First validation of the technical and administrative staff quality of life at work tool (TASQ@work) in academia.

Introduction: Based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the present study aimed to validate "The Technical and Administrative Staff Quality of Life At Work" (TASQ@work), a new tool to assess the quality of life at work in academia focused on technical and administrative staff. Methods: This tool was developed by the QoL@Work research team, a group of expert academics in the field of work and organizational psychology affiliated with the Italian Association of Psychologists. The TASQ@work was elaborated in different steps. The first phase was aimed at the identification of the dimensions of the tool. The second phase was aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the tool. The validation process involved confirmatory analysis and measurement invariance of the various constructs selected. The analyses were performed in a convenience sample of two Italian universities in different regions (one in the Northwest and the second in Central Italy). Results: The sample was composed of 1820 Administrative Staff, comprising 69.4% from University 1 (N = 1,263) and 30.6% from University 2 (N = 557). The TASQ@work presented satisfactory psychometric properties (normality of the items, reliability and content, construct and nomological validity) and measurement invariance across gender, seniority, and Athenaeum. Discussion: The results indicate that the tool can be considered a reliable and valid instrument to assess job demands, job resources, and outcomes in the working life of technical and administrative academic staff. In this perspective, the present study represents the first contribution to the debate on the psychosocial risks in academic contexts by presenting a new tool, the TASQ@work, aimed at contextualizing the JD-R model to understand the role played by psychosocial aspects in affecting the well-being of the academic employees.

The Individual Work Performance Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version.

Individual work performance can be defined as individual behaviour capable of generating value and a competitive advantage for the organization. Furthermore, this construct is linked to other fundamental variables that constitute worker well-being, such as job satisfaction and engagement. Although important, a complete measure of individual work performance is still lacking in the Italian context. The objective of this work is to validate the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) within the Italian organisational context. The IWPQ is a multi-dimensional construct consisting of task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior. To investigate the psychometric properties of the Italian IWPQ, 1053 participants were enrolled, whose ages ranged between 19 and 69 years. EFA, CFA, and MCFA analyses were performed to test the structural factors of the IWPQ. The results supported the validity of the IWPQ in the Italian context; the final structure consisted of 17 items. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that the factor solution was invariant across both gender and occupational categories and found evidence of metric, uniqueness, scalar, and structural invariance. Convergent validity was also tested and demonstrated. Adequate studies on the importance of individual performance can be used to better understand and distinguish the different components affecting performance.

The Roles of Anxiety and Self-Esteem in the Risk of Eating Disorders and Compulsive Buying Behavior.

In contemporary society, following the sudden changes that occur, different forms of addiction are becoming popular. Of note are the new addictions and concepts of poly-dependencies that involve common behaviors and trap people who suffering from them in a vicious circle. The main goal of this study is to investigate the possible mediating role that self-esteem had between trait anxiety and two specific new addictions: compulsive buying behavior and eating disorders. Furthermore, it was verified through a multigroup analysis that trait anxiety had a greater effect on eating disorders in a group of compulsive consumers. Three-hundred and fifty-two participants (67.9% women) were enrolled to participate in this study. The results showed that there was a direct effect of trait anxiety on eating disorders and on compulsive buying behavior; self-esteem mediated the effect of trait anxiety on eating disorders and compulsive buying behavior with specific differences; multi-group analysis showed differences in anxiety's effect on eating disorders between compulsive and non-compulsive consumers; the group of compulsive consumers revealed a significant and stronger effect of trait anxiety on eating disorders in all domains identified. Further research is recommended to better understand the predictors of these disorders and to contribute to a more effective preventive intervention.

Dispositional Resilience as Mediator in Psychological Stress on Healthcare Workers: A Multi-Group Analysis of Frontline and Non-Frontline Workers.

The experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) during COVID-19 have been characterized by psychological symptoms such as stress, anxiety and depression, compassion fatigue and post-traumatic stress, which are long-lasting. The general picture of HCWs, especially frontline workers, is that of a physically and psychologically exhausted group. The aim of the study was to examine the potential mediating role of dispositional resilience in the impact of depression, anxiety and stress on professional quality of life among HCWs during the pandemic period. We also investigated possible differences between the frontline and non-frontline HCWs. The study enrolled 487 participants from public Italian hospitals. The variables of stress and anxiety predicted all factors related to professional quality of life, against depression which positively predicted only burnout and secondary traumatic Stress. Resilience was an important mediator in all these paths and the multigroup analysis suggested statistically significant differences between frontline and non-frontline HCWs. Results emphasised the importance of caring and concern for frontline HCWs to improve their quality of life, satisfaction and have positive impacts on the quality of service and care provided. There is a need to reflect on the necessity to develop projects and protocols that address health emergencies in advance.

Health Occupation and Job Satisfaction: The Impact of Psychological Capital in the Management of Clinical Psychological Stressors of Healthcare Workers in the COVID-19 Era.

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted global health. Frontline healthcare workers involved in the response to COVID-19 faced physical and psychological challenges that threatened their wellbeing and job satisfaction. The pandemic crisis, alongside pre-existing critical issues, exposed healthcare workers to constant emotional fatigue, creating an increased workload and vulnerability to stress. Maintaining such stress levels increased their levels of anxiety, irritability and loneliness. Evidence shows that the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) was a strong protective factor against these stressors. The aim of this study was to analyze the level of job satisfaction among health workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic. The possible antecedent factors to satisfaction and the role that PsyCap plays in preserving and fostering higher levels of job satisfaction were investigated. A total of 527 healthcare workers from different areas of Italy were recruited for the study. The results revealed that psychological stress factors have a considerable impact on job satisfaction. All four predictors (Stress Vulnerability, Anxiety Symptoms, Loneliness and Irritability) had the potential to decrease job satisfaction. Loneliness had a more significant effect than other factors assessed in this study. Moreover, the results showed how PsyCap could decrease the effects of psychological stressors on job satisfaction. Consistent with previous studies, our findings show that PsyCap could alleviate negative impacts in work-related circumstances.

A New Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@workT) to Assess the Quality of Life at Work in the Italian Academic Context.

The present study provides evidence for a valid and reliable tool, the Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@workT), to investigate the quality of life at work in academics within the Italian university sector. The AQ@workT was developed by the QoL@Work research team, namely a group of expert academics in the field of work and organizational psychology affiliated with the Italian Association of Psychologists. The tool is grounded in the job demands-resources model and its psychometric properties were assessed in three studies comprising a wide sample of lecturers, researchers, and professors: a pilot study (N = 120), a calibration study (N = 1084), and a validation study (N = 1481). Reliability and content, construct, and nomological validity were supported, as well as measurement invariance across work role (researchers, associate professors, and full professors) and gender. Evidence from the present study shows that the AQ@workT represents a useful and reliable tool to assist university management to enhance quality of life, to manage work-related stress, and to mitigate the potential for harm to academics, particularly during a pandemic. Future studies, such as longitudinal tests of the AQ@workT, should test predictive validity among the variables in the tool.

Validation and measurement invariance of the Compound PsyCap Scale (CPC-12): a short universal measure of psychological capital

Lorenz y sus colegas desarrollaron la Escala Compound PsyCap (CPC-12) para ampliar este enfoque de dominio específico; sin embargo, no se realizó ninguna verificación adicional de su idoneidad en diferentes muestras / entornos. El presente trabajo investigó las propiedades psicométricas de una adaptación italiana del CPC-12 con el objetivo de verificar su aplicabilidad en muestras donde la redacción de los ítems de las medidas existentes de PsyCap podría no ser adecuada (por ejemplo, estudiantes y desempleados). El estudio 1 (n = 450) examinó la estructura factorial de la escala. El estudio 2 (n = 255) avanzó en la validación anterior de la CPC-12 al probar su equivalencia de medición entre sexos a través de MCFA. Los resultados confirmaron una estructura factorial de un orden superior con cuatro factores de primer orden; se encontró que la escala era invariante en todos los sexos. Los hallazgos avanzaron la afirmación general de la CPC-12 de ser adecuada para su aplicación en múltiples contextos, incluidos el deporte, la educación, la orientación profesional, así como los entornos laborales típicos y atípicos.(AU)

