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European Union countries are participatory and representative democracies. Therefore, active citizenship in the EU and trust in EU institutions are paramount for the continuation and the strengthening of the EU project. Young Europeans who hold the future in their hands need to be actively engaged not only in the social and political life within their national communities, but also in the wider European community. The papers in this special issue examine whether and how European youth identify with the EU, trust EU institutions and engage in EU issues, and which societal and proximal-level contexts and/or individual-level attributes promote or hinder young people’s active citizenship in European context. They are based on results from the Horizon 2020 CATCH-EyoU project, standing for Constructing AcTive CitizensHip with European Youth: Policies, Practices, Challenges and Solutions. Scientists represent different disciplines (Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, Media and Communications, Education) and from eight European countries (Sweden, Estonia, U.K., Germany, Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Italy). Together, the papers contribute to the development of a new, cutting-edge conceptualization of youth active citizenship in the EU, and to a better understanding of the factors promoting or inhibiting young EU citizens’ engagement, participation and active citizenship at the European level.

This deliverable of the H2020 CATCH-EyoU project sets out to address open questions concerning factors associated with youth’s active EU citizenship. In particular, assumed (directions of) influences of relevant factors and their joint workings will be examined among adolescents and young adults in various situations of life, across different EU countries representing variations in, e.g., economic situation/crisis, political conditions, and history as an EU member state. At the core is a longitudinal assessment using a two-wave questionnaire including a large sample of young people from all countries of the consortium. The present report summarizes the results of the first wave of data collection. The aim of this technical report is to provide an overview over sample characteristics and psychometric properties of measures based on the revisions after the pilot assessment. It includes descriptive and inferential findings of each national data set. All teams collected data from a quite diverse sample of young people from their respective country. We achieved the targeted sample sizes due to our improved recruitment strategies (based on our experiences from the pilot assessment). More precisely, we could attract more than 10,400 young people to participate in our study (concrete numbers depend on sample selection). Since we initially set out to reach at least 6,400 young people, we were quite successful in our recruitment. Paper-and pencil as well as online modes of assessment proved to be equally effective.

Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease which can affect any organ in the body, reducing patients' health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Psychosocial research on SLE is quite recent and is mostly based on qualitative and cross-sectional evidence. Some studies suggest that a protective role is played by perceived self-efficacy in the management of the disease, while a detrimental role is played by problematic social interactions. Methods: In a longitudinal study, we tested the independent contribution of self-efficacy and problematic social support, in predicting patients' HR-QOL after 11 months. An online questionnaire was completed by 162 participants with SLE, the second questionnaire after 11 months. Results: Controlling for corticosteroids and hydroxychloroquine use, self-efficacy in the management of the disease at Time 1 showed a significant and positive effect on HR-QOL at Time 2, while problematic social support (denying/uninformed) showed a negative effect. Conclusions: HR-QOL of SLE patients is influenced by self-efficacy in the management of the disease and problematic support. Specific attention should be paid to the quality of patients' social relationships and their perceived efficacy in the management of the disease in focused interventions as in daily clinical practice.

The aim of the study was to develop and to assess the psychometric properties of the Problematic Support Scale, among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. An online questionnaire was filled in by 344 systemic lupus erythematosus patients with a mean age of 39.66 years. Explorative factor analysis, later validated by confirmative factor analysis, showed the emergence of a two-factor structure in types of support provided: denying/uninformed support and oppressive support. Denying/uninformed support includes offers of support that neglect the disease manifestations and consequences. Oppressive support describes social support offers which are perceived as excessive and oppressive. Results confirm previous qualitative evidence and demonstrate good reliability and concurrent validity of the Problematic Support Scale. Theoretical and methodological implications for the study of social support are discussed.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1807-1384.2016v13n2p19O objetivo central de nosso texto é compreendermos a construção da intersubjetividade em Merleau-Ponty, do sujeito na relação com o outro em suas construções existenciais e fazermos a mesma reflexão sobre a concepção do estabelecimento da intersubjetividade na teoria do Construcionismo Social, na possibilidade de um diálogo, sem, contudo, a pressuposição de uma conclusão de acepção moral de atribuição de maior valor a uma teoria em detrimento da outra. Para tanto, iniciamos com algumas breves considerações sobre os afetos e desafetos históricos entre filosofia e psicologia para, posteriormente, delinearmos melhor nosso ponto central em Merleau-Ponty e no Construcionismo Social, desenvolvendo os possíveis significados da intersubjetividade nestes. É interessante notarmos que, apesar da distância no tempo e da construção teórica entre Merleau-Ponty e o Construcionismo Social, podemos verificar uma similaridade na busca de uma solução ao problema sujeito-objeto transcendendo a esta polarização nas considerações sobre a intersubjetividade mesmo que com propostas divergentes.

