M Balestrieri
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 28431 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | M Balestrieri |
| NOMBRES | M |
| APELLIDO | Balestrieri |
| FIRMA | BALESTRIERI M |
| AFILIACIONES | University of Udine |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4616-7714 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 22 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 3 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 22 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 1987 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 1 |
Loneliness in Eating Disorders
Background: Loneliness is the emotional experience arising from the discrepancy between an individual’s desired and actual social relationships. Despite a solid rationale for expecting high levels of loneliness in eating disorders (EDs), this construct has been relatively underexplored. Aims: The present study aimed to compare levels of loneliness between people with EDs and healthy controls (HCs), assess the possible differences according to pre…
First person state/psychological imagery modulates the orbital frontal gyrus and the putamen in individuals with depression
We suggest that imagery for state/psychological events increased activation in areas involved in self-related processing and personal perspective changes
Assessing the biobehavioral effects of ultramicronized-palmitoylethanolamide monotherapy in autistic adults with different severity levels
Despite promise of its supplementation as both monotherapy and add-on treatment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the biobehavioral effects of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in autistic adults have never been explored so far. We discussed the cases of two autistic adults with different degrees of severity (level 1 and level 2) presenting with symptoms of psychic distress, who were treated with ultramicronized-PEA (um-PEA) 600 mg/day monotherapy for…
Consensus Panel Recommendations for the Pharmacological Management of Breastfeeding Women with Postpartum Depression
The ensuing recommendations were as follows: Recommendation 1: Depressive and anxiety disorders, as well as their pharmacological treatment, are not contraindications for breastfeeding. Recommendation 2: The Panel advocates for the continuation of medication that has demonstrated efficacy during pregnancy. If initiating an antidepressant during breastfeeding is necessary, drugs with a superior safety profile and substantial epidemiological data, …
Psychological factors associated with vaccination hesitancy
Higher levels of resilience among non-vaccinated patients may reflect greater identity worth and self-esteem, in turn resulting in a decrease in vaccination likelihood. This finding may have important public health implications, as it indicates that specific psychological aspects, such as resilience, may result in vaccination hesitancy, with implications for hospitalization rates, and thus healthcare costs, as well as loss of lives
Using Metaphors to Understand Suffering in Covid-19 Survivors
Accumulating evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic carries risks to psychological health and represents a collective traumatic experience with consequences at the social, economic, and health levels. The primary aim of this study was to collect ongoing COVID-19 survivors’ pandemic-related experiences as expressed through the use of metaphors; the secondary aim was to explore socio-demographic variables associated with the metaphor orienta…
Consensus Panel Recommendations for the Pharmacological Management of Pregnant Women with Depressive Disorders
Considering the state of the art, it is therefore necessary in the first instance to frame the issue of pharmacological choices in pregnant women who need treatment with antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs on the basis of data currently available in the literature. Particular attention must be paid to the evaluation of the risk/benefit ratio, understood both in terms of therapeutic benefit with respect to the potential risks of the treatment on t…
Efficacy of a Group Psychoeducation Treatment in Binge Eating Disorder
The results of this study may indicate that significant short-term improvements can be achieved through a psychoeducation group for BED patients. Although limited by the lack of a control condition, this study adds to a growing body of evidence with promising results, setting the stage for further case-control studies of BED treatment
Changes of consultation-liaison psychiatry practice in Italian general hospitals
CLP workload has increased considerably in the past 20 years in Italy, with changes in patient demographic and clinical characteristics. A trend toward increase in medication-based patient management was observed. These findings suggest that the psychiatric needs of patients admitted to the general hospital are more frequently addressed by referring physicians, although Italian CLP services still deserve better organization and autonomy
Stress, Coping, and Psychiatric Symptoms in Pregnant Women in Outpatient Care During the 2021 Second-Wave Covid-19 Pandemic
Aims: Women face many sources of stress throughout their lives, and some periods are particularly sensitive; pregnancy is one of them. The COVID-19 pandemic is a likely source of additional stress for pregnant women. Moreover, there is evidence that pregnant women have experienced high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms during the pandemic. Our study aimed to evaluate the association of pregnancy-specific stress, pandemic-related stress, a…
Common model of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in pregnant women from seven high-income Western countries at the Covid-19 pandemic onset
How Is the History of Early Traumatic Exposure Associated With the Psychopathological Outcomes of Covid-19 Related Lockdown and Subsequent Re-opening in People With Eating Disorders
The negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on people with Eating Disorders (EDs) has been documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a history of traumatic experiences during childhood or adolescence was associated with a higher degree of psychopathological worsening during COVID-19 related lockdown and in the following re-opening period in this group of people. People with EDs undergoing a specialist ED treatment in different Italia…
Emergency Psychiatric Consultations During and After the Covid-19 Lockdown in Italy. A Multicentre Study
Aims: The aim was to analyse the psychiatric consultations in nine Italian hospital emergency departments, by comparing the lockdown and post-lockdown periods of 2020 with the equivalent periods of 2019. Methods: Characteristics of psychiatric consultations, patients, and drug prescriptions were analyzed. Joinpoint models were used to identify changes in the weekly trend of consultations. Results: A 37.5% decrease in the number of consultations w…
The Burden of Comorbidity Between Bipolar Spectrum and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in an Italian Community Survey
Background: The impact of the comorbidity between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Bipolar Disorder Spectrum (BDS) remains to be clarified. The objective of this study was to examine the lifetime prevalence of OCD, the strength of the association of OCD with comorbid BDS and the role of comorbidity of OCD with BDS in the impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in an Italian community survey. Methods: The study is a community s…
Individual Health Budgets in Mental Health
IHB was used in patients with severe clinical and social problems. More resources, however, may be aimed at the working and social axes. More research is needed to better assess clinical and social outcomes of IHB and to adjust their intensity in a longitudinal perspective in order to enhance cost-effectiveness
The attributable burden of panic disorder in the impairment of quality of life in a national survey in Italy
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: The aim was to measure the lifetime prevalence of panic disorder (PD) in an Italian community sample, and to estimate the burden attributable to PD in compromising the quality of life (QoL) of people diagnosed with it. METHODS: Community survey was conducted on a sample of 4,999 randomly selected adult subjects. Instruments used were semi-structured clinical interview Advanced Neuropsychiatric Tools and Assessment Schedule…
Impaired configural body processing in anorexia nervosa
Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) suffer from severe disturbances of body perception. It is unclear, however, whether such disturbances are linked to specific alterations in the processing of body configurations with respect to the local processing of body part details. Here, we compared a consecutive sample of 12 AN patients with a group of 12 age-, gender- and education-matched controls using an inversion effect paradigm requiring the visual …
Association between Low-Activity Allele of Cathecolamine-O-Methyl-Transferase (Comt) and Borderline Personality Disorder in an Italian Population
The objective of the present study was to test the association between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and the cathecolamine-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) low-activity (Met158) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). In this case-control study, DNA was obtained from venous blood of 19 BPD patients and 36 healthy subjects. COMT-Val158Met single-nucleotide polymorphism was genotyped by predesigned SNP assay. The COMT Met158 allele was over-repres…
Migrant pathways to community mental health centres in Italy
BACKGROUND: Many studies indicate that migrants in western countries have limited access to and low utilization of community mental health centres (CMHCs) despite the high prevalence of mental disorders. AIMS: We aimed to compare migrant pathways to care across four CMHCs located in different Italian provinces and to identify pathway to care predictors. METHODS: Migrants attending the four CMHCs between 1 July 1999 and 31 December 2007 were inclu…
Reduced risk-taking behavior as a trait feature of anxiety
Affect can have a significant influence on decision-making processes and subsequent choice. One particularly relevant type of negative affect is anxiety, which serves to enhance responses to threatening stimuli or situations. In its exaggerated form, it can lead to psychiatric disorders, with detrimental consequences for quality of life, including the ability to make choices. This study investigated, for the first time, how pathological anxiety a…
Psychoeducation in the prevention of eating disorders
The aim of this report is to analyse the impact of a psychoeducational preventive programme on the eating habits of a sample of adolescent schoolgirls. Of the 112 schoolgirls attending five classes, about 86% agreed to participate in the program. Of these, 63 participants belonged to the experimental group and 33 agreed to the control group. The psychoeducational sessions were performed once a month for each of three experimental classes. The pro…
Long-Stay and Long-Term Psychiatric Patients in an Area With a Community-Based System of Care. a Register Follow-Up Study
In South-Verona, where a community-based system of care consonant with the provisions of the Italian psychiatric reform has been operating since 1978, case-register data show that Long-stay inpatient rates are decreasing, while rates of patients treated long-term outside the mental hospital (i.e. those in "continuous care for one year, receiving treatment in the community by the various out-patient and day-patient facilities and in some cases sho…
Impaired configural body processing in anorexia nervosa
Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) suffer from severe disturbances of body perception. It is unclear, however, whether such disturbances are linked to specific alterations in the processing of body configurations with respect to the local processing of body part details. Here, we compared a consecutive sample of 12 AN patients with a group of 12 age-, gender- and education-matched controls using an inversion effect paradigm requiring the visual …
Common model of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in pregnant women from seven high-income Western countries at the Covid-19 pandemic onset
Long-Stay and Long-Term Psychiatric Patients in an Area With a Community-Based System of Care. a Register Follow-Up Study
In South-Verona, where a community-based system of care consonant with the provisions of the Italian psychiatric reform has been operating since 1978, case-register data show that Long-stay inpatient rates are decreasing, while rates of patients treated long-term outside the mental hospital (i.e. those in "continuous care for one year, receiving treatment in the community by the various out-patient and day-patient facilities and in some cases sho…
Psychoeducation in the prevention of eating disorders
The aim of this report is to analyse the impact of a psychoeducational preventive programme on the eating habits of a sample of adolescent schoolgirls. Of the 112 schoolgirls attending five classes, about 86% agreed to participate in the program. Of these, 63 participants belonged to the experimental group and 33 agreed to the control group. The psychoeducational sessions were performed once a month for each of three experimental classes. The pro…
Migrant pathways to community mental health centres in Italy
BACKGROUND: Many studies indicate that migrants in western countries have limited access to and low utilization of community mental health centres (CMHCs) despite the high prevalence of mental disorders. AIMS: We aimed to compare migrant pathways to care across four CMHCs located in different Italian provinces and to identify pathway to care predictors. METHODS: Migrants attending the four CMHCs between 1 July 1999 and 31 December 2007 were inclu…
Reduced risk-taking behavior as a trait feature of anxiety
Affect can have a significant influence on decision-making processes and subsequent choice. One particularly relevant type of negative affect is anxiety, which serves to enhance responses to threatening stimuli or situations. In its exaggerated form, it can lead to psychiatric disorders, with detrimental consequences for quality of life, including the ability to make choices. This study investigated, for the first time, how pathological anxiety a…
Association between Low-Activity Allele of Cathecolamine-O-Methyl-Transferase (Comt) and Borderline Personality Disorder in an Italian Population
The objective of the present study was to test the association between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and the cathecolamine-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) low-activity (Met158) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). In this case-control study, DNA was obtained from venous blood of 19 BPD patients and 36 healthy subjects. COMT-Val158Met single-nucleotide polymorphism was genotyped by predesigned SNP assay. The COMT Met158 allele was over-repres…
Impaired configural body processing in anorexia nervosa
Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) suffer from severe disturbances of body perception. It is unclear, however, whether such disturbances are linked to specific alterations in the processing of body configurations with respect to the local processing of body part details. Here, we compared a consecutive sample of 12 AN patients with a group of 12 age-, gender- and education-matched controls using an inversion effect paradigm requiring the visual …
The attributable burden of panic disorder in the impairment of quality of life in a national survey in Italy
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: The aim was to measure the lifetime prevalence of panic disorder (PD) in an Italian community sample, and to estimate the burden attributable to PD in compromising the quality of life (QoL) of people diagnosed with it. METHODS: Community survey was conducted on a sample of 4,999 randomly selected adult subjects. Instruments used were semi-structured clinical interview Advanced Neuropsychiatric Tools and Assessment Schedule…
The Burden of Comorbidity Between Bipolar Spectrum and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in an Italian Community Survey
Background: The impact of the comorbidity between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Bipolar Disorder Spectrum (BDS) remains to be clarified. The objective of this study was to examine the lifetime prevalence of OCD, the strength of the association of OCD with comorbid BDS and the role of comorbidity of OCD with BDS in the impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in an Italian community survey. Methods: The study is a community s…
Individual Health Budgets in Mental Health
IHB was used in patients with severe clinical and social problems. More resources, however, may be aimed at the working and social axes. More research is needed to better assess clinical and social outcomes of IHB and to adjust their intensity in a longitudinal perspective in order to enhance cost-effectiveness
How Is the History of Early Traumatic Exposure Associated With the Psychopathological Outcomes of Covid-19 Related Lockdown and Subsequent Re-opening in People With Eating Disorders
The negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on people with Eating Disorders (EDs) has been documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a history of traumatic experiences during childhood or adolescence was associated with a higher degree of psychopathological worsening during COVID-19 related lockdown and in the following re-opening period in this group of people. People with EDs undergoing a specialist ED treatment in different Italia…
Emergency Psychiatric Consultations During and After the Covid-19 Lockdown in Italy. A Multicentre Study
