Aim of the studyCovid-19 pandemic was a global health and economic crisis. A substantial part of the population infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus reported neuropsychiatric symptoms. The objective of the study is to construct a self-report questionnaire to assess the neuropsychiatric consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection.Subject or material and methodsData analyzed from 327 participants - 84.1% of participants were female, 62.4% were 26-45 years old. Team of psychiatrists, psychologists and infectious disease specialists constructed the “P-COV 2020” questionnaire, which assesses a wide range of mental health characteristics. The “P-COV 2020” consisted of 62 items and was based on current literature and clinical experience. Snowball sampling was conducted by publishing a survey containing SARS-CoV-2 infection circumstances and a „P-COV 2020” via Internet.ResultsThe internal consistency reliability of factor I (19 items) describing emotional lability and depressive traits was categorized as excellent (α= 0,935); of factor II (15 items) describing cognitive difficulties as excellent (α=0,949); of factor III (6 items) describing unusual sensory experiences as acceptable (α=0,769); of factor IV (11 items) describing energy level and sleep disturbances as good (α=0,884). Including time-related characteristics, the group showed the highest scores for factors IV and II and surprisingly, the lowest score for factor III. Items with α<0.4 were excluded from further analysis (11 items).DiscussionInfection with SARS-CoV-2 virus may result in intensified sleep, energy level, and affective and cognitive disturbances. The psychosocial factors of the pandemic should be considered in the analysis of subjective reports.ConclusionsNeuropsychiatric symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection are reported. Further research on SARS-CoV-2 infection consequences is needed.

Aim of the studyThere are many studies about mental health during periods of various epidemics. In this study, it was decided to find how the studied parameters changed during six months in 2020.Subject or material and methodsA total of 105 results were obtained from respondents who met all inclusion criteria for the study. 84 people (80.00%) are women and 21 (20.00%) are men. The study included socio-demographic parameters and psychological scales: AUDIT — to determine alcohol consumption, GAD-7 — to measure the anxiety and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire.ResultsAnxiety levels decreased in the entire study population and some subgroups. Higher levels of anxiety were found among male respondents and health professionals. Increased levels of physical aggression were observed among respondents from small cities. A decrease in hostility was found among rural residents. A decrease in verbal aggression was noticed among those with secondary education. Increased levels of physical aggression were observed only among men, while verbal aggression and hostility were observed among those with secondary education. Higher alcohol consumption occurred among young people.DiscussionThe literature provides a wealth of data on various aspects of the mental health including aggression, anxiety and alcohol consumption. Our results are mostly in line with these, and show some features of adaptation in society.ConclusionsReductions in anxiety intensity may suggest some adaptive changes in society. Healthcare professionals are characterised by elevated anxiety levels relative to other respondents.

We hope you are entering January charged with new energy after the end-of-the year holiday! APP is calling your attention in the beginning of 2025 with a rich selection of articles covering different scientific and clinical topics. The first one is covering one of the unmet needs in psychiatric care which is the access to therapies targeted on the experience of trauma. In the current epidemiological (i.e. COVID pandemic) and geopolitical situation (war in Ukraine, refugees etc.), clinicians should be properly prepared to deal with mental health consequences related with trauma. This means not only obtaining clinical skills to diagnose or treat conditions such as PTSD but also understanding the impact dealing with patient’s traumatic history may have on therapists, medical rescuers, nursing staff or social workers and how to prevent own psychological balance. The article on cognitive trauma processing in the occurrence of secondary posttraumatic growth among professionals working with people after traumatic experiences is just a must-read in this issue.

