El burnout de los auxiliares geriátricos: acuerdo y desacuerdo entre individuo y trabajo / No disponible

El burnout (en castellano «quemado») en los lugares de trabajo es un problema complejo que incluye factores de diferente origen en relación que puede ser con el individuo o bien con las condiciones objetivas del ambiente de trabajo; no es un problema que aparezca deforma aguda, sino al contrario, va haciéndolo de forma gradual. Es un proceso, y sus síntomas se presentan después de un determinado período de tiempo en el que se han mantenido unas condiciones de estrés, y se manifiesta con un agotamiento crónico, actitud de cinismo y desarraigo del trabajo. El auxiliar geriátrico, que se encuentra en permanente contacto con problemas como la enfermedad crónica sobre todo mental, es uno de los ejemplos más absolutos de profesional de riesgo de burnout y exige una respuesta de atención y soporte por parte de la organización. En la experiencia descrita el compromiso de la organización ha conseguido disminuir las discrepancias entre las personas y el trabajo, permitiendo al auxiliar geriátrico una mejor adaptación con el ambiente y un mayor equilibrio con todo elequipo de trabajo (AU)

Job burnout is a complex problem, which entails different factors whose origins are to be searched both within the individual and the objective work conditions; it isn’t a sudden process, but it is rather subject to a gradual development. Therefore job burnout is a process characterized by symptoms that begin to emerge after a prolonged exposure to stressful work conditions; it evolves contently and gradually and it manifests itself in the form of a chronic nervous breakdown, cynics and total detachment from work. The geriatric social worker, who is continuously faced with dilemmas such as illness chronicity, especially psychiatric disorders, gives us the example par excellence of a geriatric operator who is at high risk for job burnout and who requires the organization he works for to provide him with the support he needs and the possibility to share his experience. In the described experience, the effort made by the organization has appeared to be of high significance in reducing the discrepancy existing between the person and the job allowing the social worker to better adapt to the environment and to find a greater balance within the professional setting (AU)

Type D personality impairs quality of life, coping and short-term psychological outcome in patients attending an outpatient intensive program of cardiac rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Type D personality represents a risk factor for adverse outcome and impaired Quality of Life (QoL) in CHD patients. Only few studies investigated Type D patients following cardiac rehabilitation (CR). No study investigated Type D personality in Italian patients attending a CR program of 4 weeks. The aims of the study were a) to verify the presence of Type D personality among patients attending an Italian CR program; b) to investigate psychological health status, QoL and coping style of CR patients and c) to test the influence of Type D personality on CR patients outcome. METHODS: Data from 59 patients attending an outpatient intensive program of 4 weeks of CR were collected at admission, and 1 month after discharge, using a set of self-report questionnaires. Variables were measured using CBA-H, DS-14, Q-LES-Q and Brief COPE Scale. RESULTS: The percentage of Type D personality found in the study sample was 39%. At admission Type D patients showed a significant lower level of psychological health status and QoL satisfaction compared to non Type D patients (p<0.05). After CR a significant percentage of Type D patients, despite an overall improvement, continued to show a clinically relevant psychological impairment in terms of anxiety (p=0.003), depressive mood (p=0.001), impairment in psychophysical well-being (p=0.002), perceived psychophysical stress (p=0.002), interpersonal difficulties (p<0.001), and social anxiety (p=0.045). Type D personality was also found to be associated with a significant greater use of maladaptive coping strategies (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Type D personality played a significant clinically relevant role on psychological health outcome in CR. Type D personality patients reported a significant higher level of psychological impairment, in terms of anxiety, depressive mood, impairment in psychophysical wellbeing, perceived psychophysical stress, interpersonal difficulties, social anxiety, and a significant lower QoL, prior and after CR. Type D personality seemed also to be associated with maladaptive coping strategies. Importance of assessment for Type D personality is warranted in CR setting, as additional interventions seem required to enhance the outcome of these patients defined in letterature at high-risk.

Cortical and brainstem neurons containing calcium-binding proteins in a murine model of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy: selective changes in the sensorimotor cortex.

In the muscular dystrophic (mdx) mouse, which is characterized by deficient dystrophin expression and provides a model of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, we previously demonstrated marked central nervous system alterations and in particular a quantitative reduction of corticospinal and rubrospinal neurons and pathologic changes of these cells. Prompted by these findings and in view of the relations between calcium ions and dystrophin, we analyzed with immunohistochemistry the neurons containing the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin, calbindin D28k, and calretinin in cortical areas and brainstem nuclei of mdx mice. In the sensorimotor cortex, parvalbumin-positive and calbindin-positive neurons, which represent a subset of cortical interneurons, were significantly more numerous in mdx mice than in wild-type ones. In addition, the laminar distribution of parvalbumin-positive neurons in the motor and somatosensory cortical areas of mdx mice was altered with respect to wild-type animals. No alterations in the number and distribution were found in the parvalbumin- or calbindin-expressing cell populations of the visual and anterior cingulate cortices of mdx mice. The pattern of calretinin immunoreactivity was normal in all investigated cortical areas. The cell populations containing either calcium-binding protein were similar in brainstem nuclei of mdx and wild-type mice. The present findings demonstrated selective changes of subsets of interneurons in the motor and somatosensory cortical areas of mdx mice. Therefore, the data showed that, in the cortices of these mutant animals, the previously demonstrated pathologic changes of corticospinal cell populations are accompanied by marked alterations in the local circuitry.

The first Nobel Peace Prize, Henry Dunant (founder of the International Red Cross) and his "Mémoirs".

To celebrate the memory and work of Henry Dunant, on the centenary of the presentation of the first Nobel Peace Prize, rightly awarded to Dunant for his having founded the institution of the International Red Cross, this paper presents the reader with some insights into his activities and sufferings, his trials and tribulations, and the hope and strength of his character. The ceaseless efforts made by Dunant to bring about the Institution which today represents Hope for so many suffering people who are silent victims of wars and atrocities, are fleetingly presented. The authors' intention is to give due recognition to Dunant for his work, and to highlight the humanity and the moral and social worth of the face behind the International Red Cross.