Information asymmetry is a term that describes the unequal distribution of information between two or more actors that, depending on the context in which it occurs, leads to inefficiency, mistrust and, in extreme cases, deception when one party (participant in the relationship) exploits an information advantage over the other. The description of the concept of information asymmetry in social policy towards people with blindness and visual impairment creates a framework in which it is possible to observe and recognize difficulties in the provision of information and the use of rights and services in social and health care. Due to the occurrence of information asymmetry, people with blindness and visual impairment are in a disadvantaged position, as they are not sufficiently informed about services and opportunities for additional social and health care and therefore do not perceive the services as such, which contribute to their development and improvement of living conditions. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the relevant literature and to update the occurrence of information asymmetry in the area of the above-mentioned systems and policies. The paper addresses three key aspects of information asymmetry for people with blindness and visual impairment: the impact on people with blindness and visual impairment, the role of experts and the factors that make it difficult for them to reach their professional standards in the field of information, and, finally, the aspect of social policy and opportunities for policy development.

„Čovjek više treba psiho-sintezu nego psiho-analizu”, piše ruski filozof Nikolaj Berdjajev, na čijem tragu ovaj rad želi istražiti sakrivenog čovjeka, u vidu psiho-sinteze koju može ponuditi filozofska praksa, jer čovjek je prema istom filozofu „zagonetka u ovom svijetu, možebitno i najveća zagonetka”. Odgonetanje te zagonetke, tog Homo absconditusa objelodanit će čovjeka drugačijeg od onog kojem je potrebna psihoterapija, kao oblik njege njegove duševne sastavine da se nosi s društvom, društveno-socijalnim, društveno-tehničko-ustrojstvenim stvarnostima vlastite neposredne realnosti. U duhu dobre filozofske prakse, usmjerene na liječenje čovjeka pod vidom psiho-sinteze mora se skrenuti pozornost na lučenje onoga sakrivenog u čovjeku, onoga što postoji pod maskom njegove društvene persone kao „stvaran čovjek”, a koji je u vidu psihoanalize „sjena” ili sakriveni, onaj do kojeg se mora doprijeti kako bi se uopće pristupilo putu njegova izlječenja.

Transplantacija srca, kao jedna od najkompleksnijih i najsuvremenijih medicinskih metoda, bolesnicima pruža nadu za produljenje života, ali ih istovremeno suočava s brojnim psihološkim i socijalnim izazovima. Razdoblje čekanja na transplantaciju može predstavljati duboko osobno i egzistencijalno iskustvo, obilježeno osjećajem bespomoćnosti, strahom od smrti, gubitkom kontrole te traženjem smisla u patnji. Logoterapija je usmjerena na otkrivanje smisla u patnji i izazovnim životnim okolnostima, naglašavajući mogućnost izbora stava prema onome što se ne može promijeniti. Njezin utemeljitelj, Viktor Frankl, smatrao je ključnim elementima logoterapije slobodnu volju, volju za smislom i smisao života. Egzistencijalna pitanja napose dolaze u prvi plan u situacijama suočavanja s ozbiljnim zdravstvenim teškoćama. Ovaj rad analizira egzistencijalne aspekte iskustva bolesnika tijekom procesa čekanja na transplantaciju srca, s posebnim naglaskom na mogućnosti logoterapije kao oblika psihološke podrške. Kliničko iskustvo pokazuje da logoterapijske intervencije mogu doprinijeti otkrivanju smisla u bolesti, prihvaćanju neizvjesnosti i jačanju svijesti o vlastitim životnim vrijednostima, štopozitivno utječe na psihološku otpornost i kvalitetu života bolesnika u ovome zahtjevnomrazdoblju.

