AUTHOR=Bivona Umberto , Ciurli Paola , Ferri Giulia , Fontanelli Tiziana , Lucatello Susanna , Donvito Teresa , Villalobos Dolores , Cellupica Laura , Mungiello Fabiana , Lo Sterzo Paola , Ferraro Amalia , Giandotti Eleonora , Lombardi Giorgio , Azicnuda Eva , Caltagirone Carlo , Formisano Rita , Costa Alberto 

TITLE=The Self-Awareness Multilevel Assessment Scale, a New Tool for the Assessment of Self-Awareness After Severe Acquired Brain Injury: Preliminary Findings

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01732

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01732

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>Self-awareness (SA) is frequently impaired after severe acquired brain injury (sABI) and may lead to reduced subject’s compliance to treatment, worse functional outcome, and high caregiver distress. Considering the multifaceted nature of SA, a specific and effective assessment is crucial to address treatment of impairment of SA (ISA). Many tools can currently assess ISA; however, they have some important limits. In the present study, we proposed the Self-Awareness Multilevel Assessment Scale (SAMAS), a new scale for assessment of SA at different levels (i.e., <italic>declarative</italic>, <italic>emergent</italic>, and <italic>anticipatory</italic>) across all domains of functioning. The SAMAS has been designed to be administered by the cognitive/behavioral therapist with the involvement of a patient’s relative. Findings showed that the SAMAS allowed specifically assessing SA at a <italic>declarative</italic> level and on all possible functional domains. More interestingly, it seems also able to assess both <italic>emergent</italic> and <italic>anticipatory</italic> SA, thus overcoming some important limits of other current assessment methods. Our findings are consistent with a holistic perspective of the patient with sABI because thanks to the combined use of assessing tools, the SAMAS can provide an accurate diagnosis of ISA, thus better addressing the neurorehabilitation treatment and, accordingly, reducing the possible occurrence of its primary and secondary implications.</p>