The presence of young people as engaged active citizens in the political scenario seems to be declining in recent years all over Europe. However, whereas many young people are disinterested in politics and political participation, others are active political actors involved in new patterns of engagement and actions of participation. What are the factors leading some youth to be politically active and others not? There are multiple explanations for this phenomenon, and it is crucial for the future of citizens’ democratic participation to understand the position that young people might take between apathy and participation. The present chapter aims to contribute to this focusing on the psychosocial factors and processes that facilitate and hinder youth’s political and civic engagement with particular attention to the new forms of participation and engagement, including digital ones, that youngsters adopt to have their voice heard at national and European levels.

Previous attempts to classify youth policies emphasised the importance of the underlying "concept of youth", which sustains and legitimises specific policy measures. The aim of this study is to identify, through a bottom-up approach, the main orientations which characterise recent youth policies in Italy. Twelve documents (published from 2012 to 2016) at the national, regional and local levels are analysed through content analysis. Four main policy orientations emerge, each characterised by a different representation of young people and solutions/aims. Representing young people as talents often implies an orientation toward skill development; seeing youth as a resource is often associated with the promotion of their possible contribution to the society. Negative representations of youth (as vulnerable and as problems) characterise protective solutions. Each approach is characterised as well by specific risks, strengths and supporting institutions. A useful framework for the analysis of youth policies at the national and international levels is discussed.

Research suggests that sense of community in the school is a promising construct in terms of its ability to promote students’ well-being. However, mechanisms behind and the potential benefits of school sense of community have not been studied in detail. This cross-sectional study tested a model which examined the role of sense of community in the school, social skills, exposure to aggression, and victimization in shaping students’ well-being. The sample consisted of 1076 students from 22 public middle schools and 724 students from 22 public high schools located in the Italian Region of Liguria. Using a Bayesian estimation for a structural equation model, results showed that sense of community in the school directly predicted students’ social skills, exposure to aggression, and well-being and, indirectly (through social skills and exposure to aggression), victimization. In addition, we found that social skills were related to victimization. Finally, results showed that victimization was predicted by exposure to aggression and predicted well-being. The current study suggests that sense of community in the school and social skills are key variables for interventions that aim to prevent aggressive behaviors at school and to increase students’ well-being.

School sense of community has been associated with lower levels of students' aggressive behaviors. The main aim of the study was to examine whether the magnitude of the influence of school sense of community on students' aggressive behavior is similar or different across schools with different levels of aggressive behaviors. Participants were 1,800 Italian students attending 44 middle and high schools. Using multilevel modeling (a random intercepts and slopes model), we found that the magnitude of the negative relationship between sense of community in the school and students' aggressive behaviors was stronger in schools with high levels of aggressive behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

We assume that emotions (anger, shame and hope) mediate the relationship between perceiving a discriminatory context and civic/political engagement. Results of a survey with 1242 participants (mean age 20.7 years; 53% men; 32.8% migrants) showed that such emotions play a different role according to the type of engagement and the population (native Italians versus migrants). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Patient engagement is recognized as a crucial component of high-quality healthcare services. Among rheumatic diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) appears particularly challenging for the engagement of patients in their own care. According to the patient health engagement (PHE) model, patient engagement is a dynamic phenomenon that proceeds through four experiential positions (blackout, arousal, adhesion and eudaimonic project). The aim of the present study was to describe the engagement process from the point of view and the experiences of SLE patients. Ten in-depth interviews and four focus groups were conducted with an international sample of SLE patients from different European countries. Transcripts were analysed through thematic content analysis. Findings showed that a fully engaged patient results from reframing emotional, cognitive and behavioural dimensions. The advances along the process depends on how the patient succeeds in each position. In conclusion, PHE represents an appropriate model by which to understand the engagement process of SLE patients. In order to meet patients' needs, healthcare providers and patient support groups should consider the specific position of SLE patients, providing adequate and tailored support.

Background and aims Patient engagement is recognised as a crucial component of high-quality healthcare services. Among rheumatic diseases, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) appears particularly challenging for the engagement of patients in their own care. According to the Patient Health Engagement (PHE) model, patient engagement is a dynamic phenomenon that proceeds through four experiential positions (blackout, arousal, adhesion, and eudaimonic project). The aim of the present study was to describe the engagement process through the experiences of SLE patients. Methods Ten in-depth interviews and four fous group were conducted with an international sample of SLE patients from different European countries. Interviews focused on several aspect of patients‘ life with SLE and their relationship with the healthcare system. Transcripts were analysed through thematic content analysis. Results The mean age of the participants to the study was 40.6 years (±10.0). The average years since diagnosis were 15.5 (SD=8.6) with great variability in terms of disease manifestations. Findings showed that a fully engaged patient results from reframing emotional, cognitive, and behavioural dimensions. The advances along the process depends on how the patient succeeds in each position. Conclusions PHE represents a appropriate model to understand the engagement process of SLE patients. In order to meet patients needs, healthcare providers should consider the specific position of SLE patients, providing adequate and tailored support.

