Elder Mistreatment in an Italian Population: Prevalence and Correlates.

This study aimed to examine the prevalence of elder mistreatment (EM) in an Italian population and to determine the risk factors. The sample consisted of 393 older adults (Mage = 77.07; standard deviation = 9.45) of whom 60.1% were females. The prevalence of EM was of 20.1%. Older elders who were separated, divorced, with a poor state of health, and problems of autonomy were more likely to experience EM. The most common forms of EM were physical/sexual (9.9%) and emotional mistreatment (9.9%). The most common perpetrators were paid caregivers and members of the victim's family. A path analysis model suggested that limited autonomy and poor perceived health status appeared to be predictors of EM. We conclude that the results of this study have important implications in terms of reducing mistreatment of older adults. Understanding EM is essential to promoting equality, tolerance, and supportive attitudes and developing better prevention policies and practices.

Examining the selection of university courses in young adults with learning disabilities.

The literature contains a great deal of research on Specific Learning Disorders (SpLDs). However, almost all of the studies related to SpLDs deal with the difficulties that said disorders cause during childhood or adolescence. An interest in adults with SpLDs is only recent, especially in university students like those in this study. In Italy, research on SpLDs in higher education is rather limited. This study aims to rectify this lack of data by making a brief analysis of the data on SpLDs prevalence in higher education and of the courses chosen by university students with SpLDs. Our sample consisted of 585 students with SpLDs enrolled at 19 public universities that communicated the number of students who contacted their offices of service for students with SpLDs. The prevalence of students with SpLDs in the higher education populations we sample had a mean of 0.13% (SD = 0.11) and ranged from 0.03% to 0.48%. The data showed that the higher education faculties with the highest number of reported SpLDs students in our sample were Statistics, Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Education, and Architecture. It is important to analyse the trend in university enrolment of student with SpLDs to protect the right to education for people with SpLDs.

Soap bubbles as a distraction technique in the management of pain, anxiety, and fear in children at the paediatric emergency room: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals can cause anxiety, pain, and fear in children perceiving medical procedures as intrusive and painful. Among the nonpharmacological strategies, distraction techniques have proved to be effective in the management of pain and distress. METHODS: The aim of the present study is to assess the effectiveness of soap bubbles as a distraction technique for the management of anxiety, fear, and pain in children waiting for a medical examination at the paediatric emergency room. We employed a parallel trial design with a sample consisting of 74 children (M = 9.30; SD = 1.10; 50% female) randomly assigned to either a control or experimental group. The children in the experimental group underwent the soap bubble protocol while waiting for a medical examination at the paediatric emergency room. Anxiety, fear, and pain were assessed by self-report administered to the children before the triage and the application of the soap bubbles (baseline), after the application of the soap bubbles (T1), and after the medical examination (T2). RESULTS: The children in the experimental group showed a significant reduction of perceived pain while waiting for the medical examination (T1), whereas no difference was found after the medical examination (T2). Furthermore, the children in the experimental group showed a significant reduction in fear (T1 and T2), whereas no difference was found in the anxiety scores measured by the Child Anxiety. CONCLUSION: The use of soap bubbles is a good distraction technique in the reduction of fear and the perception of pain in children awaiting a medical examination at the paediatric emergency room.