Chasing among older-aged gamblers: the role of mentalizing and psychological distress.

Background: Despite the increasing proportion of older-aged individuals suffering from problematic gambling, research on gambling among this specific age cohort is still in its infancy. Chasing is a pathognomonic feature of disordered gambling and is considered one of the key risk factors in the transition from recreational to disordered gambling. Despite the increased research on chasing over the past decade, no previous study has ever examined the psychological determinants of chasing behavior among old-aged gamblers.

Promoting Geropsychology: A Memorandum for Research, Policies, Education Programs, and Practices for Healthy Aging.

Background: This viewpoint paper reports the state of the art at a global level on research, practice and assessment, policies, and training in the clinical psychology of aging and, more specifically, in geropsychology. The main sources of information were as follows: (1) the most recent reviews of the literature available in the scientific literature; (2) the resources on the internet referable to professional and academic associations dealing with the topic; and (3) the laws, policy initiatives, and funded programs that are aimed at the diffusion and applications of mental health in aging.

Methods: The present study aims to provide an updated and comprehensive memorandum highlighting the importance of prioritizing mental health in older adults.

"Regulating my anxiety worsens the safety of my driving": The synergistic influence of spatial anxiety and Self-regulation on driving behavior.

Spatial Anxiety (SA) can be defined as the fear and apprehension experienced during tasks that require spatial thinking and may negatively impact the execution of daily actions. Although it has been explored in several research fields, limited research has explored the effects of SA on specific driving behaviours. In the current study, it was hypothesised that the severity of SA affects risky driving behaviours, and that this relationship is mediated by the driver's self-regulation abilities.

Assessing and recovering Alzheimer's disease: a comparative analysis of standard neuropsychological approaches and virtual reality interventions with the use of digital storytelling.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects the elderly population. Traditional assessment methods, including neuropsychological tests like the MMSE, have been the cornerstone of AD diagnosis for decades. These methods are grounded in a wealth of research and clinical experience, providing a robust framework for understanding the cognitive deficits of AD.

Exploring the effect of environmental sensitivity on emotional fluctuations among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a three-wave longitudinal study.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the emotional well-being of adolescents worldwide. Some studies suggested that individuals with high Environmental Sensitivity may have been more likely to experience poor psychological adjustment during the pandemic than those with lower sensitivity. However, there is still limited research on how emotional responses varied across different stages of the pandemic and whether Environmental Sensitivity increased adolescents' vulnerability to the psychological impact of prolonged pandemic restrictions.

Time consciousness: Silence, mindfulness, and subjective time perception.

Although recent theories of consciousness have emerged to define what consciousness is, an under-represented aspect within this field remains: time consciousness. However, the subjective passage of time is modulated by changing experiences within different situational contexts and by self-awareness. The experience of silence influences our awareness of self, space, and time, and it impacts on psychological well-being.

A Four-Wave Cross-Lagged Study of Exposure to Violent Contexts, Cognitive Distortions, and School Bullying during Adolescence.

School bullying represents a widespread expression of violence in the peer context. Guided by the social-ecological model, this study investigated the longitudinal and transactional pathways linking domestic and neighborhood/community violence exposure (through direct victimization and witnessing), self-serving cognitive distortions (CDs), and school bullying perpetration. Furthermore, consistent with the previous literature, we tested the cognitive desensitization process that could develop in response to chronically violent contexts.

Beyond Therapeutic Adherence: Alternative Pathways for Understanding Medical Treatment in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Given the psychosocial and economic costs of behaviors of patients who seem not to benefit from the medications, technologies, and medical therapies available for chronic diseases such as Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, therapeutic adherence has been identified as one of the main focuses in the intervention. This paper presents contributions from semiotic cultural clinical psychology for understanding problems associated with the implementation of medical treatment in patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus to explore psychological dimensions not yet reported in depth. A narrative review of 24 scientific articles published between 2012 and 2023 is carried out.

Parental quality of life, child adjustment and adult attachment in parents of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background: Parents of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may experience a lower quality of life (QoL) than parents of offspring with typical development. However, factors associated with parental QoL are not yet fully understood.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between parental QoL, child adjustment and adult attachment among parents of children and adolescents with ASD.

Parental Quality of Life and Impact of Multidisciplinary Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Qualitative Study.

The presence of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the family can have a negative impact on parental Quality of Life (QoL), but evidence on how treatments for children with ASD can affect parental QoL is currently limited. In this qualitative study, we develop a semi-structured interview in order to investigate the impact of ASD on the QoL of mothers and fathers from a subjective perspective, as well as the effect of the intervention on their QoL and adjustment process. The sample consisted of 31 parents of children with ASD severity 2 or 3, aged 5 to 11 years, undergoing a multidisciplinary intervention.