The 2012–13 Italian national campaign against HIV/AIDS was based on a video primarily targeted to women, youth, migrants, and gay men. Its conceptual basis was to encourage preventive behaviors by promoting people’s perceived similarity and identification with the video characters and communicating the message that AIDS is everyone’s concern. The aim of this study was to investigate how people belonging to the target groups reacted to the video and, more specifically, their comprehension of the message, their perceived similarity and identification with the characters, and the perceived efficacy of the video. Fourteen focus groups were conducted with 130 participants. Transcripts were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Results showed that the core message was adequately understood. Participants perceived themselves as partially similar to the video characters but they did not strongly identify with them. Most participants did not consider the video as effective. Peculiarities of the four target groups are discussed.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of sport activity on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of solid organ transplant recipients participating in sports competitions. A group of 168 sportive transplanted patients (STP), a group of 97 nonsportive transplanted patients (NSTP), and a group of 152 sportive healthy controls (SHC) were compared on the eight scales of the SF-36 questionnaire. STP and NSTP reported significantly lower scores than SHC on the physical functioning scale. STP did not differ from SHC in the Role-Physical, General Health, and Vitality scales, while NSTP reported significantly lower scores. STP obtained higher scores than NSTP and SHC on Mental Health. Among STP, the effect of quantity of sport activity was significant on General Health and Role Emotional, with more sport activity associated with higher HRQoL. Organ failure and post-transplant therapies may have negative consequences on HRQoL. Sports activities and participation in sports competitions can reduce this impact, improving general and psychological functioning of solid organ transplant recipients.

The aim of this cross-national study was to assess the relationships among sense of community (SoC) vis-a-vis the residential community (i.e., one's home town), identity formation processes, and feelings of loneliness toward parents and peers. The sample included 431 Italian adolescents (59.4% females) and 221 Belgian (Flemish) adolescents (54.3% females) aged 14–23 years. Results indicate that the more adolescents developed firm and sustained commitments, the more they developed positive feelings toward the residential community. SoC toward the home town is lower among youth in less advanced identity statuses. Parent- and peer-related loneliness differentially predicted Italian and Belgian adolescents’ SoC. Results have significant theoretical and methodological implications for the study of SoC, identity, and loneliness.

Because individuals' fundamental right to water is often taken for granted, little is known about why individuals participate in water activism. We examine how individuals identify with and intend to participate in the Italian Water Movement to defend the “public management” of water supply. Building on the collective-action literature, we test an explanatory model in which the perceived violation of the right to water and group and participative-efficacy beliefs increase movement identification, which predicts subsequent activism. Study 1 (N = 153 activists) largely confirmed our hypotheses: right violation and participative efficacy uniquely influenced movement identification, which in turn predicted activism. Study 2 corroborated these findings by employing a broader sample of 132 Italian citizens, with right violation, participative and group-efficacy beliefs predicting movement identification, which in turn predicted activism. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Il disturbo renale e i relativi trattamenti possono compromettere le attivita quotidiane dei pazienti; tuttavia non e ancora chiaro l’impatto che essi producono sulla qualita della vita (QoL) e il ruolo giocato dai processi psicosociali. Il primo obiettivo di questo lavoro era valutare, mediante questionario selfreport, la QoL (misurata con il WHOQOL-Breve) e il benessere psicologico di un campione di pazienti con insufficienza renale cronica in rapporto ad alcune variabili sociodemografiche (genere, eta) e alla condizione terapeutica (emodialisi, dialisi peritoneale, post-trapianto). In secondo luogo, nei pazienti in dialisi si voleva verificare l’impatto di alcune variabili psicosociali, quali le rappresentazioni della malattia, le strategie di coping e la rete sociale supportiva, sulla QoL e sul benessere psicologico. Il campione e composto da 104 pazienti in dialisi (emodialisi e peritoneale) e 34 che hanno ricevuto il trapianto di reni. I pazienti dializzati evidenziano livelli di QoL inferiori a coloro che hanno ricevuto un trapianto di rene, in diverse aree della QoL, mentre le differenze in base al tipo di dialisi non risultano statisticamente significative. I risultati indicano che, nei pazienti in dialisi, una visione della malattia come controllabile, l’uso di stili di coping attivi e la percezione di un’ampia rete sociale supportiva sono fattori che favoriscono la QoL. I risultati dello studio hanno importanti implicazioni sul versante clinico e della prevenzione.

