Lo stress dell'insegnante: burnout, stress, e personalità nei docenti delle scuole superiori

2015 - 2016Background: International literature shows how the profession of teacher should be considered at high-risk of stress and burnout. Indeed, it falls within the set of help professions that are high touch job (highly emotional), like physicians, nurses, psychologists or security operators. Literature also showed how different factors are involved in the development of the Burnout syndrome, among which this research has given visibility to personality factors. The relationship between personality and burnout is therefore the subject of investigation of this doctoral thesis. Objectives: Investigate the influence of the five personality traits according to the Big Five model on the onset of high school teachers’ burnout syndrome. In particular, verify whether the personality dimensions (Energy, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability and Mental Opening, as enumerated by Caprara and collaborators) were predictors of the size of Burnout (Psychophysical Exhaustion, Relational Deterioration, Professional Dissatisfaction, Disillusionment) in the Santinello review proposed. Method: In a group of 171 teachers of teachers including 49 males (28.7%) and 122 females (71.3%) from different high schools, we administered the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) to detect personality traits and the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ) to investigate the levels of burnout. The scores obtained in the dimensions of BFQ were thus compared with the scores obtained in the scales of the LBQ applying the statistical analysis of linear correlation and linear regression for each trait and size of burnout. Results: Analysis of the data shows that there are significant and inverse correlations between personality traits and burnout. The analysis also shows how much predictive the traits of Energy and Emotional Stability are for the dimension of Psychophysical Exhaustion, while for the Relational Deterioration only the Emotional Stability trait is predictor. The results also show how for the dimension of Professional Dissatisfaction the Emotional Stability and Openness are the predictors. Finally, for the dimension of Disillusion, Emotional Stability and Agreeableness are predictors. It appears from the data that the personality trait of emotional stability is the common predictor in all dimensions. Conclusion: The results showed how the individual personality characteristics should be considered fundamental in the study of the burnout phenomenon. This aspect can have applications both in the selection of teachers, for a correct insertion of the resource in clinical terms and in terms of prevention, both as support to the teacher as the Burnout, as presented in the literature, may vary depending on the user, on the relationship with colleagues and more generally on the content and the context of work, it would be appropriate and also needed to support teachers in identifying personal resources, linked to their personality traits with the possible inclusion of school psychologists who are able to help the acquisition of emotional skills in the fulfilment of the teaching profession and in parallel increasing the awareness of having a network of resources that is always available in times of difficulty related to the school context. [edited by Author]XV n.

The role of grit and parent-child communication in career adaptability

The transition period from school to the world of work is a critical time that affects determining one's career. This study aims to examine the role of grit and parent-child communication in students’ career adaptability. Using a purposive sampling technique, the study involved 218 High School (SMA) students and 124 Vocational High School (SMK) students in Salatiga, Indonesia. The measurement instruments used in the research were the career adaptability scale, grit scale, and parent-child communication scale. The results show that the R-value was .595 and the adjusted R squared (R2) value was .354. The significance value generated from the regression test was .000 (p.01). Based on the calculation results, it can be concluded that grit and communication between parents and children together play a significant role in career adaptability. The research implication is that students’ grit and effective parent-child communication should be developed to improve career adaptability

The role of grit and parent-child communication in career adaptability

The transition period from school to the world of work is a critical time that affects determining one's career. This study aims to examine the role of grit and parent-child communication in students’ career adaptability. Using a purposive sampling technique, the study involved 218 High School (SMA) students and 124 Vocational High School (SMK) students in Salatiga, Indonesia. The measurement instruments used in the research were the career adaptability scale, grit scale, and parent-child communication scale. The results show that the R-value was 0.595 and the adjusted R squared (R2) value was 0.354. The significance value generated from the regression test was 0.000 (p0.05). Based on the calculation results, it can be concluded that grit and communication between parents and children together play a significant role in career adaptability. The research implication is that students’ grit and effective parent-child communication should be developed to improve career adaptability

Drum rhythm therapy: An intervention to stimulate the cognitive abilities of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face obstacles in their cognitive development. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the drum rhythm therapy model in stimulating cognitive abilities (attention, concentration, and short-term memory) in children with ASD. The experiment method was used with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Attention and concentration levels were measured both before and after therapy through a series of observations. A total of 14 children with ASD aged 4–12 participated in the study. All the participants were new students at Gilang Ramadhan Studio Band (GRSB), Surakarta, Indonesia. The drum rhythm therapy was employed with the participants for three months. Data analysis was conducted using Wilcoxon test analysis in SPSS Version 23. Results: The 14 participants showed an increase in attention, concentration and short-term memory scores following the therapy (Z = -2.533b, p = .011, p .05). The results of the study could support the use of the alternative therapy with ASD children to increase their attention, concentration and short-term memory

Drum rhythm therapy: An intervention to stimulate the cognitive abilities of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face obstacles in their cognitive development. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the drum rhythm therapy model in stimulating cognitive abilities (attention, concentration, and short-term memory) in children with ASD. The experiment method was used with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Attention and concentration levels were measured both before and after therapy through a series of observations. A total of 14 children with ASD aged 4–12 participated in the study. All the participants were new students at Gilang Ramadhan Studio Band (GRSB), Surakarta, Indonesia. The drum rhythm therapy was employed with the participants for three months. Data analysis was conducted using Wilcoxon test analysis in SPSS Version 23. Results: The 14 participants showed an increase in attention, concentration and short-term memory scores following the therapy (Z = -2.533b, p = .011, p .05). The results of the study could support the use of the alternative therapy with ASD children to increase their attention, concentration and short-term memory

