The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High Schools.

Background: Delaying school start times has been proposed as a potential solution to address chronic sleep curtailment among adolescents and its negative consequences on their physical and mental well-being. This study investigates the impact of delayed school start times due to the COVID-19 pandemic on academic achievement. Subjects and Methods: Two separate observational studies were conducted involving high school students from the first/second year (n=232) (Study 1) and from the final year (n=39) (Study 2). Multivariate Analyses of Covariance were performed to assess for statistical differences in academic performance (ie, global, humanistic, and scientific performance) and absenteeism (ie, number of school absences). Two main factors were considered: "school start time" (ie, standard-8:00 AM vs late-9:40 AM) and "time interval" (ie, first academic semester vs second academic semester), controlling for the school year (Study 1) and circadian preference (Study 2). Results: Delaying school start times was positively associated with better academic performance in scientific subjects among first/second-year students (F1,229=6.083, p=0.026) and global academic performance among last-year students (F1,35=4.522, p=0.041). Furthermore, first/second-year students significantly increased their school achievement (F1,229>29.423, p<0.001) and school absences (F1,229=66.160, p<0.001) during the second semester of the academic year. No significant effect of "school start time" on school attendance was observed. Additionally, circadian preference was found to be a significant covariate among last-year students, with early chronotypes exhibiting better academic performance (r>0.369, p<0.025). Conclusion: These findings confirm past evidence about the beneficial effects of delayed school start times on academic outcomes, with the additional advantage of observing them within a natural context that emerged during the pandemic. Further research is needed to explore the phenomenon more systematically and take into account the broader implications of implementing this change.

Staff Members' Experience of Italian Shelters for LGBTQIA+ Homeless and Runaway People: An Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: Some LGBTQIA+ people, after coming out, experience marginalization and homelessness due to rejection and discrimination from their family and community. The increase in support requests led to the creation of LGBTQIA+ temporary shelter homes worldwide. This study aims to explore the functioning and effectiveness of shelters, analyzing the experiences of staff members in Italy. METHODS: Focus groups were held with a total of 15 staff members (age range: 32-53) working in three shelters for LGBTQIA+ people. Data were analyzed qualitatively through the grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: Data coding showed five final core categories: (1) user characteristics; (2) staff characteristics; (3) community relations; (4) activities carried out by services; (5) criteria for intervention assessment and staff satisfaction. Results revealed some criticalities in the effectiveness of these services, particularly the difficulty in achieving autonomy for users, a weakness attributable to the non-exhaustive training of staff members and the funding discontinuity. CONCLUSION: To improve the efficacy of shelters, this study emphasizes the necessity to (a) carry out an analysis of the vulnerability of the local LGBTQIA+ community, (b) establish a stable network with local services (NHS system), and (c) implement staff members' psychological training.

Involuntary psychiatric treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. An international qualitative study.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, studies report that in the first few months of the lockdown there was a decrease in requests for mandatory psychiatric treatment, while, in contrast, following the second wave, the number of cases increased. This study investigates the use of compulsory psychiatric treatments internationally in the first and subsequent phases of the pandemic. Methods: Sixteen key people were interviewed: eight mental health care professionals and eight scholars in Italy, Greece, China and Chile. Participants were asked to discuss their experience of the motivations, diagnoses and management of patients undergoing an involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. Results: The analysis through Grounded Theory highlighted four themes: (a) the culture of psychiatric care services, (b) the effect of the pandemic on involuntary hospitalizations, (c) exceptional management of hospitalization, and (d) policies and suggestions for more inclusive mental health treatments. Conclusion: During the first wave, respondents reported a decrease in the use of involuntary treatments, while a gradual increase was seen in the following months. Italy extended compulsory psychiatric treatment to a group of new users, including young people and adolescents with acute crises; in other contexts, the main users are chronic psychiatric patients.

The Diagnosis of "Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified": A Systematic Literature Review.

(1) Background: The study deepens the diagnosis of "pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified" (PDD-NOS), a subthreshold diagnosis introduced in DSM-IV and then absorbed into the broader spectrum disorder of autism in DSM 5. The presence of people still attributed with a diagnosis of PDD-NOS can cause confusion in the understanding of this disorder, which is no longer present in the current diagnostic system. This review aims to gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics and boundaries of diagnosis, its use within the scientific community, and the long-term stability of that diagnosis. (2) Methods: The Prisma method was used to carry out the literature review; the scientific papers were selected using scientific search engines, including SCOPUS, PUBMED, and PsychINFO. Twenty-three articles were finally selected, and a meticulous reading was carried out in relation to the research questions. (3) Results: Four cross-cutting categories were identified: (1) diagnosis; (2) differential diagnosis; (3) prognosis; and (4) comorbidity. (4) Conclusions: Limits have emerged regarding the consistency, sensitivity, and the stability of PDD-NOS. The inclusion of this diagnosis within the broader autism spectrum disorder category coined in DSM-5 appears applicable.

The Relationship between Teachers and Pupils with Down Syndrome: A Qualitative Study in Primary Schools.

