Intensification of anxiety, symptoms of depression, and level of social support among women in pathological pregnancy - a cross-sectional preliminary study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Women in pathological pregnancy are a group of patients especially exposed to the risk of occurrence of psychological complications. The aim of the study was assessment of the risk of depressive and anxiety disorders, and the relationship between the intensity of symptoms and social support. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group were 300 patients hospitalized in the Department of Pathology of Pregnancy. The study was conducted using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviours (ISSB), and an author-constructed socio-demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: The level of State Anxiety (STAI) was higher in respondents from the study group, compared to the control group. The level of anxiety (HADS-A) was higher in the control group than in women from the study group. The level of social informational support was higher in those from the control group, compared to those from the study group. The level of emotional support was lower in respondents from the study group, compared to those from the control group. Instrumental support negatively correlated with the symptoms of depression among women in physiological pregnancy. The lack of evaluative support statistically significantly correlated with anxiety among women hospitalized before labour. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained suggest the necessity for the substantive preparation of medical and psychological staff employed in departments of pathology of pregnancy to provide proper emotional and informational support for hospitalized women.

Environmental Factors as the Main Hormonal Disruptors of Male Fertility.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Many scientific reports confirm a systematic decline in male semen parameters over the last decades. This phenomenon has been observed in all parts of the world, and its occurrence is associated, among others, with the hazardous effects of some environmental factors. The environmental factors for which the adverse effect on male fertility has been proven include water, air, and soil pollution, as well as electromagnetic fields and ionizing radiation. The aim of this article was the evaluation of the effect of selected environmental factors on male reproductive capacity based on an analysis of the current scientific reports. REVIEW METHODS: A systematic literature review was carried out using three databases: PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus. The search was limited to the period from 2015 until the end of December 2023. Brief description of the state of knowledge: Environmental factors, such as heavy metals, tobacco smoke, pesticides, dioxins, furans, phthalates, and bisphenols, are well-tested substances that exert an adverse effect on male fertility. A harmful effect of electromagnetic fields and water and air pollution on reproductive functions may be expected; however, this has not been fully proven. SUMMARY: Results obtained by many researchers published to date should evoke great concern regarding the quality of the environment in which we live, as well as fears about the effect of environmental factors not only on male fertility, but also on all aspects of human health. The majority of environmental pollutants affect the male body by causing oxidative stress and through their effect on the endocrine system.

Supporting the treatment of infertility using psychological methods.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to review the current state of knowledge regarding the treatment of emotional consequences of infertility using psychosocial interventions and their effectiveness. REVIEW METHODS: The review was based on data obtained from scientific articles published in the Pub Med, Science Direct, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMbase, and The Cochrane Library between 1997-2022. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: Assistance offered to persons afflicted by the problem of infertility may take various forms, depending not only on the needs of those interested and the stage of treatment, but also on the capabilities of the staff (type and level of education). Commonly available, well-developed and researched methods of therapy are most frequently applied, often expanded by such elements as education concerning fertility and life style, and information about diagnosis and treatment. Modified methods of psychological intervention specially adjusted to persons struggling with infertility are also used. The indicators of the effectiveness of these methods are: reduction of stress, better coping with difficulties, decrease in the rates of psychological disorders, as well as an improvement of sperm parameters in men, and an increase in pregnancy and live birth rates. SUMMARY: The most frequently recommended methods of psychosocial intervention are these based on cognitive behavioural therapy and variants of stress reduction techniques. It is recommended that patients with infertility are provided with psychological care throughout the treatment period, and that the medical staff is equipped with standardized methods of assessing their mental state.

Neurophysiological maturation in adolescence - vulnerability and counteracting addiction to alcohol.

The results of contemporary studies confirm the formation of two neural networks in the brain during the period of adolescence. The first is defined as emotional, located in the limbic system, develops earlier, quicker, and more intensively than the second one in the prefrontal cortex, called the judgement network, which fulfils the role of control and inhibition of emotional reactions. The domination of the emotional network in adolescence is manifested by hyperactivity of the limbic system, accompanied by intensified undertaking of courageous, reckless, risky, or even sometimes dangerous actions, so very characteristic in the maturation. The aim of the article is to present the state of the art in the field of latest achievements in experimental neurophysiology related to the maturation of the structural end functional processes in adolescents, and to alcohol vulnerability. Alcohol effect initiation starts in early adolescence, and therefore is connected with alcohol abuse and addiction in adulthood, which confirms the necessity for provision of an early prophylactic protection for juveniles, even before entering the phase of early adolescence. Some electrophysiological characteristics, such as low P3 amplitude of the Event-Related Potential (ERP) and Event-Related Oscillations (EROs), are manifested by their high risk offspring, and are considered to be biological markers (endophenotypes) of a predisposition to develop alcohol use disorders. Electroencephalographic oscillations induced within the range of the theta and delta waves (Event-Related Oscillation- ERO), considered as endophenotypes and markers of increased vulnerability for addiction, present three groups of genes and three types of neurotransmitters, with gamma aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine and glutamate as neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. A new research approach consisting in the application of electroencephalographic methods and techniques in developmental and genetic studies of the conditioning of varied vulnerability, and especially increased preferences for alcohol tasting and abuse in adolescence, provide unique possibilities for comprehensive and deepened studies which may contribute to the prevention of alcohol addiction, the genesis of which, to a great extent, is related with the effect of causative environmental and genetic factors during adolescent development.