Anxiety in persons with visual impairment. / Lek u osób z dysfunkcja wzroku.

Anxiety and anxiety disorders among people with visual impairment are more frequent than in the general population. It is estimated that . of people with visual impairment face depression and/or anxiety, whereas 4-6% of people are diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The purpose of this paper is analyzing the occurrence of anxiety in people with visual impairment based on current information. Literature review indicates that people with visual impairment experience the common, as well as the more specific, often chronic anxiety symptoms. Despite the significance of the foregoing phenomenon and its negative consequences, literature does not explain its causes, specify the problem, and most importantly, does not provide recommendations for preventing the occurrence of anxiety in the foregoing group of people. In order to understand the nature of anxiety, it is important to learn more about its causes and consequences for health,both biopsychosocial and spiritual wellbeing. In people with visual impairment this may depend on particular conditions which these people face every day, therefore the concept of anxiety in this group of people requires a separate consideration.

Correlates of respiratory admissions frequency in patients with obstructive lung diseases: coping styles, personality and anxiety. / Profil osobowosci, poziom leku i style radzenia sobie ze stresem a liczba hospitalizacji i konsultacji specjalistycznych u osób z chorobami obturacyjnymi pluc.

OBJECTIVES: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with a huge financial burden on the budget and healthcare in the world. Personality traits, ways of coping with stress and anxiety levels affect the functioning of sick people. Objective of the study was to evaluate correlation between those features and the frequency of hospital and outpatient clinic admissions among people with chronic pulmonary diseases. METHODS: Participants (n=100) with asthma and COPD were subjected to: a sociodemographic urvey, NEO-FFI Personality Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Brief COPE Inventory. RESULTS: There was a relationship between the hospital admission frequency and neuroticism (positive correlation). The frequency of visits to the outpatient clinic was positively correlated with the level of conscientiousness, use of emotional support and negatively with cessation of action. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results may indicate the need to offer patients with respiratory diseases psychotherapeutic activities aimed at building a more constructive functioning, reducing anxiety, increasing the sense of control.

Visual impairment and traits of autism in children. / Niepelnosprawnosc wzrokowa a obecnosc cech autystycznych u dzieci.

Visual impairment present from birth or from an early childhood may lead to psychosocial and emotional disorders. 11-40% of children in the group with visual impairment show traits of autism. The aim of this paper was to present the selected examples of how visual impairment in children is related to the occurrence of autism and to describe the available tools for diagnosing autism in children with visual impairment. So far the relation between visual impairment in children and autism has not been sufficiently confirmed. Psychiatric and psychological diagnosis of children with visual impairment has some difficulties in differentiating between "blindism" and traits typical for autism resulting from a lack of standardized diagnostic tools used to diagnosing children with visual impairment. Another difficulty in diagnosing autism in children with visual impairment is the coexistence of other disabilities in case of most children with vision impairment. Additionally, apart from difficulties in diagnosing autistic disorders in children with eye dysfunctions there is also a question of what tools should be used in therapy and rehabilitation of patients.

Personality traits, level of anxiety and styles of coping with stressin people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - a comparative analysis. / Cechy osobowosci, poziom leku i style radzenia sobie ze stresem u osób chorych na astme oskrzelowa i przewlekla obturacyjna chorobe pluc ­ analiza porównawcza.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are a challenge to public health, with the sufferers experiencing a range of psychological factors affecting their health and behavior. The aim of the present study was to determine the level of anxiety, personality traits and stress-coping ability of patients with obstructive lung disease and comparison with a group of healthy controls. METHODS: The research was conducted on a group of 150 people with obstructive lung diseases (asthma and COPD) and healthy controls (mean age = 56.0 ± 16.00). Four surveys were used: a sociodemographic survey, NEO-FFI Personality Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Brief Cope Inventory. Logistic regression was used to identify the investigated variables which best differentiated the healthy and sick individuals. RESULTS: Patients with asthma or COPD demonstrated a significantly lower level of conscientiousness, openness to experience, active coping and planning, as well as higher levels of neuroticism and a greater tendency to behavioral disengagement. Logistic regression found trait-anxiety, openness to experience, positive reframing, acceptance, humor and behavioral disengagement to be best at distinguishing people with lung diseases from healthy individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the need for intervention in the psychological functioning of people with obstructive diseases.

