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La psicologia clinica ha affrontato nel suo sviluppo questioni come la felicità, la resilienza e il funzionamento ottimale individuale. Tuttavia, l’approccio tradizionale alla salute mentale si è attenuto strettamente al modello medico di benessere e disagio psicologico, dove il benessere è considerato come l’assenza di malattia. D’altro canto, la psicologia positiva si è focalizzata sullo studio delle risorse e della positività negli individui, nei gruppi e nelle istituzioni, spesso trascurando i fattori di rischio per la salute e la psicopatologia. Questo volume si propone di integrare le tradizionali prospettive della psicologia clinica con quelle nuove emergenti dalla psicologia positiva, e propone un approccio clinico integrato in cui la definizione e la promozione della salute mentale positiva sono in linea con una concezione biopsicosociale dell’individuo. Viene così presentato un modello di psicologia clinica positiva dove il benessere, il disagio psicologico e la psicopatologia risultano reciprocamente interconnessi. Un testo utile a psicologi, psicoterapeuti, medici, operatori sanitari, pedagogisti ed educatori.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been able to establish itself in recent years not only in academic-scientific, but also in everyday dermatological practice. Its focus lies on epithelial tumors of the skin, which can be diagnosed intuitively and within a few seconds. Thus, basal cell carcinomas, actinic keratoses, and different stages of field cancerization can be diagnosed and monitored for response to therapy or possible recurrence. This often helps to avoid invasive sample extraction. Recently, the field of OCT and its latest advancement, dynamic OCT (D-OCT), has been expanded to include non-oncologic dermatological diseases. This encompasses inflammatory dermatoses and the analysis of physiological skin parameters such as hydration. Thanks to automated vascular imaging and the measurement of objective parameters such as epidermal thickness, blood flow at depth, optical attenuation coefficient, and skin roughness, more and more characteristics of the skin can be studied in a noninvasive and standardized way. New potential areas of application are eczema, contact allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, telangiectasia, acute and chronic wounds, melasma and nevus flammeus but also melanocytic lesions.Die optische Kohärenztomographie (OCT) konnte sich in den letzten Jahren nicht nur im akademisch-wissenschaftlichen, sondern auch im dermatologischen Alltag etablieren. Hierbei liegt ihr Hauptfokus auf epithelialen Hauttumoren, deren Diagnostik intuitiv und innerhalb weniger Sekunden gelingt. Dadurch können Basalzellkarzinome, aktinische Keratosen und unterschiedliche Stufen der Feldkanzerisierung diagnostiziert und auf Therapieansprechen oder ein eventuelles Rezidiv überwacht werden. Dies ermöglicht häufig einen Verzicht auf eine invasive Probeentnahme. Seit Kurzem wurde das Einsatzgebiet der OCT und ihrer neuesten Weiterentwicklung, der dynamischen OCT (D-OCT), um weitere nichtonkologische dermatologische Krankheitsbilder, vor allem entzündliche Dermatosen, erweitert. Analysiert werden können ebenso physiologische Hautparameter, wie die Hydratisierung. Dank der automatischen Gefäßdarstellung und der Messung objektiver Parameter, wie Epidermisdicke, Blutfluss in unterschiedlichen Tiefen, Abschwächungskoeffizient und Rauheit, können immer mehr Charakteristika der Haut nichtinvasiv und standardisiert untersucht werden. Neue potenzielle Einsatzgebiete sind Ekzeme, kontaktallergische Dermatitis, Psoriasis, Rosazea, Teleangiektasien, akute wie chronische Wunden, Melasma und Naevus flammeus, aber auch melanozytäre Läsionen.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal laser microscopy (CLSM) are established non-invasive methods in clinical dermatological routine diagnosis. Whereas CLSM is especially useful to distinguish between nevi and melanoma, OCT is suitable for the diagnosis and differentiation of non-melanoma skin cancer. Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is a new innovative device, which has better cellular resolution than OCT and a higher penetration depth than CLSM. Similar to CLSM, LC-OCT also allows 3D images in real time to be taken. Therefore LC-OCT is very useful for the examination of skin lesions of all kinds, since it unites the features of CLSM and OCT.Die optische Kohärenztomographie (OCT) und die konfokale Lasermikroskopie (KLM) sind in der klinischen dermatologischen Routinediagnostik bereits etablierte nichtinvasive Methoden. Während die KLM insbesondere hilfreich bei der Unterscheidung von Naevi und Melanomen ist, eignet sich die OCT vor allem zur Diagnostik und Differenzierung von nichtmelanozytärem Hautkrebs. Die LC-OCT („line-field confocal optical coherence tomography“) hingegen ist ein neues innovatives Verfahren, das über eine bessere zelluläre Auflösung als die OCT und höhere Eindringtiefe als die KLM verfügt. Mit der LC-OCT sind im Vergleich zur KLM auch 3‑D-Aufnahmen in Echtzeit möglich. Sie eignet sich sehr gut zur Untersuchung von Hautläsionen aller Art, da sie die Vorteile von KLM und OCT vereint.

