RISULTATI RICERCA

This research presents a case study examining how transformational game design promotes sustainable mobility through community psychology approaches in onlife environments. The MUV platform¹, developed as University of Palermo spinoff, demonstrates practical integration of behavioural change models with game design principles. Longitudinal data from 2,856 users across European cities show 33.8% average carbon footprint reduction, with 14.9% daily-to-monthly active user retention. The platform’s sport-as-metaphor framework transforms routine mobility decisions into engaging activities whilst supporting empowerment and social equality. Findings establish that university-led digital innovations can achieve meaningful individual and collective behavioural change, providing replicable pathways for scaling community psychology interventions addressing climate challenges.

The article examines the development of a community map for the campus of the University of Palermo, carried out by students as part of an educational experiment. Within the framework of community psychology, innovative digital tools (GIS and online mapping) were employed to foster the care of shared spaces. Students developed skills in analysis, collaboration, and active participation. The use of open-access online digital software (Google My Maps and QGIS) made the process engaging, supporting the acquisition of digital competencies and active citizenship. This initiative highlights the potential of digital technologies in practices of caring for shared living spaces, as well as their possible impact on the sense of belonging and civic responsibility within the academic community.

With the integration of Wearable AI Technologies into community interventions a reflection has started on the potential of these tools to innovate and simplify qualitative participatory research practices. This paper presents an investigation of the use of artificial intelligence PLAUD within the context of the Internet of Things (IoT) as a device for capturing interactions within graphomaniac communities. Specifically, the study involved 42 participants during meetings of Parole Notturne, a Palermo-based collective dedicated to promoting Community Reading and Writing. The primary objective is to critically evaluate the added value of wearable AI technologies, considering the prospect of kurzweilian technological singularity.

In recent years, the widespread use of digital technologies and the rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly reshaped family dynamics, influencing how parents guide and supervise their children’s digital interactions. While AI technologies offer considerable educational and social opportunities, they also present significant risks to minors’ safety, privacy, and emotional development. The present study explores AI usage, trust, and perceived risks among 180 parents (87 biological, 93 adoptive), specifically aiming to identify potential differences between these two groups. Results indicated cautious behavior and low trust in AI across both groups, without significant differences. However, adoptive parents reported higher digital literacy and greater involvement in monitoring their children’s online activities. Additionally, qualitative findings highlighted specific concerns among adoptive parents, especially related to unwanted contact with birth families and exposure to emotionally sensitive digital content. The findings underscore the importance of targeted community-based educational interventions to enhance parental skills and confidence in managing AI-related opportunities and risks.

This theoretical reflection paper explores critical ethical challenges for youths’ use of conversational artificial intelligence (CAI), highlighting promises and pitfalls. Central to the discussion is the challenge of developing ethical AI systems to make morally sound decisions to minimize harm and maximize beneficence. To address ethical concerns and safeguard youth-AI interactions, innovative solutions are highlighted: developing computational ethics paradigms to ensure transparency and accountability in AI algorithms and promoting communities of AI use. The paper concludes by underscoring the ongoing challenge of imbuing AI with ethical reasoning capacities, highlighting the critical need for interdisciplinary approaches to ensure responsible AI development and use by younger and older humans alike.

The aim of this paper is to explore two family models frequently observed during sessions with drug addiction patients: performance-oriented functioning families and, on the other hand, those families with affect-oriented functioning.Based on over thirty years of clinical experience and observation, this paper analyses how these models affect the genesis and preservation of the addiction, focusing on the psychic mechanism related to the object relationship and the structuring of the “Self”.Performance-oriented functioning families deny emotional needs, in favor of concrete and tangible achievements, whilst affect-oriented functioning families are characterized by an emotional enmeshment that can hinder self-sufficiency.Ultimately, the article concludes by highlighting the importance of a specific intervention aimed at restructuring such family dynamics.

Nonostante l’ampia documentazione sulla comorbidità tra disturbo da deficit di attenzione/iperattività (ADHD) e disturbi da uso di sostanze (DUS), il sistema italiano per il trattamento delle dipendenze resta inadeguato nel supportare i soggetti affetti da questa doppia diagnosi. Le comunità terapeutiche – ancora oggi pilastro dell’assistenza residenziale alle dipendenze in Italia – si basano tipicamente su modelli comportamentali rigidi, approcci centrati sull’astinenza e routine di gruppo fortemente regolate. Queste caratteristiche strutturali risultano spesso incongruenti con i profili cognitivi, emotivi e comportamentali dei soggetti con ADHD, portando a esclusioni già in fase di accesso o ad abbandoni precoci del trattamento. Questo commentary mette in luce un punto cieco, tanto strutturale quanto culturale, nel sistema italiano, dove l’ADHD è ancora sottodiagnosticato nella popolazione adulta con DUS e spesso frainteso come mera oppositività comportamentale. Sebbene alcuni servizi territoriali per le dipendenze (SerD) abbiano recentemente introdotto protocolli di screening tramite strumenti come l’Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), la maggior parte dei programmi residenziali resta impreparata ad accogliere i bisogni specifici legati all’ADHD. L’esclusione dei pazienti con doppia diagnosi ADHD–DUS dalle comunità terapeutiche rappresenti un vuoto sistemico nell’assistenza, che compromette sia l’efficacia del trattamento sia il principio di equità. Il presente contributo invoca un cambiamento multilivello: riconoscimento clinico dell’ADHD nei contesti delle dipendenze, adattamenti strutturali nelle comunità terapeutiche, e incentivi politici per promuovere percorsi di cura inclusivi ed evidence-based. Integrare approcci sensibili all’ADHD nei modelli esistenti non è più un’opzione – è un imperativo clinico ed etico. Colmare questo divario migliorerebbe non solo gli esiti del trattamento, ma anche la tutela del diritto alla cura per una popolazione colpita in modo sproporzionato da comorbidità e stigma.

