim of the study was to get to know opinions about mentally ill people. METHODS: A total of 140 people were examined, including: 70 high school students (39 women and 31 men) and 70 adults (44 women and 26 men). The survey was conducted with the help of the original questionnaire consisting of 27 closed questions and 2 open questions. RESULTS: As many as 110 (79%) of respondents thought that mental illness is a disease of the mind and 51% had direct contact with mentally ill patients. Most of the respondents felt embarrassment and anxiety while being with the mentally ill. In addition, especially the surveyed men, more often than the women surveyed (24 respondents, 17% vs. eight respondents, 6%) believed that the mentally ill were dangerous, and as many as 27 (19%) of respondents supported their isolation. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the respondents had contact with mentally ill patients. Worrying is the fact that mentally ill people are still considered so dangerous that they should be isolated from the rest of society.
BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of depression in women with lymphedema following treatment for breast cancer. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 32 consecutive patients with lymphedema stemming from breast cancer treatment. Women with lymphedema due to other causes were excluded. Depression was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: Among the 32 patients evaluated, 14 (43.75%) were without depression, 9 (28.12%) had mild to moderate depression and five (15.62%) had severe depression and 4 (12.5%) had extreme depression. Discussion: However, depression is limiting in every sense and can compromise treatment for lymphedema or adherence to cancer treatment. A psychiatric approach with the use of medications is therefore recommended as psychological support. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is a frequent occurrence in women with lymphedema following treatment for breast cancer. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to this aspect in the routine evaluation of these patients.
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the role of metacognitions to burnout symptoms experienced by a sample of oncology healthcare professionals working in a hospital oncology unit with hospice. METHODS: The study involved a sample of 43 oncology health care professionals working in a hospital oncology unit. Participants were asked to provide demographic data and indicate their work experience. The Italian versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Metacognitions Questionnaire were then administered. RESULTS: the results of descriptive statistics have shown that there was a medium risk of burnout. Furthermore, results of correlational analysis have shown some significant correlations between MBI and other constructs. There was a significant and moderate correlation between the emotional exhaustion factor and the Negative beliefs (r=0.46; P<0.01). Moreover, the personal accomplishment was significantly and positively correlated with the Cognitive self-consciousness (r=0.49; P<0.01). Lastly, the results of regression analyses have shown that the negative beliefs predicted for up to 22% of variance for emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, the Cognitive self-consciousness predicted for up to 22% of variance for personal accomplishment. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the fundamental role of assessing dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs in specialist palliative care practitioners to prevent burnout. Moreover, metacognitions seem to have a differential contribution to the three factors of burnout. Interventions to prevent burnout must consider these relationships.
BACKGROUND: The treatment of cognitive deficits has become a relevant target in the therapy of schizophrenia and constitutes the primary object of the rehabilitation intervention. The constant progress of neuroscience and technology has led to an implementation of recovery-oriented practices and systems also through virtual reality (VR). The aim of this protocol is the activation of more rapid Cognitive Remediation treatments, through immersion in virtual environments with respect to the training in use. METHODS: The trial will be conducted in parallel in two groups and will involve the participation of 20 subjects with diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, according to the DSM-V diagnostic criteria: the experimental group (N.=10) will carry out cognitive training in VR while the control group (N.=10) will carry out the Cogpack computerized training. Both groups will be evaluated through the administration of BACS and LSP. The virtual environment will be a supermarket whose characteristics will favor the execution of cognitive exercises. RESULTS : At the end of the training, all the subjects, will be re-evaluated by the BACS evaluation and the LSP then statistical analyzes will be performed to compare the two groups. There will be two follow-ups, at 6 months and 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: The training on cognitive functions in VR can become an experiential tool to reach insight, self-monitoring, empowerment, self-esteem, relational aspects and self-determination.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the burnout syndrome among nurses who are engaged in the care of patients with Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A cohort observational-survey study was carried among Italian nurses who work in the Italian Intensive Care Unit (ICU) during the pandemic COVID-19 period. METHODS: The questionnaire was published online on Google form, modules section, from March 25, 2020 to April 26, 2020. The questionnaire contained a first part of demographic data, as: gender, years of experience, if the nurse interviewed at the time of the pandemic COVID-19 event was already working in an ICU or if, due to the urgency of the context, he/she was transferred to an ICU that was set up during this period. Then, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire was administered to evaluate the burnout level among nurses who are in direct contact with critically ill patients with COVID-19. RESULTS : 291 nurses answered the survey. With the MBI threshold values in mind, it can be seen that the clinical condition of burnout can be configured for all three dimensions, both for women and men. As regards the dimension of emotional exhaustion, female nurses are more exposed to the phenomenon than men (P<0.001). However, for the other two dimensions there are no statistically different differences between the two sexes (depersonalization: P=0.809; personal accomplishment: P=0.268). CONCLUSIONS : Burnout levels are high among nurses. Surely the situation since COVID-19 has accentuated the result, regardless of the years of experience or if the nurses have always worked in opposed intensive care units have been transferred due to the health emergency. Also interesting is the aspect of the trend of burnout levels between female nurses who are they are more affected by emotional exhaustion than male nurses.