What Adolescents Have to Say about Problematic Internet Use: A Qualitative Study Based on Focus Groups.

In this paper, the study presented is designed to gain a deeper insight into how adolescents describe, understand, and suggest dealing with Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Eight focus groups were activated with a total of 70 students from the 9th and 11th grades (Mean = 15.53 ± 1.

In person versus remote cognitive rehabilitation in patients with subjective cognitive decline or neurocognitive disorders: what factors drive patient's preference?

Background: To date, there is still a lack of consensus for identifying the ideal candidate for cognitive telerehabilitation (TR). The main goal of the present study is to identify the factors associated to the preference for either TR or in-person cognitive training (CT) programs in older adults at risk of dementia or with early cognitive impairment.

Methods: A sample of 56 participants with subjective cognitive decline or neurocognitive disorders eligible for CT were enrolled at the Dementia Research Center and Neurorehabilitation Unit of IRCCS Mondino Foundation.

Personality in Chronic Headache: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Background: Chronic headache (CH) is a condition that includes different subtypes of headaches and that can impair different life domains. Personality traits can play a relevant role both in the development and in coping with this medical condition. The first aim of the present study is to realize a systematic review of the personality traits associated with CH compared to healthy controls; the second objective is to carry out a quantitative meta-analysis with the studies using the same instrument to assess personality traits.

Measuring the reliability of proxy respondents in behavioural assessments: an open question.

Background: In behavioural assessment, information can be gathered from internally referenced self-reports or from proxy informants.

Aims: This study aimed to fine-tune a brief but reliable method for evaluating the proxy accuracy in cases where responses obtained from adult and older adults' patient cannot be considered reliable.

Methods: We generated a set of items reflecting both overt and covert behaviours related to the basic instrumental activities of daily living.

The Relationships between Compulsive Internet Use, Alexithymia, and Dissociation: Gender Differences among Italian Adolescents.

Internet Gaming Disorder, Internet Addiction, Problematic Internet Use and Compulsive Internet Use cause distress and significant impairment in important areas of a person's functioning, in particular among young people. The literature has indicated that males show higher levels of problematic internet use than females. People can use the internet to avoid or alleviate negative affects; in fact, problematic internet use is associated with alexithymia and dissociation.

Viktor von Weizsäcker's Notion of Pathic: Affective Liminality, Modalization of Experience and Illness.

The work presents and discusses Viktor von Weizsäcker's notion of pathic. This concept developed over the course of thirty years represents the culmination of his theoretical thought. The pathic (das Pathische) is closely related to the meaning of 'pathological' and to the meaning of 'suffering'.

A Theoretically Informed Critical Review of Research Applying the Concept of Liminality to Understand Experiences with Cancer: Implications for a New Oncological Agenda in Health Psychology.

Liminality was described more than 20 years ago as a major category explaining how cancer is experienced. Since then, it has been widely used in the field of oncology research, particularly by those using qualitative methods to study patient experience. This body of work has great potential to illuminate the subjective dimensions of life and death with cancer.

Perceived Social Support Mediates the Relationship between Use of Greenspace and Geriatric Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of South-Italian Older Adults.

A growing body of evidence is suggestive for the beneficial role of contact with greenspace (e.g., use of greenspace, visual access to greenspace, etc.

Social cognition in chronic migraine with medication overuse: a cross-sectional study on different aspects of mentalization and social relationships.

Background: Social cognition refers to all mental operations to decipher information needed in social interactions. Here we aimed to outline the socio-cognitive profile of Chronic Migraine with Medication Overuse (CM + MO), given they are recognized to be at risk of socio-cognitive difficulties. Given the multidimensionality of this construct, we considered: (1) socio-cognitive abilities, (2) socio-cognitive beliefs, (3) alexithymia and autism traits, and (4) social relationships.

HomeCoRe system for telerehabilitation in individuals at risk of dementia: A usability and user experience study.

Background: Telerehabilitation has enabled a broader application of cognitive rehabilitation programs. We have recently developed HomeCoRe, a system for supporting cognitive intervention remotely with the assistance of a family member. The main goal of the present study was to determine usability and user experience of HomeCoRe in individuals at risk of dementia and in their family members.

Outcomes of a computer-based cognitive training (CoRe) in early phases of cognitive decline: a data-driven cluster analysis.

The present study aimed to identify clusters of cognitive profiles as well as to explore the effects of these clusters on demographic/individual characteristics and on improvements after a computer-based cognitive training (CCT) in early cognitive impairment. Fifty-seven subjects underwent to an adaptive CCT for 3 weeks (4 individual face-to-face sessions/week of 45 min) and were evaluated at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and after 6 (T2) and 12 (T3) months. Clusters of cognitive profiles were explored with k-means analysis.