Burden in family caregivers: The psychometric properties of Polish version of the Zarit Burden Interview. / Poczucie obciazenia opieka wsród opiekunów rodzinnych: psychometryczne wlasciwosci polskiej wersji Zarit Burden Interview.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate the reliability, validity and internal structure of the Polish version of the Zarit Burden Interview scale (ZBI). METHODS: The participants in the study were 504 Polish family caregivers (spouses, parents, children and other family members) of chronically ill patients. The Burnout Scale version for caregivers (SWS) and the Resilience Assessment Questionnaire (KOP-26) were used. RESULTS: The Polish version of the Zarit Burden Interview demonstrated good psychometric properties. Confirmative factor analysis confirmed the presence of a three-factor second-order structure, the model proved to be quite well suited to the data (CFI = 0.941; TLI = 0.931; SRMR = 0.045; RMSEA = 0.061). Also, the results of the theoretical validity analysis proved to be satisfactory. Cronbach's α coefficient for the general result was 0.91; for individual subscales: "Negative image of the patient" - 0.85, "Frustration" - 0.82 and "Losses" - 0.85. CONCLUSIONS: The Polish version of the ZBI scale can be used as a reliable and accurate diagnostic tool to measure the burden among carers of chronically ill people. Qualitative analysis of the response content also allows to identify areas requiring the implementation of activities in the field of psychological support for the surveyed caregivers.

Positive orientation and health behaviors in older patients with atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Human health is determined by a number of physical, social and psychological factors, including the often considered health behaviors. They are an indispensable part of the health recovery process and are also the basis of prevention in the development of such disorders as atherosclerosis. Health behaviors are reinforced by an individual's resources such as positive orientation, which is composed of optimism, high self-esteem and satisfaction with life. The main objective of the study was to determine whether there is a relationship between positive orientation and health behavior, in a group of people with atherosclerosis. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: Sixty-one patients, both male and female, in late adulthood were surveyed (M = 69.41, SD = 5.44). A researcher-designed questionnaire, the Health Behavior Inventory (IZZ) and the Positive Orientation Scale (P-Scale) were used in the measurement. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the 2013 Declaration of Helsinki. RESULTS: The results showed that patients with a more positive attitude toward life are more likely to use health-promoting behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: There is a positive relationship between positive orientation and health behaviors. Positive orientation can be enhanced through appropriate psychoeducation and psychological support to prevent ill health and improve treatment of patients with atherosclerosis.

Positive Orientation and Fatigue Experienced by Polish Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediatory Role of Emotional Control.

This study aimed to investigate the mediatory role of emotional control with respect to the control of anger, depression, and anxiety in the relationship between positive orientation and tiredness/fatigue occurring in a group of Polish nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 894 nursing students from six universities in Poland. A diagnostic survey was applied as the research method, and the data were collected using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS) and the Positive Orientation Scale (SOP). The mean participant age was 20.73 years (SD = 1.81). More than half of the students in the study showed a low level of positive orientation. Correlational analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between positive orientation and tiredness/fatigue experienced by the students participating in the study (r = −0.336; p < 0.001), and correlation between positive orientation and the overall emotional control index (r = −0.317; p < 0.001), and the indices of control of anger (r = −0.154; p < 0.01), depression (r = −0.376; p < 0.001), and anxiety (r = −0.236; p < 0.01). Analysis of the results also revealed the occurrence of significant, positive links between the controlled emotions and their components and the tiredness/fatigue experienced by nursing students. It is important to take action associated with the prevention of tiredness/fatigue among students and to reinforce a positive orientation and the capacity to control emotions to effectively minimize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students.

Profiles of Occupational Burnout in the Group of Representatives of High-Risk Professions in Poland.

