Management and Rehabilitative Treatment in Osteoarthritis with a Novel Physical Therapy Approach: A Randomized Control Study.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic degenerative disease characterized by progressive joint damage leading to significant disability. Although rehabilitative treatment methods for KOA have been widely implemented, the optimal integrated instrumental physical therapy approach remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effect of Quantum Molecular Resonance (QMR) on pain reduction as the primary outcome and the functional improvement in activity daily living (ADL) as a secondary outcome.

Psychometric properties of a new instrument for the measurement of the perceived quality of distance learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Introduction: The lockdown restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced many students to use distance learning. Few studies have examined the psychological effects of distance learning during the pandemic on university or on non-university students using a specific psychometric tool. The principal aim of this study was the construction and validation of a new psychometric tool, the Perceived Quality of Distance Learning (PQDL), to measure students' appreciation and reaction to distance learning.

The efficacy of telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy in people with chronic illnesses and mental diseases: A meta-analysis.

COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase of remote treatments, such as telephone-delivery cognitive behavioral therapy (T-CBT). To our knowledge, no meta-analyses studied the effect of T-CBT in chronic and/or mental illnesses on multiple psychological outcomes. Therefore, our study aims to evaluating the efficacy of T-CBT compared to other interventions (treatment as usual, TAU, or face-to-face CBT).

The location of emotional intelligence measured by EQ-i in the personality and cognitive space: Are there gender differences?

Introduction: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is first described by Salovey and Mayer as the ability to perceive and understand emotions and the ability to use them as supports for thoughts. Despite the great notoriety of EI, its definition remains not completely clear. An operative definition of EI can be achieved by studying its connection with other individual characteristics such as gender, personality traits, and fluid intelligence.

Scholastic psychological well-being and irrational thoughts in students of primary and secondary school: An Italian study.

The period of pre-adolescence is a period of age transition during which undesirable feelings such as anxiety, shyness, guilt, depression and anger are experienced accompanied by physical and hormonal changes experienced during puberty. Therefore, during early adolescence the psychological well-being is a critical issue. This period of transition coincides to the passage from the primary to the secondary school in Italy.

Telerehabilitation proposal of mind-body technique for physical and psychological outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome is characterized by the close correlation of chronic widespread pain and other non-pain related symptoms. Aim of this study was to investigate whether telerehabilitation that provides physical and psychological support services of the mind-body techniques can affect the clinical profile and pain relief of FM patients. The study included twenty-eight female FM patients, mean aged 56.

Connections between Children's Eating Habits, Mental Health, and Parental Stress.

Background: Obesity and eating disorders are increasing in occidental countries and can undermine physical and psychological health. Therefore, preventing the insurgency of unhealthy eating habits in childhood is fundamental. Parents can play an important role in assisting pediatricians, psychiatrists, and clinical psychologists in the diagnosis of eating disorders because they have an active role in observing and assessing the quality of their children's eating habits.

Fear of hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes and their parents: Validation of the Italian version of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey for Children and for Parents.

Background: Currently, Italian versions of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey for Children (CHFS) and for Parents (PHFS) quantifying Fear of Hypoglycemia (FoH) in pediatric diabetes are not available.

Objective: To validate the Italian version of the CHFS and PHFS.

Subjects And Methods: One hundred and seventy-four children with type 1 diabetes aged 6-18 and 178 parents completed the CHFS and PHFS, the PedsQL 3.

Association of COMT, BDNF and 5-HTT functional polymorphisms with personality characteristics.

: The real impact of genetic factors on personality is still unknown, even if in literature about 50% of variance in personality traits are considered genetically determined. The determination of the genetic variance in personality traits could promote psychological well-being and the prevention of psychopathologies, because there are many experimental evidences showing that mental illness is associated to personality. Numerous studies have showed that Catechol-O-methyltransferase (), brain derived neurotrophic factor () and serotonin transporter () are genes whose variants are associated with personality traits.

The Role of Gender in the Association Among the Emotional Intelligence, Anxiety and Depression.

Recent epidemiological data show an increase of depression and anxiety that cause a loss of about 3-4% of the gross domestic product in Europe, as a consequence of a reduced productivity and a premature death of people. Gender differences in both psychopathologies were found from mid-to-late adolescence until 55 years, and data indicate an increase of depression in women. Considering these data, new interventions focused on promoting psychological well-being were designed.

The Influence of Rehabilitation on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Clinical Study.

Background: Breast cancer survivors report negative impacts of cancer, augmented by specific vulnerabilities to body changes, negative self-assessment, and quality-of-life concerns. The main objective of our work was to test the effect of a rehabilitation program on breast cancer patients by evaluating the change in their physical well-being during an outpatient rehabilitation setting and, subsequently, in a home rehabilitation setting, considering the individual personality profile.

Methods: Patients who underwent total mastectomy with breast prostheses or tissue expanders were enrolled.

The WeReha Project for an Innovative Home-Based Exercise Training in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Clinical Study.