This chapter describes the application of a well-being promoting strategy (child Well-being Therapy) in a 14 year old girl, who was referred to counselling for dealing with a stressfull family environment. After describing the role of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in influencing children psychological developmental processes, the chapter describes the clinical articulation of the intevention, ant its main clinical outcomes. This chapter describes a clinical case where the implemetation of well-being promoting staregies yielded beneficial effects in this young girl and promoted her resilience.

Background: In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a novel non-invasive diagnostic tool, which is used to differentiate skin lesions. Even in lesions with similar dermatoscopic images, RCM may improve diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Three sets of false ‘’twin lesions’’ with similar macroscopic and dermatoscopic images are matched. All lesions are evaluated with RCM and lesions are excised for further evaluation. Corresponding features in confocal images, dermatoscopy and histopathology are discussed. Results: In all matched pairs, one of the lesions was diagnosed as melanoma with the observation of melanoma findings such as: epidermal disarray, pagetoid cells in epidermis and cellular atypia at the junction. Benign lesions were differentiated easily with RCM imaging. Conclusion: Examining dermatoscopically difficult and/or similar lesions with RCM facilitates diagnostic and therapeutic decision making. Using RCM in daily practice may contribute to a decrease in unnecessary excisions.

Writing Therapy (WT) is defined as a process of investigation about personal thoughts and feelings using the act of writing as an instrument, with the aim of promoting self-healing and personal growth. WT has been integrated in specific psychotherapies with the aim of treating specific mental disorders (PTSD, depression, etc.). More recently, WT has been included in several Positive Interventions (PI) as a useful tool to promote psychological well-being. This narrative review was conducted by searching on scientific databases and analyzing essential studies, academic books and journal articles where writing therapy was applied. The aim of this review is to describe and summarize the use of WT across various psychotherapies, from the traditional applications as expressive writing, or guided autobiography, to the phenomenological-existential approach (Logotherapy) and, more recently, to the use of WT within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Finally, the novel applications of writing techniques from a positive psychology perspective will be analyzed. Accordingly, the applications of WT for promoting forgiveness, gratitude, wisdom and other positive dimensions will be illustrated. The results of this review show that WT yield therapeutic effects on symptoms and distress, but it also promotes psychological well-being. The use of writing can be a standalone treatment or it can be easily integrated as supplement in other therapeutic approaches. This review might help clinician and counsellors to apply the simple instrument of writing to promote insight, healing and well-being in clients, according to their specific clinical needs and therapeutic goals.

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) may favor the psychological adaptation to chronic illnesses. However, few studies investigated PTG in Parkinson's Disease (PD). This study aims to investigate PTG in patients with PD, by exploring disease-specific features and assessing its impact on distress, well-being, and quality of life. A mixed methodology with a convergent parallel design was used. 54 patients were classified according to their level of PTG (low PTG, medium PTG, and high PTG). PD patients with high PTG showed a more positive psychological adaptation and less distress when compared to patients with less PTG. Forty-nine patients were interviewed and their transcripts were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. The emerged themes confirmed the traditional dimensions of PTG model, but a specific theme connected to a new body awareness was identified. Patients with high PTG were more likely to report positive statements following PD diagnosis, particularly concerning spirituality and maintaining a good physical functioning. PTG presents peculiar characteristics in PD and it may favor a better psychological adjustment following the diagnosis.

