During the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, people and families experienced a new and sudden situation that forced them to stay in their homes for a long period (February 25- May 26). In this context, many people found themselves in great difficulty, not only because of the fear of contagion or the economic problems deriving from the closure of production activities but also because the virus profoundly changed the way of life in society. The “Social distancing” concept became central in all personal relationships, including close family relationships. In this situation, our paper seeks to understand the role of spirituality and religiosity in reacting to this difficult situation and in particular on the physical and psychological health of the people involved. The data we present here are part of a multidisciplinary research with a quantitative theoretical framework. As the data was collected during the first Italian lockdown, a total of 1,250 adults from all over Italy participated in the on-line questionnaire. Among the main results it emerged that the participants perceived lower levels of spiritual well-being and mental health than the pre-pandemic situation with a significant gender difference; in fact, women perceived lower mental health than men. At the same time, it is evident that spirituality and religious practices are a protective factor connected not only with psychological and mental but also physical health. Finally, it appears evident that the family is a protective factor with respect to mental health, even in a period so full of stress factors, those who did not live alone and especially those who had to take care of small children reported higher perceived mental health and a greater ability to activate coping resources.

The collapse of the Morandi bridge in Italy, which took place in the summer of 2018, has had enormous emotional, economic, and social consequences for the inhabitants of the area, which are felt throughout the world. As seen in the literature, collective traumatic events increase the experience of insecurity and paranoia, thus increasing the perception of vulnerability. The present work aims to bring out the emotions most experienced by the participants connected to the traumatic event in question, paying attention to the possible solutions to be proposed to local stakeholders from a sustainability perspective, this way favouring community empowerment. The research, carried out with the photovoice technique, involved 30 young adults residing in areas near the event. The results illustrate how the participants experienced mainly feelings of emptiness, vulnerability, and fear as well as anger, despair, and mistrust of the institutions. It was also stressed that the economic and structural hardships hit the inhabitants hard. There have been many concrete solutions identified by the participants: creating a support network, supporting the local economy, and keeping the memory alive. The research and application implications underline the importance of using photovoice within community interventions, a tool that facilitates awareness and active citizenship.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 in Italy had its first epidemic manifestations on January 31, 2020. The socio-sanitary rules imposed by the government concerned the social distance and management of intimate relationships, the sense of individual responsibility toward public health. Physical distancing and housing isolation have produced new representations of intrafamily, generational, neighborhood, community responsibility, bringing out a new “medicalized dimension” of society. In light of this contextual framework, the research aims are to analyze how: the perception of individual responsibility for public and familial health and physical distancing has redrawn the relation between subjects-family-community; the State's technical-health intervention has reformulated the idea of social closeness, but also how the pandemic fear and social confinement has re-evaluated a desire for community, neighborhood, proximity; during the lockdown families, friends, neighbors have reconstructed feelings of closeness and forms of belonging. The methodology used is quanti-qualitative and involved 300 women through an online questionnaire. The data collected highlight how the house during the lockdown is perceived as a safe place and how women implement both the recommendations and the behaviors aimed at preventing contagion, but also ways that allow coping with the situation from a perspective of well-being. Furthermore, the data show how the dimension of distancing has loosened the relational dimension outside the family unit, with a greater distancing compared to pre-pandemic data. However, the majority of women report that they have joined solidarity initiatives, demonstrating that they want to maintain ties and participate actively in community life.

Background: In education, lecturers play a crucial role in facilitating students’ learning process. However, only a few studies explored which lecturers’ characteristics can facilitate this process in higher education for rehabilitation healthcare professionals. Starting from students’ perspectives, our qualitative study investigated the lecturers’ characteristics that facilitate students’ learning process in the rehabilitation sciences. Methods: A qualitative interview study. We enrolled students attending the 2nd year of the Master of Science (MSc) degree in ‘Rehabilitation Sciences of Healthcare Professions’. Different themes were generated following a ‘Reflexive Thematic Analysis’. Results: Thirteen students completed the interviews. From their analysis, we generated five themes. Specifically, a lecturer that facilitates students’ learning process should be: 1) ‘A Performer who Interacts with the Classroom’, 2) A Flexible Planner who Adopts Innovative Teaching Skills’, 3) ‘A Motivator who Embraces Transformational Leadership’, 4) ‘A Facilitator Who Encourages a Constructive Learning Context’ and 5) ‘A Coach who Devises Strategies to Reach Shared Learning Goals’. Conclusions: The results of this study underscore the importance for lecturers in rehabilitation to cultivate a diverse set of skills drawn from the arts and performance, education, team building and leadership to facilitate students’ learning process. By developing these skills, lecturers can design lessons that are worth attending not only for their relevant content but also for their value in human experience.

Background: COVID-19 has radically changed our lives, bringing with it numerous consequences. While this is already true for the general population, it is even more so for a specific job category: healthcare workers. Objective: This study aims to analyze the mental health and quality of professional life of healthcare workers one year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study is based on an exploratory and quantitative method. The researchers submitted a questionnaire consisting of scales validated in the literature through the Lime-Survey platform. The dimensions explored included mental health, burnout, compassion fatigue, satisfaction of basic work-related needs, and perceived support from friends and family. The results show how well-being continues to decline due to increased stress, which, in turn, leads to situations of psychological distress and discomfort that are summarized in the appearance of disorders such as, for example, burnout. In this situation of distress, some protective aspects emerge such as, for example, social support, especially in the dimension of friendship. Conclusions: In general, taking care of this category turns out to be essential to be prepared for possible future illnesses and to support people who suffer.

Background and Purpose: Physiotherapy is gaining a central role in oncology. However, the training and competencies needed by physiotherapists in oncology rehabilitation are still unclear. This study aims to articulate the training trajectory of physiotherapists in oncology rehabilitation from entry‐level education to advanced education degrees.Methods: Qualitative focus group study following a ‘Reflexive Thematic Analysis’ for data analysis. Participants were Italian physiotherapists with expertise in Oncology Rehabilitation (either clinically or academically) and Physiotherapy Bachelor of Science (BSc) course leaders, selected through purposive sampling.Results: Two focus groups were conducted with 14 participants. Six themes were developed: 1. ‘Entry‐Level Education in Oncology Rehabilitation: Let's Have a Taste’, as the BSc introduces oncology rehabilitation. 2. ‘Basic Knowledge: Building up the Library’ as students acquire basic knowledge on oncology rehabilitation during their BSc; 3. ‘Learning by Experience: The Relevance of the Placement’ to answer the question “Is this the right road for me?”; 4. ‘Clinical Reasoning and Competencies in Oncology Rehabilitation Embedded in Uncertainty’ because oncology physiotherapists need to deal with the uncertainty of their patients' status; 5. ‘Advanced Education Degree Skills: from Appetiser to the Main Course’, as advanced education degree courses allow for becoming an expert in the field; 6. ‘A Call to Action for Physiotherapists: Prevention—Diagnosis—Survivorship & End of Life’, to realise their critical role in all the phases of the oncology path.Conclusions: The BSc in Physiotherapy provides a foundation for future physiotherapists to understand oncology rehabilitation, but advanced education is necessary for expertise. The findings of this study have important implications for creating a shared physiotherapy curriculum in oncology rehabilitation.Implication for Physiotherapy Practice: This study has significant implications for improving physiotherapy curricula in oncology rehabilitation, positively impacting the skills and competencies of practitioners in this paramount field.