First-episode Psychosis and Migration in Italy: Results from a Study in the Italian Mental Health Services (Pep-Ita Study).

Background: Migrants present high rates of psychosis. A better understanding of this phenomenon is needed.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) prospective study over two years (January 2012-December 2013) to evaluate first-generation migrants presenting with FEP at the participating Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs).

Stakeholders' views on vocational rehabilitation programs: a call for collaboration with Occupational Health Physicians.

Background: The triple-dip recession taking place in Italy in 2008-2014 impacted negatively on health, mainly by increasing the rate of unemployment. This increased the prevalence of mental health disorders, while reducing the number of available places on vocational rehabilitation programs (VRPs) delivered by the psychiatric services.

Objectives: To explore the different points of views of stakeholders (namely, users and professionals) involved in VRPs developed inside an Italian Community Mental Health Center (CMHC).

Metabolic Syndrome, Anxiety and Depression in a Sample of Italian Primary Care Patients.

This cross-sectional study aimed at measuring the correlation and association of anxiety, depression and comorbid anxiety-depression symptoms with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a sample of Italian primary care patients who attended their General Practitioner clinics over a 1-month period in 2013. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms. The sample was made up of 129 patients (57% women; mean age, 61 ± 12 years).

Impact of the economic crisis on health-related behaviors in Italy.

Background: Evidence exists supporting the impact of the Great Recession on health-related behaviors internationally, though few studies are available concerning the Italian population.

Aim: To assess the impact of the late 2000s economic crisis on health-related behaviors linked to population mental health in Italy.

Methods: Descriptive study.

Stigma in the context of schools: analysis of the phenomenon of stigma in a population of university students.

Background: Students have stereotyped views about people with mental illness. In particular, they believe that these persons are incurable, dangerous, unpredictable and responsible for their condition. This study aims to investigate the levels of public stigma in an Italian university population.

Young and burnt? Italian contribution to the international BurnOut Syndrome Study (BOSS) among residents in psychiatry.

Background: The Burnout Syndrome (BS) is a common condition among health care professionals, yet data concerning its prevalence and associated factors among psychiatric residents are lacking.

Objectives: To report the results of the Italian contribution to "BOSS", an international multicentre research project aiming at estimating the burden of BS among residents in psychiatry, and at identifying factors contributing to its development and prevention.

Methods: Cross-sectional study.

University students' identification of stigmatizing schizophrenia in Italian newspapers.

Stigma associated with mental disorders represents one main obstacle to receive appropriate care for people with mental disorders. Compared to adults, university students have higher levels of stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with schizophrenia. The primary aim of this case-control study was to assess university students' ability to identify stigma toward schizophrenia in Italian newspapers.

First-episode psychosis and migration in Italy (PEP-Ita migration): a study in the Italian mental health services.

Background: It has been frequently reported a higher incidence of psychotic disorders in immigrants than in native populations. There is, however, a lack of knowledge about risk factors which may explain this phenomenon. A better understanding of the causes of psychosis among first-generation migrants is highly needed, particularly in Italy, a country with a recent massive migration.

Correlation of articular involvement, skin disfigurement and unemployment with depressive symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis: a hospital sample.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease associated with increased functional impairment, body image distress due to skin lesions, and psychosocial comorbidity, particularly depression. Prevalence of depressive symptoms in SSc patients ranges from 36% to 65% and it contributes to the worsening of any aspect of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical and non-clinical correlates of depressive symptoms in a sample of outpatients with SSc.

Exploration of experiences in therapeutic groups for patients with severe mental illness: development of the Ferrara group experiences scale (FE- GES).

Background: Group therapies are routinely provided for patients with severe mental illness. The factors important to the group experience of patients are still poorly understood and are rarely measured. To support further research and practice, we aimed to develop a questionnaire that captures how patients experience groups within a community mental health context.

International study of student career choice in psychiatry (ISoSCCiP): results from Modena, Italy.

Italy was one of the 16 countries to take part in the International Study of Student Career Choice in Psychiatry (ISoSCCiP). This paper reports and comments on the IsoSCCiP data on Italian medical students. Italian final year medical students from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia were asked to fill in an on-line questionnaire during the first semester of two consecutive academic years (2009-2010, 2010-2011).

Vertigo "in the pink": The impact of female gender on psychiatric-psychosomatic comorbidity in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients.

Background: Comorbidity between vestibular and psychiatric disorders in predisposed individuals is underestimated, untreated, and may result in chronicization and poor quality of life. There are few studies concerning the type and the prevalence of psychiatric-psychosomatic distress in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate psychiatric-psychosomatic comorbidities, in particular anxiety, depression, somatization symptoms, and alexithymia, in a group of BPPV patients compared with healthy subjects, and according to gender.

Alexithymia in the medically ill. Analysis of 1190 patients in gastroenterology, cardiology, oncology and dermatology.

