Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the psychological impact of COVID-19 outbreak, during the so-called phase three of the infection in Italy, in healthcare workers and other professionals working in the Public Hospital “SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo” in the Piedmont Region.Methods: A monocentric prospective observational study was conducted on 113 hospital workers by completing an online survey. Data were collected from 29th June to 20th July 2020. The survey assessed self-reported socio-demographic, clinical, work and COVID-19 related information and risk perception. Moreover, it included an online version of validated questionnaires in the Italian language: Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced: COPE-NVI-25, and the Professional Quality of Life scale (ProQOl-5).Results: The exploratory analysis revealed that hospital workers showed a high percentage of post-traumatic stress symptoms in the months following the beginning of the pandemic. In general, having higher levels of education seems to be associated with less anxiety, stress, depression insomnia e post-traumatic stress symptoms. Those symptoms were reported among those who had higher risk perception, previous psychological problems, or suffered from a chronic disease. Workers with more than 10 years experience and low risk perception reported less insomnia symptoms.Conclusions: The assessment of psychological effects of COVID-19 outbreak might help to create good practices that could be used and improved to implement focused interventions on workers’ well-being, especially during COVID-19 and post COVID-19 periods.

Obiettivi: Lo scopo del presente lavoro è stato quello di esplorare l’impatto psicologico a lungo termine della pandemia da COVID-19 negli operatori sanitari e in altri professionisti che lavorano presso l’Azienza Ospedaliera “SS Antonio e Biagio, e Cesare Arrigo” di Alessandria. Materiali e Metodi: È stato condotto uno studio osservazionale prospettico monocentrico su 112 operatori dell’Azienda Ospedaliera attraverso la somministrazione di un questionario on-line. I dati sono stati raccolti a tra l’1 e il 30 aprile 2021. Il questionario comprendeva un’autovalutazione delle informazioni socio-demografiche, cliniche, lavorative e relative al COVID-19 e la percezione del rischio. Inoltre, includeva la versione on-line di questionari psicologici validati in lingua italiana: Scala dell’impatto dell’Evento-Rivista (IES-R), Scala di Depressione, Ansia e Stress (DASS-21), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced - Nuova Versione Italiana (COPE-NVI- 25), e Scala della Qualità di Vita Professionale (ProQOL-5). Risultati: L’analisi dei dati mostra che i lavoratori dell’Azienda Ospedaliera partecipanti allo studio, presentano percentuali moderate di sintomatologia da stress post-traumatico (40,2%), depressiva (40.2%), ansiosa (28.6%), da stress (44.6%) e insonnia (16.1%). La categoria dei lavoratori in ambito amministrativo mostra maggiori sintomi ansiosi e di stress post-traumatico. Le strategie di coping maggiormente utilizzate nel nostro campione sono l’attitudine positiva, l’orientamento al problema e il sostegno sociale. Il sottogruppo di lavoratori a diretto contatto con i pazienti mostra livelli moderati di compassion-satisfaction e bassi livelli di stress traumatico secondario e burn-out. Conclusioni: Dai risultati del presente lavoro si è osservato che gli effetti negativi a livello psicologico si possono mantenere anche nel lungo termine dall’insorgenza della pandemia.

Le conseguenze a livello cognitivo, psicologico, comportamentale e sociale dell’epilessia in età evolutiva hanno un ruolo importante nell’inquadramento diagnostico, nel monitoraggio e nella predisposizione di interventi successivi. Nel presente lavoro viene effettuata una panoramica delle principali caratteristiche cognitive e psicologiche dei bambini e adolescenti con epilessia, con particolare riferimento alla valutazione neuropsicologica e psico-comportamentale effettuata presso l’SSD di Psicologia di questa Azienda Ospedaliera. Tale lavoro si inserisce all’interno di un continuum, con un richiamo alle radici scientifiche e cliniche da cui il gruppo di lavoro ha preso l’avvio, verso prospettive future di assessment e intervento, con denominatore comune il concetto di una presa in carico globale del soggetto e della sua famiglia.

The following work is focused on the theoretical investigation, about the development of opportunities for linking the reality of caregiving, with its emotional and relational consequences, and a way of relating to one's own experience, mindfulness, aimed at eliminating automatic modes of reaction, guided by preconceptions, categorizations and routines, to act responses oriented to the present, aware and non-judgmental. This is an excerpt from the Master's thesis in Science of the Mind of V. De Rosa, developed during the period of internship at the ASO of Alessandria (SSA of Psychology), and advanced in collaboration with the Psychologist Tutor, Dr. P. Valorio, and the supervisor, Prof. G.C. Geminiani, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Turin. In particular, in the first chapter there will be a review of the literature on caregivers, relational modes and responses, often stress, that are established during a period of life which is often accompanied by a sense of overwhelm and uncertainty for the future. In the second chapter, however, we will delve into the studies on mindfulness, its history, its developments and the constant progress of research; we will see how more and more branches of psychology, social sciences and neuroscience are approaching the study of its effectiveness with curiosity. Finally, in the third chapter, we will discuss the proposal of the inclusion of mindfulness elements in the path of psychological support to caregivers. This experiential approach has numerous potentials and applications, and more and more are being proposed. The area of interest in this work is the mindful approach to the reality of life of family caregivers for people with physical, motor or mental deficits that require daily assistance. We will therefore explore various aspects related to both caregiver engagement and the applicability of mindfulness in this area.

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TCE) is trauma caused by an external force that can result in reduced consciousness. Following TCE, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes may occur as soon as the patient gradually begins to regain consciousness. The objective of this work is to provide a theoretical and applicative insight into the assessment and treatment tools for emotional and/or neurobehavioral aspects following TCE. Methodology: The current article is a recent update of the analysis of the literature and the possible effects on the implementation of clinical interventions, which takes its cue from initial theoretical reflections arising from the Field Training Group "Behavioral Disorders following Cranial Trauma" (2012- SSA Psychology), and from the clinical experience of the following years. Results: The work led to the description of the methodologies of assessment and intervention of these issues in the different stages of evolution of the disease. In addition, the final part describes the applicative experience of psychoeducational intervention groups, with the person with severe acquired brain injury. Conclusions: In TCE, the emotional-behavioral and disease awareness aspects play a decisive role in the rehabilitation process. It is, therefore, important to make appropriate assessments and intervene promptly to facilitate the rehabilitation process.