Objectives: Eudaimonic well-being (EWB), increasingly recognized as a critical component of health, typically declines in later life, and there are no existing programs to sustain or increase EWB in older adults. Lighten UP! is an 8-week program to promote EWB through facilitated group sessions in community settings and at-home practice. Building on earlier pilot research, the current study assessed the effect of the Lighten UP! Program using a longitudinal, multi-site design. Methods: Men and women (N=169) aged 60 and over were recruited from three Wisconsin communities. EWB, life satisfaction, depression, and diverse aspects of health were assessed before and after the program and at 6-month follow up. Results: Participants reported significantly increased EWB; these changes were maintained 6months later. The specific EWB domains of self-acceptance, positive relations, and personal growth showed the most robust gains. Participants also showed significant and sustained declines in depressive symptoms, anxiety, and hostility. Conclusions: Lighten UP! Program confirmed its positive effects for enhancing EWB in older adults living in multiple community settings. Clinical Implications: Programs that sustain or enhance EWB in older adults can be expected to yield improvements in diverse aspects of mental and physical health.

Background and purpose: Music Therapy has become a consolidated strategy to relief stress in children during hospitalization, and previous research demonstrated its efficacy on individuals’ health. This is a systematic review of literature on the application of music therapy with children and adolescent with cancer, with the aim of evaluating its feasibility and its benefits, in terms of physical and mental health. Methods Database search was carried out via PubMed, PsycINFO and SCOPUS, using an age restriction of 0–24 years and the following keywords: (cancer OR oncology) AND music. Search was conducted from inception to June 2020. Results From 462 studies retrieved, 19 were selected and included in this research, with 596 participants. They received three different types of music therapy: receptive music therapy (n = 4), active music therapy (n = 9) and the combined method of receptive and active interventions (n = 6). These studies indicated a significant reduction of psychological distress (n = 9) and an increase in well-being (n = 8). 8 articles evaluated the effects on subjective pain and other biological parameters, with inconclusive results. Conclusion Music therapy, in paediatric oncology, seems to have a good feasibility and positive effects on mental and physical health. Nevertheless, some critical issues have emerged, such as the heterogeneity of interventions and study designs, which make generalizability still difficult. These and other clinical implications are discussed.

Chile is currently experiencing a progressive epidemiological transition towards chronic diseases. In this country, >50% of annual deaths are attributed to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Moreover, health surveys have shown high prevalence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and elevated cardiovascular disease risk. In addition, mental health issues are also frequent among Chilean adults. On the other hand, the agri-food system contributes to 21–37% of greenhouse gases emissions worldwide. Overall, current health and food chain situation calls out for design and implementation of evidence-based feasible and effective nutritional interventions needed to promote physical and mental health along with addressing food sustainability in Chile. Nowadays, the Mediterranean diet is recognized as one of the healthiest dietary patterns based on observational and interventional studies linked to a wide variety of health outcomes. However, a Mediterranean lifestyle goes well beyond food intake: it includes promotion of psychosocial resources, community life as well as cultural traditions. Indeed, Mediterranean lifestyle is a true modus vivendi that integrally promotes physical, mental, and social well-being. In addition, the Mediterranean diet stands out for its environmental sustainability because it is characterized mainly as a plant-based dietary pattern with low carbon and water footprints. Remarkably, Central Chile has a Mediterranean-like setting with plant and animal food production and availability patterns comparable to those present in countries located around the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, this article reviews how promotion of Mediterranean lifestyle adherence in Chile offers great potential for management of the ongoing epidemiological transition to chronic diseases as well to promote psychological well-being within a unique food system and dietary sustainability vision for this Latin American country.

Objectives: The study aimed: (1) to compare levels of well-being and distress in older adults living in nursing homes with those living in community; and (2) to test the feasibility of a positive narrative intervention for improving well-being versus a control art-and-craft intervention in a nursing home setting. Methods: Sixty older adults participated in the study (M = 77.37; SD = 5.00), Male = 20 (33.3%). In Study 1, 30 adults living in nursing homes were compared with 30 community-dwellers using the following measures: Satisfaction with Life Scale, Psychological Well-being Scale, Social Well-being Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, and sleep quality. In Study 2, the same 30 adults living in nursing homes were allocated to a positive narrative intervention group (N = 20) or to a control group (N = 10) and assessed at post-intervention. Results: In Study 1, older adults in nursing homes presented more depression and impairments in well-being, compared to community-dwellers. In Study 2, at post-treatment, individuals assigned to the narrative intervention reported significantly increased well-being and sleep quality. Conclusions: Although preliminary, results showed that older adults living in nursing homes are more vulnerable than community-dwellers. These patients experienced improvement when given a short group positive narrative intervention applicable in nursing homes. Clinical Implications: A brief group intervention based on fairy tales yielded improvements in well-being and sleep quality in nursing home residents, who enjoyed and appreciated its content. These promising results need to be confirmed by future randomized controlled trials. © 2017 Taylor & Francis