Religiousness, religious coping with illness, and psychological function among Polish elderly patients with osteoarthritis undergoing arthroplasty.

To determine the influence of religious coping and religiousness on the psychological functioning of Polish patients before and after arthroplasty, a prospective study was performed. Out of a pool of 102 potential participants, a total of 61 (34 females, 27 males) completed a purposely created survey, Brief-COPE followed by preoperative and postoperative Perceived Stress Scale, State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Religious coping was not associated with: (1) perceived stress before or after surgery; (2) preoperative or postoperative anxiety; (3) life satisfaction. A two-factor ANOVA has shown that religious coping controlled by religiousness was related to better psychological functioning. Between- and within-subjects effects were observed for improvement in life satisfaction measured by split-plot ANOVA, which suggests (p < 0.05) that such improvement was greater among subjects of higher religious orientation. We concluded that religious strategies in dealing with stress measured by Brief-COPE were least likely to benefit patients of low-religious orientation. The study demonstrated the importance of core religious beliefs in predicting benefits derived from religiousness in the face of a crisis. This study showed that regardless of its effectiveness, turning to religion is common among Polish patients about to undergo surgery for osteoarthritis of the hip.

Illness acceptance degree versus intensity of psychopathological symptoms in patients with psoriasis.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis have undoubtedly a negative impact on the patients' quality of life. Many of them may face various limitations in their psychosocial lives because of symptoms indicating the presence of psychopathological phenomena. Mental disorders in patients with skin diseases occur much more frequently than in the general population. Studies show that a considerable percentage (30-60%) of dermatological patients suffers from mental disorders (depressive and anxiety disorders being the most common). A person's attitude towards illness, its acceptance, and also the recognition of its limitations may be of a great importance in the process of the disease control. AIM: To evaluate of the relationship between the illness acceptance degree, and the presence and intensity of psychopathological symptoms in patients with psoriasis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was conducted on a group of 54 people (23 men and 31 women), who were treated for psoriasis in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Lodz and in the Department of Dermatology, Pediatric Dermatology and Oncology, Medical University of Lodz. The following research methods were used: a questionnaire prepared for the purpose of the research, Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and Symptom Checklist (SCL-90). RESULTS: It was found that there was a relationship between the skin illness acceptance degree and intensity of psychopathological symptoms in patients with psoriasis (negative correlations). CONCLUSIONS: The higher the degree of illness acceptance is, the better mental condition of patients with psoriasis is. The intensity of psychopathological symptoms is also affected by the duration of illness, other people's attitude to the skin disease, age and education level of the patients examined.

[The assessment of the level of coping style and health locus of control in patients with coronary heart disease and hypertension]. / Ocena poziomu stylów radzenia sobie ze stresem i poczucia umiejscowienia kontroli zdrowia u osób z choroba niedokrwienna serca i nadcisnieniem tetniczym.

AIM: The assessment of the level of coping style and health locus of control in patients with coronary heart disease and hypertension. METHOD: The sample studied consisted of 112 patients (81 M, 31 F) at the age of 35-65 years. Two groups participated in the study; first with coronary heart disease and hypertension and second with hypertension without other diseases. The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situation and Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale were used in the study. RESULTS: Two groups of patients used the most frequent task-oriented coping style. The significant differences were seen between groups in the external health locus of control (t = 2.113; p < 0.05); patients with coronary heart disease and hypertension revealed the strongest conviction that their health depended on other people. CONCLUSION: Patients with coronary heart disease and hypertension choose the task-oriented coping style. Patients with hypertension declare for internal health locus of control. Patients with coronary heart disease and hypertension declare for external locus of control.

[Double diagnosis and forensic psychiatric opinion]. / Podwójna diagnoza a opiniowanie sadowo-psychiatryczne.

