Decision-Making and Abuse, What Relationship in Victims of Violence?

Gender-Based violence is a worldwide persisting phenomenon: during their lifetime, 30% of women have experienced sexual and/or physical violence. The literature has investigated for several years the association between abuse and possible psychiatric and psychological consequences which may occur even after many years. The most common consequences involve mood and stress disorders (e.g., depression and PTSD). These disorders seem to have secondary long-term effects, such as decision-making and cognitive function impairments. Therefore, the present literature synthesis aimed to investigate whether and how the decision-making capacities of individuals experiencing violence can change because of abuse. We conducted a thematic synthesis using PRISMA guidelines: through a double-blind procedure, 4599 studies were screened; a total of 46 studies were selected for full-text reading, which was reduced to 13 by excluding papers with a wrong focus. To better understand the results of the thematic synthesis, two main focuses have been identified: "leave or stay decision making" and "multifactorial dimensions of decision making". Results showed that decision-making is an important process in avoiding secondary victimization

Older Adolescents Who Did or Did Not Experience COVID-19 Symptoms: Associations with Mental Health, Risk Perception and Social Connection

After a decrease in detected cases in the summer, Europe faced the emergence of a second wave of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). Few studies have investigated adolescents, who may constitute a target group with possible lower compliance to public health measures, particularly the social distancing measures. A total sample of 492 participants was included in the study, and the ages of the participants ranged from 18–24 years. According to the hypothesis of our study, the sample was divided into two groups: those who experienced COVID-19 symptoms and those who did not experience COVID-19 symptoms. Demographic characteristics, knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors related to COVID-19 were investigated with ad hoc items; in addition, mood disorders, self-efficacy, and social connectedness were explored. Our results showed significant differences in the variables of risk perception, self-efficacy, and measures of belongingness among older adolescents who did or did not experience COVID-19 symptoms. In this period, adolescents experienced unprecedented disruptions in their daily lives, leading them to isolation and loneliness. Compliance with restrictive measures is considered both a proactive behavior and a social responsibility, especially if supported by prosocial reasons to prevent others from getting sick; therefore, this must be the focus of raising awareness of anti-COVID-19 compliance among adolescents

Teaching during the pandemic: a comparison in psychological wellbeing among smart working professions

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, since March 2020, the Italian population was forced into lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. The restrictive measures imposed forced many organizations and workers to work through online platforms and no longer in-person. Smart working, enjoyed by some workers for its flexibility, affected several professional categories. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in the psychological variables related to four groups of professional categories (practitioners, managers, executive employees, teachers), particularly the teachers group. Methods: A total sample of 628 individuals was recruited through a random probability sample across Italy. Due to the lockdown, an online questionnaire was developed; several validated scales were chosen, and some ad hoc constructed items related to the smart working experience were included. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between the four groups of examined smart workers. Conclusions: All workers have had to readjust to this new way of working, but our results show that teachers were the most affected, both in the perception of their psychological well-being and in the management of the smart working mode

Psychological Health Status of Psychiatric Patients Living in Treatment Communities before and during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Brief Report

Many studies investigated the psychological impact of lockdown measures on the general population, while few studies focused on the psychiatric population. This study aimed to investigate the role of therapeutic communities in the management and containment of symptoms of patients with psychosis living in psychiatric residential facilities. Data were collected at two different points: November 2019 (Coronavirus disease 19 had not yet spread) and April 2020 (during the lockdown in Italy). Twenty-two study participants were recruited from three residential accredited psychiatric facilities. During lockdown, the patients showed a small increase in symptomatology in terms of emotional isolation. In addition, it was been observed significant differences in certain functional areas of the behavior, measured as lower inclination towards violent behaviors during lockdown, and higher scores in substance abuse and medical impairment. The lockdown condition could represent a form of containment; daily routines, along with adequate social support, are important aspects of the stability and the level of behavioral functioning of psychiatric patients. Social support and continuity of care offered by psychiatric communities can be an effective safeguard against the psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic

