ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led governments worldwide to implement unprecedented response strategies. While crucial to limiting the spread of the virus, "social distancing" may lead to severe psychological consequences, especially in lonely individuals. METHODS: We used cross-sectional (n = 380) and longitudinal (n = 74) designs to investigate the links between loneliness, anxiety, and depression symptoms (ADS) and COVID-19 risk perception and affective response in young adults who implemented social distancing during the first 2 weeks of the state of epidemic threat in Poland. RESULTS: Loneliness was correlated with ADS and with affective response to COVID-19's threat to health. However, increased worry about the social isolation and heightened risk perception for financial problems was observed in lonelier individuals. The cross-lagged influence of the initial affective response to COVID-19 on subsequent levels of loneliness was also found. CONCLUSION: The reciprocal connections between loneliness and COVID-19 response may be of crucial importance for ADS during the COVID-19 crisis.
ABSTRACT
Both cognitive appraisals of risks associated with the specific disease and affective response to crisis situations have been shown to shape an individual response to pandemics. COVID-19 pandemic and measures introduced to contain it present an unparalleled challenge to mental well-being worldwide. Here, we examine the relationship between self-reported cognitive biases (CB) and emotion regulation skills (ER), COVID-19 risk perception and affective response, and mental well-being (MWB). Five Hundred and Eleven individuals completed General Health Questionnaire, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS) as well as scales measuring COVID-19 risk perception and affective response during the initial days of the epidemic in Poland. We used path and bootstrapping analyses to examine the hypothesis that CB may shape MWB during COVID-19 pandemic both directly and indirectly by (i) decreasing ER capacity and (ii) by increasing COVID-19 risk perception and affective response. Negative effect of CB and positive effect of ER via cognitive reappraisal on MWB were observed in participants. Furthermore, in line with our hypothesis, we observed indirect effects of CB via increased COVID-19 risk perception and affective response and decreased use of reappraisal strategy, which all, in turn, were related to MWB. Finally, we found an indirect effect of CB on MWB through double mediation of suppression strategies and COVID-19 affective response. Results of the current study suggest that CB, which have been shown to be linked to a variety of mental health symptoms in non-clinical populations, may exacerbate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health outcomes.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the research was to assess the oral hygiene habits in the elderly group of study population of Southern Poland. METHODS: The study was conducted in dental services in two selected cities in Southern Poland. The group of subjects consisted of 664 respondents (272 men, 392 women) aged 65 to 81 years. Oral hygiene was measured with the author's anonymous questionnaire consisting of twenty questions. Questions related to information on personal history and general health, comorbidities, dietary habits, alcohol consumption, smoking, taking drugs and the state of oral hygiene practices as frequency of visits to the dentist and the number of own teeth. RESULTS: The majority of the subjects had higher n=240 (36.1%) and secondary n=219 (33%) education and were predominantly n=590 (89%) professionally inactive (retirees or pensioners). No significant differences were found between the groups: women and men. But there were differences in technologies used, the examined men significantly often used computer in comparison with the women's group. In total, 19.6% had own natural teeth only, 45.0% own teeth and dentures, 30.0% dentures only, and 5.4% neither teeth nor dentures. Majority of subjects brush their teeth or dentures only 1-2 times a day (80%) and visit the dentist less than once in 2 years or once a year (75%). Women significantly more often stated use of a toothbrush and taking care of oral hygiene and compared to men, they declared higher number of own teeth. CONCLUSION: People aged over 65 neglect hygiene and oral care. Women pay more attention to oral hygiene and they have more own teeth than men. The most frequent cause of oral hygiene neglect in the elderly could be gender, the socio-economic conditions, behaviour habits and lack of sufficient health education. The dentist may need to consult with the patient's GP the development of the appropriate personalised treatment plan for the elderly. Young dentists need to be educated in order to provide appropriate dental care to the elderly.
