Young adults from disadvantaged groups experience more stress and deterioration in mental health associated with polycrisis.

The recent polycrisis (COVID-19, Ukraine war, climate change, economic crisis) has been associated with mental health through cumulative stress, with young people being particularly vulnerable. We surveyed 403 college students from Poland to examine their psychological responses to the experienced crises. The results showed that polycrisis was associated with worse mental health of college students from disadvantaged groups (based on gender, sexual orientation, and financial situation) compared to other college students, in four areas: sense of proximity to the crises, stress caused by the crises, sense of responsibility for mitigating the crises, and experiencing everyday moral dilemmas regarding the crises. These young adults also suffered more in terms of negative affectivity, depressive symptoms, and subjective physical and mental health. Our findings suggest that when discussing public mental health perspectives, it is important to consider consequences of cumulative stress and its greater impact on young people from disadvantaged groups.

Stigmatization of individuals suffering from mental illness and methods of counteraction - analysis of the statements of the elderly. / Stygmatyzacja osób chorujacych psychicznie i jej przeciwdzialanie ­ analiza wypowiedzi osób starszych.

OBJECTIVES: Stigmatization of those who seem to be superficially or innately different produces many negative consequences, such as hindered recovery process in people suffering from mental disorders. The tendency to stigmatize manifests itself in the majority of age groups, but the elderly seem to be ignored both in research concerning the phenomenon of stigmatization itself and research on methods of counteracting it. The aim of the study was to describe the experiences of contact between the elderly and people suffering from mental illness in order to recount both the symptoms of stigmatization and the readiness to meet such people. The additional goal of the study was to reflecton the methods of counteracting stigmatization. METHODS: A qualitative method based on the hermeneutic and phenomenological thought was used to analyze the data collected from four group interviews. RESULTS: We distinguished three main themes: (1) "Beliefs about the causes of mental illness", (2) "Emotional attitude towards people suffering from mental illness" and (3) "Ways of interacting with people suffering from mental". CONCLUSIONS: Readiness to stigmatize (blaming, controlling, anxiety) and meet people affected by mental disorders as well as to acknowledge their autonomy was observed in our subjects. We propose methods of combating the stigma such as: acquainting recipients with existential and evolutionary thought, nurturing imagination and encouraging peopleto confront common stereotypes with stories of people they know.

Results and biomechanical consideration of treatment of congenital lower limb shortening and deformity using the Ilizarov method.

One of the applications of the Ilizarov apparatus is the correction of congenital shortening and deformities. Ilizarov external fixator produces biomechanical structure with surrounding tissue, which is the reason why very important is correct stability of fixator. Large distraction in the case of high value of lengthening, and large deformity corection result in shear stresses that occur additionally in the regenerate, which can potentially lead to damage of the regenerating nutritive microcirculation of bone tissue and bone fragment displacements. Our objective was to assess the results of the Ilizarov method in the treatment of congenital shortening taking into account treatment strategy and the size of the axis of lengthening and correction. Our research problems include presenting the effects of biomechanics of musculoskeletal deformations on treatment results, presenting complications and their treatment. Between 1989 and 2009, 62 patients underwent surgery to correct congenital lower limb deficiencies at our Clinic; 33 patients were followed-up. In total, there were 70 surgeries (2.12/patient). Axial correction was performed in 26 patients (78.79%). Average age at the start of the treatment was 15.58 years. Mean follow-up was 8.58 years. Mean lengthening per surgery was 3.17 cm with the lengthening index of 50.7 day/cm. Results were very good for 23 patients, good for 7 patients, satisfactory for 3 patients. Complications appeared in 24 patients, problems occurred in 74.42% of the cases, obstacles in 4.65% of cases, and true complications in 20.93% of the cases. The best results were achieved in the treatment of patients with two-stage and two-segment lengthening with a total elongation of less than 7 cm, and without correction of the axis. Congenital shortening of the lower limb should be treated comprehensively because the shortening applies to all segments, and disturbs biomechanics of all lower limb. In the case of axial correction and large amount of elongation high soft tissue forces counteract the distraction forces. Hybrid construction may help to shorten treatment time, increase fixator stability and decrease rate of complications. We suggest use of hybrid Ilizarov fixator, especially when large elongation and axis corection are planned.