The Compound PsyCap Scale (CPC-12) was developed by Lo-renz et al. (2016) to broaden the application of psychological capital, since usually tied to workplace settings; however, no further verification of its suitability across different samples was performed. The present work in-vestigated the psychometric properties of an Italian adaptation of the CPC-12 with the aim of verifying its applicability in samples where the item wording of the existing measures of PsyCap might not be suitable (e.g., students and unemployed people). Study 1 (n= 450) examined the factor structure of the scale. Study 2 (n= 255) advanced the previous CPC-12 validation by testing its measurement equivalence across gender through MCFA. Results confirmed a one higher-order factor structure with four first-order factors, the scale was found to be invariant across gender. The findings advanced the general claim of CPC-12 to be suitable for applica-tion in multiple contexts, including sport, education, vocational guidance, as well as typical and atypical work settings.(AU)

The Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES-C): Psychometric Properties and Invariance of Italian Version in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease.

Apathy is a neuropsychiatric symptom observed in different neurological and psychiatric disorders. Although apathy is considered a symptom, it has been recently reconsidered as a syndrome characterised by three dimensions: cognitive symptoms, affective symptoms and behavioural symptoms. Recent studies have shown that apathy can be considered as a prodromal symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but also an indicator of the transition from mild cognitive impairment to AD. According to this scenario, an early detection of apathy in subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Mild AD can be a valid psychometric strategy to improve an early diagnosis and promote a prompt intervention. The Apathy Evaluation Scale is a validated tool composed of 18 items that assess and quantify emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects of apathy. The aim of this study is to assess the specific reliability and validity of the Italian version of the Apathy Evaluation Scale-Clinician Version (AES-C) to detect apathy both in amnestic MCI and mild AD patients. In the present paper, we therefore examined the psychometric properties and the invariance of the Italian Version of the AES-C conducted on a sample composed of an experimental group of amnestic MCI and AD patients (N = 107) and a control group (N = 107) constituted by Age- and Sex-matched healthy controls. Results confirm the goodness of the scale. Confirmatory factory analysis confirmed that the AES-C Italian Version presents the same stability of one second-order factor and three first-order factors identified in the original version, and all items are predicted by a single general factor. Moreover, the scale was found to be invariant across both populations. Moreover, reliability and discriminant analysis showed good values. We found in the experimental group a negative correlation between the AES-C and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) (rs = -0.21, p < 0.001) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (rs = -0.04, p < 0.001), while a positive correlation was found between the AES-C and Hamilton psychiatric Rating scale for Depression (HAM-D) scores (rs = 0.58, p < 0.001) Overall, our data demonstrated the validity of the Italian version of the AES-C for the assessment of apathy both in MCI and in AD patients.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Italian Version of the Job Satisfaction Scale.

The JSS is based on the theoretical position that job satisfaction represented an affective or attitudinal reaction to a job, and today is one of the most popular instruments used in I-O psychology. This paper discusses the contribution to the validation of an Italian adaptation of the Job Satisfaction Survey. Five hundred and twenty-seven participants (258 men, 269 women) were enrolled to participate in this study, aged between 19 and 65 (Mage = 36.0, SD = 11.7). The sample mostly worked in public administration, in health care, and in the educational sector. A self-report questionnaire is used to investigate the psychometric properties of this scale, also measuring other variables. A back-translation procedure is used. The results pinpointed the goodness of the scale and the normality distribution. Confirmative factor analyses and multigroup confirmative factor analyses were performed to verify the factorial structure of the scale. The results confirmed the same factorial structure of the original version, suggesting a nine higher-order factor structure. The results from the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that this factor solution was invariant across gender (men vs. women) and found evidence for metric invariance, uniqueness invariance, and scalar and structural invariance. The findings confirmed the applicability in the Italian context.

