Learning to communicate. The experience of an Italian emergency department

Dear Editor, In his essay "Considerations on Tasso," published in 1793, Galileo Galilei described Tasso as a man poor in concepts and lacking in knowledge, who resorted to literary subterfuges and "abstruse" literary techniques, thereby emphasizing the significance and centrality of knowledge and comprehension as integral components of communication.1 Although Galileo Galilei made his comments 230 years ago, we can still learn from them as we consider the importance of communication and the challenges of developing a trustworthy doctor-patient relationship. [...

The waiting room as a relational space: young patients and their families’ experience in a day hospital.

Background. Waiting in hospital is a condition of high stress for patients and their families, especially in childhood. The literature has investigated the emotional experiences of patients and their families, recognizing the need for a comfortable environment, attention from the staff, information and sharing emotions with others. Waiting time in day hospitals is a topic that has not yet been investigated in the literature, but is nevertheless interesting for researchers. This exploratory study investigates the experience of waiting that young patients and their families go through during treatments in day hospitals. Method. Fifty children and adolescents from ages seven to 15 years, admitted to the day hospital of a paediatric haematology and oncology ward of an Italian hospital, completed the Emotional Reaction Instrument (ERI) and the Child Drawing: Hospital. Their parents or relatives completed a semi-structured interview on waiting. Results. The data showed that the young patients displayed a low level of anxiety and negative emotion. In contrast, the adults' experience of waiting in the day hospital entailed boredom, anxiety and concern for the emotional state of the children. These conditions can be alleviated by relationships and sharing emotions with other adults. Conclusions. This study has shown that day hospital waiting rooms should be organised and experienced by adults and children as relational spaces. It could provide useful suggestions in order to improve the organisation of day hospital waiting rooms

Retrospective Molecular Survey on Bacterial and Protozoan Abortive Agents in Roe Deer (<i>Capreolus capreolus</i>) from Central Italy

Bacterial and protozoan agents can determine abortion and other reproductive disorders in domestic ruminants, but data regarding their occurrence in wild ruminants are scanty worldwide, including in Italy. The aim of this retrospective study was to verify the occurrence of the main bacterial and protozoan abortive agents in 72 spleen samples previously collected from roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) living in mountain areas of Central Italy. All samples were collected and submitted to DNA extraction for other investigations. Molecular analyses were carried out on the DNA samples to detect Brucella spp., Chlamydia abortus, Coxiella burnetii, Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Neospora caninum, and Toxoplasma gondii. Three (4.16%) roe deer resulted PCR positive for C. burnetii and one (1.38%) for T. gondii. These findings suggest that roe deer living in the investigated areas do not act as important reservoirs of the searched agents. However, the tested animals lived in a closed area without contact with domestic animals that are usually involved in the epidemiology of the investigated pathogens. Monitoring of wild ruminants is pivotal to verify changes in the epidemiological scenario from a One Health perspective, too

Narrative del disturbo da gioco d’azzardo e del disturbo da uso di sostanze. Una analisi multidimensionale per la caratterizzazione di possibili marcatori narrativi e linguistici delle dipendenze

Diversi studi hanno dimostrato che l’analisi della dimensione narrativa può rappresentare un valido strumento per far luce su alcuni aspetti psicologici critici; in questo senso, può essere utile per capire meglio il disturbo da dipendenza. Il presente articolo riporta tra l’altro alcuni tra i dati principali di una ricerca da noi condotta e pubblicata nella rivista Journal of Gambling Issues nel 2021. In tale ricerca abbiamo indagato gli aspetti psicologico-narrativi coinvolti nelle dipendenze, specificamente nel DUS e nel DGA, attraverso un’analisi quali-quantitativa multidimensionale di un’intervista semi-strutturata, che ha invitato due gruppi di soggetti dipendenti in trattamento (DGA e DUS) a raccontare le varie fasi della dipendenza. Le analisi narrative multidimensionali da noi condotte sembrano aver portato alla luce alcuni punti critici su cui focalizzare l’attenzione per la costruzione di un adeguato trattamento dei soggetti con dipendenza. Nello specifico, i risultati suggerirebbero la necessità di lavorare su aspetti dissociati del Sé al fine di: 1) favorire il processo di integrazione di motivazioni e azioni, aumentando la consapevolezza e il senso di autoefficacia, soprattutto con i giocatori d’azzardo; 2) migliorare la coerenza globale nella narrazione del desiderio al fine di diminuire la disregolazione emotiva tipica di questa fase; 3) migliorare la capacità di proiezione del Sé nel tempo. Quest’ultimo punto potrebbe essere particolarmente rilevante in una prospettiva di intervento riabilitativo, soprattutto per quanto riguarda gli strumenti di trattamento legati alla dimensione narrativa. Il rapporto circolare tra regolazione dell’impulsività, autocontrollo, integrità dell’Io, funzioni cognitive e dimensione narrativa trova nel fattore temporale uno dei principali perni comuni

Experiences of insecurity among non-standard workers across different welfare states : A qualitative cross-country study

In recent decades, economic crises and political reforms focused on employment flexibilization have increased the use of non-standard employment (NSE). National political and economic contexts determine how employers interact with labour and how the state interacts with labour markets and manages social welfare policies. These factors influence the prevalence of NSE and the level of employment insecurity it creates, but the extent to which a country’s policy context mitigates the health influences of NSE is unclear. This study describes how workers experience insecurities created by NSE, and how this influences their health and well-being, in countries with different welfare states: Belgium, Canada, Chile, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. Interviews with 250 workers in NSE were analysed using a multiple-case study approach. Workers in all countries experienced multiple insecurities (e.g., income and employment insecurity) and relational tension with employers/clients, with negative health and well-being influences, in ways that were shaped by social inequalities (e.g., related to family support or immigration status). Welfare state differences were reflected in the level of workers’ exclusion from social protections, the time scale of their insecurity (threatening daily survival or longer-term life planning), and their ability to derive a sense of control from NSE. Workers in Belgium, Sweden, and Spain, countries with more generous welfare states, navigated these insecurities with greater success and with less influence on health and well-being. Findings contribute to our understanding of the health and well-being influences of NSE across different welfare regimes and suggest the need in all six countries for stronger state responses to NSE. Increased investment in universal and more equal rights and benefits in NSE could reduce the widening gap between standard and NSE.