Sabrina Cipolletta

Objective: To understand the role of social support in the caregiving experience of cancer patients through a narrative synthesis of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses, providing a comprehensive overview in the field. Methods: A systematic search of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses published between 2013 and 2024 was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus using PCC‐based search terms related to informal caregivers, social support, and cancer. Results: The search resulted in a total of 1377 articles, of which 32 met the inclusion criteria and quality assessment. Through a high‐level narrative synthesis, we identified three main thematic areas: (i) the role of social support in shaping caregivers' outcomes, including their psychological well‐being, adaptation to the caregiving role and difficulties in receiving and seeking help; (ii) changes in interpersonal relationships, including the relationship with the patient; and (iii) support needs and psychosocial interventions designed to address them. Conclusions: Our narrative synthesis confirms social support as a critical factor shaping psychological well‐being, role adaptation, and quality of life among informal caregivers. Evidence consistently shows that emotional and instrumental support reduce caregiver burden and distress, despite frequently reported barriers to seeking and receiving help. Caregiving reshapes interpersonal relationships, requiring ongoing role renegotiation within the caregiver‐patient dyad. Dyadic interventions focusing on relational communication are more effective than information‐only approaches and adaptable across settings. Future research and policies should prioritize person‐centered support throughout the cancer trajectory.

The role of informal caregivers has become increasingly central in the context of global population aging and the rising prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases. Caring for individuals with cognitive decline is frequently associated with loneliness and social isolation among caregivers. This systematic review aims to identify and critically analyze interventions designed to reduce perceived loneliness and social isolation in informal caregivers of people with cognitive decline. A systematic search was conducted across five databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus. Eligible studies involved informal caregivers of individuals with cognitive decline, targeted loneliness or social isolation, employed quantitative and/or qualitative outcome measures, and were published in peer‐reviewed journals in English between 2000 and 2026. Books, dissertations, and systematic reviews were excluded. Methodological quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklists selected according to each study’s design. Data synthesis was performed through tabulation and narrative analysis. The PRISMA guidelines were followed throughout the review process. Thirty‐eight studies, both quantitative and qualitative, met the inclusion criteria. Narrative synthesis identified two overarching categories of caregivers’ needs and six primary categories of interventions, many of which showed a positive impact on caregivers’ psychological and social well‐being. Dementia Cafés, counseling services, and group‐based activities proved particularly effective in addressing caregivers’ needs for informal support, self‐preservation, and personal development. Conversely, needs related to formal social support were only partially met by the available interventions. The findings suggest that a range of support strategies is currently available to promote the social well‐being of informal caregivers. However, the methodological limitations of the included studies constrain the generalizability of these conclusions. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions in more diverse populations and across different stages of cognitive decline.

Introduction: A high discrepancy between a generally positive attitude and consent to donation has been observed in Italy, as in 2021 only 68.2% of registered individuals had provided consent. Understanding which variables may play a role in this decision-making process, considering the experiences of different groups, is essential to support the development and implementation of targeted policies. The aim of this study was to investigate the demographic and psychosocial variables associated with the decision to register consent for post-mortem organ donation in Italy, and to compare the experiences of different population groups to support the development of targeted policies.Methods: A quantitative study was conducted in 2021 in collaboration with the National Centre for Transplantation. A total of 353 participants–including healthcare professionals, citizens, opinion leaders and registry office employees–completed an ad-hoc questionnaire before and after participating in a focus group on organ donation. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were conducted.Results: Of the 353 participants, 93.8% reported a positive attitude toward post-mortem organ donation (score > 5 on a 7-point Likert scale). In the pre-focus group questionnaire, the mean attitude was 6.45 (SD = 1.05), which increased significantly to 6.56 (SD = 0.99) after the focus groups (Z = −4.06, p < 0.001). Regarding actual behavior, 50.4% had already registered their consent to donation. Significant associations emerged between positive attitude and gender (women reporting higher scores; U = 13,129, p = 0.045), level of education (r = 0.156, p = 0.004), familiarity with donation (e.g., knowing a donor or someone who registered consent; p < 0.001), and being registered with donation-related associations (p < 0.001). Intention to register was strongly predicted by attitude (p < 0.001), and actual consent registration was more likely among participants with higher education and those familiar with donation practices.Conclusion: Findings highlight the role of demographic factors, familiarity, and personal values in shaping donation behavior, supporting the use of multivariable models to better explain consent registration. These insights underline the need to implement targeted awareness campaigns and policies aimed at promoting informed choices about organ donation.

Tools that can be used to collect behavioural data during pandemics are needed to inform policy and practice. The objective of this project was to develop the Your COVID-19 Risk tool in response to the global spread of COVID-19, aiming to promote health behaviour change. We developed an online resource based on key behavioural evidence-based risk factors related to contracting and spreading COVID-19. This tool allows for assessing risk and provides instant support to protect individuals from infection. The Risk Estimation Questions assessed users’ location, age, gender, work environment, day-to-day behaviours currently performed, and conditions under which these behaviours would change. Users were also asked to estimate how often they keep their distance from others in public and regularly wash their hands, and the procedures they follow to do so. A multidisciplinary research team of more than 150 international experts developed the tool. Over 60,000 users in more than 150 countries have assessed their risk and provided data. The majority of respondents reported that they almost always keep their distance from others in public places, and most participants reported washing their hands after touching public or shared surfaces or when entering buildings. The tool, data, and results were openly shared to support government and health agencies developing behaviour change interventions. This tool creates a blueprint for similar digital infrastructure that can be replicated and used in future pandemics.