(1) Background: Working in a high-risk profession is associated with taking on a large responsibility and risking loss of health or life. These professions include, among others, air traffic controllers, firefighters, and ECDs. People working in these professions are particularly vulnerable to experiencing high levels of stress and developing professional burnout syndrome. The aim of the conducted research was to assess the external and internal differences in the intensity of occupational burnout dimensions among representatives of high-risk occupations and to distinguish burnout profiles among them. (2) Methods: The total number of participants working in high-risk occupations who took part in the study was N = 1239, including the following job positions: air traffic controllers (n = 107), firefighters (n = 580), and ECDs (n = 558). The respondents completed the following self-report questionnaires: a structured survey and the Link Burnout Questionnaire. The following statistical tests were performed: cluster analysis, analysis of variance, and chi-square test of independence. (3) Results: The highest intensity of burnout dimensions was presented by representatives of ECDs. Profiles reflecting the types of occupational burnout were distinguished. The representatives of air traffic controllers demonstrated the following profiles: 1-low risk of burnout with a component of psychophysical exhaustion; 2-exhausted with a moderate tendency to disappointment; 3-burned out, ineffective, and uninvolved. The profiles of the ECDs were: 4-engaged, with a reduced sense of effectiveness; 5-with a reduced sense of effectiveness; 6-burned out with a low sense of effectiveness. However, the profiles of the firefighters were: 7-not burned out; 8-at risk of burnout; 9-exhausted with a tendency towards disappointment. Individuals representing the various burnout profiles differed in terms of the severity of the dimensions of occupational burnout as well as sociodemographic and work-related characteristics. (4) Conclusions: The process of occupational burnout varies among people in various high-risk occupations and due to sociodemographic characteristics. The internal differentiation of people representing high-risk professions requires different psychological interventions and preventive measures.

Sense of coherence and strategies for coping with stress among nurses.

BACKGROUND: The nursing profession is associated with constant presence of difficult situations and stress, which arise from responsibility for the highest values - human life and health. With demographic changes in the society, the demand for nursing care increases. Looking after the health of nursing staff becomes a non-material investment in employees. One of the most important health potentials described in literature is the sense of coherence. It can significantly contribute to maintaining good health, modify one's functioning in a stressful working environment and influence the choice of strategies for coping with stress. AIM: The aim of the study was to describe the specific relationship between the sense of coherence and strategies for coping with stress in a group of professionally active nurses. METHODOLOGY AND METHODS: The study involved 91 nurses in central Poland, aged 22-52. The group was diversified in terms of: education, work system, marital status and place of residence. The study was conducted with the use of: Sense of Coherence Questionnaire SOC-29 and Inventory to Measure Coping Strategies with Stress - Mini-COPE. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of scientific research set out in the Helsinki Declaration. RESULTS: The sense of coherence value in the test group was M = 134.24 (SD = 19.55). In stressful situations nurses most often used active strategies to cope with stress: Planning M = 2.10 (SD = 0.54), Seeking Emotional Social Support M = 1.95 (SD = 0.68) and Seeking Instrumental Social Support M = 1.95 (SD = 0.69), and the least frequently: Alcohol/Drug Use M = 0.28 (SD = 0.48). The level of the sense of coherence and its components differentiated the strategies of coping with stress used in the examined group of nurses. CONCLUSIONS: The research confirmed that the sense of coherence serves as a health potential in a stressful working environment - a high sense of coherence translate into better mental health, correct functioning in the working environment, and using adaptive strategies of coping with stress. Nurses with a stronger sense of coherence used more adaptive strategies to deal with stress than those with average or low levels.

Nurses' sense of coherence and stress management strategies against the types of health status.

AIM: The main objective of this paper was to establish types of health status in the group of practicing nurses. DESIGN: Positive psychology defines human health as the underlying resource for all life activities, including professional work. Practicing nurses are exposed to a variety of professional pressures, most notably high-stress burden. Long-term functioning in conditions of work-related overburden and stress may compromise the health status of nurses and make them vulnerable to somatic or psychosomatic conditions. METHODS: In this study, we used original worksheets for collecting socio-economic data and health-related data, Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-29), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Brief COPE Inventory (Mini-COPE) and the somatic symptom scale. K-means clustering analysis for cases was used to identify types of health status among the surveyed nurses. RESULTS: This survey discovered that specific types of health status can be distinguished among practicing nurses. The nurses represented various types of health status, levels of the sense of coherence and the use of stress management strategies.

Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire: structure and psychometric properties.