Objectives The aim of this review is to summarize studies investigating subjective and psychological well-being in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Materials and methods A systematic and integrative review according to PRISMA criteria was performed with a literature search from inception up to September 2017 in multidisciplinary databases (PubMED, Scopus, Web of Knowledge) by combining together key words related to PD and well-being. Studies were included if: their full-text was available; they involved PD patients; focused on the selected positive dimensions; written in English. Case studies, conference proceedings, abstract, dissertations, book chapters, validation studies and reviews were excluded. Data extracted from the studies included sample characteristics, the positive dimension investigated, type of measure, study aims, design and results. One reviewer extracted details and commented results with other reviewers. The studies' quality was assessed following Kmet, Lee, and Cook. Results Out of 1425 studies extracted, 12 studies (9 quantitative, 2 qualitative, 1 mixed methods) involving 2204 patients with PD were included. Most of the studies had a cross-sectional design and/or evaluated the effect of physical rehabilitation on well-being. Articles documented that the illness could impair well-being for its progressive impact on patients' motor autonomy. Preserving motor and musculoskeletal functioning facilitate patients' experience of well-being, social contribution and the maintenance of their job. Conclusions Research on positive resources in PD is still scarce compared to other chronic illnesses. The few available investigations suggest the need of preserving motor abilities by proper rehabilitation programs for maintaining and/or promoting patients' well-being and life engagement.

Objectives: Aging is often characterized by declines in physical and mental health and increased risk for depression and social isolation. A protective factor that has been found to effectively moderate these phenomena is psychological well-being. The aim of his study was to pilot test a novel group intervention (Lighten UP! program) for the promotion of psychological well-being in older adults living in the community. Methods: Lighten UP! is an eight-week program consisting of 90-minute group session designed to teach participants to identify and savor positive experiences across multiple domains of eudaimonic well-being. It was delivered to a sample of 103 men and women aged 60 or over, that were assessed pre- and post-intervention with Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale (PWB), Life Satisfaction scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Symptom Questionnaire, and items measuring sleep complaints and social well-being. Results: At the end of the eight weeks, participants reported significantly increased PWB, life satisfaction, and social well-being along with lower levels of depression and fewer physical symptoms and sleep complaints. These gains were particularly robust for individuals with lower pre-program levels of PWB. Conclusions: This pilot investigation suggests the feasibility of a short group program for enhancing well-being in older adults. Future controlled investigations with long-term follow-up assessment are needed to confirm the effectiveness and sustained benefits of the Lighten UP! program. © 2015 Taylor & Francis

Background: The bulk of research on motherhood has focused on perinatal depression, largely overlooking indicators of women’s positive mental health which can likewise have pervasive consequences on family functioning. Objective: The aim of the present study was to address this issue by exploring the impact of parity and childbirth on both women’s perinatal depression and psychological well-being. Methods: A convenience sample of 81 women was followed during pregnancy (Time 1) and postpartum (Time 2). At both times, participants completed the Edinburgh Depression Scale and the Psychological Well-being Scales, measuring perceived autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Results: Significant negative correlations were observed between depression and psychological well-being dimensions. ANCOVA and mixed ANOVA analyses showed that depression levels did not differ between primiparous and multiparous women, or between pre- and postpartum assessments. By contrast, after childbirth, primiparous women reported higher values of environmental mastery and self-acceptance than multiparous women. In addition, levels of self-acceptance and personal growth increased from pregnancy to postpartum among primiparous women, while no differences were detected over time in the scores of all the psychological well-being dimensions among multiparous women. Conclusions: This study highlighted some dimensions of positive psychological functioning that specifically contribute to women’s well-being in the transition to motherhood, and their different relevance for primiparous and multiparous mothers. Future trials are needed to integrate this information in tailored intervention for the promotion of mothers’ complete mental health. © 2017 Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology.

Il capitolo illustra, secondo una prospettiva storica, la trasformazione delle concettualizzazione della nozione di benessere lavorativo in riferimento all'evoluzione delle forme di lavoro tra l'epoca del fordismo e il contesto contemporaneo e colloca, in questo percorso, il ruolo del movimento della positive psychology, illustrandone le connessioni con una certa ideologia dell'attività lavorativa. Al proposito, viene commentata criticamente la prospettiva fortemente individualistica dell'agire lavorativo e degli interventi per il benessere sul luogo di lavoro, mettendone in luce alcune limitazioni.