Aim of the studyThe aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Care Relationship Scale.Subject or material and methodsThe participants of the cross-sectional quantitative study were 180 persons in the age range of 28-70 years (M=48.11; SD=7.53). The conducted procedures included: confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analyses and Student t tests for independent and dependent samples.ResultsA two-factor structure of the Care Relationship Scale (CRS) was identified. The final version of CRS consists of 60 statements, 36 of which refer to the dimension of affective care, and 24 items refer to the dimension of instrumental care. CRS has a high internal consistency. The validity of CRS was confirmed, indicating significant correlations between the scores on the CRS dimensions and 4DSQ, DFPS- PL, ADL, IADL, SF, BPNSF and MSPSS.DiscussionThe structure of CRS, which was determined in the author’s own study, confirms the previous research results pointing out to the importance of both emotional and instrumental support in caring for family members, including elderly ones. It is noted that to a great extent it is the health situation and the disease stage that set the scope, kind and proportions of the provided support. The care relationship between adult children and their ageing parents was not differentiated by the gender of adult children.ConclusionsThe Care Relationship Scale is a reliable and valid tool for the measurement of the psychological aspects of care provided by adult children to their ageing parents. The conducted analyses give grounds for using CRS in scientific research.

Aim of the studyThe aim of the study was to analyze how emotional intelligence and temperamental traits - emotional reactivity and activity - are related to the assertiveness.Subject or material and methodsThe study used the Social Competence Questionnaire (SCQ), Formal Characteristics of Behavior - Temperament Questionnaire (FCB-TQ(R)) and the Popular Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (PEIQ). Data was collected from a sample of 204 people including 115 males and 89 females.ResultsResults showed that assertiveness is correlated with activity, emotional reactivity, understanding emotions, acceptance of emotions and emotional control.Regression analysis showed that emotional acceptance, emotional reactivity and activity explain 36% of assertiveness in the studied sample.DiscussionHighly reactive people have a low level of endurance and situations in which the individual wants to be assertive often require cognitive control - reflecting on their current needs and appropriate expression - which can be difficult for people with a higher level of this temperamental variable. People with a high level of activity undertake activities that are described as highly stimulating. Acceptance of emotions is expressed through the lack of manifestation of disagreement with experiencing negative emotions. Sometimes this is the only way to deal with social situation, in which our assertive behavior gives no expected result.ConclusionsEmotional reactivity can be considered as a "interfering" factor in the acquisition and development of assertive behaviors. On the other hand, the second feature - activity is conducive to assertiveness - through resistance to strong stimuli, these people more easily endure difficult situations, enter into social relationships, thus acquiring social competences.

Aim of the studySelf-criticism is the personality trait of negative self-evaluation and is a transdiagnostic feature of many psychopathologies. The research and theoretical models of self-criticism have described its central role in the development and maintenance of depression. However, the relationship between self-criticism and anxiety, a core feature of many prevalent mental disorders in the general population, has yet to be adequately explored. The present study investigated the associations between self-criticism, anxiety, and worry, after accounting for the effects of five-factor personality traits.Subject or material and methodsAdults (N=343) recruited through an online platform completed standardized questionnaires that assess for self-criticism, anxiety, and worry symptoms, as well as five-factor personality traits. Demographic data were collected using a short self-designed questionnaire.ResultsFindings revealed that self-criticism was positively and strongly associated with anxiety and worry symptoms, independent of the five-factor personality traits. Also, neuroticism was positively associated with self-criticism, anxiety, and worry, and extraversion and conscientiousness were negatively associated with anxiety and worry.DiscussionThe nature of the association between self-criticism and anxiety remains unclear. Perhaps, in response to the excessive negative emotions and self-evaluation that self-criticism generates, the individual may develop maladaptive coping behaviours that produce anxiety.ConclusionsOverall, participants who were self-critical were more likely to be anxious, suggesting the need for further investigation into the directionality and underlying mechanisms of this relationship.

Aim of the studyThe primary function of temperament is to adapt the strength and frequency of stimulation to the individual's processing capacity. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in temperamental traits in men with risky sexual behavior (RSB) and compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD).Subject or material and methodsData were collected from December 2019 to January 2021. The analysis included 425 men: 63 with RSB (M=35.70 years), 98 with CSBD (M=37.99 years), and 264 in the control group - CG (M=35.08 years). The following methods were applied: Temperament Inventory, Sexual Addiction Screening Test, Risky Sexual Behavior Scale, and self-report survey.ResultsHigher intensity of emotional reactivity (p<0.001), sensory sensitivity (p=0.034), and a lower intensity of endurance (p=0.032) and briskness (p<0.001) were found in the CSBD group compared to the CG. In the CSBD group, the intensity of emotional reactivity was higher (p<0.001), the intensity of briskness (p<0.001), and activity (p=0.017) were lower compared to RSB group. No differences were found between the RSB group and the CG.DiscussionEffective self-regulation results from a specific temperament profile which is the relationship between individual temperament characteristics, with primary emphasis on the relationships between the intensity of behavioral energy levels, including endurance, emotional reactivity, and activity.ConclusionsPatients with CSBD show a lower need for stimulation and a greater tendency to avoid it, compared to men with and without RSB. The men with RSB need to consider the current pleasures of life more than the other groups studied, but their temperamental structure is similar to those without RSB.