From emotional (dys)regulation to internet addiction: a mediation model of problematic social media use among italian young adults

Internet addiction (IA) has mostly been investigated with the fear of missing out and difficulties in emotional regulation. The present study examined the link between IA and variables related to problematic social media use (i.e., fear of missing out, social media addiction), together with emotional (dys)regulation and personality traits, providing new insights and an integrated assessment of IA. In total, 397 participants, aged 18-35 years (M = 22.00; SD = 3.83), were administered a set of questionnaires pertaining to IA, problematic social media use, emotional (dys)regulation, and personality traits. Pearson's correlations showed significant associations between IA and the investigated variables, and the tested mediation model highlighted the crucial role played by emotional (dys)regulation in the fear of missing out and problematic use of social networks. Overall, the findings provide support for a new integrated model for understanding the features, predictors, and risk factors of IA

“Storie dal carcere”: uno studio qualitativo sulle emergenze negli istituti penitenziari

Nell’ambito del contesto penitenziario agiscono una moltitudine di attori e gruppi sociali che lavorano a fianco della popolazione carceraria giocando diversi ruoli e perseguendo diversi obiettivi al fine di prevenire, affrontare e gestire possibili eventi emergenziali. All’interno di un Corso di Formazione sul tema “La pratica manageriale nella gestione dell’emergenza” destinato ai ruoli apicali dell’Amministrazione Penitenziaria, è stata condotta una ricerca che ha previsto la raccolta di 563 narrazioni di eventi critici emergenziali compilate da Direttori Penitenziari e da Comandanti della Polizia Penitenziaria provenienti dagli Istituti di tutta Italia. Attraverso un’analisi qualitativa, che ha previsto la trascrizione e la codifica degli eventi critici e delle relative strategie di gestione, nonché le conclusioni tratte da questi eventi, sono state identificate quattro macro-famiglie di codifica: “l’evento emergenziale”, “le strategie utilizzate per affrontarlo”, “le conoscenze apprese dall’emergenza” e “i possibili miglioramenti per prevenire eventi simili in futuro”. Attraverso una procedura in doppio cieco, al fine di minimizzare i possibili bias, è stato condotto un confronto sistematico per concordare gli argomenti e le etichette principali; i punti di disaccordo sono stati risolti attraverso la discussione tra gli sperimentatori. In seguito, dopo l’individuazione delle macro-famiglie sono state identificate categorie più specifiche per descrivere gli eventi. Sono state eseguite analisi del chi-quadro per valutare le differenze di occorrenze e le dimensioni incluse in ogni famiglia di codifica. I risultati hanno rivelato differenze significative sia nelle modalità in cui ogni tipo di emergenza viene affrontata, sia negli apprendimenti specifici legati all’evento vissuto e i possibili miglioramenti per il futuro, ciò che si è appreso proprio dalla gestione degli eventi critici e dalle conseguenze. In base ai dati raccolti, emerge che la gestione delle emergenze negli istituti di pena comprende diversi fattori: personali, strutturali, procedurali e relazionali, che insieme possono influenzare l’efficacia nel far fronte a situazioni emergenziali e agli eventi critici. Ad esito del Corso di Formazione sono state redatte le Linee Guida condivise da tutte e tutti i partecipanti al Corso

Un modello di intervento psicologico per le vittime della strada: il progetto ANIACARES

