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The study project aims to explore strategies to improve stigma awareness and reduce stigma among health professions students

Work-life balance has become critical in today's fast-paced and demanding work environments. This review aims to provide a valuable overview of measures designed in the last five years to assess work-life balance and highlights the need for further research.

Parental divorce is a traumatic experience for children, a stressful life event which may contributes to a future psychological vulnerability. The aim of this study is to explore psychological distress in children after parents’ separation. This research was based on a convenience sample of one-hundred children, divided in two subgroups: (1) 50 coming from a separated family (observational sample) with an age range spanning from 7 to 12 years [Mean age = 9.2 ± 1.5] and (2) 50 belonging to a nuclear family (control sample) with the same range of age [Mean age = 9.5 ± 1.6]. The sample resulted homogeneous for the gender: in particular, the observational group, is composed of 30 females (60%) and 20 males (40%). Showed several differences, highlighting the presence of negative affectivity, a well-known risk factor for the development of a depressive disorder, by reflecting the possible link between home environment and self-perception. In conclusion, this instrument, like any other projective proof, constitutes a privileged access to the psychological world in which the drawing remains the best communication channel and provides us precious informations about the emotional state of the children.

The volume, edited by Daniele La Barbera, Luigi Baldari and Lucia Sideli, deals with the extended contributions of the Italian Society of Medical Psychotherapy Congress, wich took place in April 2015 in Messina. The papers exposed have been focused on various topic related to psychosis, analysed from several scientific point of view with a common thread., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 5, No 1 (2017)

Background: The Type D personality is a vulnerability factor associated with the psychological suffering that affects the physical and mental health state. Literature shows that the Type D personality is defined by a combination of two independent constructs: the negative affectivity (NA) which refers to the tendency to experience negative emotions over time and in several situations; and the social inhibition (SI) or the tendency to inhibit emotions and behaviors in social interactions. Objective: The present study aims to explore the emotions of a group of patients with heart disease, through the use of the Rorschach projective tecnique. Method: Fourty subjects with an history of heart attack, aged between 32 and 76 years, were evaluated in order to find some possible indicators of Type D personality such as the quality of contents, movements response, popular responses and Erlebnistypus. Results: Findings shows that the majority of patients present a prevalence of responses belonging to Animal and Anatomy contents and the Erlebnistypus is mostly introversive. Conclusions: The study points out some scientific element useful both in research and in clinical practice, confirming the Rorschach potential in the assessment and identification of specific personality traits, involved in the Type D personality, that characterizes the majority of cardiac impared patients., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 3, No 3 (2015)

Perceptual derailment and confabulations often appear in a subtle way, being processes addressable to the field of inner world, conditioning the diagnostic process. The present clinical report aims to explore the role of Rorschach projective technique in eliciting processes otherwise unsearchable. Psycho-diagnostics data were compared to other psychometric tests such as the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) and the POMS (Profile of Mood States) at time 0 and time 1 (after six months). Among these, the exploration of the projective process was crucial to understand the patient's mental functioning, as an elective instrument, thanks to its ambiguous nature, which leads to effectively explore both the inner world and the cognitive processes., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 3, No 3 (2015)

Explorative pathways in projective clinic: essays and clinical researches, Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 3, No 1 (2015)

Background. Thalassemia is a chronic disease that can lead to an impact on psychological functioning and social behavior of patients. However, still little is known about the specific psychological aspects of the disease, such as the degree of tension, life satisfaction and affective control, especially in adult patients. Aim. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether patients with thalassemia have specific psychological pattern relating to the dimensions of tension, satisfaction and quality of life, management of affection. Method. We evaluated 31 patients with thalassemia major and intermedia (19 women and 12 men) aged between 18 and 50 years (M = 34 + 16), belonging to the Complex Unit of Medical Genetics. For the evaluation were used the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q) and the Rorschach test. Results. The findings show an inverse relationship between the levels of self-reported tension and the affective control indicators at Rorschach. Life satisfaction, instead, seems to vary according to the severity of the disease - major vs. intermediate - and the type of therapy. Conclusions. An understanding of the psychological mechanisms involved in thalassemia, both self-reported and projective, can contribute to a wider patient takeover, by considering the subjective aspects related to the psychological and socio-emotional well-being, fundamental in the care compliance. Antecedentes: La Talasemia es una enfermedad crónica que puede conducir a un impacto en el funcionamiento psicológico y el comportamiento social de los pacientes. Sin embargo, todavía se sabe poco sobre los aspectos psicológicos específicos de esta enfermedad, tales como el grado de tensión, satisfacción con la vida y el control afectivo, sobre todo en pacientes adultos. Objetivo: El propósito de este estudio, es investigar si los pacientes con Talasemia tienen un patrón psicológico específico relacionado con las dimensiones de tensión, la satisfacción, calidad de vida y el manejo del afecto. Método: 31 pacientes con Talasemia mayor e intermedia fueron evaluados: (19 mujeres y 12 hombres) con edades entre 18 y 50 años (M= 34+16), pertenecientes a la Unidad de Complejo de Genética Médica. Para la evaluación fueron utilizados el Perfil de Estados de Ánimo (POMS), la calidad de vida: Satisfacción y placer (Q-LES-Q) y el test de Rorschach. Resultados: Los resultados muestran una relación inversa entre los niveles de tensión de auto-reporte y los indicadores de control afectivo en el test de Rorschach. La satisfacción con la vida, por el contrario parece variar según la gravedad de la enfermedad: major vs. intermedio - y el tipo de terapia. Conclusiones: la comprensión de los mecanismos psicológicos implicados en la talasemia, tanto en el auto-reporte como en lo proyectivo, puede contribuir a una toma de control más amplia del paciente, considerando los aspectos subjetivos relacionados con el bienestar psicológico y socio-emocional, fundamentales en el cumplimiento del cuidado.

