The CO-MAsk Approach: Tips for Fostering Mask Use Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Face masks are effective at limiting contagion of the coronavirus. However, adherence to face mask use among the older adult population is often unsatisfactory due to cognitive impairment, misconceptions, and difficulty in retrieving face masks. This brief note provides healthcare professionals with simple suggestions about how to improve face mask adoption in the older adults, in particular if they suffer from mild cognitive impairment. Thus, clinical reflections and psychoeducational suggestions are summarized into a simple mental roadmap. Specifically, the CO-MAsk approach underlines the necessity to consider the following factors: Cognition (possible cognitive impairment), Occasions (real chances to access correct information and proper protection equipment), Motivation (individual motivation towards sanitary prescriptions) and Assumptions (personal beliefs and understandings). Possible obstacles and practical suggestions for are also discussed. It is of paramount importance that healthcare professionals pay attention to emotional, cognitive and psychological aspects to effectively improve the face masks adherence among older adults, specifically when cognitive decline is present

COVID-19 and mental disorders in Healthcare Personnel: A Novel Framework to Develop Personas from an Online Survey

Background: In this paper we propose a novel framework for the definition of Personas for healthcare workers based on an online survey, with the aim of highlighting different levels of risk of developing mental disorders induced by COVID-19 and tailor psychological support interventions. Methods: Data were gathered from Italian healthcare workers between April and May 2020. Information about socio-demographic characteristics, current lifestyle, occupational, COVID-19 infection, and psychological indexes (Maslach Burnout Inventory, Impact of Event Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire) was collected. Respondents were divided in four subgroups based on their health profession: physicians (P), nurses (N), other medical professionals (OMP) and technical-administrative (TA). For each sub-group, collected variables (46) were reduced using Principal Component Analysis and clustered by means of k-medoids clustering. Statistical analysis was then applied to define which variables were able to differentiate among the k clusters, leading to the generation of a Persona card (i.e., a template with textual and graphical information) for each of the obtained clusters. Results: From the 538 respondents (153 P, 175 N, 176 OMP, 344 TA), the highest stress level, workload impact and risk of mental disorders were found in the N subgroup. Two clusters were identified for P, three clusters for N, two for OMP and one for TA. Conclusions: The proposed framework was able to stratify different risk levels of possible development of mental health issues in healthcare workers due to COVID-19. This approach could represent the first step towards the development of mobile health tools to tailor psychological interventions in pandemic situations

Job insecurity e conflitto lavoro-famiglia nei lavoratori italiani durante la pandemia: il ruolo di mediazione di workaholism e tecno-overload.

Introduzione. La pandemia di COVID-19 ha severamente colpito l’economia italiana. Rispetto all’ultimo mese pre-pandemico, gli occupati italiani sono quasi 900 mila in meno, con un aumento dei disoccupati di 652 mila unità (Istat, 2021). Sebbene nel marzo 2021 si sia registrato un aumento del tasso di occupazione, questi nuovi posti di lavoro sono principalmente da imputare al tempo determinato e ai lavoratori autonomi, mentre subisce un'ulteriore contrazione il numero dei dipendenti permanenti (ibidem). Nel risultante clima di incertezza generalizzata, le percezioni di job insecurity vengono sempre più riportate anche da coloro che hanno un’occupazione (Eurofound, 2021). Sebbene ad oggi la relazione tra job insecurity e conflitto lavoro-famiglia sia stata ampiamente confermata, non vi sono studi che analizzano tale associazione nei lavoratori italiani durante la pandemia. Obiettivi. Il presente studio si propone di esaminare se e come la job insecurity possa aver portato i lavoratori italiani a sperimentare conflitto lavoro-famiglia durante la pandemia. Metodo. 266 lavoratori hanno compilato un questionario self-report volto ad indagare: job insecurity, conflitto lavoro-famiglia, workaholism, tecno-overload, tipologia contrattuale, modalità di lavoro (telelavoro vs. in presenza), esperienza diretta e/o vicaria con il COVID-19. I dati sono stati analizzati tramite modelli di mediazione in parallelo. Risultati. La job insecurity si associa positivamente con la tendenza a lavorare in maniera eccessiva (β=.15, p<.05) e con il tecno-overload (β=.25, p<.001). Ciò porta i lavoratori a sviluppare conflitto lavoro-famiglia (β=.15, p<.001). Si rilevano differenze nelle percezioni di job insecurity tra lavoratori con differenti tipologie contrattuali, ma non tra lavoratori da remoto vs. in presenza. Limiti. Il presente studio trasversale utilizza soltanto misure self-report. Aspetti innovativi. Si tratta del primo contributo ad analizzare i meccanismi attraverso cui la job insecurity possa aver portato i lavoratori italiani a sperimentare vissuti di conflitto lavoro-famiglia durante la pandemia, includendo tra i mediatori una dimensione del tecnostress

Attitude towards Intranasal Vaccines and Psychological Determinants: Effects on the General Population in Northern Italy

Little is known about the use of intranasal vaccines, but some studies have shown that this innovative way of administration is preferred over needle injection as it is considered both less painful and intrusive to the body, equally effective, and associated with fewer side effects. This study aimed to investigate specific psychological determinants (intolerance of uncertainty, persecutory ideation, perceived control, vaccine hesitancy) of attitude toward nasal vaccine delivery. A convenience sample including 700 Italian participants took part in this cross-sectional study and completed an online questionnaire. A structural equation model with a latent variable was performed to study the relationship between psychological variables, vaccine hesitancy, and attitude toward nasal vaccine delivery. The results indicate that both a hesitant attitude toward vaccination (β = 0.20, p = 0.000) and low perceived control (β = −0.20, p = 0.005) may directly increase preference for nasal administration; furthermore, high levels of persecutory ideation may indirectly influence the propensity for intranasal vaccine. These findings suggest that pharmaceutical companies could implement nasal vaccines and provide detailed information on these vaccines through informational campaigns. Hesitant individuals with low levels of perceived control could more easily comply with these types of vaccines

