Can morning affect protect us from suicide? The mediating role of general mental health in the relationship between chronotype and suicidal behavior among students.

Although chronotype has been associated with suicidal behavior, current research suggest that this relationship may be mediated by other factors. The aim of this study was to assess whether chronotype, specifically morningness, may predict suicidal behavior and whether this relationship may be mediated by general mental health, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and/or social functioning among young adults. The study group comprised 306 students: 204 (65.8%) women, 101 (32.6%) men and one who chose not to identify with either option (0.3%). The participants completed The Composite Scale of Morningness, The General Health Questionnaire, 30-item version, Suicide Acceptance Questionnaire and The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. Correlations between the continuous variables of interest revealed a weak, but significant, negative association between morning affect (CSM) and suicidal behavior (SBQ-R); a moderate positive association was found between suicidal behavior (SBQ-R) and depression/anxiety, and a weak one between suicidal behavior (SBQ-R) and interpersonal relations (GHQ-30). The models predicting suicidal behavior, and chronotype-related variables as predictors of suicidal behavior, were then tested. Although the morning affect predicted suicidal behavior, this effect became irrelevant when combined with mental health characteristics: psychopathological symptoms of depression and anxiety and the quality of interpersonal relations. Our findings imply that the role of chronotype is secondary to general mental health: mental disorder symptoms should be considered as the core risk factors for suicide and serve as the focus for suicide risk assessments.

The Relationship between Selected Factors (Temperament, Bipolar Traits, Sleep Quality, Severity of Addiction) and Depressive Symptoms in Alcohol-Dependent Men.

Clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relationship between alcohol addiction and mood disorders. Alcohol-dependent patients with depression tend to demonstrate clinically more severe manic symptoms, which complicates the process of diagnosis and therapy. However, the predictors indicating the risk of mood disorders in addicted patients remain unclear. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between personal dispositions, bipolar traits, depth of addiction, quality of sleep, and depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent men. The study group comprised 70 men (age M = 46.06, SD = 11.29) diagnosed with alcohol addiction. The participants completed a battery of questionnaires: BDI, HCL-32, PSQI, EPQ-R and MAST. The results were tested using Pearson's correlation quotient and general linear model. The findings indicate that some of the studied patients are likely to have mood disorders of clinically significant severity. High neuroticism and poor sleep quality are independent predictors of depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent patients. Among the components of sleep quality, problems with falling asleep and waking up at night appear to be most strongly associated with depressive symptoms. The intensity of depressive symptoms may relate to the intensity of certain bipolar features, such as risk-taking activity and irritability. High neuroticism and poor sleep quality are independent predictors of depressive symptoms in the studied group.

The relationship between chronotype, dispositional mindfulness and suicidal ideation among medical students: mediating role of anxiety, insomnia and social dysfunction.

The aim of the study was to assess whether chronotype and subjective amplitude may predict suicidal ideation independently of mindfulness, and whether anxiety/insomnia and social dysfunction may be mediators of the relationship between chronotype and suicidal thoughts among medical students. The study group comprised 600 students of the medical faculties (191 men and 409 women), with a mean (SD, range) age of 21.94 (1.81, 18-31) years. The participants completed the Chronotype Questionnaire, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Two items from GHQ-28 depression scale were extracted to measure suicidal ideation. The FFMQ score correlated negatively with the suicidal ideation score. The total effect of chronotype was insignificant when controlled for FFMQ. In the case of indirect effects, subjective amplitude score predicted suicidal ideation via both anxiety/insomnia and social dysfunction scores. The FFMQ score predicted suicidal ideation only via the social dysfunction scale. The direct effect of subjective amplitude was insignificant. Our findings indicate that the flexibility (or rigidity) of circadian rhythm may be linked to the intensity of experienced suicidal ideation, but only via anxiety/insomnia and social dysfunction, independently of mindfulness and morningness-eveningness.

Being an adult sibling of an individual with autism spectrum disorder may be a predictor of loneliness and depression - Preliminary findings from a cross-sectional study.

Background: The aim of this study is to compare depression and loneliness among adult siblings of people on the autism spectrum, adult siblings of normotypic individuals, and adults raised alone (only child). In recent years, an increasing interest in the perspective of siblings of children diagnosed with autism has been observed, with studies among this population particularly concerned with the developmental trajectories of children and adolescents at "high risk" for ASD, rarely focusing on their mental well-being. Methods: The respondents filled out: the survey on sociodemographic data designed by the authors, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI, measure of depression), and De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS, assessment of loneliness). Results: A rise in BDI and an increase in the DJGLS score were predicted by having a sibling diagnosed with ASD. Those effects were independent of subjects' sex, educational status, place of residence, or a number of siblings. Conclusion: The results underline a fundamental need for the development of mental hygiene programs for families where children with autism spectrum are accompanied by healthy siblings.

[Psychotic depression caused by the COVID-19 pandemic - a case report]. / Depresja psychotyczna spowodowana pandemia COVID-19 ­ opis przypadku.

Depressive syndromes are the most common mental disorders after the age of 60. It is estimated that symptoms of depression are found in over 15% of people over 65 years of age. A CASE REPORT: We present a description of a 74-year-old woman diagnosed with psychotic depression probably caused by SARS-CoV- 2 infection confirmed by PCR test. The patient took part in a neuropsychological examination which showed the presence of cognitive deficits. CONCLUSIONS: This case is a good example of how COVID-19 could potentially trigger psychiatric symptoms. The existing literature in this field describes cases in which productive symptoms developed.