From the psychological point of view hearing is an essential sensory modality for the human species, because it contributes to the formation of the first relational connections and emotions. It is important to make a diagnosis early to intervene and limit negative effects. Deafness is a particular phenomenon (onset, types), in this paper we undertake a thorough descriptive analysis on all aspects of deafness, in particular the use of a prosthetic device known as cochlear implant. We have deepened personality variables in a single case with the use of Rorschach Test and Draw-a-person-Test. We aimed to study, with the clinical interpretation of instruments, which personality variables could be involved in hearing loss condition and Cochlear Implant (CI). This observational study highlights the psychological dynamics that should be taken into account by operators team, in order to improve the quality of life of these patients and increase their long-term therapeutic outcome., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 2, No 1 (2014)

Several studies have been focused on the quality of life of caregivers caring for patients with exclusively physical or mental diseases, but little is known about the differences related to the burden experienced. This study had as its subject the burden of caregivers and their quality of life involved in helping patients with diseases (1) physical, (2) mental and (3) both pathological conditions. We interviewed 294 caregivers of outpatients undergoing physiotherapic, psychiatric and neuroriabilitative treatment. The evaluation was carried out with three instruments: an informative questionnaire, the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and the Quality of Life Index (QoL -I). Results show that both the burden and the quality of life are significantly worse for caregivers who care for patients with both physical and mental diseases. Caregivers most disadvantaged are those who indicate as a reason of care the sense of duty rather than the affection. Finally, the sons and daughters, differently from the parents, showed a greater burden of required time and a lower quality of life. The investigation of the motivational aspects of the caregivers and the increased knowledge of the differences between the emotional experience of parents and children can contribute to the definition of more specific psycho-educational interventions and support. Varios estudios de han enfocado en la calidad de vida de los cuidadores a cargo de pacientes con enfermedades exclusivamente físicas o mentas, pero poco se sabe sobre las diferencias en cuanto a la carga experimentada. Este estudio tiene como objeto la carga de estos cuidadores y su calidad de vida involucrada en la ayuda que prestan a pacientes con enfermedades (1) físicas (2) mentales y (3) ambos condiciones patológicas. Entrevistamos a 294 cuidadores de pacientes no hospitalizados bajo tratamientos psicoterapéuticos, psiquiátricos o de neurorehabilitación. La evaluación fue llevada a cabo a través de tres instrumentos: un cuestionario informativo, el CBI ( Caregiver Burden Inventory ) y el índice de calidad de vida (the Quality of Life Index/ QuL-I) Los resultados mostraron que tanto la carga como la calidad de vida eran significativamente peores para los cuidadores que se encargan de pacientes con enfermedades físicas y psicológicas a la vez. Los más desventajados son aquellos que indicaron como razón de su condición de cuidador, el sentido del deber más que por afección al enfermo. Finalmente, los hijos, a diferencia de los padres, mostraron mayor carga de tiempo requerido y una calidad de vida inferior cuando están en el papel de cuidadores. En conclusión, la investigación de sobre los aspectos motivacionales de los cuidadores y un incremento de conocimiento de las diferencias entre a experiencia emocional de los padres y sus hijos puede contribuir a la definición de apoyo e intervenciones psico-educacionales más específicas.

This review aimed to collect and discuss a variety of studies that utilized the Temperament and Chatacter Inventory (TCI), an instrument developed by Cloninger in 1993, based on his psychobiological model of temperament and character. Searching on PubMed, 26 from 828 researches has been selected on the basis of four criteria: (a) articles published in English between 1993 and 2013 and identified as empirical or longitudinal studies; (b) reaserches conducted in non pathological sample; (c) measuring temperamental traits or dimensions with the TCI; (d) regarding relevant topics to generativity. Implication for Temperament and character of couples and about the transmission of temperament from parents to children are pointed out. In conlcusion it can be said that TCI is a valid instrument that can describe and predict couples relationship and child temperament and character, until the late adulthood., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 1, No 1 (2013)

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between decision making styles, self-esteem and self-beliefs about decision- making ability and the differences linked to academic performance. A sample of 100 students split into two groups aged 15-16 years and 17-18 years participated in the study. All subjects compiled the Multidimensional Self-esteem Test (T.M.A. – Bracken, 1993) for the evaluation of academic success and competence of environmental control and How I Make my Choices (H.M.C. – Filippello et al., 2011), a structured interview, specifically designed to measure decision-making styles in two different contexts (school context vs. social context) and decision-making self-efficacy (Low vs. High Self-efficacy in making decisions). The exploratory factor analysis reflects the theorized construction. Age and gender differences were found. Furthermore, as expected, low academic performance was associated with lower self-esteem, lower decision-making self-efficacy and more dysfunctional decision-making styles. Students with a high academic performance, instead, showed higher self-esteem, higher decision-making self-efficacy and more functional decision-making styles. Data encourages the use of H.M.C., not only in the research of personality but also for educational and counseling purposes., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 1, No 3 (2013)