Drinking alcohol as a way of coping with stress in students of medical faculties. / Picie alkoholu jako sposób radzenia sobie ze stresem u studentów kierunków medycznych.

OBJECTIVES: The relationship between stress coping style and motivation to alcohol consumption was studied in the context of alcohol dependence risk in medical students. METHODS: Study group included 268 med students. Authors used the Alcohol Use Dependency Identification Test (AUDIT), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) as well as self-designed questionnaire to collect demographic data and examine motivation and usual situations related to alcohol consumption in students. RESULTS: 94% of students reported alcohol consumption during past year. Risky or harmful alcohol use was found in 16% of med students and 22% of dentistry students, high risk of alcohol dependency was diagnosed in 2% of cases. More than 50% of students reported drinking for coping motives. Data on coping styles do not show statistically significant differences in terms of the main stress coping style: task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented. Medicine students used avoidance-oriented coping (social diversion subtype) more often than dentistry students. There was no correlation between stress coping styles, drinking motives and alcohol dependence risk in the studied group. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of correlations may indicate that the studied group used coping strategies other than alcohol drinking. It is essential to create environment for medical students, that would enhance healthy stress coping strategies and promote early prevention.

Stress coping styles in firemen exposed to severe stress. / Styl radzenia sobie ze stresem u strazaków narazonych na ciezki stres.

OBJECTIVES: Emergency service workers such as firemen are exposed to severe stress, which may result in deteriorated functioning and development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of the presented study was to assess the stress coping styles of firemen exposed to severe stress, the prevalence of PTSD symptoms, and the correlation between them. METHODS: The study was carried out in a group of 147 Polish firemen. Two questionnaires were used: the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and the PTSD Interview (PTSD-I) in the Polish language version (K-PTSD). RESULTS: The study was carried out in a group of 147 Polish firemen. Two questionnaires were used: the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and the PTSD Interview (PTSD-I) in the Polish language version (K-PTSD). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly one third of the investigated group of firemen suffered from symptoms of PTSD, with the stress coping strategy most often observed in that subgroup being style focused on avoidance. Age proved to be a factor associated with the readiness to undertake behavioral measures to cope with stress tension; such behavior tends to be undertaken by older firemen.

[The level of anxiety and depression in the early puerperium - preliminary communication]. / Poziom leku jako stanu i jako cechy oraz depresji we wczesnym pologu - doniesienie wstepne.

INTRODUCTION: Childbirth is both joyful and stressful life event. This stressful life event results in different emotions occurring with different strength among new mothers, one of them is postpartum depression. However, postnatal depression received the predominance of research attention in recent years, and several authors have pointed attention to the importance of distinguishing between postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. AIM: The primary purpose of the presented research was to assess the level of anxiety and depression among women who were hospitalised after delivery. The second purpose was to determine if some additional factors influence the level of anxiety and depression. MATERIAL: The study was conducted on the sample of 46 women who had delivered infants in the Gynecology - Obstetrics Clinical Hospital UM in Poznan, Poland in 2010. Method. Polish adaptations of standard questionnaires were used to measure variables such as anxiety (STAI), depression (BDI), styles of coping (CISS) and temperament (PTS). Additional data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the authors. RESULTS: Statistical analysis assessed the level and frequency of anxiety (as a state and as a trait) and depression and associations between these factors as well as associations with additional variables (including: mode of delivery, styles of coping with stress and temperament). CONCLUSIONS: The score in BDI in mothers after delivery was associated positively with emotion - oriented style of coping and anxiety as a state and as a trait and negatively with strength of inhibition processes. Anxiety as a trait was positively related to c-section.

[Early and late psychological effects of pregnancy loss]. / Wczesne i pózne psychologiczne skutki utraty ciazy.

Pregnancy is not only a medical but also a psychological and social event. There are many situations combined with pregnancy that in medical terms, constitute a risk, danger or failure and result in a wide range of emotional reactions in a woman that require special care and attention for her psychological functioning. The authors of this paper analyzed the situation of women experiencing a miscarriage, intrauterine fetal death and death of a newborn. Early and distant consequences of a pregnancy loss were discussed here especially in the context of a woman's mental health and children of the mothers who had experienced such failure in the past. The aim of this paper was to present an optimal way of taking care of women after pregnancy loss on the basis of the standards that were created in the Gynecological and Obstetrical Clinical Hospital in Poznan.