This work describes the implementation of psychoeducational groups with a psychoanalytic approach at the Ser.D. in Pozzuoli, ASL Napoli 2 Nord.The process involved three stages: staff training, forming the multidisciplinary team, and launching psychoeducational groups facilitated by a psychologist and an educator.This initiative aimed to create clinical spaces that support young adults attending addiction services in their developmental journeys, promoting socialisation, identity development, and emotional regulation.Observational protocols from the end of each session were analysed to examine the material that emerged within the groups.A corpus of 30 protocols was subjected to Thematic Analysis of Elementary Contexts using the T-Lab Plus software.This tool, designed for exploring complex texts, enabled the identification of recurring thematic patterns.The analysis revealed five semantic clusters: identity construction across work, family, and group; strength through vulnerability; the generative function of storytelling; the ritual dimension of the setting; and play as a transitional space.Findings highlight that the psychoeducational group served as a relational and transformative space, merging emotions, narratives, and playful practices, while promoting a sense of belonging and shared responsibility.

Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) represent a major global public health concern, shaped by a complex interplay of neurobiological, psychological, and sociocultural determinants. This study, conducted within the framework of the BioSUD initiative in Apulia, Southern Italy, investigates the psychosocial profiles and substance use patterns of 1,806 participants, comprising 298 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of SUDs and 1,508 non-clinical controls. Group differences emerged in educational attainment, employment status, exposure to adverse life events, family history of substance use, psychiatric comorbidity, and the quality of interpersonal relationships. Individuals with SUDs reported markedly higher consumption of nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and other substances, with polydrug use, particularly involving cocaine and heroin. Craving intensity was significantly elevated among clinical participants across all dimensions: reward craving (seeking pleasurable effects), relief craving (alleviating negative emotional states or withdrawal), and obsessive craving (persistent, intrusive thoughts related to substance use). These findings highlight the need for integrated interventions that address not only substance use but also the psychosocial vulnerabilities contributing to addiction. Early screening, especially in adolescents and young adults, paired with efforts to strengthen protective factors such as supportive relationships, school engagement, and coping skills, is key to prevention. As part of the broader BioSUD initiative, combining psychosocial data with genetic profiling may further improve early risk detection and guide personalized prevention and treatment strategies.

Nel mondo medico e scientifico il disturbo da uso di alcol (DUA) è ampiamente riconosciuto e descritto come una malattia cronica e recidivante, caratterizzato dalla ricerca compulsiva dell’alcol nonostante le possibili conseguenze mediche, sociali e legali e rappresentato da manifestazioni comportamentali, fisiche, psichiche e cliniche diverse da individuo a individuo. La definizione di DUA è ampiamente riconosciuta e validata da numerose fonti scientifiche autorevoli, tuttavia, nella pratica clinica, i trattamenti farmacologici sono spesso impiegati con un approccio centrato sulla disintossicazione, sia da parte dei professionisti sanitari che dei pazienti. In questo lavoro abbiamo voluto valutare quale fosse l’impatto di un farmaco specifico, il sodio oxibato (SO), sul percorso e sull’outcome di un gruppo di pazienti con diagnosi di DUA. L’analisi è stata compiuta sui pazienti al primo trattamento presso il SerD di Bergamo nel decennio che va dal 1/1/2015 – 31/12/2024. Le conclusioni depongono per una ritenzione in trattamento maggiore ed una capacità di ridurre il consumo di alcol superiore e apparentemente statisticamente significativo

The article explores the care of foreign patients with gambling disorder, focusing on the clinical case of Gani, an Albanian man with a complex history of migration and vulnerability.Through a multifocal reflection, the linguistic, symbolic and cultural obstacles that characterize the therapeutic relationship with patients defined as “difficult” are analyzed (Moro, 2002).Clinical work is reinterpreted as a relational process that requires humility, flexibility and the ability to listen beyond conventional codes.The article proposes a therapeutic posture based on the acceptance of not knowing and on the construction of possible alliances even in the absence of explicit motivation and linear collaboration (Moro, 2018).