Stefano Lassi

Internalizing correlates of dyslexia

BackgroundOver the last ten years a considerable amount of literature has described the socio-emotional discomfort that is often associated with learning disorders at all ages, but a comprehensive review about internalizing symptoms in dyslexia is needed.Data sourcesMedical and psychological search engines (PubMed, PsychArticles and Academic Search Elite) were used to identify all those studies published in peer-reviewed journals, relative to the association of reading difficulties, dyslexia, or learning disorders/disabilities, and internalizing symptoms, anxiety, or depression.ResultsThe present review of studies confirms dyslexia as a specific risk factor for an increased internalizing, anxious and depressive symptomatology. The severity of dyslexia, its comorbidity with attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder, the level of perceived social support and female gender are some of the factors that mostly influence its psycho-social outcomes.ConclusionFindings of this review confirm that suitable social, health and school policies aimed at identifying and treating dyslexia as a cause of discomfort are called for, and confirm the clinical need to assess and contrast additional risk factors that may increase the probability of this suffering in dyslexic students.

Quality of life in pharmacological intervention on autism spectrum disorders

Purpose – In psychiatry the concept of quality of life (QoL) has gradually acquired importance and interest, becoming a valuable outcome for many clinical trials. In pharmacological research on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), most used outcome measures rely on the effect on behavioural symptoms and functioning impairment, while QoL has rarely been considered. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic mapping of the literature on QoL as a new outcome measure in psychopharmacological research for adults with ASD.Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed the international literature on the basis of the following questions: did pharmacological interventions on ASD include QoL as an outcome measure? If yes, how and to what extent? What consideration was given to generic (whole‐person) QoL?Findings – The literature mapping shows an extreme lack of studies including QoL as an outcome measure. The few contributions present in the literature show significant conceptual and methodological limit...

Quality of life and living arrangements for people with intellectual disability

Purpose – Recent international experiences of community inclusion have produced a major change in residential care for people with intellectual disability (ID). Assignment and outcome assessment through new person‐centred measures are raising increasing interest; however, the information on quality of life and accommodation is still limited. This paper aims to provide an overview of the application of quality of life models and the size of the provision of different living arrangements.Design/methodology/approach – A systematic mapping of the literature of the last decade was followed by an expert guided review of the available evidence.Findings – QoL outcomes measures of living arrangements in people with ID show conceptual and methodological challenges. The following key topics were identified: individual level: issues related to health status, behavioural problems and other personal factors (ageing, choice and empowerment); family and peers; local level: accommodation, architecture and urbanization, an...

Update on psychopharmacology for autism spectrum disorders

Purpose – The management of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) requires a multimodal approach of behavioural, educational and pharmacological treatments. At present, there are no available drugs to treat the core symptoms of ASDs and therefore a wide range of psychotropic medications are used in the management of problems behaviours, co-occurring psychiatric disorders and other associated features. The purpose of this paper is to map the literature on pharmacological treatment in persons with ASD in order to identify those most commonly used, choice criteria, and safety. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic mapping of the recent literature was undertaken on the basis of the following questions: What are the most frequently used psychoactive compounds in ASD? What are the criteria guiding the choice of a specific compound? How effective and safe is every psychoactive drug used in ASD? The literature search was conducted through search engines available on Medline, Medmatrix, NHS Eviden...

Role of Religion and Spirituality on Mental Health and Resilience: There is Enough Evidence

Religion and Spirituality often involve core emotional and social experiences, attitudes, affective states (both positive –such as faith, hope, courage, compassion, love, forgiveness- and negative –e.g. anxiety, anger), beliefs, world views, values, life goals and practices, that shape the personal identity and existence of many human beings. Occasionally these experiences may influence states of consciousness (e. g. calming, peaceful), life-styles, significant relationships, the meaning is given to suffering and distress, coping strategies, and the motivation to receive different types of help and support, especially in case of acute or chronic distress.