Social Functioning Research Articles

Blood pressure status, quality of life, and emotional states in adults with different disease awareness and treatment adherence

This study aimed to examine the association between blood pressure (BP) with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and emotional states, considering the disease awareness and commitment to treatment among the Iranian adult population. This cross-sectional study uses the data of 7257 and 2449 individuals aged ≥ 20 who had completed data on HRQoL and emotional states, respectively. Linear and logistic regression were used to evaluate the mentioned association. The results showed that commitment to treatment had an inverse association with physical HRQoL in both sexes, except for bodily pain in men. Concerning mental HRQoL, in women, poor medication adherence was linked to a decline in mental HRQoL and social functioning, while good treatment adherence was associated with a reduction in the mental health domain. However, except for a decrease in vitality of hypertensive males with high treatment adherence, no significant association was found between their mental HRQoL and BP. In women, increased commitment to treatment was associated with anxiety, whereas poor commitment was related to depression and stress. The undiagnosed disease was not associated with any HRQoL and emotional state deficits. This study highlights the significance of psychiatric assessment, counseling, and support services while taking into account gender-specific differences among hypertensive patients. It also emphasizes the necessity for customized interventions for both men and women to improve their mental well-being and adherence to treatment.

The role of the stakeholders in sustainable ecotourism management at Malela Waterfall of Indonesia’s West Bandung

The purpose of this study is to address the issue of low local participation in ecotourism management in Indonesia, specifically at the Malela Waterfall ecotourism site in Cicadas Village, Rongga District, West Bandung Regency, West Java, Indonesia. The research method is action research, which includes observation data gathering, in-depth interviews, and Focus Group Discussions. The findings of the study show that by carrying out the process of developing social infrastructure, namely development that prioritizes strengthening human resources in carrying out social service functions in ecotourism activities such as skill training of residents in the field of ecotourism, massive ecotourism outreach, and strengthening social communities—Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and youth organizations as ecotourism actors. This type of development serves to raise awareness and participation among local inhabitants in Malela Waterfall ecotourism in West Bandung Regency. This promotes harmony and mutually beneficial partnerships among all Malela Waterfall ecotourism stakeholders. Furthermore, increasing community participation benefits the well-being of residents in the tourist region.

A single-session feedback training modifies interpretation bias in individuals with high social anxiety: A randomized controlled trial.

The ability to interpret facial expressions accurately is important to adaptive social functioning. Social anxiety disorder is associated with a biased interpretation of facial emotions. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of feedback training on modifying interpretation bias in individuals with high social anxiety. A total of 451 university students were screened, and 69 participants with high social anxiety were randomly assigned to either a training (n = 37) or a control (n = 32) group. Participants completed pre-questionnaires on social anxiety and depression symptoms, then performed a single session of experiment, followed by post-questionnaires on social anxiety symptoms. In the experiment, participants viewed an ambiguous facial expression and rated the intensity on a continuous scale. The training group received feedback that presented their ratings alongside the actual intensity, allowing them to accurately assess their emotional perception bias through trial-by-trial feedback. The control group received no feedback. The training group showed a significant reduction in interpretation bias for happy and angry faces after the experiment, while the control group did not. However, although the training group's social anxiety symptoms decreased post-experiment, the difference was not statistically significant compared to the control group. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the feedback training targeting dimensional ratings of emotions may be a promising option for correcting interpretation bias in individuals with high social anxiety. Future research could implement multiple sessions of training to potentially reduce both interpretation bias and social anxiety symptoms and verify the long-term effects.

Remembering the Dead: Shifting Forms of Commemoration and Immanent Understandings of Death in Obituaries.

Obituaries serve important social functions; they announce death, but more importantly, allow the living to shape how the dead are remembered. Originally reserved for the elite, a democratization of the format has led to obituaries becoming more common and more detailed over the past century. Changes in this genre interact with the rise of nonreligion. As declining affiliation complicates the relationship between death and religious structures, obituaries reveal a shift from transcendent to immanent life stances, reflected in patterns of death commemorations. Based on analysis of obituaries across six Canadian newspapers over the past 120years, this paper explores the relationships, activities, and values people express through obituaries. We argue that the growing appearance of family members left behind, favourite hobbies, and community associations indicate changes in how death is understood. Death is increasingly commemorated by reflecting on the relationships that people form in life.

