Association between coping strategies and drug use in a large cohort of students from a northern italian university

Background and aim of the work: Illicit drug (ID) use/abuse represent a social and economic burden for most countries worldwide which, in spite of the efforts to prevent this phenomena, is often a growing habit especially in the young adults. Preventive measurements, are needed to reduce the adverse health and social consequences of ID use/abuse. Methods: This study investigated the relationship between coping strategies and ID use in students (N=12316) from the University of Parma, Italy. Information about the ID use in the past 12 months and coping strategies were collected with a cross-sectional research design using an online questionnaire. Results: More than 25% of the participants used ID in the past year; men were more likely to use drugs than female; the likelihood of using drugs was inversely related to age. The relationship between coping strategies and ID use was analyzed with a multilevel logistic model taking into account the within-department nested structure of data. Analysis revealed that transcendence-orientation and problem-orientation were associated with a reduction of the likelihood to have used drugs. Conversely, avoidance and positive attitude were associated with an increase of the likelihood to have used drugs. Finally, seeking social support revealed a positive but modest association with increasing in drug use. Conclusions: The ID use association factors identified in this study could be utilized by the appropriate institutions/authorities as a critical review in order to develop relevant public health policies and preventive measures aimed at minimizing the use of ID in this critical age group. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Ingroup identification, hope and system justification: Testing hypothesis from social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA) in a sample of LGBTQIA+ individuals

The social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA) suggests that system justification among low-status groups can be explained by ingroup identification and the hope for a collective future improvement. In this report, we summarize the results of a cross-sectional investigation concerning the relationship between system justification, hope and identification based on a sample of 200 LGBTQIA+ individuals (identifying themselves as non-normative with respect to gender identity and sexual orientation). The results were supportive of SIMSA expectations and showed that system justification was positively linked to hope for future advancement. Importantly, hope played a key role influencing the relations between ingroup identification and perceived ingroup status: for low-status individuals who had high hope, ingroup identification was positively associated with system justification. Limits are acknowledged

Intergroup alliance orientation among intermediate-status group members: The role of stability of social stratification

Three studies have tested the hypothesis that intermediate-status groups are more oriented to ally with outgroups when their social position is under threat. In study 1, participants believed that their ingroup was intermediate in status and social stratification was manipulated as either stable or status-detrimental unstable. Results indicated that participants were more likely to seek alliances a) with a high-status group and b) when social stratification was status-detrimental unstable. Study 2 showed that participants were more likely to seek alliances with a lower status group when social stratification was status-detrimental unstable rather than stable, while they were supportive of policies helping disadvantaged groups regardless of the stability of social stratification. Study 3 showed that when social stratification was status-detrimental unstable, intermediate-status group members were more oriented to ally with a low-status group, equally supportive of policies helping disadvantaged groups, but less oriented to supplying direct help to a low-status group

Do Superordinate Identification and Temporal/Social Comparisons Independently Predict Citizens’ System Trust? Evidence From a 40-Nation Survey

Do superordinate in-group bias as well as temporal and social comparisons offer standalone explanations for system justification? We addressed this question using the latest World Value Survey (7th Wave), combining the responses of 55,721 participants from 40 different nations. Results from a random slope multilevel model showed that superordinate (national) identification, temporal comparison (i.e., the outcomes of an individual relative to those of his/her parents at different time points), and social comparison (based on income levels) were independent and positive predictors of system justification. Specifically, system justification increased when national identification was high, when income increased (i.e., the socioeconomic comparison was positive), and when the outcomes of citizens improved relative to the outcomes of their parents at relevant time points (i.e., the temporal comparison was positive). Incidentally, we also observed an interaction between national identification and temporal comparison (but not with social comparison), indicating that positive temporal comparison seemed to have a reduced effect (but still significant) for highly identified citizens. These results are supportive of the social identity approach to system justification and suggest that support for societal systems is a positive function of people’s personal and group interests

Italian Validation of Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES IV) Short Version for Adolescents: SAD_FACES

This study validated the Italian short version of FACES-IV (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale) for adolescents, namely SAD_FACES. The scale assessed adolescents’ perceptions of their families’ adaptive and maladaptive functioning along the six dimensions of cohesion, flexibility, disengagement, enmeshment, rigidity and chaos as defined by the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems. SAD_FACES was administrated to a sample of secondary school students (Age = 14–16 years; N = 446). The Family Communication Scale (FCS), measuring positive communication skills used in the family system, was also administered to assess external validity. ESEM was performed and evaluation of model fit was based on values of the comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The scores that were computed as the sum of the intended items and latent traits were both considered for each dimension. Results showed that SAD_FACES (24 items) has the same structure and internal consistency of the Italian version of FACES IV validated with adolescent samples. Implications for the validity and usage of a short scale for the assessment of adolescents’ perception of family functioning and their wellbeing are discussed. Future research should validate SAD_FACES with different age cohorts of adolescents and belonging to different cultural contexts as well as consider clinical samples of adolescents. The agility of SAD_FACES could facilitate investigations with clinical samples of adolescents. Future research is needed in this area