I conflitti che nascono nell’ambito delle relazioni di vicinato rappresentano un problema che pone diverse "sfide" agli psicologi di comunità interessati a promuovere la buona convivenza fra i cittadini, obiettivo centrale delle politiche di inclusione sociale e di contrasto alla povertà e alla marginalità sociale. Nel presente contributo, dopo aver discusso brevemente le ricerche sulle relazioni di vicinato, viene descritto un intervento di mediazione sociale realizzato nel territorio di Cesena volto a gestire e prevenire i conflitti, presentando i dati di una ricerca effettuata per valutare i bisogni del territorio e l’impatto dell’intervento effettuato.

This research assesses the coverage and impact of “United Against AIDS,” the 2012–2013 Italian National HIV/AIDS prevention campaign to promote safer sex behavior and voluntary HIV counseling and testing. The campaign used gain-framed messages and aimed at creating a superordinate identity. We conducted two studies. The first study employed a quasi-experimental design involving three groups of participants: general population (n=858), men who have sex with men (MSM; n=109), and migrants (n=211). In the second study, we carried out a time-series design to analyze the archival data of the Italian National AIDS Help-Line. Exposure to the campaign was reported by 78.3%, 67.5%, and 57.8% of the general population, MSM, and migrant respondents, respectively. The probability of having unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple partners decreased significantly in the subsample of the general populations that was exposed to the campaign (compared to the nonexposed participants), but the same effect was not found among MSM and migrant participants. The probability of having unprotected sexual intercourse with someone of unknown HIV status decreased after the campaign in the exposed MSM subsample (compared to the nonexposed participants), but the same effect was not found among the general population and migrant participants. In addition, the probability of undertaking HIV testing increased significantly in the exposed participants belonging to the general population but not among MSM and migrant participants. Time-series analysis revealed that the number of calls at the Italian National AIDS Help-Line significantly increased during the campaign. This research provides evidence that the effect of the campaign was complex and varied across participants.

Background and Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Previous studies showed that perceived social support has an important role in enhancing patient's quality of life (QOL). However, the precise mechanisms through which social support exerts such an effect are not completely understood. The aim of this paper is to test two alternative models explaining the relationship between social support (positive and problematic) and two dimensions of QOL: Health-Related (HR-QOL) and Non-Health-Related (NHR-QOL). Design: Model A (mediation) hypothesized that positive support would reduce stress while problematic support would increase stress), and that this in turn would reduce QOL. Model B (moderation) hypothesized that the effect of support on QOL would be moderated by the experience of stress in that more stressed individuals would show stronger effects. Methods: Three hundred and forty-four Italian patients with SLE completed an online questionnaire. Results: Stress partially mediated the relationship between support and QOL dimensions (either HR-QOL and NHR-QOL) thus supporting Model B. As hypothesized, positive support reduced stress, while problematic support increased stress. Conclusions: These findings help to explain the complex relationship between social support, stress and QOL in patients with SLE.

The aim of the study was to assess the role of some psychosocial factors in explaining offline and online civic engagement intentions in a sample of Italian and second generation migrant (Albanian and Moroccan) adolescents and young adults living in Italy. The theoretical model was an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour including past experience. The sample included 598 adolescents and young adults (M = 19.32, SD = 3.17). Two hundred were Italian (88 males, 44.0%), 197 migrants of Albanian origin (130 males, 66%) and 201 migrants of Moroccan origin (116 males, 57.7%). Moroccan youth reported higher levels of both past civic engagement and future intentions than Albanian and Italian peers. Perceived effectiveness of civic engagement and past experience are consistently associated with stronger intentions to engage in the future (offline and online) in all groups. Internal efficacy plays a limited role, whereas the role of subjective norms differs according to the group and the source of normative influence (parents, peers).