Aims: The aim was to analyse the psychiatric consultations in nine Italian hospital emergency departments, by comparing the lockdown and post-lockdown periods of 2020 with the equivalent periods of 2019. Methods: Characteristics of psychiatric consultations, patients, and drug prescriptions were analyzed. Joinpoint models were used to identify changes in the weekly trend of consultations. Results: A 37.5% decrease in the number of consultations w…
Efficacy of a Group Psychoeducation Treatment in Binge Eating Disorder
The results of this study may indicate that significant short-term improvements can be achieved through a psychoeducation group for BED patients. Although limited by the lack of a control condition, this study adds to a growing body of evidence with promising results, setting the stage for further case-control studies of BED treatment
Changes of consultation-liaison psychiatry practice in Italian general hospitals
CLP workload has increased considerably in the past 20 years in Italy, with changes in patient demographic and clinical characteristics. A trend toward increase in medication-based patient management was observed. These findings suggest that the psychiatric needs of patients admitted to the general hospital are more frequently addressed by referring physicians, although Italian CLP services still deserve better organization and autonomy
Stress, Coping, and Psychiatric Symptoms in Pregnant Women in Outpatient Care During the 2021 Second-Wave Covid-19 Pandemic
Aims: Women face many sources of stress throughout their lives, and some periods are particularly sensitive; pregnancy is one of them. The COVID-19 pandemic is a likely source of additional stress for pregnant women. Moreover, there is evidence that pregnant women have experienced high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms during the pandemic. Our study aimed to evaluate the association of pregnancy-specific stress, pandemic-related stress, a…
Common model of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in pregnant women from seven high-income Western countries at the Covid-19 pandemic onset
Psychological factors associated with vaccination hesitancy
Higher levels of resilience among non-vaccinated patients may reflect greater identity worth and self-esteem, in turn resulting in a decrease in vaccination likelihood. This finding may have important public health implications, as it indicates that specific psychological aspects, such as resilience, may result in vaccination hesitancy, with implications for hospitalization rates, and thus healthcare costs, as well as loss of lives
Using Metaphors to Understand Suffering in Covid-19 Survivors
Accumulating evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic carries risks to psychological health and represents a collective traumatic experience with consequences at the social, economic, and health levels. The primary aim of this study was to collect ongoing COVID-19 survivors’ pandemic-related experiences as expressed through the use of metaphors; the secondary aim was to explore socio-demographic variables associated with the metaphor orienta…
Consensus Panel Recommendations for the Pharmacological Management of Pregnant Women with Depressive Disorders
Considering the state of the art, it is therefore necessary in the first instance to frame the issue of pharmacological choices in pregnant women who need treatment with antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs on the basis of data currently available in the literature. Particular attention must be paid to the evaluation of the risk/benefit ratio, understood both in terms of therapeutic benefit with respect to the potential risks of the treatment on t…
Assessing the biobehavioral effects of ultramicronized-palmitoylethanolamide monotherapy in autistic adults with different severity levels
Despite promise of its supplementation as both monotherapy and add-on treatment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the biobehavioral effects of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in autistic adults have never been explored so far. We discussed the cases of two autistic adults with different degrees of severity (level 1 and level 2) presenting with symptoms of psychic distress, who were treated with ultramicronized-PEA (um-PEA) 600 mg/day monotherapy for…
Consensus Panel Recommendations for the Pharmacological Management of Breastfeeding Women with Postpartum Depression
The ensuing recommendations were as follows: Recommendation 1: Depressive and anxiety disorders, as well as their pharmacological treatment, are not contraindications for breastfeeding. Recommendation 2: The Panel advocates for the continuation of medication that has demonstrated efficacy during pregnancy. If initiating an antidepressant during breastfeeding is necessary, drugs with a superior safety profile and substantial epidemiological data, …
First person state/psychological imagery modulates the orbital frontal gyrus and the putamen in individuals with depression
We suggest that imagery for state/psychological events increased activation in areas involved in self-related processing and personal perspective changes
Loneliness in Eating Disorders
Background: Loneliness is the emotional experience arising from the discrepancy between an individual’s desired and actual social relationships. Despite a solid rationale for expecting high levels of loneliness in eating disorders (EDs), this construct has been relatively underexplored. Aims: The present study aimed to compare levels of loneliness between people with EDs and healthy controls (HCs), assess the possible differences according to pre…
Medicine (19 obras) · Psychiatry (17 obras) · Psychology (16 obras) · Clinical Psychology (12 obras) · Clinical Psychology (9 obras) · Internal Medicine (7 obras) · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 (6 obras) · Anxiety (5 obras) · COVID-19 and Mental Health (5 obras) · Eating disorders (5 obras)