More than fun and games: Problematic sports betting and its adverse impact on mental health and well-being in young adults

BackgroundThe rapid rise in sports betting, especially among young adults (age 18–29), necessitates identifying health correlates of this addictive behavior. The present study examined associations between problem sports betting symptoms and mental health and well-being, which represents a timely literature gap. MethodThe sample was 221 young adult sport bettors from 36 different states (Mage = 24.4, 77.7% male). Regression models estimated associations between problem sports betting severity (PGSI-SB) and symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, loneliness, and stress, as well as indices of well-being, including satisfaction with life, optimism, connectedness, and social functioning. ResultsYoung adults with greater problem sports betting severity had significantly higher scores on each index of mental health symptomology and had poorer indices of well-being. The strongest relative effect size was the association between problem sports betting severity and stress (a 1SD increase in PGSI-SB score corresponded to 48% of a standard deviation increase in stress). ConclusionsThis study provides novel and timely evidence for associations between problem sports betting and various indices of mental health and well-being; thus, highlighting the need for rapid development of holistic prevention/intervention strategies aimed at the intersection of problem sports betting and mental health.

Quality of Life in Children With Chronic Health Conditions and Its Contribution to Unmet Supportive Care Needs of Families.

While theoretical models have established the bidirectional relationship between health and wellbeing of parents and children with chronic health conditions (CHCs), previous work has predominantly emphasised the impact of parent functioning on child outcomes. This study examines how quality of life (QoL) domains in children with CHCs are associated with unmet supportive care needs (SCN) of their parents and explores whether these associations vary by health condition. Parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD), type 1 diabetes (T1D) and cancer diagnosed before the age of 12 years and receiving treatment within the last 5 years were eligible. Parents recruited through charity organisations and social media platforms completed a secure, online survey via Qualtrics. The PedsQL examined child QoL across four dimensions: physical, emotional, social and school functioning. A 34-item survey assessed parents' unmet SCN in the previous month across six need domains (e.g., care and informational). Linear regressions examined associations between child QoL and unmet SCN domains and moderation analyses determined whether associations varied as a function of CHC. The study included 186 parents (age range 25-56 years) of children diagnosed with various CHCs (52% CHD; 27% T1D, 21% cancer). The child's emotional functioning was inversely related to all unmet SCN domains, social functioning was inversely related to three domains (physical and social; support; financial), school functioning was inversely related to two domains (physical and social; care), and child's physical functioning was not associated with any SCN domains. Only the association between child school functioning and unmet care needs was significantly moderated by CHC type (p < 0.05). Poorer emotional functioning in children with a CHC is a key factor in determining parents unmet SCN. Larger studies are required to replicate these findings and inform design of interventions addressing QoL and unmet SCN in families of children with common CHCs.

Evaluating Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Long COVID: A Case Series.

To describe the immediate clinical outcomes of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in treating long COVID symptoms. Long COVID currently impacts approximately 5.3% of US adults, presenting with persistent fatigue, depression, anxiety, cognitive impairments, and social function decline. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has improved these symptoms in some studies. Five patients (ages 52-63 years, 3 female patients) underwent accelerated rTMS using intermittent theta burst stimulation (600 pulses over 3 minutes 20 seconds, 80%-120% of resting motor threshold) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The treatment consisted of twice-daily sessions over 20-30 treatments. Outcomes were measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement and Information System (PROMIS) questionnaires, assessing fatigue, depression, anxiety, cognitive function, and social function at baseline and immediately posttreatment. One patient discontinued immediately due to intolerable scalp pain. Posttreatment PROMIS scores showed the following: fatigue decreased from 74.5 to 61.8, depression from 60.3 to 51.5, and anxiety from 62.0 to 54.0. Scores increased for cognitive (26.8 to 32.3) and social (31.0 to 32.5) function. These changes, although not statistically significant, indicate a trend toward symptom reduction. Subjectively, 3 of 4 patients who completed the rTMS course reported improvements. This case series suggests that rTMS may offer symptomatic relief in long COVID patients. Although the observed improvements in PROMIS were not statistically significant, even minimal improvements are clinically significant for patients enduring prolonged suffering. These preliminary findings are encouraging and underscore the need for further research with larger cohorts to validate the efficacy of rTMS in long COVID symptom relief.

HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS IN ABIDJAN (IVORY COAST)

ObjectiveThe main objective of this study was to assess health-related quality of life, and to investigate associated factors in breast cancer patients living in Ivory Coast. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study that took place from August 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022 in the Medical Oncology Department of the Treichville University Hospital. Seventy-six breast cancer patients participated in the study. Quality of life was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 EORTC questionnaires. ResultsThe mean score for overall quality of life was 69.3 ± 21.9. Among the functional scales, emotional functioning, social functioning, sexual functioning, and sexual pleasure were the most affected, with 21.1 respectively; 23.7; 78.9, and 86.8% of patients who had a bad score. Nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite, and hair loss are the symptoms that most affected the QoL of our patients with respectively 19.7; 21.1, and 52, % of patients who had a bad score. Financial difficulties also negatively affected the QoL of our patients (55.3% had a poor score). The factors significantly associated with QoL deterioration were the metastatic stage, the presence of anemia, and the triple-negative immunohistochemical subtype. ConclusionThe overall quality of life of our patients was good. The psychosocial factors that were most affected in our patients were emotional functioning, social functioning, sexual functioning, and financial difficulties. The physical factors that most negatively affected the QoL of our patients were nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite and hair loss, presence of anemia, metastatic stage, and triple negative immunohistochemical type.

Attitude of Healthcare Providers Towards Care of People with Disabilities, in Hail Region, Saudi Arabia.

Disability, whether congenital or acquired, poses significant challenges that affect individuals' physical, mental, psychological, and social functioning. This study aimed to examine the attitudes of healthcare providers in Hai'l City towards people with disabilities. A cross-sectional design was used, involving 321healthcare providers from the Hai'l region, employing the Scale of Attitudes towards Disabled Persons (SADP) for data collection. The data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using SPSS 26. The results indicated a generally positive attitude of healthcare providers towards people with disabilities, with mean scores exceeding 89 across various groups. Older providers (over 35 years old) exhibited the highest positivity rate (92.57), although differences in age, sex, educational level, years of experience, and professional role were not statistically significant. Master's degree holders had the highest average score (93.52), but the differences remained statistically insignificant. The study concludes that while healthcare providers generally have positive attitudes towards people with disabilities, there is a critical need for comprehensive training programs to enhance the quality of care provided. Future research should extend to other regions and employ qualitative methods to gain deeper insights into healthcare providers' attitudes toward and experiences with people with disabilities.

Visual interpersonal communication on social network sites in romantic relationships

Based on a research project examining visual communication in close relationships in Switzerland, this study examines interpersonal communication between romantic partners on social network sites (SNSs). It explores (1) the role of SNSs in couples’ communication repertoires and (2) the social functions accomplished in the exchange of visual elements on SNSs. Sixty-three semi-structured couple and individual in-depth interviews with romantic partners (N = 42) were conducted, including network drawings for visual elicitation. The results suggest that interpersonal communication on SNSs is intertwined with mass self-communication on SNSs and other channels that make up the communication repertoires of romantic partners. The partners nearly exclusively exchanged visual elements through interpersonal communication on SNSs, accomplishing four social functions: phatic communication, visual references to shared experiences and shared knowledge, functional sharing, and inspirational sharing. This study extends understanding of the importance of communicative interdependence in the field of interpersonal communication and the significance of visual communication on SNSs in maintaining romantic relationships.

Multi-domain predictors of grip strength differentiate individuals with and without alcohol use disorder.