BACKGROUND: Flexibility in coping relies on applying a coping strategy that is appropriate to the circumstances. Individuals who are flexible in coping exhibit sensitivity to subtle signals sent by the environment. Therefore, they are able to adjust their behaviour accordingly and function in a more adaptive manner. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: The study included N = 1535 participants. The following methods were used: the Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire (FCSQ-14) and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI). RESULTS: The Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire measures flexibility as a feature of the process of coping with which an individual applies coping strategies. The Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire is an accurate and reliable method of measuring coping flexibility and three of its subscales: the Repertoire of coping strategies, the Changeability of their use, and Reflexivity. CONCLUSIONS: The Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire examines three subscales of flexibility, namely, Repertoire of coping strategies, Changeability, and Reflexivity. This measurement is accurate and reliable. The questionnaire is applied to the study of persons exposed to severe or chronic stress at work, when we want to assess the individual's ability to change their functioning in a stressful situation. It can be used to examine healthy and somatically ill people, in the area of research and clinical diagnosis.

[Selected personality traits of nurses and flexibility in coping with stress - a moderating role of age and seniority]. / Wybrane cechy osobowosci pielegniarek a elastycznosc w radzeniu sobie ze stresem ­ moderacyjna rola wieku i stazu pracy.

BACKGROUND: The results of numerous studies indicate that the nurse profession is burdened with an increased risk of feeling stressed and experiencing professional burnout. Effective coping with stress can protect against professional burnout as well as impact on patient care. These effects may be influenced, e.g., by personality traits. By the study, the authors decided to check whether personality traits such as empathy, impulsiveness and venturesomeness would play a predictive role for flexibility in coping with stress. MATERIAL AND METHODS: By the study, the authors analyzed the results obtained from 137 nurses. The following research tools were used: the Impulsiveness-Venturesomeness-Empathy Questionnaire by Eysenck and Eysenck, in the Polish adaptation by Aleksandra Jaworowska, and the Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire (FCSQ-14) by Malgorzata Basinska et al. Both tools were characterized by satisfactory statistical properties. By addition, the respondents completed a personal survey which allowed collecting basic personal data. RESULTS: Venturesomeness positively correlated with flexibility in coping with stress and all its dimensions (strategy repertoire, strategy variability and reflexivity) at the low level. Similar dependencies for empathy and impulsiveness were not shown. Similarly, in assessing the predictive role of selected personality traits for flexibility in coping with stress, only venturesomeness turned out to be an important predictor. Although the model turned out to be statistically significant, it allowed explaining the variability of flexibility only in 7%. CONCLUSIONS: There was a low statistically significant relationship between the nurses' venturesomeness and their flexibility in coping with stress. Empathy and impulsiveness did not play a predictive role for flexibility in coping with stress. Med Pr. 2020;71(4):451-9.

[Two types of flexibility: in coping and cognitive, and their relationship with stress among firefighters]. / Dwa typy elastycznosci ­ w radzeniu sobie i poznawcza ­ oraz ich relacja z odczuwanym stresem wsród funkcjonariuszy strazy pozarnej.

BACKGROUND: Flexibility in coping with stress and cognitive flexibility are new constructs both in Polish and European psychological sciences. A person displaying flexibility in coping has a wide repertoire of remedial strategies, which he or she is able to change if the situation so requires, and which reflect on the strategies used, while a person displaying cognitive flexibility is ready to look for new ways to cope. The profession of a firefighter involves exposure to various stressors, and occupational stress can affect not only mental health, but also the quality of work performed. That is why flexibility in coping with stress and cognitive flexibility seem so important. The aim of the study was to perform empirical verification of the relationship between flexibility in coping and cognitive flexibility, as well as to determine their relationship with the stress perceived by the respondents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Overall, 104 firefighters (males only) were qualified for the examination. The average age of the respondents was 34 years (SD = 7.81). The Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire (FCSQ-14), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were used. RESULTS: There is a statistically significant relationship between flexibility in coping with stress and its dimensions, and cognitive flexibility and its dimensions, in the examined group of firefighters. The strongest positive relationship was observed between cognitive flexibility and repertoire (r = 0.639, p < 0.001), and the weakest between cognitive control and reflectivity (r = 0.257, p = 0.009). A statistically significant negative relationship was found between flexibility in coping with stress (r = -0.339, p = 0.001) and cognitive flexibility (r = -0.359, p < 0.001), and stress experienced by the respondents. There was no statistically significant relationship between reflectivity, which is a dimension of flexibility in coping with stress, and perceived stress. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to consider the possibility of including in the prevention programs addressed to firefighters the need to support subjective resources, which include flexibility in coping with stress and cognitive flexibility. The results also indicate the need to deepen research in order to better understand the constructs of flexibility in coping with stress and cognitive flexibility. Med Pr. 2020;71(4):441-50.

Cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping in nurses - the moderating role of age, seniority and the sense of stress.

OBJECTIVES: The nursing profession entails many stressful situations and challenges, such as heavy workload, shift work, emotional demands and professional conflicts. In the light of the results of the research conducted so far, flexible coping has occurred to be highly adaptive, as its association with adaptive struggle with the disease, fewer depressive symptoms and both greater mental well-being and better health have been proven. In connection with the above, the aim of this study was to determine the nature of the relationship between cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping in nurses, taking into account the moderating role of age of the respondents, seniority and the sense of stress. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 280 persons working as nurses (age range: 21-66). The number of women and men reflected their percentage distribution in this profession, as it is highly feminized. The following methods were used in the study: the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) by Dennis and Vander Wal, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) by Cohen et al., the Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire (FCSQ-14) by Basinska et al., and a self-developed survey. RESULTS: As the obtained research results show, cognitive flexibility in both the Control and Alternatives subscales was a predictor of flexible coping and their subscales. The analysis revealed that the model of the relationship between cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping was moderated by age, seniority and the sense of stress. CONCLUSIONS: Coping skills and flexibility are positively correlated with the psychological adjustment of nurses. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(4):507-21.

The importance of cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping with stress for the quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease patients during biological therapy. A preliminary report.

INTRODUCTION: There are studies demonstrating the relation between psychological factors and efficiency of treatment in the course of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). AIM: To investigate the relation between cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping with stress and the quality of life, as well as the sense of satisfaction with life, in patients undergoing the biological treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 33 adults who were diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). The Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire (FCSQ-14), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), the Quality of Life SF36v2 Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the socio-demographic questionnaire were used to gather the data. RESULTS: A total of 14 females and 19 males were included in this analysis. The results did not prove that the disease diagnosis (UC or CD) differed the level of psychological resources. However, older respondents achieved lower results in cognitive flexibility. A positive correlation was observed between both cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping with stress and different dimensions of quality of life and satisfaction with life. CONCLUSIONS: There is a relationship between both cognitive flexibility and flexibility in coping with stress and health-related quality of life. These factors can be considered to be a kind of resource that helps to cope with challenges posed by a chronic illness, including IBD. Therefore, it is significant to increase their level by applying tailored therapeutic methods.

[Selected personality traits as predictors of coping flexibility in a group of officers of the State Fire Service]. / Wybrane cechy osobowosci funkcjonariuszy Panstwowej Strazy Pozarnej jako predyktory elastycznosci w radzeniu sobie ze stresem.

BACKGROUND: The flexibility in coping with stress is a new construct in Europe, which allows for a more insightful understanding of individual coping mechanisms, perceived as a process of continuous search for more effective solutions. An individual who is capable of coping with stress in a flexible way, notices the lack of effectiveness of some methods of coping, seeks new solutions, has a wide repertoire of coping strategies, as well as shows reflexivity to see the lack of effectiveness in coping. The profession of a firefighter is characterized by a high level of stress, so people performing this profession should be aware of the remedial actions undertaken and their actual effectiveness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Altogether, 163 officers of the State Fire Service were examined. The following questionnaires were used in the study: the Polish adaptation of the Impulsiveness-Venturesomeness-Empathy (IVE) Questionnaire, the Coping Flexibility Questionnaire (Polish name: Kwestionariusz elastycznosci w radzeniu sobie ze stresem - KERS-14), and a personal survey. RESULTS: Firefighters with more risky attitudes were found to display greater flexibility in coping, in terms of having a wider repertoire and variability in the applied strategies. In the case of officers with the shortest service period (< 9 years), the lower level of empathy was associated with a higher variability of coping strategies, while in officers with the longest service period (> 14 years), the level of variation in coping strategies correlated positively with the level of empathy. CONCLUSIONS: Risk taking propensity is an important predictor of flexibility in coping. The service period is a moderator (at the level of statistical tendency) of the relationship between empathy and flexibility in coping, especially in the field of variability in the use of coping strategies. Med Pr. 2019;70(5):555-65.