In many communities, supplying water and sanitation is a huge task, and the fact that these essential services can be carried out by the private sector is a debated issue. This article presents an exploratory study aimed to identify the range of motives for collective action shared by activists of the Italian Movement for ‘Public Water’. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 activists and were qualitatively analysed. Five main motivational categories emerged: defending the right to water, preserving community ties, opposing to the Government and ‘water sellers’, preserving the environment and money interests. Each motive is based on a specific representation of the issue of water and privatization process. Findings provide further support for the importance of moral convictions and sense of community in collective action development and suggest a critical reconsideration of the role played by collective efficacy. The results are discussed in the framework of the psychosocial literature on collective action and community psychology perspectives on participatory processes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Attraverso una breve rassegna della letteratura, questo articolo si propone di descrivere tre principali approcci che hanno indagato il ruolo delle convinzioni morali nello sviluppo dell'azione collettiva, concettualizzandole, rispettivamente, come un incentivo selettivo per la partecipazione, come parte di un’ideologia condivisa, e come principio inviolabile. Dopo aver descritto brevemente la cornice teorica e concettuale in cui ciascun approccio si è sviluppato, verrà presa in esame la specifica operazionalizzazione delle convinzioni morali utilizzata dalle ricerche empiriche e vengono quindi presentati i principali risultati ottenuti. Nella seconda parte dell’articolo, i tre approcci presentati vengono discussi delineandone i possibili punti di convergenza e criticità, allo scopo di individuare possibili linee di ricerca future.

The aim of this study was to investigate, among members of a large cooperative company, the role of worker status (partner vs. employee), length of service, and cooperative values in influencing organizational identification (OI) and organizational sense of community (OSC). The study involved the totality of members of the cooperative (N = 805; 67.7% partners, 32.3% employees), who completed a self-administered questionnaire, measuring perceived cooperative values, OI, OSC, and, among partners, identification as a partner. The results indicate that partners, more than employees, perceived the cooperative as living up to its core values and scored higher on OI and OSC. The impact of worker status on OI and OSC was mediated by perceived cooperative values.

Research examining youths' political development mostly focused on young people as a general group; comparatively less attention has been devoted to the examination of gender pathways toward citizenship. Two studies were conducted addressing (a) the role of parents' participation and the moderating role of adolescent gender and age group (n = 1419) and (b) the role of adolescent social and civic participation and the moderating role of adolescent gender and type of school (n = 1871). Results confirmed the gender gap in political interest and in the use of the Internet for political participation, while no differences emerged for political activity and voting intentions. Adolescents' political engagement and participation are influenced by parents' participation (especially among girls) and by adolescents' social and civic participation (especially among boys). The impact of adolescents' social and civic participation on conventional participation (voting intentions) is partially mediated by sense of community and institutional trust.

This reprinted article originally appeared in International Journal of Stress Management, 2011, Vol. 18, No. 2, 181–195. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2011-02944-001.) Fire-fighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians routinely confront potentially traumatic events in the course of their jobs. The mediation role of coping strategies and collective efficacy in the relationship between stress appraisal and quality of life was examined (compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout) in a correlational study. Participants were 463 Italian rescue workers (fire fighters and different categories of emergency health care professionals). Participants filled out measures of stress appraisal, collective efficacy, coping strategies, and quality of life. The results showed that emotion and support coping, self-blame coping, and self-distraction mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and compassion fatigue. Moreover, collective efficacy, self-blame coping, and religious coping mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and burnout. Finally, collective efficacy, self-blame coping, and problem-focused coping mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and compassion satisfaction. Cognitive restructuring and denial did not mediate the relation between stress appraisal and any of the quality of life dimensions.

This study examined age and gender differences in coping strategies used by adolescents (N = 342; age = 14–19 years) in dealing with everyday minor stressors. Relationships with coping resources (self-efficacy, social support) and the impact of coping on psychological well-being were assessed. Coping strategies were measured using the Coping Across Situations Questionnaire (CASQ; Seiffge-Krenke, 1995). Results showed that adolescents’ coping strategies differed according to problem domain. The most frequently used strategies were active and internally focused. Females used a wider range of coping strategies than did males. Significant correlations were found among coping strategies and coping resources. Moreover, the adoption of some strategies significantly affected adolescents’ psychological well-being. jasp_726 559..578

The role of conflict in parent–adolescent relationships is a topic of considerable theoretical debate and empirical investigation; however, limited attention has been devoted to the strategies used by family members to deal with disagreements and their outcomes and how they differ from early to late adolescence. This study explored conflict styles and outcomes in a sample of 302 families with adolescent children (total N = 906), of two age groups (13‐year‐olds and 15‐year‐olds). One hundred sixty‐four adolescents (45.7%) are female. Participants completed the ‘when we disagree’ scales. Results from both adolescents and parents confirmed the intensification of conflict from early to middle adolescence, in terms of conflict style (higher aggression, lower compromise) and outcome (lower intimacy). Age trends differ according to gender; in particular, there is evidence of a more difficult position of older girls, and of the worsening of mother–adolescent relationship from early to middle adolescence.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the parent version of “When We Disagree” scales (WWD), measuring the style of conflict (aggression and compromise) within parent–adolescent relationship. Differences according to adolescent gender and age, and according to perspective (description of self and description of the adolescent) were assessed. Concurrent validity was established by correlations with family communication and parenting self-efficacy. Participants include 302 mother–father dyads with adolescent children (13 and 15 years old; total n = 604). Results confirmed the usefulness of the WWD in assessing conflict styles as perceived by parents. Correlations with family communication and parenting self-efficacy were in the expected direction. There was evidence of a more conflicting relationship between female adolescents and mothers. Adolescents are described by parents as less compromising and more aggressive than self.

