1) My research group and I have evaluated the role of
psychological well-being in the determination of the health-disease
balance. Randomized controlled studies have been conducted through
the use of well-being therapy, especially in clinical settings. 2)
My research group has developed the Diagnostic Criteria for
Psychosomatic Research (DCPR). These criteria have been
compared with traditional psychiatric standards in medical
settings. 3) My research group has formulated a sequential
model of treatment for affective disorders. It provides the
use of pharmacotherapy in initial phase and cognitive-behavioral in
the residual one. 4) My research group evaluates psychological
characteristics of patients with heart diseases, especially of
those affected by acute coronary syndromes. 5) My research group is
interested in the clinimetric approach of residual symptomatology
of affective disorders. Symptoms persist during pharmacological and
psychotherapeutic treatment of these disorders in medical
practice.
1) My research group and I have evaluated the role of
psychological well-being in the determination of the health-disease
balance both in anxiety and depressive disorders and in physical
illness. Randomized controlled studies have been conducted
through the use of a specific psychotherapeutic tecnique for
enhancing psychological well-being (well-being therapy), both in
clinical and in school settings (with a preventive aim). The
tecnique has been developed by my research group. 2)
Psychiatric nosographic tools are of limited interst in medicine,
where the psychological distress often presents with subclinical
characteristics. To this purpose, a group of international
researchers, including my research group, have developed the
Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR). These DCPR
criteria have been compared with traditional psychiatric standards
of both cardiac and endocrinologic settings. 3) The treatment of
anxious and depressive disorders is often unsatisfactory. My
research group has developed innovative approaches that have
aroused international interest. In particular, a sequential model
of treatment for affective disorders has been
formulated . It provides the use of pharmacotherapy in
initial phase and cognitive-behavioral in the residual one. Pilot
studies have been performed through the use of new combinations of
sequential treatment (e.g. pharmaco and family therapy in
depressive disorders). 4) My research group evaluates psychological
characteristics as risk factors of cardiac morbility of patients
with heart diseases. Of particular interest is the pilot study on
stressful life events, depressive states and coronary heart
diseases. 5) My research group is interested in the clinimetric
approach of residual symptomatology of affective disorders.
Symptoms persist during pharmacological and psychotherapeutic
treatments of anxiety and depressive disorders in
medical practice. My group is also interested in the side effects
of the treatments for these disorders. Clinimetrics is an
interdisciplinary field including medicine, psychology and
statistics, with the aim of measuring different clinical
variables.