Impact of physical and microbiological parameters on proper indoor air quality in nursery.

Although the evaluation of air quality in the residential and office rooms has been significantly developed in recent decades, the issues associated with securing the air quality requirements in nurseries are still not well recognised. This study presents the results of tests regarding the physical and microbiological properties of air in selected rooms of a nursery, including the alternatively variable way of rooms ventilation. The experiment was conducted in four different rooms from the 20th of November 2017 to the 16th of April 2018. The constant measurements of basic parameters of physical air quality in rooms and outside as well as the measurements of microbiological and particulate matter contaminations were conducted in the chosen days of the analysis. The results have confirmed the unsatisfactory air quality in the rooms dedicated to small children. Modernisation of the ventilation system, from a natural one to the supply-exhaust ventilation, has lead to an improvement of physical property of the air, but it did not significantly improve its microbiological quality. Our research indicates that the controlled air flow, method of cleaning the premise and health condition of the children may have a great influence on the physical and microbiological quality of the air.

[Coping humor for the relationship between a sense of stress at work and job satisfaction]. / Radzenie sobie przez humor dla relacji miedzy stresem w pracy a satysfakcja zawodowa.

BACKGROUND: Humor is considered as a personal resource that allows individuals to effectively deal with stressful situations at work by reducing tension and perceiving the situation as less threatening. By reducing stress, humor contributes to increased job satisfaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 201 professionally active participants (113 women and 88 men) aged 19-60 years old were qualified for the study - the average age in the study group was 37.76 years (SD = 12.04). The study was conducted for 1 month (at the turn of February and March 2017). The following methods were used in the research: Coping Humor Scale (CHS), Satisfaction with Job Scale (SSP), Sense of Stress at Work Scale (PSS-10-P) and own survey. RESULTS: Humor coping with stress partially mediates the relationship between a sense of stress at work and job satisfaction. It is associated with less tension at work and greater job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Coping humor with stress increases the individual adaptation capacity in the face of stress at work, by shifting the perspective, distancing from problems at work and changing stressors appraisal as less threatening. Med Pr 2018;69(6):621-631.

Social support in groups of mothers with different family status and its significance for satisfaction with work.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to determine to what degree social support is differentiated by family situation, with consideration of single motherhood as a difficult circumstance, and to establish if social support is significant for satisfaction with work in the studied group of mothers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 421 mothers: 206 (49%) of them were in a formal or casual relationship, and the remaining 215 (51%) were single mothers. The sample was studied by means of the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), and the Scale of Satisfaction with Work. RESULTS: The results showed that single mothers perceived and obtained significantly less social support than mothers in relationships, and they offered to their relatives much more protective support (p = 0.006). Satisfaction with work among mothers - regardless of the family status - grows if the mother receives more social support. The information support received by mothers in relationships is not significantly related to satisfaction with work; seeking that type of support by single mothers does not have a meaningful relationship with satisfaction with work, either. Moreover, regardless of the mothers' family status, satisfaction with work is significantly differentiated by each type of social support, except for protective support. CONCLUSIONS: Social support is differentiated by the mothers' situation in the family and at work, and it has a different impact on single mothers from the impact on mothers in relationships. Med Pr 2018;69(5):497-507.

Types of work-related behavior and experiences and stress coping strategies among single mothers and mothers in relationships differentiating role of work satisfaction.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study has been to describe functioning of single and mothers in relationships (married or in informal relationships) at work and verify if the declared degree of work satisfaction differentiates types of behavior at work and stress coping strategies in both groups of mothers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted on equal samples of single mothers (N = 186) and mothers from 2-parent families (N = 186) using Latack Coping Scale that measures work-related stress coping strategies, the AVEM (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster - Work-Related Behavior and Experience Pattern) questionnaire, and a survey. It showed similarity between the studied groups in terms of the measured variables. RESULTS: There were considerable differences between single and married mothers in terms of support seeking strategies. The interaction of work satisfaction and the type of motherhood significantly differentiates (p = 0.03) the avoidance strategy of resignation. CONCLUSIONS: That strategy of resignation was more frequently used by single mothers with lower work satisfaction, who were distinctly different from those whose work satisfaction was higher, and from the mothers in relationships (married or in informal relationships) (regardless of the level of their work satisfaction). Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(1):55-69.