Praksa surogatstva globalno uzima maha unatoč manjkavoj legislativi, neujednačenim zakonima, etičkim dvojbama, loše reguliranim postupcima i nedovoljno istraženim učincima na psihofizički integritet djeteta i zamjenske majke te učincima na društvo u cjelini. U Hrvatskoj i većini zemalja zamjensko je majčinstvo zabranjeno, a tamo gdje je dopušteno, zakonska se regulativa razlikuje, pa se negdje odobrava altruističko surogatstvo, a negdje i komercijalno. Zabrana surogatstva ne sprječava naručitelje da nađu zamjensku majku u inozemstvu, u čemu im pomažu posredničke agencije specijalizirane za ugovaranje surogatstva, ostvarujući pritom značajan profit. Prekogranično zamjensko majčinstvo, tzv. surogat-turizam, dodatno povećava rizik od narušavanja prava, interesa i dobrobiti djeteta, kao i zamjenske majke, koja je uglavnom slaboga socioekonomskog statusa, nedovoljno informirana o postupcima i rizicima i bez adekvatne pravne zaštite. Praksa komercijalnog surogatsva se, zbog svega navedenog, nerijetko opisuje kao eksploatacija žena i trgovanje uterusima. Posljedice po mentalno i tjelesno zdravlje odvajanja djeteta i majke neposredno ili ubrzo po rođenju uglavnom se ignoriraju ili su podređene interesu naručitelja. O biološkom učinku epigenetskih čimbenika na genom djeteta in utero u surogatstvu se gotovo uopće ne govori, iako znanstvena istraživanja intrauterine epigenetske mehanizme dovode u vezu s cjeloživotnim zdravljem. Potrebno je preispitivati praksu zamjenskog majčinstva s bioetičkog, pravnog, biološko-medicinskog i drugih aspekata ukorak sa znanstvenim spoznajama kako se ovaj novi oblik ostvarivanja roditeljstva ne bi pretvorio u globalni eksperiment nepredvidivih posljedica. Međunarodna koordinacija i ujednačena legislativa nužna je kako bi se dokinula komercijalizacija rađanja i zaštitili najbolji interes i prava djeteta i ljudska prava.

Various ethical, legal, theological, and sociological issues arise around the topic of euthanasia. Discussions often become intense as they explore whether patients have the right to desire or even induce their premature death, or whether they have the right to refuse continuation of futile treatment. Proponents of euthanasia emphasize the right to autonomy, self-determination, freedom of will, and dignity. They argue that patients should have the right to choose their moment of death to avoid the humiliation and incapacity associated with a painful and prolonged journey toward death. On the other hand, those opposed to euthanasia stress that human life is, inherently, extremely valuable, which people have a duty to protect. They highlight the sanctity of life, the naturalness of its end, and the potential risk of abuse of the method, as its application could be extended to various vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and the mentally ill. This article, without overlooking these interesting issues, attempts an interreligious examination of the matter, aiming to reveal how the three major monotheistic religions, as well as Hinduism and Buddhism, assess, interpret, and understand this practice. The purpose of the article is to highlight both the converging and diverging positions of different theories and to more fully understand the various theological and cultural dimensions that shape the contemporary bioethical perception of euthanasia.

Autor u ovom istraživanju želi iz vlastita metodoontološkog viđenja razmotriti u današnje doba sve češće korišten pojam mentalnog zdravlja. To se nastoji ostvariti prateći tragove Ericha Fromma u okvirima VII. poglavlja knjige „S onu stranu okova iluzije” (1962), koje upravo nosi naziv „Pojam mentalnog zdravlja”. Ovdje on govori samo o Marxu, koji smatra zdravim čovjekom onoga tko je produktivan i tko se iskreno zanima za svijet, dok bi za Freuda „samo primitivan čovjek mogao biti nazvan zdravim”. Osim svih važnih Marxovih i Freudovih radova, kao i ovoga Frommovog djela, posebna će se pažnja posvetiti i drugim njegovim djelima, poput „Zdravog društva” (1955) i godinu dana kasnijeg „Umeća ljubavi” (1956), ali svakako i rada Herberta Marcusea, posebno u djelu koje je objavljeno u godini (1955) kada i Frommovo „Zdravo društvo” – „Eros i civilizacija”.

