Research


Well-being and quality of life in war-affected population

Goals: We investigated factors affecting people experiencing ongoing conflict, war and political violence. Protective and risk factors are correlated to ecological postraumatic conditions determinating the individuals mental health and subjective well-being. We explore the political dimensions of well-being in oPt and Subsaharian Africa (Niger) connecting issues related to human security and human rights to psychological outcomes and skills of survival.

Founder projects

  • Subjective well-being and mental health in african young refugees and asylum seekers – 2.418,80 €. – 2017-ATE-0191 ATE – Fondo di Ateneo.
  • Political violence and determinant of Quality of life in war affected populations – 2.342,35 € – 2016 – ATE-0300 ATE – Fondo di Ateneo
  • Promoting collective and community ressiliency in group of asylum seekers and refugees displaced in nigerien sites: clinical, educational and partecipatory perspectives” – 10.000 € – 2020-ECO-0222 ECO-FORM –
  • “Interventi sulle comunità traumatizzate del Niger” – 6.000 € .
  • Involving Families in children education: a project with Salaam school in Jabalya , Gaza Strip (6 months) – 30.000 €

Measuring subjective well-being: development of the Subjective Well-being Assessment Scale in West Bank and Gaza Strip

Goals: we explore domains and dimensions of subjective well-being in populations affected by extreme poverty and structural and political and military violence. Self-reported measures has been developed in order to detected culture and context specific factors characterized the individual well being in such vulnerable population.


PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Obiettivi: Moving from socio‐ecological perspectives, our project aims to explore and analyse the synergy of public health and human rights‐informed frameworks in the provision of mental health services in a contexts characterised by war, trauma, and human rights violations over the past several decades. We analise issues related to human rights violations and link these to the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention in public mental health

Founder projects

  • “Push and Pull factors and their association with subjective well-being and Mental Health” – 10.450 € – 48 – 2017 – COMM25-0018 – ECO_COLL_COMM
  • Global Justice and the Human Rights of people on the move – 25.000 €

Laypeople First Aid Training in Gaza

Obiettivi: Moving from socio‐ecological perspectives, our work aims to explore and analyse the synergy of public health and human rights‐informed frameworks in the provision of mental health services in The Gaza Strip, a context characterised by war, trauma, and human rights violations over the past several decades. We discuss issues related to human rights violations and link these to the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention in public mental health.


Agency, mental-health and spaciality in children living amidst political oppression in Gaza and West Bank (O.P.T.).

Goals: this project explores the well-being and life satisfaction of a group of Palestinian children living in the context of armed conflict and political violence, with a specific focus on the resources and capabilities that these children actively display in order to cope with those environments. Within the mainstream literature children are conventionally viewed as a vulnerable group and their coping abilities, survival skills and agency have been long overlooked and underestimated. In order to challenge the raditional conceptualization of children as a highly vulnerable group, this research has been designed to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced perspective which also takes account of the competencies and strengths deployed by children to promote their own well-being in adverse contexts. More specifically, by conceptualizing agency as the person’s capacity to act and contribute to his/her own security, well-being and development , this research program aims to outline the importance of agency for children’s well-being and, hence, its contribution in helping them adapt to and cope with challenging and traumatic living conditions.

Founder projects

  • Agency and activism in child victims of war and political oppression: beyond the concept of trauma – 1.921,15 € – 28899 – 2018 – ATE-0014 ATE – Fondo di Ateneo

Post-traumatic growth, sense of coherence and subjective wellbeing in health providers operating in war-torn environments.

Goals: the present research examines how stress reactions after traumatic events influence subjective well-being (and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in professional helpers living and operating in contexts characterized by ongoing and chronic war-like conditions. Functioning factors and protective competencies aimed at protecting helpers from primary, secondary and shared trauma are studied.