The determinants of coping with pain in chronically ill geriatric patients - the role of a sense of coherence.

BACKGROUND: Given the rising population of the elderly in modern societies, the concern for their good functioning poses a challenge for the 21st century medicine and social services. Senior citizens are at an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, which in turn increase discomfort associated with physiological processes of aging. Sensations of pain have a particular influence on the mentioned discomfort, and pain is prevalent among older people. Therefore, from the perspective of an elderly person and senior care, it is crucial to identify determinants of effective coping with chronic pain. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the research was to assess the relationship between a sense of coherence (SOC) and pain-coping strategies in chronically ill seniors. A total number of 188 individuals were included in the study, of whom 117 were female subjects and 71 were male subjects, with a mean age of 68.38 (standard deviation [SD] =6.35) years in the studied group. Subjects were sampled based on a diagnosis of a chronic medical illness with chronic pain as one of the major symptoms. METHODS: The Polish adaptation of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-29) to assess an SOC, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) to assess pain-coping strategies, and the visual analog scale (VAS) to assess pain intensity were used in the study. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The mean score of respondents' SOC was 133.44 (SD =24.35). Among most common pain-coping strategies used by the respondents were prayer and hope, and the declaration of coping with pain while redefining pain was the least often used coping strategy in the studied group. Individuals with stronger SOC were less prone to catastrophizing and more often declared that they were coping with and could control and reduce pain.

Smoking Status and the Five-Factor Model of Personality: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in Poland.

Tobacco smoking is the single most important modifiable factor in increased morbidity and premature mortality. Numerous factors-including genetics, personality, and environment-affect the development and persistence of tobacco addiction, and knowledge regarding these factors could improve smoking cessation rates. This study compared personality traits between never, former, and current smokers, using the Five-Factor Model of Personality in a country with a turbulent smoking reduction process.: In this cross-sectional study, 909 Polish adults completed the Revised Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Personality Inventory. Our results showed that current smokers' scores for extraversion, one of the five global dimensions of personality, were higher relative to never smokers. Neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness did not differ significantly according to smoking status. Facet analysis, which described each dimension in detail, showed that current smokers' activity and excitement seeking (facets of extraversion) scores were higher relative to those of never and former smokers. In turn, current smokers' dutifulness and deliberation (facets of conscientiousness) scores were lower than those found in former and never smokers. Never smokers scored the highest in self-consciousness (a facet of neuroticism) and compliance (a component of agreeableness). The study conducted among Polish individuals showed variation in personality traits according to their smoking status; however, this variation differed from that reported in countries in which efforts to reduce smoking had begun earlier relative to Poland. Knowledge regarding personality traits could be useful in designing smoking prevention and cessation programs tailored to individuals' needs.

Mental states in early and late old age patients and their expectations of their physicians. / Stan psychiczny pacjentów na etapie wczesnej i póznej starosci a ich oczekiwania wobec lekarza.

OBJECTIVES: Understanding and fulfilling expectations of patients attending medical consultations is part and parcel of medical practice. Clinical context in which these expectations arise is crucial in assessing patients' expectations. The objective of this research was to assess patients' expectations of medical doctors depending on patients' mental state. METHODS: Patients attending GP consultations were examined. The research sample consisted of 219 patients, out of which 129 (59%) were female and 90 (41%) were male patients. The mean age of patients was 61 (SD = 9.80). The 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Four Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) were administered to assess patients' mental state and Patient Request Form (PRF) was used to assess patients' expectations of medical doctors. RESULTS: The study revealed that the youngest patients declared the highest anxiety and insomnia levels and that they differed significantly from the oldest patients. The sampled patients did not differ in terms of other mental state dimensions. It was also documented that younger patients had higher expectations of their medical doctors, required greater explanation of their medical condition and expected more emotional support. Both intensity and duration of somatic symptoms were particularly important in shaping those expectations. CONCLUSIONS: The research findings show the need for systematic assessment of mental state of patients attending medical consultations. Mental state and somatic symptoms intensity are essential indicators of patients' expectations of medical doctors.