Exposure to animal suffering, adult attachment styles, and professional quality of life in a sample of Italian veterinarians

Contextual and individual risk factors of veterinarians’ professional quality of life are being debated. Research suggests that attachment styles are relevant predictors of professional quality of life; however, their role in work-related well-being of veterinarians is yet to be ascertained. In the present study, self-report measures on exposure to animal suffering, adult attachment styles, and professional quality of life were administered to 1,445 Italian veterinarians (70% females) aged 24 to 74 years old; sociodemographic information and information on workload were also collected. Female gender, higher levels of ordinary workload, on-call hours per week, exposure to animal suffering, together with fearful and preoccupied attachment styles were significantly associated with lower levels of veterinarians’ quality of life. This suggests that work-related factors may combine with individual psychological features in promoting or disadvantaging the professional quality of life of veterinarians. Implications of these findings for promoting veterinarians’ quality of life and directions for future research are discussed

Editorial: Exploring system justification phenomenon among disadvantaged individuals

The question of why (or even when) the disadvantaged might be more or less supportive of existing social arrangements is a matter of debate amongst social and political psychologists (e.g., Passini, 2019; Jost, 2020, see also Rubin et al., 2022). Accordingly, for this Research Topic, we chose a title that was deliberately broad in scope, accommodating several aspects that included: (a) the drivers of system justification; (b) the socio-structural conditions that enhance or dampen system justification, (c) the ideological correlates of system support, and (d) the impact of system justification on wellbeing. Taken together, the contributions comprised in this Research Topic provide a comprehensive analysis of these four issues

El rol del control personal en la función paliativa de la justificación del sistema entre la población indígena y no indígena de estudiantes peruanos

Indexación: Scopus.In this article we propose a mediation model for the association between system justification and psychological well-being (i.e., the palliative function of ideology), based on system justification theory and compensatory control theory. Specifically, we argue that endorsing system-justifying beliefs leads to increased perceived personal control, which in turn predicts higher well-being. We used a convenience sample of students from two Peruvian universities. The results showed that system justification was related to general psychological well-being and personal control. In addition, indigenous students rated lower on system justification, general psychological well-being, self-esteem and personal control. Next, we found that the association between system justification and general psychological well-being was stronger among indigenous students, and this relationship was partially mediated by personal control. In addition, we showed that the mediation model is moderated by ethnicity, so that personal control is a mediator only among non-indigenous participants. We conclude that personal control is a mechanism involved in the palliative function of ideology among this group. Finally, we discuss possible explanations for the mechanisms involved in the palliative function of ideology among low-status individuals. © 2018, © 2018 Fundacion Infancia y Aprendizaje.En este artículo se propone un modelo de mediación de las relaciones entre la justificación del sistema y el bienestar psicológico (i.e., la función paliativa de la ideología) basado en las teorías de la justificación del sistema y del control compensatorio. En concreto, se propone que la adopción de creencias justificativas del sistema produce un aumento del control personal percibido que, a su vez, predice niveles más elevados de bienestar. En este estudio se utilizó una muestra por conveniencia de estudiantes provenientes de dos universidades peruanas. Los resultados muestran que la justificación del sistema está relacionada con el bienestar psicológico general y con el control personal. Además, los estudiantes indígenas mostraron niveles más reducidos de justificación del sistema, bienestar psicológico general, autoestima y control personal. También se observó que la relación entre la justificación del sistema y el bienestar psicológico general era más fuerte entre los estudiantes indígenas y que el control personal mediaba parcialmente en esta relación. Asimismo, mostramos que la etnicidad es un factor moderador del modelo de mediación, por lo que el control personal es un mediador únicamente entre los participantes no indígenas. El estudio concluye que el control personal es un mecanismo que interviene en la función paliativa de la ideología en este grupo. Por último, se discuten posibles explicaciones de los mecanismos implicados en la función paliativa de la ideología entre individuos de estatus social bajo.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02134748.2018.153765

Bacillus atrophaeus inactivated spores as a potential adjuvant for veterinary rabies vaccine

Rabies is a viral encephalitis, nearly always fatal, but preventable through vaccines. Rabid animal bite is the prime transmission act, while veterinary vaccination is one of the best strategies for rabies general prevention. Aluminum compounds and saponin are the commercial adjuvants used for this vaccine nowadays. Nevertheless, aluminum compounds can provoke undesired side effects and saponin has a narrow activity range without toxicity. B. atrophaeus inactivated spores (BAIS), with or without saponin, were then used as an alternative to boost the inactivated rabies virus response. BAIS was as effective as saponin in augmenting antibody titers, but combination of both adjuvants doubled the titers raised by them individually. The combined adjuvant formulation maintained viability for 21 months when stored at 4-8 degrees C. Overall, BAIS was demonstrated as a viable alternative to commercial adjuvants, while its combination with saponin resulted in even higher vaccine potency with good stability. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Butantan InstituteButantan Institut