Background: While COVID-19 has rapidly spread around the world, and vaccines are not widely available to the general population, the World Health Organization outlines preventive behavior as the most effective way to limit the rapid spread of the virus. Preventive behavior is associated with a number of factors that both encourage and discourage prevention.Aim: The aim of this research was to study COVID-19 threat appraisal, fear of COVID-19, trust in COVID-19 information sources, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and the relationship of socio-demographic variables (gender, age, level of education, place of residence, and employment status) to COVID-19 preventive behavior.Methods: The data originate from a national cross-sectional online survey (N = 2,608) undertaken in July 2020. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.Results: COVID-19 threat appraisal, trust in COVID-19 information sources, and fear of COVID-19 are all significant predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Together they explain 26.7% of the variance of this variable. COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs significantly negatively predict COVID-19 threat appraisal (R2 = 0.206) and trust in COVID-19 information sources (R2 = 0.190). COVID-19 threat appraisal contributes significantly and directly to the explanation of the fear of COVID-19 (R2 = 0.134). Directly, as well as mediated by COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, threat appraisal predicts trust in COVID-19 information sources (R2 = 0.190). The relationship between COVID-19 threat appraisal and COVID-19 preventive behaviors is partially mediated by fear of COVID-19 (indirect effect 28.6%) and trust in information sources (15.8%). Socio-demographic variables add very little in prediction of COVID-19 preventive behavior.Conclusions: The study results demonstrate that COVID-19 threat appraisal is the most important factor associated with COVID-19 preventive behavior. Those Latvian residents with higher COVID-19 threat appraisal, experienced higher levels of fear of COVID-19, had more trust in COVID-19 information sources, and were more actively involved in following COVID-19 preventive behaviors. COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs negatively predict COVID-19 threat appraisal and trust in COVID-19 information sources, but not the COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Socio-demographic factors do not play an important role here.

As the worldwide pandemic of Covid-19 continues, health-care professionals (HCP) have been exposed to different hazards, and there is a need to explore psychological resilience in crisis situations, and to give recommendations for its strengthening. The aim of this study was to examine relationship between psychological resilience and self-care strategies in HCP of Latvia, controlling for gender and age during Covid-19 pandemic, and to determine whether the psychological resilience and self-care strategies differ between HCP and professionals in other fields (POF) unrelated to healthcare. Method. The sample consisted of 1723 employees, who during the state of emergency continued to work in their profession; they were divided in two groups - 77 HCP (18 men, 59 women, age M = 46.23 (SD = 14.43)) and 1646 POF (720 men, 926 women, age M = 44.98 (SD = 11.93)) as comparison group. Specific data of national representative cross-sectional online survey (N = 2608), performed in July, 2020, were selected – demographic items, 7 items forming Psychological Resilience Scale and 17 item forming Self–care Strategies Questionnaire (consist of 4 scales: “Spiritual resources”, “Social support”, “Free time activities”, “Time management”). Results. “Time management” was only predictive for Self-care strategy for psychological resilience in both HCP and POF group. Neither age nor gender predicted psychological resilience in HCP group. No statistically significant differences for major variables between HCP and POF were found. Conclusions. The results suggest that performing such Self-care activity as time management can help to promote psychological resilience of the employees regardless of profession. Given the workload of HCP in pandemic, this is an important result. HCP psychological resilience and used self-care strategies during COVID-19 are not different from POF.

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Abstract.Research of anomia is topical in the period when a society endures social and economic changes. On the other hand, the modern Western society is characterized by a rapid speed of development, by diversity, variability, multicultural life. In such conditions for some individuals it could be difficult to make life choices. Such individuals can get into "an anomic state". In a situation of rapid social and political changes as well as simply in the modern diverse and rapidly developing society pathological personality traits can serve as a factor that aggravates anomic feelings. Thus, the main purpose of this research is to investigate relations between anomia and pathological personality traits. The sample consisted of 83 Latvian inhabitants aged from 19 to 47 years (16.9% males, 83.1% females). The Anomia Questionnaire -AQ [1] and the Latvian Clinical Personality Inventory -LCPI v2.2 [2] were used. It is found that there are multiple relations between all six sub-dimensions of anomia and certain different maladaptive personality traits. Irresponsibility is the only personality trait that predicts deviation from prescribed rules or customs. Negative emotionality is the only significant predictor for social distrust. Suspiciousness that falls within a first-order domain Psychoticism and a second-order domain Schizotypy is the most significant predictor of estrangement to others as a dimension of anomia. Eccentricity that falls within a first-order domain Psychoticism and a second-order domain Schizotypy is the most significant predictor of cultural isolation. Separation insecurity that falls within a first-order domain Dependence and a second-order domain Neuroticism is the most significant predictor of a lack of goal clarity as a dimension of anomia. Depression as a pathological personality trait that falls within a first-order domain Negative emotionality and a second-order domain Neuroticism is the most significant predictor of a lack of goal clarity as a dimension of anomia.