Aim of the studyThe aim of the study was to determine the relationship between cognitive trauma processing and secondary posttraumatic growth (SPTG) in professionals helping people after traumatic experiences.Subject or material and methodsThe study included 580 respondents exposed to indirect trauma. The analysis was conducted on 500 participants, mostly women (76.4%) representing five professional groups (therapists, medical rescuers, nursing staff, social workers and probation officers). The mean age of the participants was 44.09 years (SD=9.85). Data was collected using the Secondary Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (SPTGI), the Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale (CPOTS) and a survey created for the study.ResultsSPTG (total SPTGI score) was positively related with four cognitive coping strategies: positive cognitive restructuring, resolution/acceptance, downward comparison and, to a lesser extent, with regret. SPTG was found was found to be positively correlated with cognitive restructuring and resolution/acceptance in all five groups of professionals. These two strategies appeared to be the main predictors of SPTG, although their contributions varied.DiscussionCognitive restructuring and resolution/acceptance were found to play a predictive role for SPTG, primarily among therapists and social workers. In the group of social workers, cognitive restructuring was also a positive predictor of the negative effects of indirect exposure to trauma. This suggests that this strategy may have a significant role in the occurrence of consequences of indirect exposure to trauma, regardless of whether they are negative or positive.ConclusionsIt is worth expanding the competences of professionals in dealing with trauma experienced by others, especially among social workers; particularly by encouraging greater use of positive coping strategies.

Aim of the studyTo investigate prospective relationships between depressive symptoms and loneliness among people with psychotic disorders.Subject or material and methodsA total of 147 patients were recruited at baseline, of which 100 (68%) were followed up six months later. A cross-lagged panel model was used to analyze the data.ResultsWe found a reciprocal association between depressive symptoms and loneliness. The effect of initial depressive symptoms on loneliness after half a year did not differ in terms of strength from the effect of baseline loneliness on depressive symptoms at follow-up.DiscussionAmong people with psychotic disorders depressive symptoms and feelings of loneliness reinforce each other and thus may create a vicious circle. This may impede the process of recovery. In order to break this maladaptive cycle, comprehensive interventions are needed, targeting at the same time both psychopathology and the social well-being of service users with psychosis.ConclusionsEffective recovery-oriented interventions for people with psychosis should target both psychopathological symptoms (including depressive symptoms) and loneliness.

Aim of the studyThe aim of the study was to examine the physiological activity in patients and psychotherapists during psychodynamic psychotherapy in relation to: gender, presence of personality disorder traits and anxiety symptoms.Subject or material and methodsPhysiological data of 24 patients with a diagnosis of neurotic disorders and/or personality disor-ders were analysed. Psychotherapy was conducted by two psychotherapists. Most patients had an anxiety disorder or a specific personality disorder. Physiological data were collected using a galvanometer and a pulsometer.ResultsThe physiological activity of the psychotherapists differed, probably due to their professional experience. The physiological activity of the patients differed due to the psychotherapist providing therapy, gender, personality traits, and level of neurotic symptoms.DiscussionDifferences in the physiological parameters of psychotherapists could be related to individual differences between them: gender, age, education, and length of professional experience. Length of the experience and gender of therapists could have influenced patients' physiological reactions. Patients' dominant symptoms could be related to the intensity of their physiological reactions. Due to the significant and interesting results of the study it would be worth repeating it on a larger number of patients and psychotherapists.ConclusionsThe physiological state of the psychotherapists correlate with the physiological reactions of the patients. The results suggest higher EDA (electrodermal activity) and lower HR (heart rate) in neurotic disorders and higher HR activity and lower EDA in personality disorders.