Grip strength is considered one of the simplest and reliable indices of general health. Although motor ability and strength are commonly affected in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), factors predictive of grip strength decline in AUD have not been investigated. Here, we employed a data-driven analysis predicting grip strength from measurements in 53 controls and 110 AUD participants, 53 of whom were comorbid with HIV infection. Controls and AUD were matched on sex, age, and body mass index. Measurements included commonly available metrics of brain structure, neuropsychological functioning, behavioural status, haematological and health status, and demographics. Based on 5-fold stratified cross-validation, a machine learning approach predicted grip strength separately for each cohort. The strongest (top 10%) predictors of grip were then tested against grip strength with correlational analysis. Leading grip strength predictors for both cohorts were cerebellar volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration. Predictors specific to controls were Backwards Digit Span, precentral gyrus volume, diastolic blood pressure, and mean platelet volume, which together significantly predicted grip strength (R2=0.255, p= 0.001). Unique predictors for AUD were comorbidity for HIV infection, social functioning, insular volume, and platelet count, which together significantly predicted grip strength (R2=0.162, p= 0.002). These cohort-specific predictors were doubly dissociated. Salient predictors of grip strength differed by diagnosis with only modest overlap. The constellation of cohort-specific predictive measurements of compromised grip strength provides insight into brain, behavioural, and physiological factors that may signal subtly affected yet treatable processes of physical decline and frailty.

Identification of patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experiences measures (PREMs) in Gaucher disease in Spain

BackgroundPatient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experiences measures (PREMs) are crucial for understanding the impact of GD on quality of life and patient's perceptions on care, but also to guide decision-making processes. Nevertheless, no specific PREMs in GD have been published, neither PROMs for Spanish GD patients have been developed. MethodsTwo project coordinators selected key-points to be included in a PROMs/PREMs questionnaire, and the scientific committee and a group of expert patients contributed to the initial draft. Then, 9 meetings with experts were held to discuss controversial points. After, a questionnaire with 103 items regarding symptomatology, aspects of daily life and care experience was developed. Finally, it was conducted a Delphi survey among a multidisciplinary group of experts in GD. ResultsConsensus was reached on 85 out of the 103 items. Recommendations on PROMs and PREMs regarding symptomatology, aspects of daily life and care experience were obtained. Consensus was reached on the importance of considering fatigue, concentration problems, and communication issues in GD patients using 5-step analog scales. Panelists recommended asking GD patients about the impact on social functioning and work/school performance. Finally, consensus was reached on considering care experiences, such as treatment satisfaction, treatment interruptions or transitions and healthcare professionals involved in patient's management to perceive patient's perceptions. ConclusionThis expert consensus may help developing GD-specific PROMs/PREMs for improving GD management. Properly developed and validated PROMs/PREMs may help decision-making, establishing patient-tailored therapeutic and follow-up goals.

Effect of Behavioral Activation on Stigma and Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Esophageal and Gastric Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Esophageal cancer and gastric cancer patients require researchers' attention to address and resolve the issue of stigma. The aim of this study was to investigate whether behavioral activation (BA), an emerging psychosocial intervention method, can mitigate the stigma experienced by these patients and enhance their quality of life (QoL). One hundred fifty-three patients with advanced esophageal cancer and gastric cancer were recruited and randomly assigned to either the BA plus care as usual group (BA+CAU group) or the care as usual group (CAU group). Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, including the Social Impact Scale (SIS), as well as all functional areas and global health and QoL modules from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30, version3). Generalized estimating equation analysis revealed that compared to usual care alone, combining BA with usual care significantly reduced stigma (time-by-group interaction, T1: β=-10.584, p<0.001; T2: β=-22.619, p<0.001) while improving physical, role, emotional, social functioning and global health and QoL particularly at T2 time point. Additionally, it also has the potential to decelerate the progressive decline of cognitive functioning. Furthermore, correlation analysis demonstrated a significant association between stigma levels and all functional areas as well as global health and QoL. The issue of stigma among esophageal cancer and gastric cancer patients warrants increased attention due to its close relationship with patient QoL. This study presents a promising psychosocial intervention approach suitable for clinical application that deserves further promotion among cancer patients. NCT06348940.

