Stefano Cavalli

• PhD
• Professor at University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

Social isolation and loneliness have been recognized as problems older people face due to their adverse effects on health and mortality, but very few researchers have analyzed their co-occurrence, which might be particularly prevalent and critical among the very old. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of combinations of social isolation...

Il Ticino vanta gli indici cantonali di anzianità più alti del Paese e continuerà a invecchiare nei prossimi decenni. L'invecchiamento della popolazione non dipende solo dall'aumento del numero di persone anziane ma è il risultato di uno squilibrio tra i diversi gruppi di età. Questo squilibrio è generalmente letto in termini negativi. Molteplici s...

From the outset of the pandemic, Swiss federal authorities implemented numerous public health measures to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In southern Switzerland, Canton Ticino legislated additional measures, some of which specifically targeted people aged 65 and over. We assessed how older adults perceived and experienced the introduction of the...

Study recruitment of persons with dementia is challenging. We aimed to assess facilitators, barriers, and strategies to identify and approach persons with dementia for recruitment to dementia care studies. We systematically searched MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and other sources (ORRCA [Online Resource for Research in Clinical triAls]; p...

Background: Given the increasing number of people achieving exceptionally long lifespans, there is an urgent need for a better understanding of mental health in centenarians. This study aimed to understand the prevalence of mental health conditions-depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbances, disinhibition, and aberrant motor behaviour-among...

Background In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the investigation of very old individuals. However, various challenges arise when collecting data from this age group. Given potential health and cognitive impairments and the difficulty of retrieving accurate self-reported data, involving individuals knowledgeable of the target perso...

Background Nonpharmacological approaches have been identified as first line treatments for the behavioral and psychological symptoms (NPS) of persons living with dementia (PLWD). Methods This is a single‐arm study to evaluate the feasibility of the TAP approach to promote continuity of care between hospital (S. Gerardo hospital ‐ Italy) and commun...

At age 100 and beyond, individuals deal with increasing support needs, especially when their social network is at risk due to the death of spouses, siblings, and friends, while children may face own age-related health issues. However, little is known about the specific aids received by centenarians. Drawing from the care convoy framework, this stud...

In very old age, goal orientation is expected to shift towards maintenance-oriented goals, as adaptive mechanism (e.g., Ebner, Freund, & Baltes, 2006). For centenarians, opportunities can be especially limited due to physical and contextual constraints, calling for adjustment in goal content and orientation. This study investigated the number, cont...

In response to the decade of healthy aging, understanding daily activities in older adults has become increasingly important in aging research. While ambulatory assessment is now quite common, it often misses the oldest age groups. The SWISS100 study is the first to fill this gap by employing real-life sensors to explore Swiss centenarians’ lives,...

With increasing numbers of centenarians world-wide, quality of life in these very old individuals has become a topic of high interest, expanding prior biomedical research. Switzerland is not only among the countries with very high life expectancy but is also among the leading countries in terms life satisfaction. In the present study, we investigat...

Background: Nonpharmacological approaches are recommended as first-line treatment for the neuropsychiatric symptoms of persons living with dementia. Tailored Activity Program is a non-pharmacological approach which has shown to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional dependence of persons living with dementia at the community, as well as ca...

Altfhough every second child born after the year 2000 is expected to become a centenarian, little is known about what characterizes life at age 100. This is also the case for Switzerland, one of the countries with the highest life expectancy world-wide. In this presentation, we will report findings from SWISS100, the first nation-wide centenarian s...

Depressive symptoms (DS) are prevalent among older adults (WHO, 2021). However, data on DS appear to be scarce in centenarians. In addition, DS may have been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in centenarians who may have been more susceptible to the negative consequences of pandemic restrictions. Thus, as part of the SWISS100 study (J...

Although different social crises may eventually favour undemocratic and authoritarian forms of governance, at some point, such anti-democratic practices require the support of a significant part of the population to be implemented. The present research investigates how and whether the COVID-19 pandemic may favour greater support for anti-democratic...

This article reviews and synthesizes 10 free-recall studies on collective memory carried out in Latin America, Europe, and Palestine. Results show the high prevalence of the topics of politics, collective violence and warfare, but around 50% of recalled events were appraised as positives, disconfirming a negative bias in collective memory. However,...

Preparing music students to design and carry out community-based initiatives can be an effective way to enhance their employability and their wellbeing. With a large body of evidence now pointing to the benefits of musical engagement for older adults, both for individuals and for society as a whole, there is considerable opportunity and value in tr...

Background: Delirium and dementia are two of the most common geriatric syndromes, which requires innovative rehabilitation approaches. Aim: We aimed at determining which occupational therapy and physiotherapy interventions are applied with older people with delirium and dementia in different care settings. We also identified the assessment tools th...