Gli incidenti stradali rappresentano una grave emergenza sociale e un problema di salute pubblica. L’OMS stima che ogni anno 1,2 milioni di persone muoiano a causa di incidenti stradali e milioni sono i feriti (OMS, 2017). Oltre ai danni fisici, gli incidenti stradali causano gravi sofferenze psicologiche sia per le persone direttamente coinvolte sia per i loro cari. Il lavoro si propone di presentare ANIACARES, un protocollo di intervento precoce volto a fornire supporto psicologico e psicosociale alle persone coinvolte in incidenti stradali che hanno subìto gravi lesioni o ai familiari di vittime ferite o decedute. Il protocollo ha come obiettivi principali quelli di: aiutare le vittime dirette e indirette a ridurre lo stress acuto causato dall’evento traumatico, promuovere il funzionamento adattivo e la resilienza (Southwick et al., 2014), migliorare la compliance al trattamento medico e alleviare o prevenire i sintomi post-traumatici. Complessivamente, fanno parte dell’Unità Operativa di ANIACARES, 80 psicologi selezionati in base alle loro competenze in psicotraumatologia e psicoterapia, formati specificatamente per l’applicazione del protocollo di intervento ANIACARES. Gli psicologi possono intervenire sia durante la fase di primo soccorso, sia durante la fase peri-traumatica sia successivamente, durante la fase post-traumatica. Al momento sono stati effettuati un totale di 411 interventi nelle quattro città pilota del progetto: Roma, Milano, Firenze e Campobasso

Personality and lockdown: a study on italian undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic

The current study aimed at increasing our understanding of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on undergraduate students, particularly with respect to the association between personality traits; defense mechanisms (DMs); depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (DASSs); and compliance with the government recommended health measures. A sample of 1,427 Italian undergraduate students were administered the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5—Brief Form; the Defense Style Questionnaire-40; and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. Compliance with the COVID-19 behavioral recommendations was measured through a 10-item survey measure. Results showed that immature DMs and internalizing personality traits (i.e., detachment, negative affect, psychoticism) were risk factors of DASSs. Furthermore, subjects with higher levels of DASSs appeared less compliant with the health measures recommended by the Italian government. Experts may use these results to identify and subsequently support (via the Internet) young subjects at greater risk of mental health problems as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

Missing Children in Italy from 2000 to 2020: A Review of the Phenomenon Reported by Newspapers

The disappearance of children has become a public social issue that has captured the attention of many in the last two decades, especially because there is not a worldwide consensus on the definition of “missing child”. This research analyzed events of missing children from 2000 to 2020 in Italy; data were collected from the main national sources of information: the websites of two Italian press agencies (ANSA and Adnkronos) and the four main Italian newspapers (Il Messaggero, La Repubblica, Il Corriere Della Sera, La Stampa) with a double-blind procedure. Our data show that male minors disappear to a greater extent than female minors and the disappearance of Italian minors is more represented than that of foreign minors. The majority of minors are found and when they are found they are still alive often within the first week after the disappearance. Our data shows that children disappear between the ages of 0–5 more than the cases involving adolescents. Also, of 182 missing and found children, information regarding the presence of abuse was reported in only 18 cases. The data of the present study were discussed in comparison with those of the Italian Government’s Extraordinary Commissioner for Missing Persons highlighting differences between the official data on missing children and those reported by newspapers; this study is intended to highlight a growing focus on the phenomenon, not only from a media perspective but also from an institutional one

The Fear of COVID-19: Gender Differences among Italian Health Volunteers

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the fear of being infected was a major concern, resulting in both physical and psychological effects. Despite several studies on fear of COVID-19 in the general population, the effects on healthy volunteers who face COVID-19 on the frontlines have not yet been investigated. Methods: An online survey on specific psychological variables related to COVID-19 was administered to 720 healthy volunteers, and gender differences were investigated. Results: The primary finding was that females showed higher scores in all dimensions assessed. A multiple linear regression conducted on both genders exhibited a similar pattern of predictors, highlighting the pivotal role of negative affect in the male group. Conclusions: The findings suggest that COVID-19 had significant effects on healthy volunteers, especially in the female group. Although the previous literature did not report the crucial role played by the negative affect in the male sample, these results highlight the need to deepen how both genders use different emotional strategies to cope with stressful situations. This study may be useful in the development of specific psychological support and ad hoc training for healthy volunteers