Neuropsychology as a profession in Italy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of individuals working in the field of neuropsychology in Italy, as part of a larger study examining the practice of neuropsychology across various countries. They were asked about their background, professional training, current work situation, types of assessment, preferred diagnostic procedures, as well as the rehabilitation techniques, their targeted populations, teaching responsibilities, and research activities. A total of 154 professionals completed an online survey from April 28, 2016 through June 30, 2016. The majority of participants were women, with a mean age of 42.6 years. Participants reported working for the National Health System, in private practice, or in private rehabilitation facilities. Overall, they reported being very satisfied with their work. Those who identified themselves as neuropsychologists primarily assessed individuals with dementia, stroke, movement disorders, and traumatic brain injury. While the majority of participants declared no problems with the instruments they used, others reported complaints, including but not limited to the financial cost of current neuropsychological tests and the lack of psychometric support. The main perceived obstacles were the lack of willingness to collaborate among professionals, the scarcity of academic training programs, and the lack of clinical training opportunities.

Keywords:

• Clinical neuropsychology
• diagnosis
• Italy
• rehabilitation
• practice
• training

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Società Italiana di Neuropsicologia - SINP and, in particular, to Prof. Dario Grossi, Prof. Costanza Papagno, and Prof. Caterina Silveri, and to Assiociazione Italiana Specialisti in Neuropsicologia - AISN who helped to disseminate the questionnaire.

Notes

1 Note that in Italy, PhD is a postgraduate education devoted to research, which does not include any clinical training, while postgraduate clinical education is provided by the Schools of Specialization. PhD and Specializations are not considered equivalent professional titles.

2 It should be noted that in Italy, PhD courses are aimed to train researchers and not clinicians.