At a certain stage in our existence, death will inevitably come to us all. Euthanasia and assisted suicide raise issues and pose questions that cannot be answered from the perspective of medicine alone. Disciplines such as bioethics, philosophy, and even literature and cinema also offer compelling frameworks from which to address such a complex phenomenon. The present paper explores the notions of euthanasia and assisted suicide through the lens of a contemporary British novel and its cinematic adaptation: Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You (2012), which was brought to the big screen by Thea Sharrock and released four years later in the UK. As has occurred with other writings and films that will be referenced, the novel and its adaptation provoked opposing reactions—many of them controversial. Is death a private choice in which no one but ourselves should interfere?

Suvremena promotivna praksa u zdravstvenoj komunikaciji značajno mijenja način na koji se pacijentima prezentiraju medicinske informacije i proizvodi, otvarajući pritom nova etička i regulatorna pitanja. Ovo se istraživanje bavi etičkim i normativnim izazovima medicinskog oglašavanja, s posebnim naglaskom na promociju lijekova u kontekstu sve intenzivnije upotrebe internetskih platformi. Polazi se od pretpostavke da digitalni mediji, unatoč potencijalu za povećanje dostupnosti zdravstvenih informacija, otvaraju prostor manipulativnim praksama koje mogu narušiti autonomiju pacijenata, potaknuti neracionalnu uporabu lijekova i dovesti u pitanje pravednost pristupa informacijama. Bioetički principi autonomije, dobročinstva, neškodljivosti i pravednosti primijenjeni su kao teorijski okvir za procjenu usklađenosti promotivnih aktivnosti s profesionalnim i društvenim standardima. Analiza relevantnih propisa ukazuje da normativni okvir Republike Hrvatske formalno pruža zaštitu, no istodobno ukazuje na manjkavosti u regulaciji digitalnih oblika komunikacije u području prikrivenog oglašavanja, sponzoriranih sadržaja i utjecaja na ranjive skupine. Ovo istraživanje zaključno ukazuje na važnost jačanja nadzora, transparentnosti i edukacije zdravstvenih radnika kako bi se osiguralo odgovorno medicinsko oglašavanje te potaknula racionalna uporaba lijekova.

This study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of distinct roles in cyberbullying: victims, perpetrators, and victim-perpetrators in elementary schools. The random sample consisted of 1.662 students from elementary schools in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, and the research was conducted using the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ). Participants were classified into cyberbullying roles based on their responses to ECIPQ and compared across a range of individual (gender, grade level, loneliness), digital (frequency and type of internet use), school-related (academic success, absenteeism), and family-related (parental relationship status) variables, as well as their tendency to report peer victimization. Based on the data, the most common role in cyberbullying was being non-involved, followed by victims, victim-perpetrators, and finally, perpetrators as the least common group. Findings revealed significant differences among the roles in nearly all examined domains. Victim-perpetrators reported the highest levels of loneliness, absenteeism, and internet use and were most likely to report experiences of victimization. Girls were more frequently classified as victims or victim-perpetrators, while students in higher grades showed greater involvement in cyberbullying. Reporting of peer victimization was significantly more common among students who experienced victimization. The role-based approach highlighted distinct patterns of emotional vulnerability and digital behavior, underscoring the need for early, targeted interventions focused on digital resilience, communication safety, and emotional support within elementary school environments.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly present in oncology, challenging the boundaries of conventional practice and raising important bioethical issues. This cross-sectional study investigated perceptions of the therapeutic value of CAM among 832 participants: 411 oncology patients and 421 healthcare professionals at a Croatian university hospital. Using validated CHBQ and IMAQ instruments, the results showed that patients’ expectations were significantly higher than those of physicians (p<0.001), particularly regarding psychophysical well-being (72.1%), immune system support (89.8%), and reduction of side effects (82.9%). Nurses occupied a middle position. These discrepancies reflect empirical differences and deeper ethical tensions between clinical authority and patient autonomy. CAM is a space where patients assert agency, seek meaning, and strive for holistic healing beyond biomedical reductionism. The findings underscore the need for ethical integration of evidence-based CAM into oncology care, supported by improved education and respectful dialogue. Supporting informed decision-making requires bridging epistemological gaps while respecting patients’ values.