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The aim of this study was to explore the role of gender, age, and academic year in shaping dispositional mindfulness (DM) and the association between DM facets and empathy dimensions in a sample of undergraduate nursing students. In a multicenter cross-sectional study design, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and socio-demographic questions were administrated to a convenience sample of Italian nursing students. 622 nursing students (82.2% female) participated in the study (response rate = 86.15%). Females had higher levels of Acting with Awareness (p < .001, d = .54) and lower levels of Non-reacting (p < .001, d = .52) facets of DM than males. Older students displayed higher scores on the Observing (r = .112, p = .005) and on the Non-reacting (r = .187, p < .001) FFMQ subscales than younger ones. No statistically significant differences in DM levels between the three academic years were found (ps > .202). After controlling for socio-demographic factors, DM facets were generally positively related to Perspective Taking ([beta]s from .131 to .208, ps < .007) and Empathic Concern ([beta]s from -.156 to .189, ps < .001), whereas negatively related to Personal Distress ([beta]s from -.141 to -.261, ps < .001). Nursing students with higher levels of DM were more able to consider others' cognitive perspective and to feel compassion, and were less emotionally distressed when facing tense interpersonal situations. Tailored mindfulness interventions might be useful to foster functional empathy within nursing undergraduate programs., Author(s): Stefano Ardenghi [sup.1] , Selena Russo [sup.1] , Michela Luciani [sup.1] , Valerio Salvarani [sup.1] [sup.2] , Giulia Rampoldi [sup.1] , Marco Bani [sup.1] , Davide Ausili [sup.1] , [...]

The present study contributes to the literature by examining the association between personal values (PVs), assessed with the Schwartz's Portrait Values Questionnaire, and empathy, assessed with the Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index, in a sample of first-year medical students. We also examined medical students' PVs profile and gender differences in terms of PVs. All participants (N = 398) were Italian, young (average age = 19.62 years, SD = 1.22), and unmarried; none had children. Zero-order correlations and hierarchical multiple regression models were performed to verify the association between PVs and empathy; in contrast, t-tests were run to explore gender differences in scoring on PVs. Benevolence and Universalism correlated positively with both the emotional and cognitive dimensions of empathy, whereas Power, Achievement, Hedonism, and Security were negatively associated with empathy. The three most important PVs in the whole sample were Benevolence, Self-Direction, and Universalism. Male medical students outscored their female counterparts on Power, Achievement, and Hedonism, whereas female students outscored the males on Benevolence, Universalism, Conformity, and Tradition. Our findings highlight the importance of fostering self-transcending PVs and discouraging self-enhancing PVs in medical students during the early years of medical school, as a means of supporting other-oriented responses such as empathy in future doctors., Author(s): Stefano Ardenghi [sup.1] , Giulia Rampoldi [sup.2] , Marco Bani [sup.1] , Maria Grazia Strepparava [sup.1] [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.7563.7, 0000 0001 2174 1754, Department of Medicine and [...]