The Association between Depression and Perceived Stress among Parents of Autistic and Non-Autistic Children-The Role of Loneliness.

Having an autistic child significantly impairs the functioning of the family, including the wellbeing of the parents. The aim of this study was to assess whether loneliness mediates the relationship between perceived stress and the severity of depressive symptoms in the studied sample of parents. This cross-sectional study involved 39 parents of autistic children and 45 parents of non-autistic children. They completed a set of tests: a survey on sociodemographic and clinical data and psychometric questionnaires, i.e., Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI), De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS), and Perceived Stress Questionnaire (KPS). A rise in external and intrapsychic stress, independently, was linked to a rise in the severity of depressive symptoms. The severity of depression, loneliness and stress was higher among parents of autistic children compared with parents of non-autistic children. Intrapsychic stress exhibited an indirect effect through loneliness on the worsening of depressive symptoms.

Lonely in the City-Sociodemographic Status and Somatic Morbidities as Predictors of Loneliness and Depression among Seniors-Preliminary Results.

Up to a third of the population of older adults has been estimated to suffer from feelings of loneliness, which is considered a risk factor of depression. The aim of this paper is to compare the perceived level of loneliness and depression in seniors living in the country and in the cities and assess somatic morbidity and sociodemographic status as predictors of loneliness and depressiveness. n = 92 older adults in primary care units filled out a set of questionnaires: authors' survey on sociodemographic data and morbidities, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI, to measure depressiveness) and De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS, to assess loneliness). There was a strong, positive and statistically significant correlation between the BDI and DJGLS scores (R = 0.855, p < 0.001). City residents had on average higher BDI and DJGLS scores. Linear regression models were constructed to predict BDI and DJGLS scores. The set of statistically significant predictors were similar for BDI and DJGLS. Sociodemographic status and somatic morbidities accounted for around 90% of variance of depressiveness and loneliness scores in the studied group. Living alone was found to be the strongest relative predictor of both loneliness and depressiveness in the studied sample of the older adults. Our current results suggest that there might be a need to improve social support in the late adulthood as an intervention to diminish the sense of loneliness and depressiveness.

The apotheosis of intellectual disability in fictional literature.

Purpose: Intellectual disability is an extremely complex phenomenon and can therefore be considered on the basis of either intellectual malfunction patterns and adaptability disorders, or in the optics of the socio-cultural construct. The ephemeral truth about the essence of the phenomenon of intellectual disability is formulated in a fluid and dynamic way at the border of culture and biology which justify the fact of analyzing it on the field of medical humanities. The broad perspective of the view of the phenomenon outlined in the first part of the paper provides the basis for understanding the image of a character with intellectual disabilities in fictional literature. The primary objective of the research was to get to know and understand the apotheosis of intellectual disability in selected works of fine literature. Views: Basis assumptions of the hermeneutic method were applied in this research. Hermeneutics is a specific methodology on literary grounds, as it does not provide the user with ready-made techniques or tools for text analysis, emphasizing the lack of universal means of deciphering the meanings of literature. The meaning of the text becomes a reference developed by interpretation, which is a question of the hypotheses generated by the recipient. The area of analysis consists primarily of the categories of wisdom and good outlined in the silhouettes of the presented literary heroes. Conclusions: As a result, characteristic ways of understanding wisdom and good in relation to characters with intellectual disabilities were identified, and thus the image of apotheosis was outlined.

Music therapy and psychotherapy as non-pharmacological methods supporting therapy in medicine - similarities and differences.

Non-pharmacological methods such as music therapy and psychotherapy are increasingly used in psychiatry and somatic medicine as adjuvant therapies. This trend is due to the crisis of scientific knowledge, the development of postmodern philosophy and the existential confusion of the man. Also, shifting the treatment from hospitals to the social environment of the patient creates an area and provides an opportunity for non-pharmacological methods of therapy. Unlike pharmacological therapy, the effectiveness of psychotherapy and music therapy in particular has not been extensively investigated. This is due both to the lack of financial resources to be assigned for such studies and to the impossibility to evaluate the effectiveness of these therapies using the double-blind method. The lack of strong evidence of the effectiveness of nonpharmacological therapies often results in the omission of these methods in the treatment and the risk of application of ineffective or harmful methods. Only cognitive behavioral therapy has been supported by a fairly reliable assessment of effectiveness, due to the care of the community of professionals associated with this trend for scientific evaluations. In music therapy, like in psychotherapy, we have the phenomenon of setting, transference, countertransference and resistance. In both methods, therapeutic contact is included and determines the framework duration of the therapy. The language of music therapy is much less unambiguous and yielding much more possibilities of interpretation than the language of psychotherapy. Both these areas of therapy, however, are intersecting, and it is impossible to delineate a border between them. Further research into the effectiveness of these evolving methods is all the more necessary as the growing crisis of trust in science, the lack of new effective medications and the dominance of postmodern concepts in public discourse increasingly draw attention to the environmental context of the disorders, their social nature and the possibility of therapy in the social environment of the patient away from the excessive number of medical procedures.