How and When May Technostress Impact Workers’ Psycho-Physical Health and Work-Family Interface? A Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

Although a growing body of research has analyzed the determinants and effects of technostress, it is still unclear how and when technostress would impact workers’ psycho-physical health and work-family interface during the pandemic. To fill this gap, this study tests the mediating mechanisms and the boundary conditions associated with the impact of technostress on workers’ psycho-physical well-being and work-family conflict. A total of 266 Italian workers completed online questionnaires measuring (traditional vs. remote) working modalities, technostress, fear of COVID-19, working excessively, psycho-physical distress, work-family conflict, loss of a loved one due to COVID-19, and resilience. Structural equation models were performed. Results indicated that technostress was positively related to psycho-physical distress and work-family conflict, as mediated by fear of COVID-19 and working excessively, respectively. The loss of a loved one exacerbated the effects of fear of COVID-19 on psycho-physical health, while resilience buffered the effects of working excessively on work-family conflict. Since numerous organizations intend to maintain remote working also after the COVID-19 emergency, it is crucial to study this phenomenon during its peaks of adoption, to prevent its potential negative outcomes. The implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed

Vaccination hesitancy: To be vaccinated, or not to be vaccinated, that is the question in the era of COVID‐19

COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy poses serious challenges in achieving adequate vaccine coverage in the general population. While most studies on vaccine hesitance determinants during the COVID‐19 pandemic were quantitative, qualitative research on the reasons for vaccine resistance is still lacking. To fill this gap, this study aims to qualitatively investigate cognitive and emotional factors associated with COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy. This qualitative pilot study was conducted between October and November 2021 in Italy. A total of 40 COVID‐19 vaccine‐hesitant (“hesitant not vaccinated” or “hesitant but vaccinated”) individuals completed anonymous questionnaires with open‐ended questions. Data were analysed using the Interpretive Description approach. The central theme that emerged about vaccine hesitancy was the lack of control. This construct included four different sub‐categories: distrust of the government, infodemic, influence of family, and general anti‐vaccine opinions. The results also showed that the most important emotional and cognitive factors associated with hesitancy were anger related to a perceived sense of oppression; emotional avoidance to minimize risk; anxiety related to potential vaccine side effects. Identifying and understanding factors influencing COVID‐19 vaccination hesitancy is crucial to improving communication strategies that will ultimately result in increased confidence and vaccine acceptance

Perceived risk, illness perception and dispositional optimism related to COVID-19 among oncologic outpatients undergoing in-hospital treatments and healthy controls

Objective This study aimed to explore risk estimations (perceived risk, dispositional optimism) related to COVID-19 perception and distress in oncologic outpatients undergoing active hospital treatments compared to the general population. Design and Main Outcome Measures Data were collected during the Italian lockdown on 150 oncologic outpatients and a sample of 150 healthy subjects. They completed a battery of questionnaires including the Perceived Risk scale, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Life Orientation Test- Revised and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and a moderated mediation model were performed to test the study hypotheses. Results The moderated mediation model attested significant conditional indirect associations of both clinical status and dispositional optimism with distress through the mediation of COVID-19 perceived risk. Healthy individuals and less optimistic people were more likely than others to report higher psychological distress only when they showed neutral or negative COVID-19-related illness perception. Conclusions Cancer patients manifest a lower risk perception and a more positive illness representation related to COVID-19 compared to control subjects; the distress level is not associated with the clinical status, but it is moderated by illness perception. Adequate protective behaviors in cancer patients may avoid a dangerous underestimation of objective risks

123I-2\u3b2-carbomethoxy-3\u3b2-(4-iodophenyl)-N-(3-fluoropropyl) nortropane single photon emission computed tomography and 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine myocardial scintigraphy in differentiating dementia with lewy bodies from other dementias: A comparative study

Objective: To compare the diagnostic value of striatal 123I-2\u3b2-carbomethoxy-3\u3b2-(4-iodophenyl)-N-(3-fluoropropyl) nortropane (123I-FP-CIT) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy in differentiating dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) from other dementia types. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study included 30 patients with a clinical diagnosis of DLB and 29 patients with non-DLB dementia (Alzheimer disease, n = 16; behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, n = 13). All patients underwent 123I-FP-CIT SPECT and 123I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy within a few weeks of clinical diagnosis. All diagnoses at each center were agreed upon by the local clinician and an independent expert, both unaware of imaging data, and re-evaluated after 12 months. Each image was visually classified as either normal or abnormal by 3 independent nuclear physicians blinded to patients' clinical data. Results: Overall, sensitivity and specificity to DLB were respectively 93% and 100% for 123I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy, and 90% and 76% for 123I-FP-CIT SPECT. Lower specificity of striatal compared to myocardial imaging was due to decreased 123I-FP-CIT uptake in 7 non-DLB subjects (3 with concomitant parkinsonism) who had normal 123I-MIBG myocardial uptake. Notably, in our non-DLB group, myocardial imaging gave no false-positive readings even in those subjects (n = 7) with concurrent medical illnesses (diabetes and/or heart disease) supposed to potentially interfere with 123I-MIBG uptake. Interpretation: 123I-FP-CIT SPECT and 123I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy have similar sensitivity for detecting DLB, but the latter appears to be more specific for excluding non-DLB dementias, especially when parkinsonism is the only \u201ccore feature\u201d exhibited by the patient. Our data also indicate that the potential confounding effects of diabetes and heart disease on 123I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy results might have been overestimated. Ann Neurol 2016;80:368\u2013378