Addiction to alcohol or any other psychoactive substance can run parallel with other diseases or mental disorders. One can then observe co-occurrence and mutual interaction of dysfunctions typical of addiction and of other mental disorders that accompany addiction. That is why, clinical pictures of such states (double diagnosis) are usually less unique, have an unusual course and cause diagnostic and therapeutic difficulty. The problem of forensic psychiatric opinion and treatment of people with a double diagnosis is another aspect of these difficulties. It is caused by the fact that forensic psychiatric assessment of the mental state of such people requires taking into consideration a very complex clinical and legal situation triggered by the interference of various ethiopathogenetic and clinical disorders. It leads to the need for complex evaluation and reference to sanity or other signs of functioning within the current law should result, first of all, from the analyses directly pertaining to the influence of the diagnosed disorders on the state of patients with double diagnosis. The forensic psychiatric aspect of disorders connected with double diagnosis is particularly significant as there is a relatively high risk of behaviours posing a threat to public order in this group of patients.

[Obsessive-compulsive disorders in forensic-psychiatric opinions]. / Zaburzenia obsesyjno-kompulsyjne w opiniowaniu sadowo-psychiatrycznym.

Obsessive-compulsive disorders and disorders within their spectrum pose a serious diagnostic and therapeutic problem, as the symptoms that appear along with the disorders result from dysfunction of the emotional, motivational and cognitive sphere. The dysfunction is determined by complex genetic, neurochemical and neurophysiological factors. Exacerbation of the symptoms may weaken the control over the disturbed impulses and compulsions, which in turn may lead to violation of law. Therefore, a forensic-psychiatric evaluation in cases related to patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorders has to include very complex relations between the type and the circumstances of the committed act or the undertaken actions and the type and intensity of these disorders.

[Forensic-psychiatric criteria for evaluating the capacity to take decisions freely and consciously and to express one's will]. / Psychiatryczno-sadowe kryteria oceny zdolnosci do swiadomego albo swobodnego powziecia decyzji i wyrazenia woli.

The report presents the current views on the development, course, as well as mechanisms underlying some disorders in the sphere of motivational processes, and especially in the sphere of will expression, aspirations and actions. The authors also analyze various aspects of the effect that is exerted by such disorders on such mental and psychosomatic functions that determine the validity of will declaration. The report emphasizes the necessity for separate evaluation of the ability to consciously or freely express will and reach decisions. Another important issue discussed in the paper is the prerequisite of including the effect of a given specific legal situation and factors other than psychopathological that can modify motivation, behavior and actions undertaken by the evaluated person.

[The assessment of personality traits and coping style level among the patients with functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome]. / Ocena poziomu wybranych cech osobowosci i stylów radzenia sobie ze stresem u pacjentów z dyspepsja czynnosciowa i zespolem jelita nadwrazliwego.

AIM: The aim of the study was the assessment of personality traits level (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experiences, agreeableness, conscientiousness) and coping styles among patients with functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. METHODS: The Neo-Five Factor Inventory of Personality (NEO-FFI) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situation (CISS) were used in the study. RESULTS: The subjects had a high level of agreeableness and conscientiousness and an average level of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experiences. Moreover, the avoidance--oriented coping style dominated among the patients with functional dyspepsia and the highest level of the emotional-oriented coping style was characteristic for the irritable bowel syndrome patients. CONCLUSION: Lack of the effective coping is characteristic for patients with functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. Significant differences between groups were noted in the conscientiousness level. Patients with functional dyspepsia had a high and patients with irritable bowel syndrome--an average level of conscientiousness.

[Masked depression--history and present days]. / Depresja maskowana--historia i wspólczesnosc.