Sense of Community (SoC) is a key theoretical construct in community psychology. This study validated a SoC scale for adolescents (SoC-A) in Italy. The scale comprises 20 items and five components: satisfaction of needs and opportunities for involvement; support and emotional connection with peers; support and emotional connection in the community; sense of belonging; and opportunities for influence. The sample included 661 Italian high school students (47% male and 53% female) between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. Factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed five components corresponding to the original work of Cicognani, Albanesi, and Zani (2006). The boys scored higher on SoC than girls. There were no differences between age groups. Results showed differences in SoC between types of schools (lycee, vocational and technical institutes).

This article presents and discusses the evaluation of the participatory process involved in the Local Plans for Health (LPH) of the Region Emilia-Romagna (North Italy). LPH are three-year plans of action that actively engage community members in collaborative decision making over health promotion interventions. The evaluation study conducted on the LPH 2001-2003 of Cesena, using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, involved 34 community stakeholders, who took part in three focus groups. Themes discussed centered on the difficulties encountered in engaging all relevant community members, how to overcome such difficulties, and how to best communicate the results of the evaluation process to the population. Process evaluation was a central component of the planning of future plans.

This study, involving a sample of 764 emergency workers, investigates dimensions of quality of life at work (Compassion fatigue, Burnout and Compassion satisfaction), and their relationships with Coping strategies and some psychosocial variables (Sense of Community, Collective Efficacy and Self-efficacy). Results indicate the usefulness of distinguishing between positive and negative indicators of emergency workers’ quality of life. Compassion satisfaction is positively correlated with efficacy beliefs, Sense of Community and the use of Active coping strategies. Burnout and Compassion fatigue are especially correlated with the use of dysfunctional coping strategies like distraction and self-criticism. Volunteer emergency workers enjoy a higher well being than full-time professional workers. Results and their implications for interventions aimed at increasing rescue workers’ quality of life by enhancing psychosocial competences are discussed.

Aim of the study was to assess the relationship between social participation and Sense of Community in a sample of University students and the impact of such variables on Social well being. A further aim was to assess the generality of the relationships between these constructs across different countries, and specifically, the USA, Italy and Iran. The sample includes 200 Italian, 125 American and 214 Iranian University students, male and female. Results show higher levels of social participation, Sense of Community and Social well being among American students. Sense of Community is positively correlated with social participation in all three samples; however, only among Italian students social participation positively predicts Social well being. Implications of results will be discussed.

This study investigates the relationship between sense of community, civic engagement and social well-being in a sample of Italian adolescents. Participants were 14–19 year-old high school students (N = 566) from two demographically distinct cities. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing sense of community, social well-being (Keyes, 1998), involvement in structured group activities (group membership) and civic engagement. Results showed that involvement in formal groups is associated with increased civic involvement and increased sense of community. Sense of community predicts social well-being and explains some of the association between civic engagement and social well-being. Findings suggest that, to increase social well-being, it is important to provide adolescents with more opportunities to experience a sense of belonging to the peers' group and promote prosocial behaviours in the community context. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The aim of this research was to assess which criteria laypeople use to evaluate the importance of treatments the Italian National Health Service (NHS) should or should not guarantee and the relationship with their degree of importance. A convenience sample of 100 individuals (22–65 years old) were asked to evaluate 52 treatments partly included and partly not included in the Essential Assistance Levels. Results showed that laypeople employ a wide range of criteria, only part of which corresponds to those traditionally investigated in the psychosocial literature. Two main dimensions emerge as organizing principles underlying their judgments, referring to NHS function (prevention vs. treatment) and to the opportunity to focus on the specific health needs of particular categories of citizens (selectivity). Advances in medical research have increased the number and types of effective forms of treatment for conditions that were once considered untreatable, significantly improving patients’ quality of life. The greater knowledge of the progresses of medicine, the awareness of the possible treatments, and the widespread optimistic belief that actual diagnostic-therapeutical possibilities of medicine are almost unlimited resulted in a growing health demand from the general population. However, several treatments are still inaccessible for a large number of people, owing to their cost, lack of accessibility, or complexity. All health systems in Western industrialized countries are facing the need to guarantee

