Effectiveness is the gold standard of clinical research

Psychological treatments have been shown to be at least as effective (and sometime even more effective) than psychotropic medications for many psychiatric disorders, in particular anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and personality disorders (American Psychological Association, 2013; Cuijpers, 2017). Effective psychological treatments are also cost-effective: their implementation in public mental health services is convenient in financial terms, with decades of studies consistently demonstrating a reduction in public spending for psychological health (Abbass, Kisely, Rasic, Town & Johansson, 2015). Therefore, it could be critical that psychological treatments whose efficacy is supported by strong empirical evidence can be delivered as a primary choice in public mental health services. We hope and believe that the time when a psychologist or a psychiatrist (especially if paid by the public mental health system) could provide any treatment he or she thought fit, even in the absence of any scientific evidence of its efficacy, is coming to an end. However, a recommendation should be made to be very careful in not equating the empirical support of a given treatment with the sole presence of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that show its efficacy. This would be a mistake from both an empirical and a theoretical perspective, as it runs the risk of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. In other words, endorsing a perspective according to which a specific treatment should be promoted or rejected on the sole basis of findings from RCT studies runs the risk of putting clinical science back almost twenty years from the current more advanced understanding of the efficacy, effectiveness, and usefulness of psychotherapy (Dazzi, 2006; Dazzi, Lingiardi, & Colli, 2006; Leichsenring et al., 2016; Silberschatz, 2017)

Development of a new screening tool for cyber pornography. Psychometric properties of the Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT)

Objective: Internet pornography addiction typically involves viewing, downloading and trading online pornography or engagement in adult fantasy role-play. There are some well-validated inventories measuring perceived addiction to internet pornography but these instruments are often too long for a functionally use and fast scoring. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the cyber pornography addiction test (CYPAT), a new, brief, screening measure for assessing cyber pornography.Method: Participants of this study completed the CYPAT, the CPUI, the TAS-20 and the FACES-IV. Descriptive statistics were calculated and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were applied.Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficient suggested excellent reliability of the measure. Results of this study revealed also good construct, convergent and divergent validity.Conclusions: CYPAT is a brief self-report screening scale composed of 11 items scored on a five-point Likert scale with good psychometrics properties. The implications of these findings for future theoretical and empirical research in this field are discusse

A ricardian analysis of the impact of climate change on permanent crops in a mediterranean region

This is the first study which explores the impact of climate change in Sicily, a small Mediterranean region of Southern Europe. According to research, Mediterranean area has shown large climate shifts in the last century and it has been identified as one of the most prominent “Hot-Spots” in future climate change projections. Since agriculture is an economic activity which strongly depends on climate setting and is particularly responsive to climate changes, it is important to understand how such changes may affect agricultural profitability in the Mediterranean region. The aim of the present study is to assess the expected impact of climate change on permanent crops cultivated in Sicilian region (Southern Italy). By using data from Farm Accountancy Data Network and Ensembles climatic projections for 2021-2050 period, we showed that the impact of climate change is prominent in this region. However, crops respond to climatic variations in a different manner, highlighting that unlike the strong reduction in profitability of grapevine and citrus tree, the predicted average Net Revenue of olive tree is almost the same as in the reference period (1961-1990)

Sicilian floriculture companies and the role of transport in increasing their competitiveness

The aim of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of the Sicilian floriculture sector, which has recently become one of the most important on a regional and national scale. By analysing production, sales and logistical aspects of its production companies and specifically looking at aspects regarding transport logistics, this study highlights the sector operators. preference for road transport that offers better guarantees in terms of delivery speed with respect to other means of transport, an essential requirement for the transport of flowers and plants. However, operators are increasingly showing interest in alternative means of transport that may reduce transport time and, especially, costs. Some of the operators interviewed believe that the expected building of 7 trucking terminals in Sicily represents an important move of the Regional Government to support companies; nevertheless, others think that this type of intervention represents an erosive element in competitiveness, because of the probable increase in the presence of goods coming from the southern Mediterranean shore. However, the improvement of the regional transport system is necessary to reduce inefficiencies in the sales and distribution network of the floriculture industry and, more in general, of the whole Sicilian agri-food industry

A systematic literature review of historic garden management and its economic aspects

Historic gardens are important parts of humanity’s built heritage within the designed landscape, providing many environmental, economic and socio‐cultural benefits. Management is a key part of their conservation, perhaps the most difficult because it is costly, must be continual, and requires a skilled workforce. This systematic review looks at the literature addressing historic garden management, with special attention regarding the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability. Academic studies on this subject come from many different disciplines, making it both stimulating and fragmented. It is now time to consolidate these interdisciplinary efforts into a clear vision, including a framework of key themes and research methods so as to better coordinate efforts and make the information and innovation generated more accessible to the garden managers “in the trenches”. With this aim, reviewed studies are classified according to 10 criteria: supply or demand orientation; management phase involved; primary sustainability processes addressed; geographic criteria; number of sites covered; policy documents referred to; kind of data collected; study methods employed; possibility of bias specifically regarding historic gardens; garden use. An analysis of these criteria shows that historic garden management literature focuses on describing the gardens themselves, with few studies interested in the people supporting them. Future research should follow recent policy documents’ lead and pay more attention to community value and involvement