Multiple influences such as climate change, environmental, and social factors, have been increasing the incidence of infectious disease outbreaks. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how people make sense of such events. Our study focuses on 100 Swiss-Italian participants during the initial COVID-19 pandemic wave, investigating how they navigated this period. We collected “Stories of Life,” personal narratives about their experience and analyzed them with Thematic Analysis. Results show that over a third of the participants made sense of the pandemic by framing it as a time for personal growth. Our themes illustrated the importance of relationships, resilience, and appreciation of time. These findings align with existing literature on personal growth domains and underscore the significance of relational health in adversity. We discuss personal growth during a pandemic, emphasizing the need to consider socio-demographic characteristics and supportive social contexts, which can create inequalities in circumstances promoting growth.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted young people's mental health but we still need to explore this impact in the long term. The aim of this study is to analyze college students' wellbeing and loneliness in relation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social support, and the frequency of activities carried out with others following the period of strictest restrictions.Methods: A total of 291 college students enrolled in an Italian University filled in an online questionnaire including measures of anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, loneliness, perceived social support, and the impact of COVID-19 on their quality of life.Results: The results showed that the greatest impact of the pandemic related to higher levels of loneliness, anxiety, depression and lower satisfaction with life. Conversely, greater social support and frequency of activities carried out with others were associated with lower levels of loneliness and depression, and higher satisfaction with life. Some differences related to gender and being a long-term international student.Discussion: These results are important to inform interventions to support college students' wellbeing and foster social connections among them.

Blended psychological interventions, comprising online and in‐presence activities, represent an interesting opportunity to tackle the current well‐being and mental health challenges in vulnerable populations such as international university students. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of international students enrolled at the University of Padua (Italy) who participated in an 8 week blended intervention to support their well‐being and social connectedness, comprising online and face‐to‐face activities focusing on different topics such as well‐being, social‐media usage, communication skills, challenges and resources of being an international student. A total of six participants took part in the intervention. In‐presence group sessions were audio‐recorded and thematically analysed. The results identified three overarching themes: participants' experiences and interactions in the group sessions, participants' experiences with the online self‐help materials and participants' narratives during the group sessions. The intervention allowed for the identification of international students' needs and resources, and showed the usefulness and relevance of the blended modality to support their social connectedness and well‐being, pointing out the strength of mutual support and the need for an active role of the hosting countries and universities as fundamental resources for international students. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's .

Introduction: Loneliness is a prevalent issue among international university students, often exacerbated by cultural and linguistic barriers. This pilot study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a blended intervention to promote international students’ social connectedness and well-being.Methods: A sample of 49 international students from the University of Padua (Italy) was recruited. The study followed the methodology of a non-randomized controlled trial comparing a blended intervention (comprising group activities and online self-help materials) with two other active conditions (self-help only and peer-to-peer interventions) and a control condition at two times (baseline and at 8 weeks). Participants completed a survey to assess their satisfaction with the interventions, changes in their interactions and wellbeing. They also filled in some questionnaires to measure anxiety, depression, perceived social support, loneliness and satisfaction with life. A mixed-method analysis was conducted.Results: Results showed that interventions involving in-person activities had significant advantages over self-help intervention in terms of interaction improvement and a higher number of relationships. Participants perceived self-help materials as more relevant, satisfactory, and functional within the blended group compared to the self-help group. Contrary to the control group, the blended and peer-to-peer groups reported lower scores on the standardized measures of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, and higher scores on satisfaction with life, collected pre- and post-intervention. The thematic analysis of the answers to the open-ended questions showed that in-person group activities provided the opportunity to compare themselves with peers and have a direct experience of new social connections.Discussion: The findings highlight the importance of translating insights from self-help materials into active and direct social experiences, to reduce loneliness through the emergence of new perspectives and shared meaning making.

The relationship between suicidality and problematic pornography use (PPU) is not clear, and the limited research data that exists show contradictory results. The present study aims to explore the associations between these two variables in a sample of young adults, taking into account gender differences and the role of loneliness, emotional states, and well-being. A total of 332 national and international students (60% female) at an Italian University with a mean age of 23 years (SD = 2.84) completed an anonymous online survey during the period from March 2023 to May 2023. The results show that PPU was associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, and suicide ideation, as well as lower life satisfaction. Gender comparison analysis revealed significantly higher scores for PPU and loneliness among men, while women scored higher in stress, anxiety, and life satisfaction. Significant correlations between PPU and suicidal ideation and having a suicide plan were established for female participants despite their lower scores in PPU. Multiple regression analysis revealed that PPU and its interaction with gender were both significant predictors of suicidal ideation. Future attention should be paid to how young women may be influenced by exposure to sexually explicit materials, while always considering the role of loneliness.