Marta Ghisi

Bio: Marta Ghisi is an academic researcher from University of Padua. The author has contributed to research in topics: Anxiety & Psychology. The author has an hindex of 22, co-authored 90 publications receiving 1908 citations.

Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced-Nuova Versione Italiana (COPE-NVI): uno strumento per la misura degli stili di coping

Abstract: Scopo del presente lavoro e l’aggiornamento della versione italiana del Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced (COPE). Il COPE – Nuova Versione Italiana (COPE-NVI) costituisce infatti un miglioramento della precedente versione italiana del COPE, misura sviluppata originariamente negli Stati Uniti. Il COPE-NVI e stato somministrato a 458 individui (50% femmine) appartenenti alla popolazione generale, assieme a diverse misure di psicopatologia e a una misura di benessere. Un’analisi fattoriale confermativa ha evidenziato che lo strumento e composto da cinque grandi dimensioni sostanzialmente indipendenti: Sostegno sociale, Strategie di evitamento, Attitudine positiva, Orientamento al problema e Orientamento trascendente. Queste dimensioni si sono rivelate di buona consistenza interna e stabilita temporale; nessuna differenza effettiva e stata riscontrata in rapporto al livello di istruzione, genere ed eta. Le Strategie di evitamento sono quelle maggiormente correlate con il disagio emotivo, mentre l’Attitudine positiva e l’Orientamento al problema si associano a un minor disagio e maggior benessere. Infi ne, il Sostegno sociale e l’Orientamento trascendente non correlano con il benessere psicologico. Il COPE-NVI puo essere considerato uno strumento utile e psicometricamente valido per la misura degli stili di coping nel contesto italiano.

A Nationwide Survey of Psychological Distress among Italian People during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors.

Abstract: The uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has called for unprecedented measures, to the extent that the Italian government has imposed a quarantine on the entire country. Quarantine has a huge impact and can cause considerable psychological strain. The present study aims to establish the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and identify risk and protective factors for psychological distress in the general population. An online survey was administered from 18-22 March 2020 to 2766 participants. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression models were constructed to examine the associations between sociodemographic variables; personality traits; depression, anxiety, and stress. Female gender, negative affect, and detachment were associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Having an acquaintance infected was associated with increased levels of both depression and stress, whereas a history of stressful situations and medical problems was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Finally, those with a family member infected and young person who had to work outside their domicile presented higher levels of anxiety and stress, respectively. This epidemiological picture is an important benchmark for identifying persons at greater risk of suffering from psychological distress and the results are useful for tailoring psychological interventions targeting the post-traumatic nature of the distress.

Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications

Abstract: This paper provides a concise but comprehensive review of research on religion/spirituality (R/S) and both mental health and physical health. It is based on a systematic review of original data-based quantitative research published in peer-reviewed journals between 1872 and 2010, including a few seminal articles published since 2010. First, I provide a brief historical background to set the stage. Then I review research on R/S and mental health, examining relationships with both positive and negative mental health outcomes, where positive outcomes include well-being, happiness, hope, optimism, and gratefulness, and negative outcomes involve depression, suicide, anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse, delinquency/crime, marital instability, and personality traits (positive and negative). I then explain how and why R/S might influence mental health. Next, I review research on R/S and health behaviors such as physical activity, cigarette smoking, diet, and sexual practices, followed by a review of relationships between R/S and heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, immune functions, endocrine functions, cancer, overall mortality, physical disability, pain, and somatic symptoms. I then present a theoretical model explaining how R/S might influence physical health. Finally, I discuss what health professionals should do in light of these research findings and make recommendations in this regard.

Validity and reliability.

Abstract: For the statistical consultant working with social science researchers the estimation of reliability and validity is a task frequently encountered. Measurement issues differ in the social sciences in that they are related to the quantification of abstract, intangible and unobservable constructs. In many instances, then, the meaning of quantities is only inferred. Let us begin by a general description of the paradigm that we are dealing with. Most concepts in the behavioral sciences have meaning within the context of the theory that they are a part of. Each concept, thus, has an operational definition which is governed by the overarching theory. If a concept is involved in the testing of hypothesis to support the theory it has to be measured. So the first decision that the research is faced with is \" how shall the concept be measured? \" That is the type of measure. At a very broad level the type of measure can be observational, self-report, interview, etc. These types ultimately take shape of a more specific form like observation of ongoing activity, observing video-taped events, self-report measures like questionnaires that can be open-ended or close-ended, Likert-type scales, interviews that are structured, semi-structured or unstructured and open-ended or close-ended. Needless to say, each type of measure has specific types of issues that need to be addressed to make the measurement meaningful, accurate, and efficient. Another important feature is the population for which the measure is intended. This decision is not entirely dependent on the theoretical paradigm but more to the immediate research question at hand. 6/14/2016 2 A third point that needs mentioning is the purpose of the scale or measure. What is it that the researcher wants to do with the measure? Is it developed for a specific study or is it developed with the anticipation of extensive use with similar populations? Once some of these decisions are made and a measure is developed, which is a careful and tedious process, the relevant questions to raise are \" how do we know that we are indeed measuring what we want to measure? \" since the construct that we are measuring is abstract, and \" can we be sure that if we repeated the measurement we will get the same result? \". The first question is related to validity and second to reliability. Validity and reliability are two important characteristics of behavioral measure and are referred to as …