Irene Petruccelli

Health-Related Characteristics and Unmet Needs of Men with Erectile Dysfunction: A Survey in Five European Countries

INTRODUCTION Data suggest that ED is still an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. In addition, it seems that men with ED are unsatisfied about their relationship with their physician and with the available drugs. AIM The study aims to identify health-related characteristics and unmet needs of patients suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) in big 5 European Union (EU) nations (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK). METHODS Data were collected from the 2011 5EU National Health and Wellness-Survey on a population of 28,511 adult men (mean age: 47.18; SD 16.07) and was focused on men (5,184) who self-reported ED in the past 6 months. In addition, the quality of life (QoL) and work productivity/activity were explored. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Health-related QoL (HRQoL) and work productivity were measured with SF-12v2 and WPAI validated psychometric tools. RESULTS One in every 20 young men (age 18-39) across 5EU experienced ED in the past 6 months. About half of men (2,702/5,184; [52%]) with ED across all ages did not discuss their condition with their physician. Interestingly, among those men who did discuss their condition with their physician, 68% (1,668/2,465) do not currently use medication. These findings were more evident in the age group of 18-39 years. Only 48% (2,465/5,184) had a closer relationship with their physician, suggesting that this quality of relationship may be unsatisfactory. Compared with controls, ED patients have a significantly higher intrapsychic and relational psychopathological comorbid burden and relevant decreasing in HRQoL, with a significantly higher impairment on work productivity/activity. CONCLUSION Data suggest that there is a need for a new therapeutic paradigm in ED treatment which images the achievement of a new alliance between physician and patient. Hence, alternative drug delivery strategies may reduce the psychological and social impact of this disease.

Intimate Partner Violence: Relationships Between Alexithymia, Depression, Attachment Styles, and Coping Strategies of Battered Women

INTRODUCTION One of the most common forms of violence against women is the intimate partner violence (IPV). This term includes physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and controlling behaviors by an intimate partner. AIM This exploratory study investigates the relationship between alexithymia, adult attachment styles, depression, and coping strategies in a group of female victims of IPV and a control group. METHODS Participants were 80 female victims of IPV with an age range from 18 years to 54 years (mean 31.62; standard deviation 9.81). The control group included 80 women with no history of IPV with an age range from 19 years to 37 years (mean 25.05; standard deviation 3.67). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We administered the following self-report questionnaires: (i) 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20); (ii) Coping Orientation Problems Experienced; (iii) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II; and (iv) Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). RESULTS Compared with control group, the IPV group showed higher mean scores on TAS-20 (52.9 vs. 41.1, P < 0.001) and BDI-II (19.50 vs. 9.95, P < 0.001). In both groups, we found significant correlations between BDI-II and TAS-20 total scores (P < 0.001) and between BDI-II and the following dimensions of ASQ: confidence (P < 0.001), discomfort with closeness (P = 0.002), relationships as secondary (P < 0.001), need for approval (P < 0.001), and preoccupation with relationships (P < 0.001). Differently from the control group, in the IPV group, social support correlated significantly and positively (P < 0.001) with the dimension preoccupation with relationships on ASQ, but not with the secure attachment style. CONCLUSIONS In comparison to the control group, alexithymia, depressive symptoms, and an insecure attachment style were negatively correlated with the ability to cope with stress for women in the IPV group.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms, dissociation, and alexithymia in an Italian sample of flood victims.

Background Several studies have demonstrated a significant association between dissociation and posttraumatic symptoms. A dissociative reaction during a traumatic event may seem to predict the later development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Moreover, several researchers also observed an alexithymic condition in a variety of traumatized samples. Methods A total of 287 flood victims (men =159, 55.4%; women =128, 44.6%) with an age range of 17–21 years (mean =18.33; standard deviation =0.68) completed the following: Impact of Event Scale–Revised, Dissociative Experiences Scale II, Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire. Results We found significant correlations among all variables. Linear regression showed that peritraumatic dissociation plays a mediator role between alexithymia, dissociation, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Conclusion Our results seem to confirm the significant roles of both dissociation and alexithymia for the development of posttraumatic symptoms.

Alcohol drinking patterns in young people: A survey-based study:

Binge drinking represents a major clinical and public health concern. Here, we investigated the prevalence of binge drinking and its related consequences, in a population of young adults. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 4275 healthy subjects. In the overall sample, the percentage of binge drinkers was 67.6 per cent; among regular alcohol users, 79.5 per cent reported episodes of binge drinking. Among binge drinkers, several serious consequences were identified (staggering and stuttering, amnesia, loss of control, aggressiveness, sexual disinhibition). Raising awareness about the seriousness of binge drinking may help health care providers to identify cases early on and provide appropriate treatments.