Predictability of Big Five Traits in high school teacher burnout. Detailed study through the disillusionment dimension

This research aimed to investigate the theme of burnout syndrome in high school teachers. In particular, the objective was to verify if the five personality traits can be considered predictors of the four dimensions of burnout. The sample consisted of 171 teachers, 49 males and 122 females. For the burnout measurement, the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ) was used, and for the personality measure, the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) was used. As predictive factors for the development of the negative polarity of Psychophysical Exhaustion, the results identify both Energy and Emotional Stability. For Relational Deterioration, the same traits emerge due to the dimension of Professional Inefficiency. For the LBM’s Disillusion dimension, there was no corresponding predictive BFM trait, but by reducing the statistical error via analysis of regression with fixed effects, Agreeableness and Emotional Stability were predictive. The research confirms the relationship between personality and burnout, but future studies should both analyse the influence exerted by the contextual factors on the onset of the syndrome and deepen the research on the mental model

Physiological and Biological Testing and Assessment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

This review essay investigates the biological and physiological consequences of ptsd to deepen its academic understanding, alongside an analysis of psychobiological testing and assessment procedures. Psychological responses to traumatic events can be acute stress reactions or stress disorders. One among them is post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd). When people experience a traumatic event, such as death, terror, or physical injury, they tend to demonstrate fear, helplessness, or hopelessness. Patients displaying other symptoms like re-experiencing the trauma, avoidance, or hyper-arousal also indicate ptsd. Experiencing extended ptsd may cause significant health problems, whether biological, such as the dysfunction of stress-responsive neurobiological systems, or physiological, such as hypertension and heart disease. Previous studies of trauma survivors reported a strong link between physical and mental health. The cumulative literature in psychology shows that traumatic exposure can cause disturbing effects in the short and long term. This review will contribute to developing an understanding of the biological markers of ptsd. This paper specifically deals with biological and physiological testing and assessment of ptsd. It includes widely utilized biological assessments and summarizes a general multi-model assessment to identify ptsd symptoms

A FHIR-based System for the Generation and Retrieval of Clinical Documents

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Psychological counselling interventions to improve perceived quality of life and counter anxiety and depression in pulmonary-arterial-hypertension patients. a clinical trial

Introduction: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a rare and progressive disease, frequently associated with a worsening of perceived quality of life as well as anxiety and depression symptomatology. Psychological counselling helps the patient understand the diagnosis and prevent the onset of psychopathologies. This study evaluates the effect of counselling sessions on anxiety and depression as well as the impact on self-reported quality of life in patients with PAH. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of PAH were recruited at the Monaldi Hospital (Naples). An EQ-5D 3L questionnaire was administered to all patients at baseline (pre-session), three months (post-session) after the last session to patients who received psychological counselling (experimental group, EG) and after the first questionnaire to patients who did not (control group, CG). The EQ-5D index and EQ-VAS score were analysed in both groups. Results: A sample of 50 patients with a PAH diagnosis was evaluated; among them 6% had mild PAH, 66% moderate PAH, and 28% severe PAH. The majority (53%) did not receive psychological counselling. All patients showed no significant difference in EQ-5D index (P > 0.05), EQ-VAS score (P > 0.05), and the anxiety/depression dimension (P>.05) at baseline. However, between pre- and post-session evaluations, the analysis showed a significant change in the EQ-VAS score (P = 0.00) and the anxiety/depression dimension (P = 0.02) in the EG. In the CG, there was a similar change in the anxiety/depression dimension (P = 0.00) but not in the EQ-VAS score (P = 0.05) in CG. The z-test revealed significant intergroup relations, showing that the EG had a 37% increase in perceived quality of life and a 9% reduction in anxiety and depression, while a 12% reduction was observed for the CG’s perceived quality of life and a 44% increase in anxiety and depression. Discussion and Conclusions: This study showed that patients with PAH who received psychological support improved their health-related quality of life by reducing anxiety and depression symptomatology. Our findings highlight the impact of psychological support in the treatment of patients with PAH

After the first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Perceptions, experiences, and effects on well-being in Italian people

BackgroundSince the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent measures of containment, multiple studies have been conducted aimed at assessing the impacts on people’s psychophysical well-being; however, few studies have investigated the general population’s perceptions, experiences, and effects by adopting a mixed-method approach.MethodsA total of 855 Italian participants completed an online survey, conducted in the period following the first lockdown in Italy. Psychological well-being, perceived stress and COVID-19-related fears were assessed by standardized questionnaires (Psychological General Well-Being Index-Short version, Perceived Stress Scale 10, and Multidimensional Assessment of COVID-19-Related Fears). The process of sense-making of the experience during the lockdown period was also evaluated by means of an open-ended question.ResultsParticipants reported a lower level of general well-being, and a higher level of both perceived stress and COVID-19-related fear during the lockdown period compared to the time of the survey (1 month after the resumption of activities). The thematic analysis of responses to the open-ended question revealed two factors and five clusters, which explain the thematic variance among the narratives: the first factor refers to the type of experience (emotional states and feelings vs. objective descriptions of daily activities), while the second concerns positive or negative connotations of the experiences reported.ConclusionsThis study explored the psychological impact of the first lockdown on people’s well-being, and described the process of making sense of the experience during the lockdown 1 month after going back to previous habits. Results highlighted the effectiveness of the mixed-method approach for an in-depth and exhaustive investigation of people’s psychological condition during and after the first lockdown