Civic participation in community life and within community organizations is generally considered as associated with positive outcomes for Youth development and well-being. However, supportive empirical evidence on such benefits is still limited, as well as on the processes that may explain such positive outcomes. In this paper, we examined the impact of young people’s participation in different community and youth organizations on Social well-being, and the mediating role of Sense of community (SoC) and Empowerment. The sample comprised 835 adolescents and young adults, aged 16–26 years old (M = 20.8). 414 participants were males (49.6 %) and 421 participants were females (50.4 %). Results confirm that organizational membership of volunteer, youth, and religious associations significantly enhances Social well-being, both directly and through the mediation of SoC and Empowerment. Membership of leisure and recreational associations only marginally and indirectly affects Social well-being through the mediation of Empowerment.

The potential effects of depleted uranium (DU) on the health of military personnel, civilians and on the environment have been the focus of considerable debate in the last two decades. In Italy, the issue came to the attention of the public when some soldiers developed cancer after participating in peace missions in the Balkans in the second half of the nineties. In this case study, we draw on theoretical perspectives on risk and crisis communication to examine how communication strategies on DU risk lead to the creation of a 'DU case' in Italy, through the amplification of public perception of risk. In-depth interviews were conducted with experts, policy-makers, journalists and members of associations of soldiers and families of victims (n = 30) and were qualitatively analysed. The findings indicate the presence of three temporal phases through which the 'DU case' unfolded, characterized by different forms of communication, which influenced risk responses by amplification effects. A chain of communication errors could be identified, which explains the ineffectiveness of the initial responses of public authorities to the risk event, leading to a crisis that persisted for some years. The media played a central role in communication in all phases of the crisis. The findings have several implications for the improvement of the public responses to this type of risk

Several studies demonstrated the importance of psychosocial factors, like social support, for understanding the experience of people with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Less information is available on "problematic support"; that is, instances of support that are perceived as non-supportive, even though the provider's actions may be well intended. Aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of problematic support from SLE patients' perspective. Nine women with SLE were interviewed and transcripts were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Three main types of problematic social support were indentified. Oppressive support describes social support offers characterized by excessive worries and unwanted advices. Support denying the illness is characterized by a neglect of the disease or of its consequences. Support based on divergent illness representations is perceived as not punctual and not in line with patients' actual clinical condition. This study confirms the complexity of providing useful support to SLE patients and suggest that also people living close to patients should represent a target of interventions. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

(da Definition) The concept refers to quality of life (QoL) of individuals engaged in emergency work, either professionally (e.g., health-care workers, fire fighters) or as volunteers. Dimensions of QoL that have been proposed in the literature include PSTD, compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. Recent perspectives advocate the adoption of a multidimensional approach including both negative and positive outcomes (Stamm, 2005).

(da Definition) Social well-being has been identified by the World Health Organization [WHO] (1948) as a central component of individuals’ overall health. The concept has been conceptualized and operationalized in many different ways. Within economic disciplines, studies have initially operationalized social well-being using objective criteria such as gross domestic product (GDP) that reflects the relative prosperity of communities and societies; more recently, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] (2011) proposed additional criteria, besides macroeconomic statistics, to better measure individuals’ perceptions of well-being and progress. Research within social sciences has operationalized social well-being in terms of behaviors that reflect community and organizational participation, community or group membership, or social capital and social cohesion (Andrews & Withey, 1976; Coleman, 1988; Putnam, 2000).

The maintenance of an adequate of quality of life (QoL) represents a critical issue in the management of patients in haemodialysis and is also used to assess the effectiveness of health care programmes. The Consumer Direction Theory of Empowerment (CDTE) implies that greater patient direction in policy formulation and services delivery, together with an increased community integration, endorses a process which leads to a better QOL. The aim of the study was to test a contextualized version of CDTE in an ambulatory for patients in haemodialysis. Sixty-nine patients completed a questionnaire measuring the following variables: Patient direction, family integration, self-efficacy in managing the disease, mental and physical health. The results showed that patient direction and family integration have an indirect effect on QoL, through self-efficacy in managing the disease. The hypotheses were thus confirmed, providing support for the potential of CDTE in the context of health services for haemodialysis patients. Implications for the implementation of health programmes aimed at improving QoL of patients in haemodialysis are discussed, including interventions focused on psychological and contextual factors.