Questionnaires and scales for the evaluation of the online sexual activities: A review of 20 years of research

An increasing number of people use the Internet for Online Sexual Activities (OSA). This sexual revolution has resulted in both positive and negative aspects, enriching sexual functioning but also providing other risks for criminal, negative and harmful sexual conducts, or Online Sexual Problems (OSP). A deeper understanding of Internet sexuality is therefore important for practitioners who work in the psychological and sexological fields. Current studies on Internet sexuality span a broad spectrum with respect to data collection: interviews, questionnaires, observations, content analyses and Internet log file recordings have all been used. The aim of this paper is to offer the most complete overview of these instruments focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of different tools currently available to assess different dimensions of OSA, and to suggest a simple screener for OSP. A systematic search of published online sexual activities inventories was performed using PsychInfo and Pubmed (1993 to July 2013). Although many of them are adequate for their own purposes, our review revealed a lack of standardized, internationally (culturally) accepted tools that are epidemiologically validated in general populations and that can be used to investigate OSA and to assess OSP. The definitions of OSA and OSP continue to change and basic tools are essential to have a broader idea of the phenomenon and of the challenges and possibilities emerging from the double link between the Internet and sexuality. More accurate instruments are also necessary to help advanced clinical diagnosis and treatment for OSP.

Moral Disengagement Strategies in Sex Offenders

Sexual abuse is a heterogeneous phenomenon. The literature on sexual offenders considers risk factors in the individual and familial history as well as precursors such as cognitive distortions, defence mechanisms and moral disengagement (MD) mechanisms. This study investigates the MD in sex offenders and non-sex offenders in a sample of 362 males comprising a control group of 268 non-offenders, a group of 42 detained sex offenders and a group of 52 detained non-sex offenders. Participants were administered a semi-structured interview and the Moral Disengagement Scale (MDS). The results show a significant difference between the jailed participants (non-sex offenders and sex offenders) and controls; offenders were found to generally display overall higher levels of MD. Among the jailed participants, sex offenders seem to make more use of MD mechanisms than non-sex offenders.

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). During the last decade, it has been translated and validated in different countries and languages. This study aims to establish the psychometric properties of the Italian Version of the YSQ-L3. We enrolled two groups: a clinical (n = 148) and a non-clinical one (n = 918). We investigated the factor structure, reliability and convergent validity with anxiety and depression between clinical and non-clinical groups. The results highlighted a few relevant findings. Cronbachs alpha showed significant values for all the schemas. All of the factor models do not seem highly adequate, even if the hierarchical model has proven to be the most significant one. Furthermore, the questionnaire confirms the ability to discriminate between clinical and non-clinical groups and could represent a useful tool in the clinical practice. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Moral Disengagement and Psychopathy: A Study on Offenders in Italian Jails

This article investigates mechanisms of moral disengagement and psychopathy in offender detainees (sex offenders and non-sex offenders). In particular, this article investigates whether, in all offenders, moral disengagement and psychopathy are correlated, if there are any differences between sex offenders and non-sex offenders as to psychopathy, and if there are any differences between rapists and child molesters in regard to their levels of psychopathy. The results indicate that, in all offenders, levels of moral disengagement are associated with levels of psychopathy, while sex offenders are more selfish, more insensitive and less remorseful than non-sex offenders. It is also found that rapists display more antisocial behaviour problematic elements in their lifestyle than child molesters. As well as increasing the dedicated literature, studying the mechanisms and characteristics of offenders – and of sex offenders in particular – may be of considerable importance for the promotion of effective and targeted treatment strategies.

Drug Use as a Risk Factor of Moral Disengagement: A Study on Drug Traffickers and Offenders against Other Persons

This study investigates the moral-disengagement strategies and influence of drug use in adolescence on 49 offenders in Italian jails, 30 of which are drug traffickers and 19 of which are offenders against other persons. A semi-structured interview was conducted to collect data on family, social and medical histories and the manner in which the deviant act was carried out, and the Moral Disengagement Scale was used to identify specific moral disengagement mechanisms. The results show that the traffickers reported higher levels of general moral disengagement, dehumanization of victims, and advantageous comparison with respect to offenders against other persons. However, the offenders who used drugs in adolescence reported higher levels of advantageous comparison with respect to offenders who did not use drugs. Studying self-regulatory mechanisms is important for enriching the literature about risk factors connected with moral disengagement and deviant behaviour committed by offenders in order to implement the promotion of effective and targeted treatment and educational strategies.

Obsessive-Compulsive Aspects and Pathological Gambling in an Italian Sample

Introduction. Gambling behaviour appears as repetitive and difficult to resist and seems to be aimed at neutralizing or reducing negative feelings such as anxiety and tension, confirming its similarities with the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. Aims. Estimating the prevalence of gambling behaviour in an Italian sample and assessing the effects of sociodemographic variables and the correlations between gambling behaviour and obsessive-compulsive features. Methods. A sample of 300 Italian subjects was evaluated based on gambling behaviours and obsessive-compulsive attitudes. The assessment was carried out in small centers in Italy, mainly in coffee and tobacco shops, where slot machines are located, using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the MOCQ-R, a reduced form of Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Questionnaire. Results. A negative correlation between SOGS and MOPQ-R, with reference to the control and cleaning subscales, was evidenced in the majority of the examined subjects. Both evaluating instruments showed reliability and a good discriminative capacity. Conclusions. Our study evidenced that the sample of gamblers we analysed did not belong to the obsessive-compulsive disorders area, supporting the validity of the model proposed by DSM-5 for the classification of PG. These data confirm the importance of investing in treatments similar to those used for substance use disorders.