This study aims to identify motivators and barriers regarding Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination among Latvian healthcare workers (HCWs). Data were collected from March to May 2021 using an online survey. Overall, 1,444 participants took part in the study. From this pool of respondents, 528 indicated motivating factors in favor of the COVID-19 vaccination (86.5% were women; aged between 20 and 75 years), while 198 mentioned barriers against the COVID-19 vaccination (92.9% were women; aged between 19 and 68 years). The thematic analysis was conducted on two open-ended questions. The main motivators reported for COVID-19 vaccination were belief in the effectiveness of the vaccine, benefits of easing COVID-19 restrictions, responsibility, and restriction or pressure in case of non-vaccination. The main barriers reported regarding the COVID-19 vaccination were concerns about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines, perceived health risks of vaccination, risk perception toward COVID-19, misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, belief that vaccination is being imposed, and belief in the conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19. The results of this study help identify the existing motivating and hindering factors for COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs in Latvia. These results can be used to promote vaccination in HCW, develop information campaigns, and alleviate concerns of HCW.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the pathological personality traits in predicting suicidal ideation, especially in combination with other risk factors, such as the level of depression, prior attempts of suicide, low self-esteem, low level of perceived social support and self-esteem-by-social support interaction, both in general and in psychiatric inpatient samples. Data were analysed within two samples: non-clinical general sample (n = 461) and psychiatric inpatient sample (n = 131). Latvian Clinical Personality Inventory (LCPI) was used as the instrument for data collection. LCPI is a comprehensive multi-scale multi-item inventory, which consists of nine clinical scales (including Depression Symptom Scale), 33 pathological personality scales, five functioning scales, and five additional scales, including a Suicidal Ideation Scale, Low Self-esteem Scale and Lack of Perceived Social Support Scale. Results of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that several facet-level pathological personality traits (depressivity, self-harm, dissociation proneness, submissiveness, and suspiciousness) added significant incremental variance to the prediction of suicidal ideation above and beyond the well-known main risk factors of suicidal ideation, such as depression and prior suicide attempt. This effect remained stable even after taking into account additional interpersonal risk factors, such as low self-esteem, low level of perceived social support and self-esteem-by-perceived social support interaction. The incremental effect of personality traits was medium in the psychiatric inpatient sample and small in the general sample. Findings of the study may assist in early screening for persons with suicide risk and for developing prevention programmes in different settings.

The purpose of this article is to present a theoretical integrative model, which reflects contemporary tendencies in the understanding of mental disorders and functional impairment, and which is used as a theoretical frame for the development of the Latvian Clinical Personality Inventory (LCPI). This article, based on the latest research findings in the field, supports the necessity of a combined analysis of mental disorders and functional impairment. Due to scientific findings and deeper understanding of the interrelation between mental disorders and functioning impairment, it has become possible to develop psychological instruments for valid assessment of the disturbances in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, and  behaviour combining with analysis of most essential and relevant aspects of their functioning. An integrative theoretical model of LCPI, developed on the selected criteria from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM – 5; APA, 2013) and WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF; WHO, 2001/2015) is presented in the article. Conducted literature analysis permits to conclude, that in a context of clinical personality assessment, a combined analysis of symptoms of mental disorders and relevant functioning criteria is very promising and will be useful in many assessment contexts. Based on such an integrative approach the Latvian Clinical Personality Inventory is currently being developed. This project is a part of the National Research Programme (No. 5.8.2.).

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictive public health measures have seriously affected mental health of society. Social, psychological, and health-related factors have been linked to anxiety in the general population.AimWe investigate the association of various sociopsychological and health-related determinants of anxiety and identify the predicting factors for anxiety in the general population during the COVID-19 state of emergency from in Latvia.MethodsWe conducted an online survey using a randomized stratified sample of the general adult population in July 2020 for 3 weeks. Anxiety symptoms were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S). Sociodemographic, health-related, sociopsychological characteristics and suicidality were identified using the structured questionnaire. The statistical analysis included Pearson's chi-square test, post hoc analysis, and binomial logistic regression.ResultsThe weighted study sample included 2,608 participants. The mean STAY-S score of the total sample was 22.88 ± 12.25. In the total sample, 15.2% (n = 398) of participants were classified as having anxiety. The odds ratio (OR) of having anxiety was higher in females (OR = 2.44; 95% CI 1.75–3.33) and people who had experienced mental health problems in the past (OR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.03–2.04), had suicide attempt in the past (OR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.08–2.59), were worried about their health status due to COVID-19 (OR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.36–1.16), were worried about stigmatization from others if infected with COVID-19 (OR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.03–1.35), were worried about information regarding COVID-19 from the Internet (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.08–1.43), persons who were lonely (OR = 1.90; 95% CI 1.54–2.34), and persons with negative problem orientation (OR = 1.26; 95% CI 1.06–1.51). Protective factors were identified as having good self-rated general health (OR = 0.68, 95 % CI 0.58–0.81), maintaining a daily routine (OR = 0.74, 95 % CI 0.61–0.90), having financial stability (OR = 0.66, 95 % CI 0.55–0.79), and having good psychological resilience (OR = 0.90, 95 % CI 0.87–0.94).ConclusionsThis is the first study to report a prevalence of anxiety in the general population of Latvia. Certain factors that predict anxiety, as well as protective factors were identified.