Objective: To use the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) for characterizing alexithymia in a large and heterogeneous medical population, in conjunction with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) and other DCPR criteria.

Method: Of 1305 patients recruited from 4 medical centers in the Italian Health System, 1190 agreed to participate. They all underwent an assessment with DSM-IV and DCPR structured interviews.

A step backward: the 'Rough' facial nerve grading system.

Objectives: Several modalities currently exist to rate the degree of facial function clinically but even though it has significant limitations, the most widely used scale is the House-Brackmann grading system (HBGS). A simplified scale is introduced here, the 'Rough' Grading System (RGS - Grade I: normal movement; Grade II: slight paralysis; Grade III: frank paralysis with eye closure; Grade IV: frank paralysis without eye closure; Grade V: almost complete paralysis with only slight movements; Grade VI: total paralysis). The aim of the present study was to verify the interrater reliability and the interscale validity of this simplified grading system.

Who cares for it? How to provide psychosocial interventions in the community.

Background: Since the Mental Health Reform Law 1978/180, in Italy mental hospitals have been progressively closed and a community-centred psychiatric care oriented to rehabilitation began. After almost 35 years, the de-institutionalization process is now complete. However, psychosocial interventions in the community are provided only rarely, although a specific mental health professional, the psychiatric rehabilitation technician, has been established in Italy.

Anniversary reactions in medical patients.

The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and characteristics of anniversary reactions (somatic symptoms occurring at the anniversary of specific events) in a large sample of 1498 medical patients from different medical settings who underwent the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and the Structured Interview for Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR), which provide definition of anniversary reactions. In 54 (3.6%) of the 1498 patients for whom anniversary reaction was identified, 61.

Physical restraints in an Italian psychiatric ward: clinical reasons and staff organization problems.

Purpose: To analyze physical restraint use in an Italian acute psychiatric ward, where mechanical restraint by belt is highly discouraged but allowed.

Design And Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from medical and nursing charts, from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2008. Physical restraint rate and relationships between restraints and selected variables were statistically analyzed.

Migrant pathways to community mental health centres in Italy.

Background: Many studies indicate that migrants in western countries have limited access to and low utilization of community mental health centres (CMHCs) despite the high prevalence of mental disorders.

Aims: We aimed to compare migrant pathways to care across four CMHCs located in different Italian provinces and to identify pathway to care predictors.

Methods: Migrants attending the four CMHCs between 1 July 1999 and 31 December 2007 were included in the study.

Stigma and discrimination toward mental illness: translation and validation of the Italian version of the Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ-27-I).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to translate the Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ-27) to the Italian language (AQ-27-I), and to examine the reliability and validity of this new Italian version.

Methods: The questionnaire was translated using the standard translation/back-translation method. Cronbach's alpha and intraclass coefficients were used to estimate instrument reliability.

Subtyping depression in the medically ill by cluster analysis.

Background: There is increasing awareness of the need of subtyping major depressive disorder, particularly in the setting of medical disease. The aim of this investigation was to use both DSM-IV comorbidity and the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) for characterizing depression in the medically ill.

Methods: 1700 patients were recruited from 8 medical centers in the Italian Health System and 1560 agreed to participate.

Antidepressants for major depressive disorder in patients with a co-morbid axis-III disorder: a meta-analysis of patient characteristics and placebo response rates in randomized controlled trials.

The objective of this study is to assess whether the antidepressants are effective in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients with a co-morbid axis-III disorder, and to compare the relative efficacy (vs. placebo) of antidepressants between these patients and those enrolled in general MDD trials. Medline/Pubmed publication databases were searched.

The different psychological profiles of subjects attending melanoma screening campaigns and those delaying diagnosis: an aid for designing preventive campaigns?

Patient delay in seeking medical attention for melanoma (MM) constitutes one of the main challenges in designing prevention campaigns. No conclusive studies exploring psychological aspects of those patients, using standardized psychometric instruments, are currently available. We hypothesized that the attitude toward illness of subjects attending the melanoma screening day (EMD) would differ from patients diagnosed with MM following the usual clinical pathways.

Validation of the Italian version of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM).

Unlabelled: The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation--Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) was translated into Italian and tested in non-clinical (n = 263) and clinical (n = 647) samples. The translation showed good acceptability, internal consistency and convergent validity in both samples. There were large and statistically significant differences between clinical and non-clinical datasets on all scores.

Assessing somatization with various diagnostic criteria.

Background: Somatization is a widespread clinical phenomenon that cuts across diagnostic categories, both psychiatric and medical.

Objective: This study investigates whether somatization can be assessed with a comprehensive diagnostic system, the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) in gastroenterology and cardiology (myocardial infarction) patients.

Method: Authors assessed a group of 343 outpatients, 190 gastroenterology and 153 cardiology outpatients, with functional gastrointestinal disorders and recent first myocardial infarction.