1,721,090 research outputs found
Family ad relatives of COVID-19 inpatients: The neglected needs of a vulnerable population
No full textThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has violently impacted the Italian population and health care system, with relevant consequences on physical as well as on mental health. To date, the population of COVID-infected inpatients informal caregivers is still understudied, despite preliminary reports suggesting that anxiety may be a concern in this group of individuals. Higher awareness about the specific problems and needs of the relatives/careers/loved ones of COVID-19 inpatients is necessary, to implement prompt support and intervention strategies. The daily phone call may become a valuable opportunity to offer both clinical information about the patient and empathic listening and support to patients relatives, who may find it difficult to ask for help in another context
Rational Suicide in Late Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Get PDFBackground and Objectives: The complex concept of rational suicide, defined as a well-thought-out decision to die by an individual who is mentally competent, is even more controversial in the case of older adults. Materials and Methods: With the aim of better understanding the concept of rational suicide in older adults, we performed a systematic review of the literature, searching PubMed and Scopus databases and eventually including 23 published studies. Results: The main related topics emerging from the papers were: depression, self-determination, mental competence; physicians' and population's perspectives; approach to rational suicide; ageism; slippery slope. Conclusions: Despite contrasting positions and inconsistencies of the studies, the need to carefully investigate and address the expression of suicidal thoughts in older adults, as well as behaviours suggesting "silent" suicidal attitudes, clearly emerges, even in those situations where there is no diagnosable mental disorder. While premature conclusions about the "rationality" of patients' decision to die should be avoided, the possibility of rational suicide cannot be precluded
Alexithymia and Treatment Outcome in Anorexia Nervosa: A Scoping Review of the Literature
Get PDFAlexithymia is of great interest as an outcome predictor of recovery from anorexia nervosa, since it may interfere with both treatment compliance and patients' ability to benefit from the adopted interventions. Using the PRISMA methodology, we performed a scoping review of the literature about treatment outcome in anorexia nervosa, in terms of changes in alexithymia as assessed by its most commonly used self-report measure, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). The Medline and Scopus databases were searched, and articles were included if matching the following criteria: dealing with patients affected by anorexia nervosa, without limits of age; involving the application of any kind of targeted therapy or treatment; assessing alexithymia and the effect of a treatment intervention on alexithymia, using the TAS. Ten studies were eventually included; overall, according to the selected studies, alexithymia levels often remain high even after specific treatment. Further research aimed at a deeper understanding of the actual impact of alexithymia on the outcome of anorexia, as well as exploring alternative treatment strategies for alexithymia in eating disorders (EDs), are warranted
From the Roman Empire to the New Millennium. Data access and sharing from healthy ageing cohorts
Get PDFCohort studies are the best way to analyze the incidence and natural history of a disorder, permitting to assess associations between multiple exposures and multiple outcomes. A well-designed cohort may be particularly relevant regarding the study of the ageing processes of adult populations, allowing the study of processes and dynamics of the individual life course and the study of the effects of earlier exposures and characteristics on later outcomes. Moreover, cohort studies seem the best instrument to analyze the factors favoring active and healthy ageing, and to increase knowledge about the most appropriate interventions to enhance older population's wellness. Nonetheless, the number of cohorts on ageing is limited, because they are very expensive to develop, establish, and maintain, requiring long-term investment to be efficiently performed to obtain all the data needed to address the longitudinal research questions. Open data and data sharing should be encouraged to ensure verifiable, reproducible and transparent results, and to allow the generation of new knowledge in the context of earlier discoveries. Making cohort studies “open” can foster the efforts of the scientific community committed in the study of ageing and give a real contribution to the well-being of the ageing population. KEY-MESSAGE: • Cohort studies are the best way to analyze the incidence and natural history of a disorder, the factors favoring active and healthy ageing, and to increase knowledge about the most appropriate interventions to enhance older population's wellness. • Making cohort studies “open” can foster the efforts of the scientific community committed in the study of ageing and give a real contribution to the well-being of the ageing population
The relationship between DMFT status and dental anxiety
Get PDFObjective: This study aimed to assess the anxiety trait, the anxiety state, the dental anxiety, as well as the oral health of a group of patients who were referred to a maxillofacial surgery department. Material and Method: The study was conducted between 1 May 2019 and 31 May 2019. All patients were administered the anxiety-trait and anxiety state using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires and Corah’s Dental Anxiety Scale. Then, they were clinically examined, and a DMFT index score was calculated according to the WHO criteria and recorded for each patient. Demographics, smoking, and alcohol habits were also recorded for each patient. Results: Overall, 81 patients (52 females, 29 males) completed the study. Statistical analyses revealed a statistically significant association between occasional or daily smoking and high DMFT scores (p < 0.005). As for anxiety, a statistically significant association was observed between both high anxiety state and trait and high DMFT scores (p < 0.05), as well as between moderate or severe dental anxiety and high DMFT scores (p < 0.05). Conclusion: A higher anxiety is associated with a higher DMFT score. The assessment of dental anxiety may be necessary for routine diagnostic work-ups during dental practice. In more severe cases, a multidisciplinary approach with the aid of behavioral health or psychological professionals may be a valid option
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