Increase in very old individuals is observed in all developed countries around the world. The number of centenarians has also been rising, requiring the investigation of the characteristics of these exceptionally long-lived individuals as well as their experience of life at age 100. In the present study, we present findings from the first nation-wi...

Esta investigación parte del proyecto internacional Cambios y eventos en el curso de la vida (CEVI), el cual indaga por la construcción de memoria autobiográfica y colectiva en personas de diferentes generaciones, realizado en diferentes países de América Latina y Europa. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar los aspectos involucrados en la cons...

Las sociedades post-conflicto se enfrentan al desafío de superar un pasado marcado por duros episodios de confrontación social y violencia política. Este reto se afronta, generalmente, en un clima de desconfianza, con el tejido social aún fracturado y arrastrando un pasado histórico compuesto de hechos colectivos violentos. La violencia colectiva s...

Introduction Depression is one of the most frequent mental health problems in older populations. ¹ To the best of our knowledge, the prevalence of depressive symptomatology (DS) among centenarians in Switzerland is unknown. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic may have had a negative impact. As part of the study SWISS100 ² , we intend to provide key...

This study explores the relationship between remembered sociohistorical events and well-being. Its objective is to ascertain the content of historical memory and the way it is associated with this construct. The PHI remembered well-being scale and the CEVI instrument, which asks respondents to describe four relevant historical events during their l...

A significant number of studies suggest that engagement with music, in its different forms, can play an important role in terms of health and well-being for a diverse range of people, including older adults. Research focusing on the impact of these activities on the practitioners, namely the musicians carrying out the interventions, is at a more pr...

Although loneliness and social isolation are often discussed together, they are mainly examined separately. The few studies examining both concepts simultaneously focus usually on the wider category of older people (65+), with no or little attention to very old age. Our main aim was to investigate loneliness and social isolation in combination amon...

Being considered as individuals with elevated risk of severe health reactions to the COVID19 infections, governments around the world have put in place wide-ranging measures to protect very old individuals from the virus. In the present study, we investigated centenarians’ experience of the COVID19 pandemic, to reach a better understanding of their...

Isolamento sociale e solitudine sono spesso identificati come problemi insiti nell'anzianità, benché diversi studi suggeriscano come il fenomeno sia sovrastimato. In realtà, disponiamo di pochi dati circa la prevalenza nella popolazione anziana residente in Svizzera o l'efficacia delle misure adottate per farvi fronte. Per queste ragioni, il Centro...

Nel periodo che va da marzo a maggio 2020, le autorità cantonali e federali hanno introdotto delle misure di prevenzione per limitare la diffusione del coronavirus. Alcune di queste hanno riguardato in modo specifico le persone di 65 anni e oltre, suscitando vive reazioni. Il Consiglio degli anziani del Cantone Ticino ha quindi attribuito un mandat...

Nel periodo che va da marzo a maggio 2020, le autorità cantonali e federali hanno introdotto delle misure di prevenzione per limitare la diffusione del coronavirus. Alcune di queste hanno riguardato in modo specifico le persone di 65 anni e oltre (ad esempio, il divieto di andare a fare la spesa). La ricerca – svolta in collaborazione con la Fondaz...

Conocer la influencia de los hechos vitales de cambio (recientes y puntos de inflexión) en la memoria autobiográfica, y su relación con el bienestar.

IDENTIDAD NACIONAL Unión de los miembros de una comunidad por recuerdos históricos comunes (Herranz & Basabe, 1999; Smith, 1991). MEMORIA COLECTIVA Conjunto de recuerdos socio-históricos más importantes que atesora una sociedad (Halbwachs, 1995; Páez, 2001). EFECTO DE PERIODO EFECTO DE COHORTE

Emotional life events impact on autobiographical memory and subjective well- being, and play an important role on individuals’ identity (Berntsen et al., 2011; Bilbao, 2008). Cultural and contextual factors influence the way people remember. People remember more positive than negative events in their lives (Conway, 2005; Walker et al., 2003).

VIOLENCIA COLECTIVA Y BIENESTAR ANTECEDENTES Los efectos de las guerras -la desintegración de redes sociales y familiares, desestabilización de economías locales consecuencia de la deslocalización de los sistemas productivos, los éxodos- tienen profundas implicaciones en el bienestar de los supervivientes (Pedersen, 2002). La violencia colectiva ti...

Background: Making and listening to music can be beneficial for older adults. However, little is known about how and to what extent those who live in nursing homes have access to music and the functions that music plays in their lives. Methods: This study involved 20 residents who volunteered from six nursing homes in Switzerland. Each resident...

Assistance in dying has become a transnational issue debated and lawfully practiced in several jurisdictions around the world. This article focuses on persons, terms and themes that circulate from one context authorizing assistance in dying to another. Building on Joseph Gusfield’s concepts of judgment, ownership and responsibility, we explore how...