Risk Factors of Agitation Among Schizophrenia Patients in Dr. Amino Gondohutomo Semarang Regional Psychiatric Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder associated with deterioration in the functions of daily life and social functions because it can reduce a person’s quality of life. In the acute phase, many schizophrenic patients have agitated behavior where this behavior will risk injuring themselves and others because of that treatment costs increase. to determine the risk factors for agitation in schizophrenic patients in terms of age, gender, marital status, occupation, genetic history, and presence or absence of stressors. Methods: This research is a descriptive analytic using a cross-sectional design. The population in this study were schizophrenic patients at Dr. Amino Gondohutomo Semarang Regional Psychiatric Hospital. Research subjects will be taken using consecutive sampling techniques that meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data collection used medical record data and the PANNS EC score to determine whether there was agitation. Data analysis included descriptive analysis with frequency and percentage distributions as well as hypothesis testing using the Chi Square test and logistic regression. Results: From the results of the Chi Square test and logistic regression, it was found that the factors of young age, male sex, unmarried, and unemployed were significant for PANSS EC with a prevalence value of 3.40 (1.13 – 10.22), 2.01 (1.14 – 3.56), 2.39 (1.36 – 4.20), and 2.07 (1.12 – 3.83). Conclusion: Factors of young age &lt;40 years, male sex, unmarried, and unemployed are risk factors for the occurrence of agitation in schizophrenic patients at Dr. Amino Gondohutomo Semarang Regional Psychiatric Hospital.

Assessing suicidality in adult ADHD patients: prevalence and related factors

BackgroundThe association between Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and suicidality has been subject of growing interest for research in the latest years. Suicidality was generally assessed categorically and without the use of validated instruments, leading to heterogeneous or even conflicting evidence. The prevalence of both suicidal ideation and attempts varies considerably, and the associated risk factors remain unclear. Our study investigated suicidality in ADHD using a dimensional approach and a validated and internationally recognized instrument. Our primary aim was to evaluate the prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI), severe suicidal ideation (SSI), suicidal behavior (SB) and non suicidal self-injury behavior (NSSIB) in a sample of adult patients with ADHD. The second objective was to identify sociodemographic and clinical features associated with increased risk of suicidality in these patients.MethodsThe sample included 74 adult patients with clinical diagnosis of ADHD. Suicidality was assessed by administering the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Logistic regressions were used to examine predictors of SI, SSI, SB and NSSIB.ResultsThe lifetime prevalence of SI and SSI were 59.5% and 16.2%, respectively. The 9.5% of patients showed lifetime SB, while NSSIB was found in 10.8% of the subjects. Lifetime SI was associated with severity of inattentive symptoms during adulthood, low self-esteem and impairment in social functioning. Lifetime SSI appeared related to severity of inattentive symptoms during childhood, attentional impulsiveness and number of hospitalizations, while physical activity appeared to be protective. The prevalence of lifetime SB and NSSIB did not appear significantly related to any socio-demographic or clinical feature.ConclusionsAdults with ADHD should be considered at risk of suicide and it is important to determine which patients are at higher risk, in order to guide preventive interventions. The association between ADHD and suicidal ideation did not appear to be influenced by psychiatric comorbidities, but rather by inattention itself, which represents the core symptom of ADHD.

Shooting a moving target: Evaluating targeting tools for social programs when income fluctuates

A key challenge for policymakers in low- and middle-income countries is to design a method to select beneficiaries of social programs when income is unobservable and volatile. We use a unique panel dataset of a random sample of households in Colombia’s social registry that contains information before, during, and after the 2020 economic crisis to evaluate a traditional static proxy-means test (PMT) and three policy-relevant alternatives. We consider targeting metrics and social welfare under different curvatures of governments’ social welfare function, aggregate economic environments, and budgetary and political constraints. Updating the PMT data does not improve social welfare relative to the static PMT. Relaxing the eligibility threshold reduces the exclusion error, increases the inclusion error, and increases social welfare. A dynamic method that uses data on shocks to estimate a variable component of income reduces exclusion errors and limits the expansion in coverage, increasing social welfare during the economic crisis.

