[Knowledge of the patient's bio-psycho-social context as a predictive tool for outcomes in palliative care.].

Introduction: The General Practitioner (GP), thanks to his knowledge of the patient's bio-psycho-social context, has a fundamental role in the definition of a personalized care planning (Pcp). The HexCom model can be a valid tool for standardizing the level of complexity of the patient in palliative care and for evidentiate critical care issues.

Methods: The GP participants retrospectively assessed, using HexCom model, the complexity of the biopsycho-social context of 53 patients taken care by the Palliative Care Unit and who died in the years 2019-2021.

Understanding the Health Behaviors of Survivors of Childhood and Young-Adult Cancer: Preliminary Analysis and Model Development.

The current study presents preliminary correlational data used to develop a model depicting the psychosocial pathways that lead to the health behaviors of survivors of childhood and young-adult cancer. Data collected from a sample of 18- to 30-year-old cancer survivors (n = 125) was used to examine the relations among interpersonal support and nonsupport, personal agency, avoidance, depressive symptoms and self-efficacy as they related to health behaviors. The outcome measures examined included tobacco and alcohol use, diet, exercise, sunscreen use, medication compliance and follow-up/screening practices.

Responding to graduate students' professional deficiencies: a national survey.

Seventy-one doctoral programs in professional psychology were surveyed with respect to the incidence of students' professional deficiencies and related procedures. Professional deficiencies, particularly limited clinical skills and personality/emotional problems, were reported by 89% of the respondents, twice the number that have official policies for dealing with such problems. Incidence of limited clinical skills was related positively to interviewing applicants and use of practicum grades for evaluation and related negatively to using recommendation letters and reliance on clinical supervisor's assessment.

Psychosocial variables that affect the psychological adjustment of IVDU patients with AIDS.

The influences of coping strategies and of perceived social support from family and friends on the psychological adjustment of intravenous drug users (IVDUs) with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were investigated. Twenty-seven male AIDS patients with a history of intravenous drug use completed a demographic questionnaire, Trails-B, the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Perceived Social Support from Family, Perceived Social Support from Friends, and the Mental Health Inventory. Unexpected results were obtained: The only coping strategy to correlate significantly with psychological adjustment was "Seeking Social Support," and perceived social support from family correlated positively with psychological adjustment, but perceived social support from friends did not.

Branch retinal vein occlusion: the pathogenetic role of blood viscosity.

The pathogenesis of branch retinal vein occlusion has not been completely clarified. The role of abnormal blood viscosity in the appearance and evolution of the disease has recently been advocated. We studied 54 patients with long-standing branch retinal vein occlusion from a hemorrheologic point of view.