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The present study describes a new mixed program of psychoeducational and psychological interventions for bipolar patients, applicable during everyday practice. Thirty-two bipolar patients recruited at a psychiatric day-hospital service have been admitted to a program consisting of 30 meetings and 2 follow-ups at 6 and 12 months. The psychoeducational support determined a general improvement of all included patients. At baseline, patients with residual depression had higher Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores than euthymic patients (mean score ± SD: 21.25 ± 3.92 vs. 7.00 ± 2.95, respectively). After psychoeducation sessions, the HDRS scores of euthymic patients remained stable (mean ± SD: 7.00 ± 3.74), whereas the HDRS scores of depressed patients demonstrated a statistically significant improvement (mean ± SD: 14.00 ± 6.72, t = 2.721, p = 0.03). Results of the Connor-Davidson Resilience scale and specifically constructed questionnaire Questionario per la Valutazione della Conoscenza e dell'Apprendimento per il Disturbo Bipolare showed a statistically significant improvement in resilience and insight in all recruited patients. Psychoeducational intervention as adjunctive treatment to pharmacotherapy seems to be very effective in bipolar patients, not only for those in the euthymic phase, but this model could also be extended to patients with an ongoing mild or moderate depressive episode.

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ObjectivesMost of brief instruments of evaluation of substance related disorders focuses on the dependence physical indexes and/or on compulsion, evaluating only incidentally the dependence-related social and psychological factors. Our aim is to create and validate a short questionnaire, easy to be distributed, exploring the dependence social and psychological indexes and to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapeutic and rehabilitation treatments whose aim is to change lifestyle as well as abstinence.MethodsThe S.A.I.D. is an auto-evaluation questionnaire of 39 items that explore emotions, thoughts and behaviours in addictive subjects, thus providing patient's diagnostic profile in two areas: social area, divided into 4 scales (work/study, relationships, social interaction, cure/physical health); psychological area, divided into 5 scales (depression, hostility, lack of attention, anxiety, alexithymia).446 subjects have been examined: 256 with alcohol dependence diagnosis by using DSM-IV-TR, 70 with cocaine dependence diagnosis by using DSM-IV-TR, 120 not clinical subjects representing the control sample, that are not under psychiatric treatments.ResultsThe statistical analysis by Student's t test has showed that the instrument is able to discriminate between alcoholics, cocaine addicts and healthy control subjects; Cronbach's Alpha analysis has noticed a good internal validation in two main areas of the questionnaire, but a substantial unhomogeneity about single subscales.ConclusionsThese results indicate that the instrument is useful for the overall evaluation of social and psychological impairment in addictions, but also suggest the need for a revision of the instrument aiming to a better internal consistency of subscales.

ObjectivesEating Disorders concern a growing number of people. Several instruments were created to assess symptomatology of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Our aim is to create and validate a short questionnaire about all the eating symptoms of Eating Disorders, including Binge Eating Disorder.MethodsThe Questionnaire of Eating Behaviours (Scheda dei Comportamenti Alimentari, SCA) is a self-administered questionnaire composed of 13 items regarding all the eating symptoms of Eating Disorders. Items are divided into 3 scales: Restrictive Eating, Weight Control Practices and Binge Eating. The SCA was given to 200 female outpatients with Eating Disorders and to 218 non-clinical adult women. Student's t test was performed to compare clinical and non-clinical subjects, one-way ANOVA was performed to compare three diagnostic subtypes (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder). Cronbach's Alpha and factor analysis were used to validate the questionnaire.ResultsClinical and non-clinical subjects get significantly different scores in all the three subscales. Besides, the three diagnostic subtypes scores significantly differ on each scale. Cronbach's Alpha values show a significant inner consistency in the subscales of Restrictive Eating and Binge Eating, while the Weight Control Practices one is not very homogeneous, as expected. The factor analysis has shown the presence of three factors, corresponding to the 3 scales.ConclusionsThe SCA has shown to be effective in distinguishing people with Eating Disorders from non-clinical subjects. For its characteristics of being short, easy to fill in and to interpret, the SCA seems to be an instrument suitable for screening purposes.