Background: The study aimed to compare psychopathological expressions during the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, as declared on March 11th 2020 by the World Health Organization, with respect to which institutional variables might distinguish the impact of COVID-19 in medical and non-medical professionals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed nationwide between 16th March and the 26th April 2020 in Poland. A total of 2039 respondents representing all healthcare providers (59.8%) as well as other professionals filled in the sociodemographic section, the General Health Questionnaire-28 and the author’s questionnaire with questions related to exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the availability of protective measures, quarantine, change of working hours and place of employment during the pandemic, as well as feelings associated with the state of the pandemic. Results: Medical professionals more often presented with relevant psychopathological symptoms (GHQ-28 (General Health Questionnaire-28) total score >24) than the non-medical group (60.8% vs. 48.0%, respectively) such as anxiety, insomnia and somatic symptoms even after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Male sex, older age and appropriate protective equipment were associated with significantly lower GHQ-28 total scores in medical professionals, whereas among non-medical professionals, male sex was associated with significantly lower GHQ-28 total scores. Conclusions: Somatic and anxiety symptoms as well as insomnia are more prevalent among medical staff than workers in other professions. Targeting the determinants of these differences should be included in interventions aimed at restoring psychological well-being in this specific population. Apparently, there are present gender differences in psychological responses that are independent of profession.

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Students worldwide have been impacted by nationwide safety closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating an environment with loss of interaction with colleagues, social isolation, boredom, and economic uncertainty. Since university students were considered uniquely vulnerable to mental health problems even before the pandemic, this study aimed to investigate lifestyle and behavioral changes experienced by this population due to the epidemiological situation and their effect on their mental health. Data were collected via an online survey conducted among university students across Poland. The survey addressed recent lifestyle changes that were a result of the pandemic as well as psychological distress, symptoms of insomnia and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. The results indicate that protective factors include maintaining a daily routine, staying physically active, following a usual eating pattern and taking care of sleep hygiene. Changes in behavior contributing to poorer mental health included giving up a daily routine, neglecting meals, tidiness, hygiene as well as social relationships, changes in food intake, sleeping schedule, a decrease in physical activity and the onset of sexual dysfunctions. A history of psychiatric treatment and an increase in self-harm as well as an increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption were also found to be associated with psychological distress. Experienced lifestyle and behavioral changes and their impact on mental health were apparent throughout the obtained data, highlighting the need for psychological support in the studied population. Based on the results we were able to establish a list of protective and risk factors influencing the everyday life and psychological wellbeing of students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, which could also be translated into life skills.

Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 that began from March 2020 is yet to be contained. Consequences of the ongoing pandemic may have a negative impact on the mental health of affected individuals. This particularly refers to those quarantined. Since the COVID-19 pandemic is currently one of the biggest health issues worldwide, a higher demand emerges for research concentrating on the worsening of psychological well-being among the general and the quarantined population, as well as on individual coping strategies that may moderate the occurrence of psychopathologies.Method: Data were collected within the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Participants represented quarantine (+) and quarantine (–) groups. Quarantine (+) group, different from quarantine (–), consisted of people who experienced it themselves or someone close to them did after contacting an infected individual. To measure psychopathological symptoms a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used. For measuring PTSD symptoms, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used. This study followed the coping strategies manifested among the participants using the MiniCope questionnaire.Results: A total of 2,036 individuals participated in this study. Quarantine (+) individuals had significantly higher total and subscales GHQ-28 scores (anxiety, insomnia, and somatic symptoms) as well as a higher IES-R arousal score. The quarantine (+) individuals were more likely to use self-distraction as a coping strategy. This research identified positive and negative correlations between presented coping styles and manifested psychopathology.Conclusion: This nationwide study suggests occurrence of negative effects on mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine. It is observed on most of the measured psychopathological symptoms. The present research provides a line of action that should be followed in the future in case of another epidemic and in the event restrictions like quarantine have to be introduced again.