Euthanasia, assisted suicide, medical assistance in dying, death with dignity: these and many other different terms are used around the world to capture various types of assistance in dying. This diversity in terminology can create confusion both in academic debates and in policy-making if it is unclear what type of action or inaction is intended t...

Profitant d'un contexte législatif particulier, deux des huit Associations pour le Droit de Mourir dans la Dignité (ADMD) de Suisse ont élaboré des protocoles d'assistance au suicide pour les personnes souffrant de « polypathologies invalidantes liées à l'âge ». Elles proposent à leurs membres âgés d'envisager le suicide comme une option raisonnabl...

In many countries, life expectancy has increased considerably in past years, and the importance of finding ways to ensure good levels of wellbeing through aging has become more important than ever. Arts based interventions are promising in this respect, and the literature suggests that musical activities can reduce isolation and anxiety and foster...

This study analyzes the range and content of Social Representations (SRs) about the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 geographical zones from 17 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia (N = 4430). Based on Social Representations Theory, as well as the psychosocial consequences of pandemics and crises, we evaluate the perceptions of severity and risks, the...

This study analyzes the range and content of Social Representations (SRs) about the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 geographical zones from 17 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia (N = 4430). Based on Social Representations Theory, as well as the psychosocial consequences of pandemics and crises, we evaluate the perceptions of severity and risks, the...

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The lockdown period due to the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how the daily routine is significant for people. In this emergency context more attention was focused on the indispensable assessment of frailty in the elderly. Age is not an evaluation factor. In addition, the article examines how the occupational therapist is a key figure in the reh...

Rapporto per il Dipartimento della sanità e della socialità del Cantone Ticino, che fa parte delle attività svolte in preparazione della pianificazione cantonale integrata 2021-2030 dei settori strutture per anziani, assistenza e cure a domicilio e servizi di mantenimento a domicilio. Il rapporto descrive, sulla base dello stato dell'arte e dei da...

The present and the future are often interacting in the care of older people. The cultural changes in Europe require the occupational therapy to focus on a personalized approach given the ageing population in different cultures. In this matter, loneliness and boredom are two emerging conditions, which require a specific approach to improve the qual...

This study analyzes the range and content of Social Representations (SRs) about the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 geographical zones from 17 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia (N = 4430). Based on Social Representations Theory, as well as the psychosocial consequences of pandemics and crises, we evaluate the perceptions of severity and risks, the...

Capitulo y el libro entero accesibles This chapter seeks to examine how and why historical events are remembered, particularly those linked to the coup d'état, the dictatorship and the return to democracy in Uruguay. This research aims to investigate the subjective configuration of memories related to the civic-military dictatorship in Uruguay betw...

Face à l’allongement de la longévité et à l’entrée massive ces prochaines années des baby-boomers dans le grand âge, il est important d’améliorer les savoirs sur les dynamiques de vieillissement. C’est l’ambition de cet ouvrage, porté par des travaux internationaux réunissant sociologues et professionnels de soins. Il développe et enrichit la réfle...

Within the international network CEVI, the present study explores the relationship between the personal life events and autobiographical memory and well-being. The CEVI instrument was applied in two different samples from different contexts, stratified in five different age groups: 1) Basque Country (N = 267, age range 20-88 years, mean age M = 38....

Memorias socio-históricas, trayectorias biográficas y representaciones sociales de la historia: una mirada generacional y de género a la memoria colectiva del período de la dictadura cívico-militar en Uruguay Socio-historical memories, biographical trajectories and social representations of history: a generational and gender look at the collective...

Este es un borrador ampliado de un capítulo que se publicará en el libro del Congreso Internacional 2018 de Representaciones Sociales editado por Susana Seidman et al. Eds. Universidad de Belgrano This is an extended draft of a chapter that will be published in the book of the 2018 International Congress of Social Representations edited by Susana S...

Este es un borrador ampliado de un capítulo que se publicará en el libro del Congreso Internacional 2018 de Representaciones Sociales editado por Susana Seidman et al. Eds. Universidad de Belgrano This is an extended draft of a chapter that will be published in the book of the 2018 International Congress of Social Representations edited by Susana S...

CEVI es un estudio transcultural que analiza la relación entre las trayectorias vitales individuales y sus diná-micas socio-históricas, lanzado en el año 2003 por Christian Lalive d'Epinay y Stefano Cavalli en la Universi-dad de Ginebra (Suiza). Cuentan con 50 investigadores en Europa Occidental, América Latina, Canadá, Egipto y Palestina. En Colom...

