PRINCE: applicazione di un sistema informatico per l’elaborazione di dati relativi a una casistica clinica di disturbi alimentari nell’infanzia.
LUCARELLI, LOREDANA;
2010-01-01
Abstract
Aim: Here we present a preliminary study referred to clinical data on infantile feeding disorders which have been inserted and elaborated through the computational system Prince - PRogram for INformatic Clinical Evaluation (WinServ, 2005). This software has been developed on the basis of criteria of Zero-To-Three Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC: 0-3, 1994, 2005). This system has been used for the first time in an Italian context and could represent a useful link between empirical research (which mostly employs observative methodologies and techniques besides self-report and report-form questionnaires administration and semi-structured interviews) and the clinical activity. Thus, further multidisciplinary collaboration between different professionals working on child mental health could be enhanced. The theoretical construction and clinical application of Prince are part of clinical studies and researches that have focused on early interactions between parents and children, stressing their importance in everyday interactive contexts, such as feeding, sleeping and playing. In particular, the present study has collected clinical data through the software Prince, regarding parents and their children with early disorder in feeding behaviors. Methodology: The researchers involved in the present study have been previously trained to the use of Prince, in order to create a collection of case studies referred to children with feeding disorders (N=40). These children had not received any diagnosis for organic disorders subsequently to medical examination. The software Prince has enabled to analyze the following areas: diagnostic evaluation of children’s feeding disorders, their patterns of motor skills, their language and social development of socio-emotional and adaptive functioning, their patterns of development of food-related abilities, the psychological profile of the parents, mother-infant interaction, father-infant and triadic interaction. Results and Conclusions: Data emerging from informatic procedure Prince suggest the reasonable application of this software into Services of Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment for children and their families. Furthermore, results have shown the relevance of the empirical systematization of clinical observations related to children and their relational environment of dyadic and triadic interactions with their caregivers. Further researches will be useful to propose a more detailed analysis of the investigated sample, both within the subjects and compared with other clinical populations of children with different types of eating disorders and/or with different medical conditions in Axis I of DC: 0-3R and non-clinical populations, with the possibility of supporting a more consistent application of the instrument Prince and its effectiveness in clinical practice and research in early childhood.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.