The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex promotes self-control by inhibiting the egocentric perspective

The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) plays a crucial role in social cognitive functions, including perspective-taking. Although perspective-taking has been linked to self-control, the mechanism by which the dmPFC might facilitate self-control remains unclear. Using the multimodal neuroimaging dataset from the Human Connectome Project (Study 1, N =978 adults), we established a reliable association between the dmPFC and self-control, as measured by discounting rate—the tendency to prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones. Experiments (Study 2, N = 36 adults) involving high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation showed that anodal stimulation of the dmPFC reduces the discounting of delayed rewards and decreases the congruency effect in egocentric but not allocentric perspective in the visual perspective-taking tasks. These findings suggest that the dmPFC promotes self-control by inhibiting the egocentric perspective, offering new insights into the neural underpinnings of self-control and perspective-taking, and opening new avenues for interventions targeting disorders characterized by impaired self-regulation.

Dose Modifications in the Management of Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Who, What, and When.

With the availability of BCR::ABL1 targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), outcomes for most individuals with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) are outstanding, with life expectancy similar to age-matched peers. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) impair quality of life and many patients struggle with low-level chronic AEs, which for some individuals impact emotional well-being as well as social and work functioning. An emerging body of data supports that many TEAEs are related to therapy dose and can improve with dose reduction. However, it is critical that dose reductions do not alter current outcomes, especially in the rare patients who are at greater risk of losing response or transforming to acute leukemia. Organizations including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network have begun to address when dose reductions may be considered in patients with CP-CML. In this manuscript, we review retrospective and prospective data reporting outcomes in patients after dose reduction and review data supporting lower dose preemptive dosing in first-line and later-line therapy. Switching therapy for intolerance can result in improvements in symptoms and limit toxicity, but other TEAEs may occur. Additionally, emerging therapeutics such as the new class of BCR::ABL1 allosteric inhibitors are under evaluation with a goal of improving tolerability. However, with many TKIs on the cusp of becoming generic, dose reduction becomes an appealing and important cost-effective strategy to minimize TEAEs and improve quality of life while preserving outstanding outcomes in CP-CML.

White matter organization abnormalities in adults with 47,XXX: a 7 Tesla MRI study

47,XXX (Triple X syndrome) is a sex chromosome aneuploidy characterized by the presence of a supernumerary X chromosome in affected females, and has been associated with a variable cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric phenotype. Alterations in brain gray matter structure and function have been reported, but less is known about white matter (WM) organization in 47,XXX. Therefore, we conducted 7 T diffusion tensor imaging and characterized fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity of 22 adult women with 47,XXX and 22 age-matched typically developing females using tract-based spatial statistics. Relationships between phenotypic traits and WM organization characteristics in 47,XXX were also investigated. Adults with 47,XXX showed lower axial diffusivity in the body of the corpus callosum and the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. WM organization variability was not associated with IQ and social cognition and social functioning deficits in 47,XXX. Our findings indicate an effect of a supernumerary X chromosome in adult women on axonal integrity of the body of the corpus callosum and the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. These findings provide additional insight into the role of the X chromosome on WM organization. Future research is warranted to explore the clinical significant impact of altered WM organization in 47,XXX.

The Essence of the Right to Property under Art 1 of Protocol 1 to the echr: An Inviolable Core or a Purely Symbolic Concept? Cases from Central and Eastern Europe revisited

Abstract It is inherent to the fundamental right to property that far from being absolute, the owners’ rights may be limited in the general interest. As exemplified recently by unprecedented closures of restaurants and other businesses due to the covid-19 pandemic, also large-scale and far-reaching limitations are broadly deemed justified. The outer boundary of these limitations appears to be the essence of the right, which may not be impinged upon. Yet, both this very term and its scope are fiercely contested. This article, thus, revisits the “essence” of a fundamental right in the context of the European Convention on Human Rights. Drawing on the example of the right to property under Art 1 of Protocol 1 (P1-1) to the echr, this contribution expounds the prevailing approaches to the essence of fundamental rights and highlights the discrepancies between the formally adopted absolute approach to the essence as a purportedly inviolable core and the relative understanding of this concept which sees it as part of the fair-balance test. As the ECtHR case law makes room for virtually any interference with P1-1 including expropriation without any compensation, it will be argued that an untouchable or pre-established essence is not a concept attributable to the right to property under the Convention. It is maintained, however, that the limited scope of the essence is consistent with the underlying principles of the Convention as well as the intrinsic social function of private property.