En este artículo revisamos la literatura sobre hechos de cambio durante el curso de la vida y su impacto en el bienestar. Se revisó el periodo temporal de impacto, las diferencias de impacto según la valencia, o si los hechos fueron positivos o negativos, así como su relación con el bienestar hedónico y eudaimónico. Asimismo, se revisó la influenci...

1.- El rol de las emociones positivas en los conflictos intergrupales: el conflicto territorial entre Chile y Bolivia/ The role of positive emotions in intergroup conflicts: the territorial conflict between Chile and Bolivia/ O papel das emoções positivas nos conflitos intergrupais: o conflito territorial entre o Chile e a Bolívia Fuad Hatibovic &...

En el marco del programa de investigación y de la red internacional CEVI, este estudio indaga en la relación entre los hechos personales de cambio y la memoria autobiográfica y el bienestar. Se aplicó el instrumento CEVI en dos muestras de contextos diferentes, estratificadas en cinco cohortes de edad: 1) País Vasco (N = 267, rango 20-88 años, edad...

En Suisse, un nombre grandissant de personnes âgées adhère à des Associations pour le Droit de Mourir dans la Dignité (ADMD). Néanmoins, leur profil et leurs motivations restent peu documentés. Une vaste étude, conduite par des chercheurs de HESAV et SUPSI, cherche à combler cette lacune. Les auteurs présentent ici le projet et s’interrogent sur le...

The chapter discusses similarities and differences of Flashbulb memories (FBMs) and collective memories (CMs). Evidence suggesting that they are formed during formative years or a critical period and similarity in content is reviewed. Similari- ties in events features that elicit FBMs and CMs, the role of social rehearsal, collec- tive behaviors an...

Les personnes âgées sont nombreuses au sud des Alpes, il en va de même pour les études qui leur sont consacrées. Des tra- vaux, pour la plupart, fruit d’initiatives individuelles et peu connus tant par le grand public que par les spécialistes. La SUPSI et le Conseil des aînés du Canton viennent de réunir tout ce matériel dans un «Inventaire des étu...

Listening to music has been shown to play a significant role in many older adults’ lives and the health benefits of making music for elders have also been demonstrated in recent studies. However, the field remains under-researched. This communication reports a not randomized clinical trial conducted in four Swiss nursing homes (NH). Residents aged...

Right-to-die societies are becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland as in other countries. Members are more likely to be female, older, and better educated than the general population. However research has paid limited attention to personal reasons and motivations for joining. This communication reports a survey of the membership of a Swiss rig...

to identify the changes which had occurred over the last year in the life of older adults, as well as the values attributed to these changes. this is a multicentric, cross-sectional study, of the inquiry type, undertaken in three cities of the Brazilian Northeast, investigating two distinct groups of older adults. among the 236 older adults intervi...

Objetivo: identificar as mudanças ocorridas ao longo do último ano no percurso de vida de idosos, bem como as valorações atribuídas a estas mudanças. Método: trata-se de um estudo multicêntrico, transversal, tipo inquérito, realizado em três cidades do Nordeste brasileiro, que investigou dois grupos distintos de idosos. Resultados: entre os 236 ido...

p>Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons à la mémoire de l'histoire rapportée par des adultes appartenant à cinq groupes d'âge allant de 20-24 à 80-84 ans. En particulier, nous nous focalisons sur les événements et changements sociohistoriques, survenus au cours de leur vie, que ces personnes ont retenus comme particulièrement saillants. Sur la ba...

In this paper, we present the rationale and the design of “Vivre/Leben/Vivere” (VLV), a large interdisciplinary survey looking at the life and health conditions of individuals who are aged 65 and older and living in Switzerland. VLV is of the third survey of a repeated cross-sectional study, previously conducted in 1979 and 1994 in two French-speak...

In the life course, there are events that mark individual trajectories and are used by people as references for the reconstruction of their own biography: turning points. In this study, Chileans from five age groups were asked to name major turning points in their lives in order to observe the subjective reconstruction of their existence. The resul...

Conocimientos actuales sobre el curso de la vida se basan casi exclusivamente en la investigación llevada a cabo en Amrica del Norte o Europa occidental, y queda mucho para llegar a una "geografía global del curso de la vida" (Dannefer, 2003). Esta ponencia trata del proyecto internacional de investigación CEVI – Cambios y eventos en el curso de la...

Quels sont les evenements et changements socio-historiques survenus durantle courant de leur vie que les personnes vieillissantes retiennent commeparticulierement saillants ? A partir des donnees suisses de la recherche CEVI(Changements et Evenements au cours de la Vie), les auteurs analysent les resultatsobtenus aupres des personnes de trois class...

This article deals with the following two questions: In very old age, which are the main sources of bereavement? And what are the consequences of such losses on health and on relationships? The findings are based on the complete set of data compiled in the course of the Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old (SWILSOO), which p...