Background: Telerehabilitation (TR) in chronic stroke patients has emerged as a promising modality to deliver rehabilitative treatment-at-home. The primary objective of our methodical clinical study was to determine the efficacy of a novel rehabilitative device in terms of recovery of function in daily activities and patient satisfaction and acceptance of the medical device provided.

Methods: A 12-week physiotherapy program (balance exercises, upper and lower limb exercises with specific motor tasks using a biofeedback system and exergaming) was administered using the WeReha device.

Physical and Psychological Impact of the Phase One Lockdown for COVID-19 on Italians.

The exceptional pandemic due to the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has obliged all Italians to stay at home. In the literature, there are evidences that traumatic global events, such as natural catastrophes and pandemic, have negative effects on the physical and psychological health of the population. We carried out a survey to analyze the physical and psychological conditions of Italians during the pandemic.

Improving the psychometric properties of the dissociative experiences scale (DES-II): a Rasch validation study.

Background: The Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II) is a self-report questionnaire that measures dissociative experiences such as derealization, depersonalization, absorption and amnesia. The DES-II has been prevalently used as a screening tool in patients suffering from psychotic disorders or schizophrenia. However, dissociative experiences can also be part of normal psychological life.

Application of Bayes' Theorem in Valuating Depression Tests Performance.

The validity of clinical diagnoses is a fundamental topic in clinical psychology, because now there are some political administrations, as the IOM or the U.K. government, which are focusing on best evidence-based practice in clinical psychology.

Using Overt and Covert Items in Self-Report Personality Tests: Susceptibility to Faking and Identifiability of Possible Fakers.

Self-report personality tests widely used in clinical, medical, forensic, and organizational areas of psychological assessment are susceptible to faking. Several approaches have been developed to prevent or detect faking, which are based on the use of faking warnings, ipsative items, social desirability scales, and validity scales. The approach proposed in this work deals with the use of overt items (the construct is clear to test-takers) and covert items (the construct is obscure to test-takers).

Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Young Schema Questionnaire L-3: Preliminary Results.

Schema Therapy (ST) is a well-known approach for the treatment of personality disorders. This therapy integrates different theories and techniques into an original and systematic treatment model. The Young Schema Questionnaire L-3 (YSQ-L3) is a self-report instrument, based on the ST model, designed to assess 18 Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs).

Prenatal Attachment Inventory: expanding the reliability and validity evidence using a sample of Italian women.

Background: The Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) is a widely used questionnaire to measure prenatal attachment. However, its internal structure is controversial. None of the previous studies have investigated the dimensions of the Italian version of the scale using both an exploratory and a confirmatory approach.

Psychometric properties of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire and correlates of mother-infant bonding impairment in Italian new mothers.

Objective: impaired maternal bonding is a risk factor for problems with infant well-being and development. The investigation of perinatal variables related to disorders of the mother-infant relationship as well as the administration of reliable and valid screening tools to new mothers in the postpartum can help identify early signs of a disturbed mother-child relationship. The Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) has been shown to be a valid screening instrument, but its dimensional structure is still controversial.

Correlations Between Personality, Affective and Filial Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Psychological Well-Being in a Sample of Italian Adolescents.

Adolescence is a critical period for the emergence of a balanced personality in adults. Extraversion, neuroticism, and affective self-efficacy beliefs in emotion regulation showed to be good predictors of psychological well-being in adolescents. We analyzed the association between affective self-efficacy beliefs, personality traits, and psychological well-being of 179 Italian adolescents.

Psychometric properties of a 20-item version of the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale in a sample of Italian expectant women.

Objective: the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS), a 24-item self-report questionnaire to measure the antenatal maternal feeling towards the unborn baby, was introduced by Mecca Cranley in 1981. Despite the widespread use of the questionnaire in clinical and research contexts, issues exist about its psychometric properties. An analysis of the literature showed the need for studies aimed at reviewing the MFAS by eliminating some items and modifying and "modernising" others.

Dissociative Experiences and Psychopathology Among Inmates in Italian and Portuguese Prisons.

The association between dissociation and psychopathological symptoms is well established, yet studies with inmates are lacking. If higher rates of dissociation and psychiatric symptoms are reported in inmate samples, it is not clear whether they represent two separate, albeit related, characteristics. We examined the association between dissociation and psychopathological symptoms among 320 Italian subjects (122 inmates and 198 community participants) and a Portuguese inmate sample ( n = 67).

Investigating validity and reliability evidence for the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale in a sample of Italian women.

This study focused on the development of the emotional tie of the expectant mother towards her unborn child and aimed to achieve structural and external validity evidence for an Italian version of the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS; Br J Med Psychol 66: 167-183, 1993). The MAAS was translated into Italian and was administered to a sample of 482 Italian expectant women (age 20-43 years), together with other questionnaires measuring maternal-fetal attachment, psychological well-being, and relational variables. The hypothesised relationships with external concurrent and predictive criteria were substantiated.

Seizure metaphors in children with epilepsy: A study based on a multiple-choice self-report questionnaire.

The advantages of metaphorical representation are pointed out in many fields of clinical research (e.g. cancer, HIV, psychogenic nonepileptic seizures).