Down syndrome (DS), due the presence of an intellectual disability and a precarious health condition, involves important challenges for developing skills at school. The study explores the relational dynamics between teachers and students with DS and how the latter influence the processes of socialization and learning at school. The study involved 15 (n = 15) special education teachers (M age = 40.4; SD = 9.3) from primary schools in Italy who were or had previously been in charge of a pupil with DS. The teachers were interviewed through a semi-structured interview, built ad hoc. The data were analyzed through the grounded theory method supported by ATLAS.ti software. Data analysis produced 20 (n = 20) categories grouped into 6 (n = 6) macro-categories: (1) psychophysical characteristics; (2) learnings; (3) relational aspects; (4) collaborations; (5) extracurricular activities; and (6) teacher training. The research shows that students with DS have good relationships with their peers; however, there are still some important critical issues, including poor training of teachers on certain topics and on the application of collaborative and relationship support strategies, the limited collaboration between support teachers and curricular teachers, and the absence of support from ad hoc professional figures.

Parental Experiences of Coming Out: From "Un-doing Family Bonds" to "Family Generativity".

The coming out (CO) is a family process that involves the LGB+ person and all family members. The present study aimed to analyze the CO process from parents' perspective and examine if and how the emotional states of mothers and fathers changed in the years following the disclosure. The study involved 25 Italian parents (16 mothers, 9 fathers; Mage = 67, SD = 7.8) of 17 gay men and 8 lesbian women. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview designed to explore parents' reactions to their child's CO and the evolution of their CO experiences over the medium to long term (M = 13.9; SD = 8.3). Interviews were analyzed using emotional text analysis, representing a mixed methodology for tracing the emotional dimensions that organize linguistic productions. The factorial analysis generated four thematic clusters: (1) the un-doing of family bonds; (2) perceived gender typicality in childhood; (3) the freedom to be oneself and transgression; and (4) family generativity. Parents experience CO as challenging, especially in the initial phase. However, some parents develop CO narratives characterized by openness, pride, and generativity. The findings have implications for practice.

Gender Identity Milestones, Minority Stress and Mental Health in Three Generational Cohorts of Italian Binary and Nonbinary Transgender People.

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people experience high rates of minority stress and associated risk for negative health outcomes. However, during the last years, significant positive socio-cultural changes have happened, and younger cohorts of TGNC individuals are having diverse experiences compared to older cohorts. By integrating the minority stress theory and the life course perspective, this cross-sectional, web-based study aimed to explore in 197 Italian TGNC people aged 18 to 54 years (M = 29.82, SD = 9.64) whether the average ages of gender identity milestones (i.e., first insights about being TGNC, self-labeling as a TGNC person, and coming out), minority stress, and mental health vary among three generational cohorts (i.e., Generation Z, Millennials, and Generation X). Compared with older cohorts, younger participants: (a) were more likely to be in the trans-masculine spectrum; (b) self-labeled as TGNC and came out earlier; (c) had more negative expectations and lower levels of disclosure; and (d) had higher levels of mental health problems. No generational differences related to first insights about being TGNC and distal minority stressors were found. Furthermore, compared with binary individuals, participants with a non-binary identity: (a) reported later ages for the gender identity milestones; (b) had higher negative expectations; and (c) had higher levels of mental health problems. Overall, our findings indicated that changes in the social environments have a limited impact on stigmatization processes and mental health of Italian TGNC people.

Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Youth: The Influence of Rural and Urban Contexts on the Process of Building Identity and Disclosure.

The study investigates how the territorial community can influence the individual and social well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) youth and especially the recognition of their feelings and the construction of their own identity as well as their needs to be socially recognized. This research focuses on the experiences of 30 LGB individuals (23 males and 7 females), with a mean age of 25.07 years (SD = 4,578), living in urban and rural areas of Southern Italy. Focalized open interviews were conducted, and the Grounded Theory Methodology, supported by the Atlas.ti 8.0 software, was used for data analysis. The textual material was first coded, and then codes were grouped into five macro-categories: Freedom of identity expression in the urban and rural context, identity construction and acceptance process, need of aggregation and identification with the LGB community, role of the interpersonal relationship in the process of identity acceptance, socio-cultural context, and LGB psychological well-being. The results showed a condition common to the two contexts that we can define as "ghettoization." The young LGB is alone in the rural area due to a lack of places and people to identify with and greater social isolation. On the contrary, although there are more opportunities in the urban area, young people feel stigmatized and ghettoized because "their places" are frequented exclusively by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer (LGBTQ) community. The work will extensively discuss the limitations of the research, future proposals, and the practical implications of the results.

Participatory action research from an intercultural and critical perspective.

The critical community psychology approach to intercultural issues constitutes the theoretical framework for this research. The work has been carried out in the Campania region, in the South of Italy, by a group of University researchers in collaboration with representatives of associations, members of the local community, and Maghrebi immigrants who reside in the local area of San Marcellino (Caserta). This participatory action research (PAR) was aimed at acquiring knowledge about the mutual interactions between migrants and inhabitants who share the same local context. The results show the participants' and researchers' reflexivity as a main investigation tool that enriched the quality of research. The role of power profile in community analysis, the thorough definition of the trustworthiness of the researchers within the local context-as well as the use of nonasymmetrical power-based interactions between researchers and participants (think-tank sessions)-and focused interviews are discussed.