COVID-19 Drives Consumer Behaviour and Agro-Food Markets towards Healthier and More Sustainable Patterns

This study examines the extant state of research into our understanding of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in its early stages on food-purchasing behaviour. As such, it includes a summary and categorisation of the findings, extending to consumption preferences worldwide. After the indiscriminate stockpiling of food, which was witnessed in many countries following the implementation of the lockdown, the impact of COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease-2019) on consumer habits has inversely varied in function of personal attitudes, individual and household experiences, and characteristics. Specific contexts, and the financial, economic, and logistic nature of these contexts, have also been found to be of relevance in examining the research relating to the coronavirus pandemic and food-purchasing behaviour. Concurrent with the pandemic, some worldwide trends have emerged-home cooking has been rediscovered, leading to an increase in the demand for staple foodstuffs, and purchases from small, local retailers and online food shopping have been accorded preferential treatment. Despite price volatility and concern about future household incomes, a significant proportion of consumers have shifted to buying healthier, more sustainable food. Moreover, food wastage has seen a notable decrease in volume. Such an occasion should be strategically exploited by manufacturers and retailers in satisfying this consumer demand. Finally, the COVID-19 crisis would seem to offer an unparalleled opportunity to re-engineer the agro-food market by driving the transition toward more sustainable supply and production patterns. Thus, stronger and more equitable partnerships between farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and citizens may be in the process of being forged

Mafia Women: A Study on Language and Mental Representations of Women Engaged with Mafia Members

For a long time, women in the Mafia were considered victims who were unaware of the activities of the men in their families. However, it has recently been demonstrated that these women may play an important role in the organisation, particularly in the transmission of Mafia values. In this study, we explored the representations of self, relationships, and the Mafia world in women engaged with Mafia members. This was done by means of in-depth interviews and computer-assisted text analysis. A cluster analysis was applied to words used by the women in the interviews. Three clusters emerged that accounted for 85% of the principal contents of the interviews. These were interpreted as "representations of family", "representations of social relationships", and "ideals and values". The analysis of words included in each cluster suggested that Mafia women are deeply involved in the transmission of traditional Sicilian values to their offspring. These ideals and beliefs are deeply rooted in the Mafia organisation and they involve attributing a central role to family, religion, and honor within the Mafia culture. Findings of the study could be positively used for developing appropriate preventative and social measures that may help these women change their ideals and beliefs related to the Mafia world, thus breaking the transmission of Mafia values

Consumers of flowers and ornamental plants: an eploratory survey in the Italian «Mezzogiorno» regions

This paper aims to provide further knowledge of purchase and consumption behaviours with regard to flowers and ornamental plants in the regions of Italian «Mezzogiorno», as an acknowledgement of the centrality of final demand in the chain process. The knowledge of consumption process is fundamental either to the firm – in order to improve commercial strategies – or to competition authorities – with the purpose of implementing more effective policies. From the analysis carried out it emerges that flowers and ornamental plants consumption in the «Mezzogiorno» regions is characterised by a high penetration index and – just with regard to some commodities – by a low purchase frequency. Purchase – mainly in specialized flower shops – is made both to satisfy personal requirements and as a present for special occasions. With the only exception of flowers, consumption is not tied to specific occasions. In the «Mezzogiorno» regions this sector is actually showing a good growth potential in both productive and consumption terms. It is of primary importance to carry out actions consisting in an improvement of information and awareness among consumers about flowers and ornamentals, and a more diversified supply of products in order to get into the modern distribution chains.Cette étude vise à offrir une connaissance plus approfondie des comportements d’achat et de consommation de fleurs et de plantes ornementales dans les régions du « Mezzogiorno » d’Italie, en reconnaissant l’importance de la demande tout au long de la filière. La compréhension du processus de consommation a une très grande importance soit pour les entreprises, afin d’améliorer leurs stratégies commerciales, soit pour les autorité qui gèrent la concurrence, pour la mise en place de politiques plus efficaces. L’analyse empirique montre que, dans les régions du « Mezzogiorno » d’Italie, la consommation de fleurs et de plantes a un taux élevé de pénétration mais, pour certains produits, une faible fréquence d’achat. En particulier, l’achat, réalisé surtout dans les magasins spécialisés dans la vente de fleurs et de plantes, vise à satisfaire, d’une coté, les besoins des consommateurs, et, de l’autre, les besoins d’achat des cadeaux dans des circonstances spécifiques. Dans les régions étudiées, le secteur des fleurs et des plantes montre des potentialités de développement de plus en plus croissant sur le plan productif mais aussi en termes de consommation. Dans ce scénario, il serait souhaitable de mettre en place des actions et des outils pour à améliorer l’information et la sensibilisation des consommateurs sur les caractéristiques des produits concernés, mais aussi, de diversifier l’offre, de façon à pouvoir accéder aux nouvelles chaînes de la distribution