Background and Objectives: Facemasks represent an essential measure of prevention against the spread of infectious diseases; however, they lessen the ability to convey and understand emotions through facial expressions. In blood donation settings, facemask wearing could interfere with professionals' tasks, reduce the satisfaction of blood donors and affect their future blood donation behaviour. This preliminary cross‐sectional study explored the association of mandatory facemask wearing with the quality of the blood donation process at the end of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Materials and Methods: A sample of 615 voluntary unpaid Italian blood and plasma donors completed an online survey assessing their attitude towards facemask wearing, the perceived distress due to facemasks in the different steps of the donation process, self‐reported vasovagal reactions after donation and the intention to donate again. Results: Nearly 24% of donors reported a worsened quality of the donation process due to facemask wearing, and 36% reported moderate to severe distress during the donation itself. Donors with a more negative attitude towards facemasks reported a worse donation experience, mainly related to the interactions and the communication with physicians and nurses, and a higher probability of experiencing vasovagal reactions at their last donation. No significant correlations were observed between negative facemask attitudes towards facemask wearing, distress or future intention to donate blood/plasma. Conclusion: Facemasks have worsened the quality of blood and plasma donations for one fourth of donors, confirming the interference with the quality of communications and relationships with healthcare professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: University psychological counselling services represent a frontline defence to detect, treat or refer students with a wide range of (clinical and non‐clinical) difficulties. Nevertheless, only few studies describe their impact on academic self‐efficacy and report follow‐up data. Evidence on students' actual access to further psychological support in times of hardship is also scant and most needed. This study aimed to fill these gaps, exploring the stability of improvement in clinical conditions in a wide sample of university students and reporting post‐intervention referrals to mental health services. Methods: In a longitudinal study, 218 students who accessed a psychological counselling service at the University of Milano‐Bicocca between 2015 and 2019 completed an assessment at the beginning (T0), conclusion (T1) and 6 months after (T2) a brief cognitive behavioural intervention. The assessment included psychological symptoms, general distress, emotion dysregulation and academic self‐efficacy. Information about students' choices to continue a psychological intervention in other services was also collected and contrasted with the counsellor's indication. Results: At follow‐up, the improvement in academic self‐efficacy remained stable, with more than 60% of the students maintaining a reliable clinical change, and nearly half of them reporting having accessed (or being willing to contact) a mental health service outside the university services. Conclusion: These findings highlight the key role of counselling services in addressing students' distress and academic performances in the long term and in building bridges with mental health services outside the university system for students who need longer and specialised treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearing a facemask remains a pivotal strategy to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection even after vaccination, but one of the possible costs of this protection is that it may interfere with the ability to read emotion in facial expressions. We explored the extent to which it may be more difficult for participants to read emotions in faces when faces are covered with masks than when they are not, and whether participants' empathy, attachment style, and patient-centred orientation would affect their performance. Medical and nursing students (N = 429) were administered either a masked or unmasked set of 24 adult faces depicting anger, sadness, fear, or happiness. Participants also completed self-report measures of empathy, patient-centredness, and attachment style. As predicted, participants made more errors to the masked than the unmasked faces with the exception of the identification of fear. Of note, when participants missed happiness, they were most likely to see it as sadness, and when they missed anger, they were most likely to see it as happiness. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that more errors identifying emotions in faces was associated with faces being masked as opposed to unmasked, lower scores on the empathy fantasy scale, and higher scores on the fearful attachment style. The findings suggest that wearing facemasks is associated with a variety of negative outcomes that might interfere with the building of positive relationships between health care workers and patients. Those who teach student health care workers would benefit from bringing this finding into their curriculum and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological counselling represents sensitive frontline services for the detection and treatment of early signs of distress in students. This study aims to assess psychological distress in medical students at the beginning of their academic career and the access rate to a counselling service during medical school. Predictors of access to the service and the effectiveness of the service were also explored. Distress and emotional dysregulation were measured in three consecutive cohorts of first-year students (n = 385, 53% female). Students accessing the counselling service at any time during the 6 years of medical school all completed the same baseline measurements and a pre/post assessment of the intervention. Nearly one-third of first-year students reported levels of distress above the clinical cutoff. The access rate to the counselling service was 13.9%. Only 21% of the students with clinical levels of distress contacted the counselling service. Living alone and having high distress at the beginning of the medical course were the main predictors of access to the service. Students reported a significant reduction of distress and dysregulation after counselling interventions. More efforts are needed to develop effective tools for identifying and tracking medical students in psychological hardship and to increase their willingness to attend the counselling services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offering counselling to students is increasingly considered as a key academic service. However, the reduction of resources allocated to Italian universities emphasises the need to assess the quality of interventions. This paper presents data reporting the effectiveness of a university counselling service. A sample of 45 undergraduate students completed a cognitive-relational intervention at a counselling service in a University in the North of Italy. The project focused on the development of reappraisal skills and problem-solving strategies to manage difficult situations. The results showed a significant pre and post-intervention reduction in self-reported psychopathological symptoms (measured with Symptoms Check List 90-Revised) as well as in general levels of distress (measured with Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure). A significant increase in reappraisal levels, measured with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, was observed, which is a focal element of the counselling intervention. There were no detectable changes in the level of suppression.

Background: The process of receiving a communication of positivity for metabolic diseases at expanded newborn screening (ENBS) is extremely articulated, involves a variety of actors (parents, maternal and child departments, clinical centres and laboratories) and is open to a variety of outcomes from false positive to true positive cases. Receiving communication of positivity can be highly stressful for parents and requires an adequate communication process to give clear and reliable information without causing excessive worry. This qualitative study describes the parents' experience of receiving a communication of positivity to metabolic diseases at ENBS, and their assessment of the quality of the communication process and steps, with the main aim to identify the process' strengths and weaknesses and to advance tailored recommendations to improve the communication process. Method: Fourteen in‐depth, semi‐structured phone interviews were conducted with parents whose children resulted positive to the ENBS. As part of the ENBS communication process, parents received a first phone call communication of positivity and a second in‐person communication at metabolic clinical centres (MCC). The framework analysis method was used to organize the data and identify emerging themes. Results: Parents were largely dissatisfied with the quality and depth of the information received and with the way the healthcare staff delivered the first communication phone call, which failed to create a caring, empathic and safe setting. Many parents tried to reduce the uncertainty by searching online information or consulting with other providers. Nevertheless, the majority of parents described the in‐person visit at MCC as clear, welcoming and reassuring. Conclusion: More efforts are needed to improve the quality of the communication process of the ENBS. Guidelines, recommendations and standard scripts to communicate positivity are needed along with programmes and educational resources to train tailored communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth interventions to reduce stress and promote mental health in healthcare professionals, and to compare the efficacy of different types of programs (guided vs. self‐guided; 'third‐wave' psychotherapies vs. other types). Background: Healthcare workers present high levels of stress, which constitutes a risk factor for developing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. eHealth interventions have been designed to reduce these professional's stress considering that the characteristics of this delivery method make it a cost‐effective and very appealing alternative because of its fast and easy access. Design: A systematic review of quantitative studies. Methods: A comprehensive database search for quantitative studies was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane (until 1 April 2022). The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA and SWiM reporting guidelines. The quality of the studies was assessed using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute tools. Results: The abstracts of 6349 articles were assessed and 60 underwent in‐depth review, with 27 fulfilling the inclusion criteria. The interventions were classified according to their format (self‐guided vs. guided) and contents ('third‐wave' psychotherapies vs. others). Twenty‐two interventions emerged, 13 of which produced significant posttreatment reductions in stress levels of health professionals (9 self‐guided, 8 'third wave' psychotherapies). Significant effects in improving depressive symptomatology, anxiety, burnout, resilience and mindfulness, amongst others, were also found. Conclusion: The evidence gathered in this review highlights the heterogeneity of the eHealth interventions that have been studied; self‐guided and 'third‐wave' psychotherapy programs are the most common, often with promising results, although the methodological shortcomings of most studies hinder the extraction of sound conclusions. Protocol registration: PROSPERO CRD42022310199. No Patient or Public Contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]