Masked depression is a special form of an atypical depression. In the 70's and 80's years it was often identified at patients who complained on somatic diseases, without any distinguishable organic disorder. Depression symptoms were of secondary importance, with lesser intensification, some of them didn't appear at all. The psychiatrists of the time created a lot of terms to describe them, i.e.: a depression equivalent, a vegetative equivalent, a depression without a depression, a hidden depression. Current classifications: ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) and DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association) do not contain the term masked depression. It doesn't mean that have disappeared the problem of atypical depression syndrome with a picture significantly different from the commonly known. The american scientists claim that such group contains 6-7% of depression disorders. The lack of proper diagnosis and disease entity qualification leads to serious somatic and psychological consequences for patients. Improper diagnosis and treatment of a patient limits his or her social and professional life, forms suicide rate and makes high costs of diagnosis and treatment.

[The assessment of selected personality traits, coping and melatonin nocturnal secretion in patients with functional dyspepsia]. / Ocena wybranych cech osobowosci, stylów radzenia sobie ze stresem oraz nocnego wydzielania melatoniny u chorych z dyspepsjq czynnosciowa.

AIM: The main aim of the research was a characteristic of selected personality traits and coping as well as estimation of a level of melatonin in serum in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). METHODS: 36 patients with FD (14 men and 24 women) at age 19-43 (mean: 31.6) were examined. The control group consisted of 30 healthy persons at age 21-23 (mean: 37.2). CO-16 and CISS questionnaires were used to diagnose selected traits of personality and coping styles. Furthermore, melatonin concentration in serum was examined at 10 p.m., 2 a.m. and at 6 a.m. with the immunoenzymatic method (ELISA). RESULTS: Coping style focused on problems and emotions were the most frequent ones in the examined group. Cyclothymia, tendency towards neuroticism and depression, submission and sensitivity were these that characterised patients with FD well. It was also stated that the level of melatonin was higher than in healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: There are common personality traits and coping styles in the group of patients with FD. A level of melatonin in serum is increased.

[Depression disorders in aged patients in stationary long-term care conditions]. / Zaburzenia depresyjne u pacjentów w podeszlym wieku objetych stacjonarna dlugoterminowa opieka.

AIM: The prevalence of depression-type disorders in patients of over 65 years staying in a long-term care department was evaluated. METHOD: The 15 item Geriatric Depression Scale was used in this evaluation. RESULTS: In the examination carried out almost 68% of the patients showed sub-depression symptoms, and in more than 25% cases depression was diagnosed. No crucial connection between the age of the examined and the depression symptom intensification and also between the living efficiency evaluation and the GDS-15 was diagnosed. There was no significant correlation between the cognitive functions evaluation and the GDS-15 one either. CONCLUSIONS: In order to improve the quality of life of depressive patients in stationary long-term care it seems necessary to give them psychogeriatric help along with early diagnosis and treatment of depression.

[Threat of drug addiction in the army]. / Zagrozenie narkomania w wojsku.

UNLABELLED: Drug addiction belongs to those phenomena of social pathology with complex canses, mechanisms and conditionings. Drug addiction mainly concerns young people, also those from the military environment despite the fact that recruitment boards consider detected drug addicts-conscripts to be completely or temporarily unfit for service. AIM: The aim of this study is to assess the scale of drug addiction among soldiers taking into account the reasons and range of the phenomenon. METHOD: Using the method of the auditorial questionnaire, the tests were carried out on the amount trial among servicemen using anonymous questionnaires. The tests were performed in 1996 and the trial consisted of 552 soldiers and then they were repeated using the same questionnaire among 682 soldiers in 2001. RESULTS: It was found that in the years 1996-2001 the number of soldiers using psychoactive agents increased threefold. Marijuana and amphetamine were the most frequently used drugs. Nearly half of the soldiers tested think that in the army there are no problems with the supply with drugs, and over half of those who take drugs are of the opinion that drugs do not disturb their ability to service. THE RESULTS: Of the tests point to the following conclusions: in 2001 16.6% of the tested soldiers confessed to having contact with drugs, in 1996 this result was 5.1%. CONCLUSION: Marijuana and amphetamine still are the most popular among active soldiers. Although majority of servicemen consider taking drugs as a negative phenomenon, every tenth tested soldier pointed to positive effects of their taking. First contacts with drugs the tested soldiers had as early as in secondary school (58.3%), whereas as many as 25% of the tested subjects reported that they had the first contact with drugs in the army.