Stress among university students: the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the SBI-U 9 scale for Academic Burnout in university students.

Several authors have highlighted the importance of creating a useful tool to evaluate academic Burnout through the construction and validation of specific scales to evaluate academic Burnout. Based on the literature, the aim of this study is to evaluate in Italian university the psychometric properties of the SBI-U 9 scale for Academic Burnout in university students in Italy developed by Boada-Grau and colleagues. Study 1 (N=609) examined the factor structure of the scale (Male=45.6%, Female=54.4%; Mage= 21.9; SD=2.92). Study 2 (N=412) advanced the previous SBI-U 9 validation by testing its measurement equivalence across gender (Male=48.8%, Female= 51.2%) and different type of course of study (Technical-Mathematical-Scientific=33.5%, Medical- Scientific=32.5%, Scientific-Humanistic=34%) through Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results confirmed a one higher-order factor structure with three first-order factors, the scale was found to be invariant across gender and different type of course of study. The findings advanced the general claim of SBI-U 9 showed an important tool for detecting the academic Burnout in university students in the Italian context, this is confirmed by the good psychometric properties of the scale.

The Italian version of the Work Psychosocial Climate Scale (Escala Clima Psicosocial en el Trabajo).

BACKGROUND: The organizational climate is a quality of the internal environment of an organization that is shared by its members, can be described in terms of the values of the characteristics of an organization, influencing the workers' behaviour. A number of empirical studies have examined the relationship between climate perceptions and a variety of variables such as job satisfaction, performance, psychological well-being, absenteeism and turnover. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to verify the psychometric properties of the Work Psychosocial Climate Scale in the Italian context. METHODS: The participants were 1063 Italian workers. The survey comprised: Work Psychosocial Climate Scale, Majer D'Amato Organizational Questionnaire 10, Work and Organizational Motivation Inventory, Mindfulness Organising Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, and Organizational outcomes (Turnover intentions, Exit and neglect, Performance). RESULTS: The results provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the Work Psychosocial Climate Scale, after some modifications of the original version. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the psychosocial climate in an organization is one of most important steps to recognize the indicators of work-related stress. The Work Psychosocial Climate Scale allows to conduct the evaluation with a reduced number of items.

The role played by health resistance, coping response, and smoke damage perceptions in smoking threat appeal campaigns.

Threat appeal campaigns have been widely used to induce people to change their bad smoking habits by adopting a better approach in favor of a healthier lifestyle. Social marketers who create this kind of messages tend to believe in the persuasive power of fear arousal. For most people, fear has an important consequence on behavior, leading them to search for means of deleting or coping with the unhealthy behavior. As demonstrated by the Ordered Protection Motivation Model, individual differences such as health resistance play an important role in determining, or not, a change of behavior when faced with the threat. This study explores the relationship between health resistance and attitude towards smoking behavior and examines the mediating impact of coping response and smoke damage perception in a sample of 260 university students, smokers and non-smokers. Results highlight that health resistance has an important direct effect on smoking attitude, but, it seems to be mitigated by the smoke severity of the damage shown in graphic images. The comparison between smokers and nonsmokers allowed us to understand the role of reactance in these two groups, and the significance that anti-smoking campaigns assume. Our results offer important suggestions for future decisions about social threat appeals campaigns.