The role of structural characteristics of the residential context in influencing adolescents’ Sense of community (SoC) has received limited consideration in the literature. Aim of this study was to assess SoC in male and female adolescents living in two Italian provinces characterized by different positions on indicators of quality of life. The moderating role of adolescent gender and age group on SoC was also considered. The sample includes 1,182 adolescents: 46.2 % male and 53.8 % female. Age ranged from 16 to 22 years (M = 17.5; SD = 1.23). Findings indicate that levels of Sense of community differ between the two provinces and are higher among adolescents living in the more “advantaged” context (Rimini) based on quality of life objective indicators. Males score higher than females except in the more “advantaged” context, whereas girls experience greater opportunities for influence. SoC tends to decrease with age, as the context becomes increasingly insufficient for satisfying adolescents’ needs. Findings indicate that the context significantly affects adolescents’ SoC and that such effect is partly moderated by gender and age.

Objective. Considering the importance of sport activity for enhancing quality of life, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of regular sport activity on quality of life of kidney transplant recipients. Methods. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed with the use of the SF-36 questionnaire on a group of 118 active kidney transplant patients (AKTPs) practicing different sports at low to moderate intensity (5 4 h/wk). Scores were compared with those of 79 sedentary kidney transplant patients (SKTPs) and with 120 active healthy control subjects (AHCs). Results. AKTPs reported higher scores than SKTPs in the SF-36 scales of Physical Functioning (P < .05), Role Limitations due to Physical Problems (P < .05), General Health (P < .01), Vitality (P < .05), Social Functioning (P < .05), Role Limitations due to Emotional Problems (P < .05), and Mental Health (P < .01). AKTPs obtained higher scores than AHCs on the Mental Health (P < .01) and Social Functioning scales (P < .01) and similar scores (P > .05) on all the other scales. The effect of quantity of sport activity was significant on the General Health (P < .01; h2 ¼ 0.05), and Role Physical scales (P ¼ .04; h2 ¼ 0.03), with higher sport activity associated with higher HRQoL. The effect of sex was significant for Bodily Pain (P ¼ .05; h2 ¼ 0.02), Vitality (P ¼ .08; h2 ¼ 0.06), Social Functioning (P ¼ .08; h2 ¼ 0.05), and Mental Health (P ¼ .05; h2 ¼ 0.02), with male participants scoring higher than female participants. Conclusions. This study indicates that regular sport activity significantly improves different dimensions of HRQoL among kidney transplant recipients. The benefits of sport activity go beyond its impact on physical health to involve psychologic and social components of quality of life. Spontaneous and low to moderate sport activity may play an important role after kidney transplantation that has been largely underestimated in the literature.

(da Definition) Sarason (1974) first proposed the concept of psychological sense of community as “the key to the understanding of one’s society’s most pressing problems, the dark side of individualism, manifested in alienation, selfishness and despair” (p. 157). Sarason described it as the feeling that one is part of a readily available, supportive, and dependable structure. He also emphasized that it is difficult to bring the concept into the theoretical and empirical traditions of mainstream psychology because the concept “is not a familiar one in psychology … it does not sound precise, it obviously reflects a value judgment, and does not sound compatible with “hard” science”. Yet, according to Sarason, people knew when they had it and when they didn’t. Inherent in this psychological construction of sense of community are the notions of interdependence, mutual responsibility, and collective consciousness

The purpose of this research was to explore adolescents' feeling of unsafety associated with living in the urban context, their perceptions of the quality of social relations (social support from different persons) and sense of community, and the differences according to the size of the city and adolescent gender. A second aim was to analyse the antecedents of feeling of unsafety. In particular, we considered the influence of sense of community, perception of social support and personal involvement in negative experiences in the urban environment. A questionnaire was submitted to 823 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years (43.3% male and 56.7% female), living in cities of different sizes in north-central Italy. Results show the presence of differences in feeling of unsafety and sense of community according to the size of the urban context and adolescent gender. Personal involvement in negative situations is a strong predictor of feeling of unsafety, whereas sense of community plays a limited role in reducing it. The picture concerning the effect of social support is mixed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

HIV prevention with "at risk" adolescents: how to "reach" and "involve" young people in extra-school contexts? - The paper discusses the issue of the difficulty to reach and involve the targets of preventive interventions, by taking as example a HIV prevention intervention aimed at out-ofschool adolescents and young people. Keywords: prevention, HIV, adolescents, action research, evaluation

The purpose of this paper is to explore, by means of semi-structured interviews, how families of adolescents perceive and describe their educational styles and the development of adolescent autonomy. Specifically, the results of two different studies will be discussed: the first was conducted with a group of 83 parents (fathers and mothers) of 15- to 18-year-old adolescents, male and female, from different cultural backgrounds (medium-low and medium-high). The second study involved both adolescents and their parents of three age-groups (10 families with 13-, 15- and 17-year-old adolescents, for a total of 90 interviews), half male and half female.