Luigi Pedrabissi

Discriminant validity of the Vineland Scales: Score profiles of individuals with mental retardation and a specific disorder

Utility of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Expanded Form to discriminate among areas of adaptive behavior was substantiated by comparing profiles of scores obtained by three groups of individuals with mental retardation and either a communication, social behavior, or motor abilities disorder with those of matched individuals with mental retardation but no other disorder. Individuals with social behavior disorders obtained lower scores only in the Socialization domain; those with motor disorders, in the Motor domain and in the Personal and Domestic subscales that require motor competencies; and those with communication disorders, lower scores in the Communication domain and in the Community and Interpersonal Relationships subscales requiring expressive competencies. The utility of the Vineland Scales in obtaining an ecological evaluation of individuals with mental retardation is discussed.

The Psychopathology Inventory for Mentally Retarded Adults: factor structure and comparisons between subjects with or without dual diagnosis

Whether the Psychopathology Inventory for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA) could detect specific psychopathological disorders was investigated in 652 subjects with different levels of mental retardation living in the community or in residential facilities. An exploratory factor analysis was carried out to check the scale organization of PIMRA. The Anxiety, Adjustment Disorder, Somatoform Disorder, and Soundness Scales were confirmed by 4 corresponding factors; the Psychosexual Disorder Scale was replaced by a factor specific to gender identity problems, and the Schizophrenia Scale by two factors concerning isolation and bizarre behaviors, respectively. The items of the Depression Scale were distributed over the three factors concerning anxiety, adjustment, and psychosomatic disorders, while the items of the Personality Disorder Scale were scattered over almost all the factors. Moreover, 55 subjects with anxiety disorders and 49 with depression were compared to 50 control subjects of the same age, intelligence level, and gender ratio but without dual diagnosis and obtained significantly higher factorial scores both on the overall scale and on the factors specifically related to their disorders. PIMRA has been found to show good construct validity. These results could be considered particularly valid as they were obtained from a large sample comprising different levels of mental retardation and thus showing all possible psychopathological behaviors.

Graphology and Personality: An Empirical Study on Validity of Handwriting Analysis:

The aim of the present work was to examine validity of the graphological method to assess personality traits. The results of two studies are described. In Study 1, the Big Five Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 101 university students who provided a sample of a handwritten text. Two graphologists were asked to detect the same dimensions and facets measured by the Big Five Questionnaire using a 9-point scale. Correlations between the Big Five Questionnaire and graphological evaluations did not confirm the capability of handwriting analysis to measure Big Five personality traits. Also, interrater reliability was very low. Study 2 (N = 102) was carried out using handwritten texts with autobiographical content for the graphological analysis. Two different graphologists and two laypersons were involved. No evidence was found to validate the graphological method as a measure of personality.

School Adjustment and Academic Achievement: Parental Expectations and Socio‐cultural Background

Primary school pupils adjustment and academic achievement and the effects of their socio‐cultural background on their parents expectations were conducted on a group of 216 high or low status Italian children, used to speaking Italian or in dialect at home. The parental forecast was expressed in October using the same scale as adopted by the teachers in June, aimed at evaluating both dimensions. A significant relationship emerged indicating that there is a significant similarity between adjustment and achievement; moreover, it appears that the parents, compared to the teaching staff, were considerably more indulgent in judging their childrens achievement compared to their capacity to adjust. For both, however, the agreement limits between initial expectations and final judgements were higher in the case of upper class pupils or those speaking Italian as opposed to lower class ones or those speaking in dialect. Parental influence on the capacity to adjust and academic achievement is discussed.

Caregiver Evaluation in Hospice Application of a Semi-Structured Interview

In this study we report the results of construction and administration of a semi-structured interview for the evaluation of caregivers in hospice. The results presented here are related to interviews (n = 25) that were administered at Rimini Hospice. According to the interview coding system, it was possible to identify thematic areas of the interviews where the caregiver’s distress was mainly concentrated. As concerning the care burden, greater distress was detected in areas relating to the change in the rhythm of life (38%) and in social network (26%); whereas, as concerning the psychological burden, a greater distress was detected in the area related to the caregiver role (51%). In conclusion, a singular element identified as a source of distress in, our study, is that of social network.

Death Representation of Caregivers in Hospice

In this study, we investigated caregiver’s death representation in hospice. The results presented here are a further analysis of the data collected in our previous study, concerning the evaluation of the caregiver in hospice. The data analysis of 24 caregivers of patients hospitalized in Rimini Hospice (Italy) underlined that caregivers avoiding death representation of the patient admitted to hospice had fewer protective factors (52.3%) and more risk factors (47.7%) than caregivers nonavoiding (66.5% and 33.5%, respectively). Caregivers avoiding death representation, moreover, experienced a greater distress (58%) than those nonavoiding (42%).