No abstract

Since 25 March 2020, all schools, colleges, and universities in Poland have indefinitely closed and, where possible, have activated distance learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering that the undergraduate years are usually characterized by a high prevalence of emotional disorders and sleep problems, it can be expected that the current situation may have a remarkable impact on the student population. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of sleep problems among Polish university students as well as the relationship of insomnia symptoms severity with psychopathological symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and behavioral factors, such as substance use, changes in the amount of sleep, and the level of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1111 Polish university students via an online survey conducted between IV and VI 2020. The survey included demographic variables, the level of psychopathological symptoms (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-28), insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI), and symptoms of posttraumatic stress (Impact of Events Scale-Revised, IES-R). The results showed that over half of the studied group of students had some form of sleep disturbances during the period of data collection, with moderate-to-severe insomnia symptoms noted in 21.6%. At the same time, the majority of the sample declared they slept more during the pandemic. A significant positive correlation was observed between the severity of insomnia symptoms and PTSD symptoms, as well as GHQ scores, increased substance use, and decreased physical activity. An additional association between the presence of dreams related to the event and insomnia symptoms as well as GHQ scores has been found. The results suggest that sleep problems may be prevalent among university students during the pandemic. Moreover, although the symptoms of insomnia, as well as the severity of sleep disturbance, significantly correlated with all the investigated variables, the direction of those associations remains to be established.

Głęboka stymulacja mózgu (ang. Deep Brain Stimulation, DBS) to metoda leczenia, która jest obecnie obiektem coraz większej uwagi ze strony psychiatrów. Udowodniono, że jest skuteczna i bezpieczna w leczeniu zaburzeń neurologicznych, przede wszystkim choroby Parkinsona (PD), dystonii i drżenia samoistnego. DBS bardzo często pozwala na skuteczne leczenie w przypadkach opornych na wszystkie inne metody terapii. Obecnie oporne na leczenie zaburzenie obsesyjno-kompulsyjne (OCD) pozostaje głównym potwierdzonym zasadami EBM wskazaniem psychiatrycznym dla DBS. Wiele badań koncentruje się na ocenie skuteczności i bezpieczeństwa tej metody w innych zaburzeniach psychicznych, w tym w zaburzeniach depresyjnych, chorobie Alzheimera, jadłowstręcie psychicznym, zespole Tourette'a, uzależnieniu od substancji psychoaktywnych lub zachowaniach agresywnych.W ostatnich latach opisywano również pojedyncze przypadki skutecznego leczenia zaburzenia dwubiegunowego, schizofrenii i zespołu stresu pourazowego. W niniejszym opracowaniu przedstawiono aktualny stan wiedzy na temat przydatności DBS w psychiatrii w oparciu o dostępne przeglądy systematyczne, badania kliniczne i studia przypadków jak również o dane neurofizjologiczne i neuroobrazowe.

Zaburzenie obsesyjno-kompulsyjne (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - OCD) występuje u około 2-3% populacji. W związku przewlekłym przebiegiem i dużym procentem oporności na standardowe leczenie poszukuje się alternatywnego postępowania klinicznego bazującego na osiągnięciach neuroscience. Głęboka stymulacja mózgu (DBS - Deep Brain Stimulation) jest nowoczesną i dynamicznie rozwijającą się metodą, stwarzającą szanse na pomoc pacjentom opornym na dotychczasowe leczenie oparte na farmakoterapii i psychoterapii. W niniejszym opracowaniu przedstawiamy dwa przypadki pacjentów z rozpoznaniem opornego na leczenie OCD, u których zastosowano terapię DBS z jednoczesną farmakoterapią i psychoterapią kognitywno- poznawczą (CBT). U obojga pacjentów przeprowadzono zabieg neurochirurgiczny z implantacją elektrod do przedniej odnogi torebki wewnętrznej (ALIC) oraz jądra półleżącego (NAc). Przed i po rozpoczęciu stymulacji prowadzono regularną ewaluację kliniczną w oparciu o badanie psychiatryczne oraz pomiary psychometryczne (Y-BOCS, HAMA, HDRS, GAF, SOFAS). W trakcie okresu obserwacji wykonano ponadto zaślepioną próbę wyłączenia stymulacji. W okresie 6 miesięcznej obserwacji uzyskano znaczną redukcję w zakresie objawów obsesyjno-kompulsyjnych, depresyjnych, lękowych oraz poprawiło się funkcjonowanie pacjentów. Tolerancja terapii DBS była bardzo dobra i nie stwierdzono istotnych objawów niepożądanych. Uzyskane wyniki dają podstawy do wdrażania tej metody u innych, opornych na dotychczasowe leczenie pacjentów z OCD.