Death representation of caregivers in hospice.

In this study, we investigated caregiver's death representation in hospice. The results presented here are a further analysis of the data collected in our previous study, concerning the evaluation of the caregiver in hospice. The data analysis of 24 caregivers of patients hospitalized in Rimini Hospice (Italy) underlined that caregivers avoiding death representation of the patient admitted to hospice had fewer protective factors (52.

Caregiver evaluation in hospice: application of a semi-structured interview.

In this study we report the results of construction and administration of a semi-structured interview for the evaluation of caregivers in hospice. The results presented here are related to interviews (n = 25) that were administered at Rimini Hospice. According to the interview coding system, it was possible to identify thematic areas of the interviews where the caregiver's distress was mainly concentrated.

Graphology and personality: an empirical study on validity of handwriting analysis.

The aim of the present work was to examine validity of the graphological method to assess personality traits. The results of two studies are described. In Study 1, the Big Five Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 101 university students who provided a sample of a handwritten text.

Discriminant validity of the Vineland Scales: score profiles of individuals with mental retardation and a specific disorder.

Utility of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Expanded Form to discriminate among areas of adaptive behavior was substantiated by comparing profiles of scores obtained by three groups of individuals with mental retardation and either a communication, social behavior, or motor abilities disorder with those of matched individuals with mental retardation but no other disorder. Individuals with social behavior disorders obtained lower scores only in the Socialization domain; those with motor disorders, in the Motor domain and in the Personal and Domestic subscales that require motor competencies; and those with communication disorders, lower scores in the Communication domain and in the Community and Interpersonal Relationships subscales requiring expressive competencies. The utility of the Vineland Scales in obtaining an ecological evaluation of individuals with mental retardation is discussed.

The psychopathology inventory for mentally retarded adults: factor structure and comparisons between subjects with or without dual diagnosis.

Whether the Psychopathology Inventory for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA) could detect specific psychopathological disorders was investigated in 652 subjects with different levels of mental retardation living in the community or in residential facilities. An exploratory factor analysis was carried out to check the scale organization of PIMRA. The Anxiety, Adjustment Disorder, Somatoform Disorder, and Soundness Scales were confirmed by 4 corresponding factors; the Psychosexual Disorder Scale was replaced by a factor specific to gender identity problems, and the Schizophrenia Scale by two factors concerning isolation and bizarre behaviors, respectively.