Clinical and Neurocognitive Predictors of Functional Outcome in Depressed Patients with Partial Response to Treatment: One Year Follow-Up Study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive dysfunction represents a distinct biological and clinical dimension in major depression disorders (MDD) and cognitive performance strongly affects psychosocial functioning in patients diagnosed with MDD. OBJECTIVE: To assess which neurocognitive variables at baseline predict the functional outcome of MDD patients in a 1-year follow-up study as assessed by Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) and whether the improvement observed on affective and cognitive symptoms in our 12 week-prospective observational study after treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can affect the following long-term psychosocial functional outcome at 1 year in the same MDD patients. METHODS: We recruited a total of 31 patients (8 males; 23 females) with MDD who had previously completed a pharmacological treatment with SSRIs (n = 22) or SNRIs (n = 9) for 12 weeks, and then continued the same pharmacological treatment for 1 year. After an average 1-year follow-up, they were interviewed with the FAST to assess functional outcome. Multivariate analyses were applied to identify clinical and neurocognitive predictors of functional outcome. RESULTS: Total Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Digit Span forward (Span F) and backward (Span B), and 15 Rey words immediate recall (Rey I) scores significantly correlated with FAST. However, after performing regression models only Rey immediate recall score was useful to predict long-term functional outcome (Pearson correlation coefficient R= -0.68, p < 0.001) in four specific subdomains of FAST. When considering changes in affective and cognitive symptoms at the end of the 12 weeks of pharmacological treatment with SSRI or SNRIs (T1-T0) by multiple regression analysis, we found that Span F-test predicted scores in the FAST leisure domain, whereas, changes in Span F, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and Rey I predicted psychosocial functioning in the specific "cognitive" subdomains of FAST. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that long-term psychosocial functioning can be influenced by neurocognitive performance at baseline, with verbal memory playing a key role in overall functioning. Furthermore, improvement in verbal memory can predict functional outcome at one year in MDD patients with a recent history of partial response to antidepressants.

Psychological resources, satisfaction, and career identity in the work transition: an outlook on Sicilian college students.

BACKGROUND: The phases of career building today bring out a more complex process than in previous decades. Starting from the literature review, the university-to-work transition is considered a very important step in the future career of the graduates, and it involves some psychological resources and requires specific abilities. METHODS: Research has examined the psychological resources that students at the end of a degree course can use in the university-to-work transition. The aim of the study is to verify the relationship between academic satisfaction and career identity, and the mediational role of readiness and confidence on this relationship. A group of 438 students were assigned to complete a questionnaire in order to examine the relationship between academic satisfaction and career identity and the role of core components of psychological resources: readiness and confidence as mediator. RESULTS: The results indicated both a direct relationship between academic satisfaction and career identity and a mediated relationship with the influence of readiness and confidence for a transition. Adding to our results, we assert that academic satisfaction has a directed effect on confidence during the transition and is a predictor of career identity, both directly and by the mediation of readiness in career transitions. CONCLUSION: Career identity has implication for exploratory behavior, thus increasing the motivation and mindfulness that create a virtuous circle, influencing the development of knowledge and skills, which are the base of proactivity and confidence in construction of one's future career.

Associations of Thalassemia Major and satisfaction with quality of life: The mediating effect of social support.

The present research analyzed the elements of thalassemia which affect the patient's perceived quality of life. Three hundred patients with Thalassemia Major (males = 165, 55%; females = 135, 45%; Mage = 36.13, standard deviation = 8.54) were the sample. Analysis of multiple mediations revealed a direct effect of self-efficacy on the Satisfaction with Life Scale that is mediated only by social support.The findings suggest a need to accentuate help and support to patients with Thalassemia Major.

The Role of Secularism of State on the Relationship Between Catholic Identity, Political Orientation, and Gay Rights Issues.

In discussions of regulations governing same-sex marriage and adoption by gays and lesbians, the issue of state secularism is often called into question. This study aims to test the mediating effects of state secularism on the relationship between Catholic identity, political orientation, and gay civil rights. Participants were Catholic Italians who completed a questionnaire measuring the constructs under investigation. Results showed that state secularism mediates the effects of Catholic identity and political orientation on attitudes toward same-sex marriage and adoption by gays and lesbians.