BACKGROUND: Lower levels of cholesterol have been associated with increased levels of depression, aggression and impulsivity, which have in turn been indicated as the factors contributing towards increased suicidal attempts. This study hopes to establish an inverse relation between total serum cholesterol levels and level of violence in parasuicide patients.METHODS: A year-long, cross-sectional study of 98 parasuicide subjects was conducted. Patients suffering from any other psychiatric conditions and on any medication for comorbidities were excluded from the study. Patients were assessed for their level of violence using three CDC questionnaires: 1) beliefs supporting aggression; 2) attitude towards violence; 3) beliefs about aggression and alternatives, and their serum cholesterol level was taken into consideration.RESULTS: We found a significant correlation with the result showing increasing levels of beliefs supporting aggression (r=-0.4116, P=0.000026.), attitude towards violence (r=-0.6924, P<0.00001) and beliefs about aggression (r=-0.395, P=0.000057) with decreasing cholesterol levels, and increasing levels of use of non-violent strategies (r=0.292, P=0.003529) with increasing levels of cholesterol.CONCLUSIONS: Establishing this relation has a positive effect on both the medical community and the general public. It helps in better treatment of depressive patients as their progress can easily be tracked. It can also be used to screen at-risk individuals. It promotes awareness and increases understanding of mental disorders in the general public, thereby improving its acceptance as a disease and not a mere case of weakness of the mind.
BACKGROUND: Researchers have documented the association between stressful life events (SLEs) and health. We set to investigate racial/ethnic and nativity, USA-born vs. immigrant vs. first-generation variations in SLEs in the USA and develop a comprehensive stress-rating scale.METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study in 2020 with 119 diverse individuals applying triangulation using interviews, an online survey and a focus group. Participants anonymously indicated their race/ethnicity and USA nativity and responded to identical open-ended questionnaires on demographic specific SLEs. Data were thematically coded. We incorporated focus group feedback for content validation and to refine the scale.RESULTS: Interviewees (N.=34) and survey participants (N.=85) indicated variations in SLEs. Poverty and financial burdens weighed the heaviest. Whites reported no unique SLEs or that disproportionately affected their demographics. All non-Whites indicated racism and various discriminations in their top three. Unique SLEs included emerging coronavirus for Asians, fear of police for Blacks and belittling for Latinos. Immigrants majorly indicated political and immigration stressors including fear of deportation. A 55-item face- and content-validated instrument, the cross-cultural stress scale (CCSS), is presented. This study presents some limitations in the cross-cultural sample profile and the scale currently is needing future construct validity evaluation.CONCLUSIONS: Despite a few limitations, these results highlight important prevalence and reactions to SLEs and thus can contribute to a growing literature on demographic-specific stressors and associated health outcomes. Our proposed stress-rating instrument accounts for the subjectivity reflected by different demographic groups and their interpretations of their stated life events.
BACKGROUND: The use of alcohol is a phenomenon widely spread among young people and takes on different psychological, sociological and cultural connotations. The aim of the study is to analyse the prevalence of dangerous alcohol consumption and examine the associated factors in a cohort of nursing students from the University of Palermo. METHODS: The study employed a cross-sectional study design. On March 2020, a survey was provided to all nursing students of University of Palermo of the three years of course who attend daily lessons. The questionnaire was structured into two parts. The first section investigates on socio-demographic information. In the second part of the survey, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (A.U.D.I.T.-C) Test was administered. A multivariable logistic regression model was used and adjusted Odds Ratios (aOR) are presented. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 525 students (70.3% female). The probability to have a risky consumption of alcohol is significantly associated with the following independent variables: "second" (aOR 3.66) and "third" (aOR 4.28) year of study; "to be a smoker" (aOR 2.11) and "to be a former smoker" (aOR 4.23); "Age Class <22 years old" (aOR 2.77). CONCLUSIONS : Our study highlights how there is an increasing consumption of alcohol among students during the years of the degree course in nursing sciences. It also highlights how there is a strong association between cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption in this category.
BACKGROUND: The study examined psychological distress and its association with perseverance and passion for long term goals among 400 Ph.D. scholars from Pondicherry University.METHODS: The sample collected through multi-stage convenience sampling technique was assessed using a Structured Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Grit Scale and Flourishing Scale.RESULTS: The results showed that 7.5% and 4.5% had severe and extremely severe depression, 12.5% and 20% had severe and extremely severe anxiety, and 5% and 1.5% had severe and extremely severe stress. The data was collected from one Indian University and analyzed based the information gathered through self-report inventory.CONCLUSIONS: Congenial family environment, good relationship with parents and friends were observed to be positive factors for psychological well-being. There is an urgent need to extend mental health support services to the PhD scholars especially for those who were suffering from severe and extremely severe psychological distress.
